Live Today: 2009 SPx

Always the innovators in technology, Upper Deck has once again taken sports cards to a new level with this year’s release of SPx. The all new Shadow Box cards have been creating quite a buzz amongst collectors since the first images were released months ago. 2009 SPx is being sold in cases of 10 boxes of 10 packs of 3 cards each (follow that?).

The 150-card base set is comprised of 90 veterans and 60 rookies (#/799). Beyond the base set are quite a few inserted memorabilia, autograph, and parallel cards, along with the Shadow Box set. Autograph cards include: SPx Rookie Auto Jersey and parallels (#’d up to 549); SPx Rookie Signatures and parallels (# up to 299); Super Scripts, Super Scripts Duals, Trios, Quads, Six, and Eights (Varied #); X Factor Signatures; Rookie Materials Auto Patch (Varied #); Winning Combos Auto Patch (Varied #); Winning Trios Auto Patch(Varied #); and SPx Shadow Box Autographs (Varied #). Memoribilia cards without autos include: Winning Materials and parallels (# up to 249); Rookie Materials and parallels (# up to 249); Winning Combos and parallels (# up to 99); Winning Trios and parallels (# up to 50); and Fantastic Foursome and parallels (# up to 20). There are also parallels of the SPx rookie base cards (# up to 399). Also, don’t forget that the shortprinted 2009 Upper Deck flagship cards of Michael Vick and Brett Favre are also being randomly inserted into SPx.

 

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Per Box Breakdown: 10 packs of 3 cards each (30 total cards) including: 6 memorabilia cards and up to 4 autographed cards, including 1 Rookie Signature Triple Memorabilia card. Shadow Box cards are inserted at a rate of 1 per case and there will be at least 3 autographed memorabilia or multi-signed cards per case. Boxes are currently selling in the $150 ballpark.

My first thought is excitement. I have been looking forward to seeing these Shadow Box cards ever since Upper Deck first gave us a glimpse at them. I think it is a really cool concept and I applaud UD for trying something new in what has become a rather stagnant pool of releases. Football collectors have been lucky to receive some of UD’s best efforts in recent years, and after losing their NBA license, which had been UD’s forté, that trend should only grow stronger. I am a bit leary of this product though. Partially for the price point. As a collector who does not have the resources to drop top dollar for cards, $150 for 30 cards ($5 per card) is a bit high. But what really concerns me is that once again we see a mid-to-high end product that, other than those Shadow Box cards, is depending on relics and autos to move boxes. I know a lot of other collectors and bloggers have brought this up before now, but I would like to second the opinion that it would be nice to see a very well designed set not fall into the same relic/auto rut as all other products are in right now. I think the Shadow Box cards are moving in the right direction, I just hope we can get to that point soon. My last concern about SPx is the parallels, which are not fully explained in the product description. This is another trend I don’t particularly like. It was cool when companies started making gold parallels of cards and I even liked the bronze/silver/gold/platinum idea. But nowadays, it seems like every non-flagship card has multiple parallels of various names, serial numbers, and gimmicks. I’m not saying we need to go back to 1984 Topps and just have one base set and that’s it, but it would be nice if the companies could focus and exercise a bit of self-control. Overall though, I will say this product looks pretty nice. It is certainly not in a ridiculous price range and the cards look good and should do well in the secondary market, especially the highly-hyped Shadow Box cards. Hopefully I’ll get to see one of those in person some day!

HOF Spotlight: Art Rooney

Name: Art Rooney
Position: Founder, Administrator
Pro Career: 1933 – 1988
Team Affiliation(s): Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers
College: Georgetown; Duquesne
Induction Class: 1964

Brief Bio: ”If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” If anyone in NFL history has lived those famous motivational words, it was Art Rooney. Rooney purchased the Pittsburgh football franchise in 1933 and waited more than 40 years before winning his first championship. In the 1970s, all of the pieces of the puzzle finally landed into place as the Steelers became the first decade-long dominator in the NFL, winning an unprecedented 4 Super Bowl titles in six years. Not only did Rooney build a storied and successful franchise, currently the owner of more Super Bowl rings than any other NFL team, he was also a great contributor to the NFL, serving as a guiding light in the early days of a struggling league. Rooney proved success could come by showing love, friendship, and grace, rare traits even in his time.

