2014-15 Artifacts Checklist!

[RGM81]

True, but that should only be an issue if you're depending on Rookies to drive your sales.

I realize that new an sparkly is what everyone wants, so of course Rookies will drive sales (to some degree) but I don't think there's much of an issue with Artifacts and the Rookie Checklist at all (nor the timing).

It's a nice product, despite the rookies. It would probably be even better if they trimmed the RC checklist even more, and focused even more on veteran / retired talent.

If it were up to me, Artifacts would be strictly veteran driven content. Get rid of all the rookie stuff - nobody cares about Artifacts RCs to the extent that they'd be sorely missed, and the photo shoot stuff is just fluff filler anyways.

[KingKuba]

Anaheim has a decent checklist for the price.

UD does not seem to care for the wild or most recent teams.

[theboxbreaker96]

If it were up to me, Artifacts would be strictly veteran driven content. Get rid of all the rookie stuff - nobody cares about Artifacts RCs to the extent that they'd be sorely missed, and the photo shoot stuff is just fluff filler anyways.

Absolutely... I agree I wouldn't miss anything Rookie from Artifacts at all. There are a couple of products that I wouldn't mind if the rookie content disappeared (Trilogy, SPGU).

Artifacts is a great set year after year and focuses on GU mainly. I love what they have done with it but they have also added more rookie stuff too. I would love for it to be an all veteran product. I guess we can all dream!

[Cunnuc]

I agree with you on that one. Upper Deck really needs to change things over the next couple years to get the hobby back to where it should be. SPGU focusing on GU. Ultra Fleer focusing on inserts with very few autos. Artifacts should be exactly that, Artifacts from veterans. Maybe then rookies wouldn't sell for peanuts a few weeks after each products release.

[sephiroth]

This year, only a very few cards are of some interest for me. I like the additions of Damphousse and Bellows for the habs, and completely agree that Artifacts should be more veteran oriented.

The desing is a little bit too mutch ultimate for me, and I found the goalies with the yellow background to be the more surprising cards of the lot.

I will only buy a few singles from the bay this year and that's all. Last three years were really strong, but a ton of parallels and too mutch rookies patch hits will retain me from buying boxes this year.

I'm still open to trades for a shiny /15 of Robinson or Damphousse, of course.

[30ranfordfan]

Agreed.

It's a mid level product, and early season....so I get why the Rookies are in there. Panini was getting RCs out really early, so UD followed suit (the redemptions in Artifacts to compete with the RCs from Certified??). There was competition, they upped the "value".

Less is more would definitely work here though. If you ditch the rookies, focus harder on vets / retired players, you end up with less total rookies on the market... and I think help drive the value of them a bit. You've got OPC for the people that HAD to get their Oscar Klefbom rookies already, just wait for Series 1 to come out for new players.

22 products: If a handful of them don't contain RCs, not like we're really going to be shorted anything.

If it were up to me, Artifacts would be strictly veteran driven content. Get rid of all the rookie stuff - nobody cares about Artifacts RCs to the extent that they'd be sorely missed, and the photo shoot stuff is just fluff filler anyways.

[RGM81]

Exactly. Gretzky managed to get by with only 2. I say this on the 35th anniversary of his NHL debut. LOL

I think back to the days of the last UD Exclusive and the sheer obsession with shoe-horning rookies into everything, regardless of how much sense it made. Remember the Mini Jersey set? Better shove 50 RC's into it to "add value"! Be A Player, the set that's all about the one-auto-per-pack thing...hey, let's insert RC's /99! AND even rookie redemptions for NEXT YEAR!!

They don't need to make every release all things to all people. Like you said, do more with less!

[subban7677]

The issue becomes "will it sell" without the rookies included? Yes UD has the exclusive, so there is no competition from any other companies. But with 22 releases, they do, to an extent, compete with themselves. If there are no rookies in Artifacts, how many people say "I'll just wait for Trilogy, etc?" I'm not saying I disagree with anyone here. I believe it would be better for collectors if the number of RCs were trimmed down. But if it affects UD's bottom line whatsoever, it won't happen. Nor should it. they're a business and their #1 goal is revenue.

[KingKuba]

Just checked them out in person today at the LCS, think last year's looked better. Very plain and ugly overall.

Not sure how anyone gets excited about one nice small patch in a case. So many plain jerseys in these boxes even the numbered ones.

They look like 12-13 or is it just me?