Why is UD buying an 08-09 S2 set on Ebay?

[Savard18]

Speculation time...
Why did Upper Deck buy an 08-09 UD S2 base set from me on Ebay?

Buybacks of course - it's in the name, lol.

I will say this much, if UD won a base set from me I would want something else than cash - give me a few cards in the vault...

Honestly I have seen UD bid on a lot of items - even specific cards - like singles... My only assumption was they're looking for product to re-release as buybacks.

One time I beat them in an auction - I really don't like UD and their monopoly and it was my way of saying **** you!!! to UD... If I remember it was a Joe Sakic SPA card.... It was the only time I have ever paid higher than high book for a card but - forget the monopoly that is Upper Deck...

Then again I bet I could make big money on Kariya's original 1991-92 Czech UD WJC Rookie if UD wanted to release it s a buyback (which they absolutely should) considering it wasn't released in North America....90% of hockey card collectors don't even know Kariya had a 91-92 UD Rookie.... And of course his 92-93 (I believe) are his "actual" UD rookie.... Either way I have dozens of each so, but I favor the 91-92 Czech version being his REAL rookie... Was he 18 yet? no, but neither was Lindros when he signed with Score and they juiced his name like an orange in an orange juice grinder....

[Savard18]

lol

Yeah that would do it. I knew Leaf bought stuff for their products on eBay but I didn't know Upper Deck did. Maybe they have something big planned?

Dude they do it all the time.............UD seriously buys cards off of ebay for their buybacks....

That's why I don't get "buybacks" at all - UD is essentially buying a card from my collection - stamping with a logo and an xxx/xxx S/N and it's worth more now?

The only positive thing I have to say about their action is at least they're BUYING THE CARDS BACK, but I wouldn't be shocked if that was because they no longer had the schismatics or equipment to reprint the cards - they probably could - it would just be cheaper to just buy them back.....

I cant wait until Upper Deck's exclusive license is up with NHL team logo's...

[Savard18]

Yeah, I don't know. My first thought was the same as palantri above, part of the new Buybacks product.
Seemed like an odd set to be of use for Buybacks though.

UD doesn't have to make sense to anyone.... They have a monopoly on the hobby essentially - what makes you think they're going to get creative at all? - they don't have to.... If you want to collect you're either buying UD or Leaf/ITG - and I have a heck of a lot more respect for Leaf/ITG than UD.....

Like I said I cant wait until their exclusive licensing deal is up....

UD sucks man, sure there are a few sets I like, and I know it's subjective but - UD could put Connor McDavids used toilet paper excrement and all on a card and S/N it to xx/20 in SPGU and "collectors" would buy it and pay more for it than a Leaf/ITGU dual Gretzky/McDavid patch....

I hope that when the exclusive team rights expire that ANYONE but UD buys those rights - I'm hoping for Leaf/ITGU to take over.

[Savard18]

Upper Deck cant beat this:





Pop Quiz kids, how many collective (on an individual level) Stanley Cups are in that picture?

[Savard18]

Better yet, I have a better idea - take a pic of 4 cards that have more Stanley Cups and Avco Cups than those players I pictured above .

I count 22 Stanley Cups and 6 Avco Cups... In only 4 cards,,, (save for Montreal)....

Could Upper Deck deliver that? sure, but would they? no. why would they? - they don't have hockey fans designing their cards or thinking up cards that would appeal to true hockey fans that have been fans for 35+ years...

C'mon, Billy Smith and Grant Fuhr duel GU Jersey card S/N:18/25?? as a goalie myself and a goalie card collector myself and someone that grew up becoming a hockey fanatic in the 80's how does it get any better than that? right there you have 8 Stanley Cups - back to back Dynasties... I mean that is the perfect card for goalie collectors... UD would never even think of something like that....

Leaf/ITG is on an entirely different level than Upper Deck, in innovation, quality, design and most of all - what collectors want.....

**Side note:, the only players pictured in the cards above that weren't on a Stanley Cup Winning roster is McDavid and Gratton .. The only one with 1 cup is Hull the rest have multiple Cup wins.

Sorry about the rant, but I really want to see some parity and diversity when it comes to hockey cards... Instead they essentially split the card manufacturers/brands like the government split the railroads, lol....