Featured Card: 1975 Fleer Hall of Fame #78. As a franchise owner, obviously Rooney does not have many cards. The one featured above was produced at the height of his success in the mid 1970s, and several HOF focused sets have included him since then. Trivial Beckett value of the featured card is $0.75. Most Rooney base cards can be picked up for around $1-4. Rooney’s autograph appears to be valued at just over $100 as index cards, photos, and cards all seem to be selling in the $125 ballpark. Obviously Rooney is a very recognizable name in the Pittsburgh area, so finding a seller in the southwestern states may prove useful in saving a few dollars if you are looking to add Rooney to your collection.

NOTE: You can find all of my Hall Of Fame Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.

Fantasy Focus: Week 2

As you gear up for this weekend’s upcoming games by realigning your fantasy rosters to optimize matchups, let’s take a quick look back at last week’s studs. (Note: Points listed are directly from the First and Goal Fantasy League and may not represent point totals in your individual leagues)

QB: Matt Schaub, Houston Texans — Last week, Schaub shocked the fantasy world by completing 25 of 39 passes for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns. He did not throw any interceptions and was not sacked the entire game, allowing him to fully earn his 31 fantasy points. If not for being in an offensive shoot-out with a certain running back (see below), he certainly could have been Stud of the Week.

*Fantasy Stud of the Week*
RB: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans — As the counterpart for Schaub’s shoot-out, Johnson put up ridiculous numbers last week. With 197 yards rushing, 87 yards receiving, and 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving), and no fumbles counting against him, Johnson put up a cool 45 fantasy points this week, earning him Fantasy Stud of the Week honors. Johnson’s performance was the first time in NFL history a single player had 2 rushing and 1 receiving play for more than 50 yards each, all of which ended in a touchdown.

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WR: Andre Johnson, Houston Texans — Not surprisingly, Johnson strongly benefitted from Schaub’s career day. Johnson hauled in 10 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. By earning 26 fantasy points, Johnson was last week’s best fantasy wide receiver.

TE: Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts — Last week, Clark had a career game with 7 receptions for a personal best 183 yards, including a quick 80-yard touchdown catch to start the game. Clark may not earn 24 fantasy points every week, but he is certainly one of the elite tight ends of the NFL today, and last week, he was the best.

K: Rian Lindell, Buffalo Bills — Lawrence Tynes was just edged out of the top kicking spot again this week, this time by Rian Lindell. Lindell booted four field goals, including one from 40+ yards out, along with 3 PATs on his way to a 16-point fantasy outing.

D/ST: Arizona Cardinals — A team known more for its explosive offense, the Cardinals flexed their defensive muscle last week by recording 4 sacks, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 touchdown, and even an ever-elusive blocked kick. By scoring 19 fantasy points, the Cardinals once again proved to fantasy owners that defense really can win championships.

ROOKIE: Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears — A relatively unknown rookie, Knox put up impressive numbers Sunday by catching 6 passes for 70 yards and a late game-tying touchdown. Jay Cutler appears to be building a good relationship with the rookie receiver who may just be able to keep pace with Devin Hester. Look out for Knox to repeat or possibly improve upon his 23-point fantasy performance in the coming weeks.

Check back next week for another edition of Fantasy Focus as we recognize the week’s best fantasy performers. Best of luck to you in your respective fantasy football leagues!

Contest: 100 Reasons to Celebrate

For all of you keeping score at home, you may have noticed that my two product previews this morning brought my post count to a staggering 100. Alright, I realize that some dedicated (dare I say obsessed?) bloggers write 100 different insightful and well-worded posts each month, but I simply don’t have that sort of time or attention span.

To help celebrate this modest milestone, I am looking to unload another card! I haven’t decided which one yet, but it will be of a recognizable football player and serial numbered #/100 (clever, huh?). Want to enter? Of course you do! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me which of my first 100 posts was your favorite. That’s it!

Need some help? Perhaps you have been a fan of my product previews of fresh wax or my product reviews of older wax. Maybe you enjoy reading my HOF Spotlight or my new Fantasy Focus features. Or, if you are like Joe and have been here since Day 1, you may cherish my very first post.

Whichever is your favorite, just leave a comment on this post (comments left on your favorite post, while appreciated, will not be entered into the drawing) to be entered to win a mystery card #/100. Haven’t been a long-time reader? Just tell me you like this post the best because you might win something. That would make me like a post!

I am going on a mini vacation late this week into next week, so I am going to leave this open until 11:59pm on SEPTEMBER 30, 2009! That also means that you may not see your comment approved for a few days, but don’t worry, WordPress will track when you logged your comment, and it will still be entered into the drawing when I get back. Be sure to leave a comment before the deadline! Good luck to all entrants!