Topps gets Baseball
Fleer gets basketball
Upper Deck gets hockey
Football gets Panini

Grrr, what the heck is that?... Oh yea still a monopoly, just divided. Why you think there are only 4 R&R on a monopoly board? lol

[subban7677]

"Leaf/ITG is on an entirely different level than Upper Deck, in innovation, quality, design and most of all - what collectors want....."

I love much of what Leaf puts out. But I have to disagree with this statement. It may not apply to you or me, but MOST people want rookies. Rookies drive product, and Leaf can't do that.

[Maggot]

Buybacks of course - it's in the name, lol.

To eliminate any confusion, it wasn't for Buybacks at all. It was for the 30th Anniversary 1/1 insert set in UD S1/S2 this year.
At the time of the OP it was a mystery, but as I noted in my last post is no longer a mystery.

Point of resurfacing the thread was to discuss the price that the 1/1s go for on the secondary market.

[Savard18]

To eliminate any confusion, it wasn't for Buybacks at all. It was for the 30th Anniversary 1/1 insert set in UD S1/S2 this year.
At the time of the OP it was a mystery, but as I noted in my last post is no longer a mystery.

Point of resurfacing the thread was to discuss the price that the 1/1s go for on the secondary market.

Yea, but they're still "buybacks" and essentially considered "buybacks", they're going to take your cards (er their cards now), stamp them with a 30th Anniversary Logo and S/N: them 1/1.... I suppose it's pretty cool from your perspective knowing that your set was used... Imagine if you hit one of your old cards in a pack, lol? that would be pretty ironic, eh? lol

[Savard18]

To eliminate any confusion, it wasn't for Buybacks at all. It was for the 30th Anniversary 1/1 insert set in UD S1/S2 this year.
At the time of the OP it was a mystery, but as I noted in my last post is no longer a mystery.

Point of resurfacing the thread was to discuss the price that the 1/1s go for on the secondary market.

Well yea, Leaf/ITGU can't issue rookie cards because they don't hold licensing rights to NHL teams. UD owns the exclusive rights to NHL teams, which is why I'm so opposed to Upper Deck - they've essentially created a technical monopoly on the hockey card industry for themselves... I mean I don't have anything against UD as a product because I do really like some of their sets, I have something against UD as a corporation for being a monopoly. There needs to be competition in life in general because that's how progress is made, so since UD has a monopoly on the hockey card market they have no competition, hence no reason to innovate, get creative and come up with new inserts and such. I mean just about every collector I've talked to hate or dislike "UD Portraits", yet UD still keeps on producing them, tho I kinda do "like" the 19-20 UD Portraits because they're a bit different looking this year - so there was at least some change there... I mean there is just so more that Upper Deck "could do" but they don't.... I mean I would really like to see a new insert set and see Portraits or Shining Stars retired and replaced with that new insert set, and IMO inserts should ALL be serial numbered... I know serial numbers are just numbers, but there is something psychologically satisfying about pulling a serial numbered card because it makes that card unique in it's own little way and rare/scarce if it's a low pop serial numbered card... I mean UD should really have hockey fans and especially hockey card collectors working in their product, research and development department because it's clear they don't.... That's where Leaf/ITGU gets it right - It's obvious Leaf employs real hockey card collectors running their product, research and development department - because Leaf/ITGU are hockey cards "made by collectors for collectors" - heck that could be their new motto "made by collectors for collectors" if they ever get NHL team licensing rights.

Anyway that's just how I see it and how I feel about it.... Leaf/ITGU are essentially blocked from doing so much, so think what they could do if they had the licensing rights to NHL teams? I'm sure they would make so really cool cards, and UD would have to actually work, innovate and get creative to compete with Leaf/ITGU - give collectors a reason to buy an Upper Deck product - because as it stands today if you want to collect hockey cards and want the present seasons cards you essentially have to buy an Upper Deck product... This is why Portraits and Shining Stars are a "thing" still - they don't realize that a lot of collectors are just sick of them, and honestly I don't think they care - that or they see those two insert sets as "staple insert sets" for some reason when in reality they're not generally liked and the players base card sells for more than the players Portrait or Shining/Shooting Stars... I mean Jack Eichel's 2015-16 UD ROOKIE Portrait card only sells for a buck or two, the only Portrait right now that fetches anything close to 5 bucks is Connor McDavid's Portrait - regardless of what Beckett says... I mean that fact alone shows that Beckett is also full of crap and they're no longer using the pricing method they claim they use.... I mean I have the Eichel and McDavid Rookie Portraits and I also obviously have 100's of others and they don't sell for anything even remotely close to what Beckett claims they're worth.. Beckett says my 2016-17 Ovechkin and Crosby Portraits are worth $25.00 (maybe 30 actually) but those cards can be found on ebay with a starting price of .99 and a BIN price of $1.99.... So yea, I suppose when you factor in shipping it comes out to $5 each, but shipping is subjective and doesn't change the fact that regardless of shipping costs the cards still go for only $1.50 tops....

So yea, that's just the way I see it...

[WillyC]

Well yea, Leaf/ITGU can't issue rookie cards because they don't hold licensing rights to NHL teams. UD owns the exclusive rights to NHL teams, which is why I'm so opposed to Upper Deck - they've essentially created a technical monopoly on the hockey card industry for themselves... I mean I don't have anything against UD as a product because I do really like some of their sets, I have something against UD as a corporation for being a monopoly. There needs to be competition in life in general because that's how progress is made, so since UD has a monopoly on the hockey card market they have no competition, hence no reason to innovate, get creative and come up with new inserts and such. I mean just about every collector I've talked to hate or dislike "UD Portraits", yet UD still keeps on producing them, tho I kinda do "like" the 19-20 UD Portraits because they're a bit different looking this year - so there was at least some change there... I mean there is just so more that Upper Deck "could do" but they don't.... I mean I would really like to see a new insert set and see Portraits or Shining Stars retired and replaced with that new insert set, and IMO inserts should ALL be serial numbered... I know serial numbers are just numbers, but there is something psychologically satisfying about pulling a serial numbered card because it makes that card unique in it's own little way and rare/scarce if it's a low pop serial numbered card... I mean UD should really have hockey fans and especially hockey card collectors working in their product, research and development department because it's clear they don't.... That's where Leaf/ITGU gets it right - It's obvious Leaf employs real hockey card collectors running their product, research and development department - because Leaf/ITGU are hockey cards "made by collectors for collectors" - heck that could be their new motto "made by collectors for collectors" if they ever get NHL team licensing rights.

Anyway that's just how I see it and how I feel about it.... Leaf/ITGU are essentially blocked from doing so much, so think what they could do if they had the licensing rights to NHL teams? I'm sure they would make so really cool cards, and UD would have to actually work, innovate and get creative to compete with Leaf/ITGU - give collectors a reason to buy an Upper Deck product - because as it stands today if you want to collect hockey cards and want the present seasons cards you essentially have to buy an Upper Deck product... This is why Portraits and Shining Stars are a "thing" still - they don't realize that a lot of collectors are just sick of them, and honestly I don't think they care - that or they see those two insert sets as "staple insert sets" for some reason when in reality they're not generally liked and the players base card sells for more than the players Portrait or Shining/Shooting Stars... I mean Jack Eichel's 2015-16 UD ROOKIE Portrait card only sells for a buck or two, the only Portrait right now that fetches anything close to 5 bucks is Connor McDavid's Portrait - regardless of what Beckett says... I mean that fact alone shows that Beckett is also full of crap and they're no longer using the pricing method they claim they use.... I mean I have the Eichel and McDavid Rookie Portraits and I also obviously have 100's of others and they don't sell for anything even remotely close to what Beckett claims they're worth.. Beckett says my 2016-17 Ovechkin and Crosby Portraits are worth $25.00 (maybe 30 actually) but those cards can be found on ebay with a starting price of .99 and a BIN price of $1.99.... So yea, I suppose when you factor in shipping it comes out to $5 each, but shipping is subjective and doesn't change the fact that regardless of shipping costs the cards still go for only $1.50 tops....

So yea, that's just the way I see it...

Then there's these kind of Portrait cards... for the portrait card obsessive types.