UPDATE: Contest is now closed. Thank you to all participants. Stay tuned for the winning announcement soon!

Live Today: 2009 Bowman Sterling

Promising to provide some of the year’s best rookie cards, 2009 Bowman Sterling is hitting hobby shop shelves today. The much anticipated hobby exclusive release is available in boxes of 6 packs of 5 cards each. The base set consists of a variety of base, autograph, relic, and autographed relic cards, as well as parallels and variations.

The set contains 50 base rookie cards serial numbered in several parallels (Refractor #/199, White #/89, Black #/50, Gold #/25, and Red 1/1). There are also 50 autographed rookie base cards with several parallels (Refractor #/75, Black #/25, Gold #/10, White #/5, and Red 1/1). Additionally, there are 85 relic base cards, consisting of 34 rookies and 51 veterans and legends, also available in several parallels (Refractor #/199, Black #/50, Gold #/25, White #/5, and Red 1/1). And if that wasn’t enough, there are 25 rookie and 20 veteran autographed relic base cards with several parallels (Refractor #/75, Black #/25, Gold #/10, White #/5, and Red 1/1). Also inserted into 2009 Bowman Sterling are all 4 printing plates used to print the 85 rookie and veteran relic cards, the 50 non-autograph rookie base cards, and the 50 autographed rookie base cards. Finally, there are dual autographed cards seeded one per 4-box case that include autographs from 40 current and retired NFL players on numbered gold Refractor cards.

 

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Per Box Breakdown: 6 packs of 5 cards each (30 cards total), including 12 rookie cards (2 per pack), 6 autographed cards (1 per pack), 12 relic cards (2 per pack), and 2 autographed relic cards. Each 4-box inner display case will also contain 1 dual autographed card. This adds up to more than 30 cards per box, so an autographed relic or dual autograph will obviously replace a single autographed card in that respective pack.

My first thought is, wow, that is one confusing product checklist. Obviously this is a product specifically designed for the higher-end collector who chases valuable cards or is a player collector who is not afraid to lay down top dollar for his/her favorite player(s). If you are strictly a set collector, stay as far away from this product as possible! If the pre-release mock ups you see above are accurate to the actual release, I think the cards are actually pretty good looking. They may be a tad too shiny though as the images above almost have a shine to them on the computer screen, without being printed on foil board. I am interested to see how all the parallel colors are worked into the design. Is there a border like Topps Chrome, or is the entire design the specific parallel color? Whatever the case, these cards do promise to be highly sought after and able to fetch some nice money on the secondary market, especially from prospectors who have their rookie targets all picked out. Boxes can be purchased for about $230. At almost $8 per card, that is way too rich for my blood, but I’m sure there are plenty of collectors who are pumped up and plan to buy cases of this stuff. I would love to see some singles in person, but that is probably as close as I’ll get.

What do you guys think? Is this right up your alley, or are you passing on this mid-to-high end product?

Live Today: 2009 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia

Hitting hobby shop shelves and online retailer homepages today is 2009 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia. Carrying a per pack SRP of $40, this product is being released in cases of 18 boxes of 4 packs of 4 cards. Hobby boxes are currently going for about $120, a rather high price tag for 16 cards.

 

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Per Box Breakdown: 4 packs of 4 cards each (16 total), including 4 Material or Autograph cards (at least 1 of which will be an autograph), 1 Rookie, 1 Parallel, 1 Insert, and 1 other Insert/Parallel or Rookie.

I would like to start by saying that when I was younger, I LOVED the Playoff brand. They were sorta high-end, but had some really nice and classy designs. I will admit I was out of the hobby for a few years so I do not know exactly when the change happened, but I know that I am not pleased with this product. Panini, which currently owns the Playoff name, has once again created a Frankenstein checklist with a plethora of insert and parallel sets. Most of the cards feature a relic and/or autograph, proving that Panini is only interested in gimmicks and trying to get the most money out of collectors. Granted, I am not a high-end buyer. I probably never will be because I have too many interests to devote enough money to card collecting to buy those high-end products. Maybe this product will give collectors their money’s worth, but at about $7.50 per card, and that’s going with a big online retailer, I find it hard to believe. Normally I try to give all new products equal share on this site (when I remember that they are being released, sorry 2009 Topps flagship) and just present the facts, a few images, and my humble opinion. But this product takes the cake. I did not even bother typing out the long list of sets included with 2009 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia because there are a total of 95 freaking sets, including all of the inserts and parallels. To see the entire and freakishly long list of sets, you can view the pdf sell sheet here. To me, that is completely ridiculous. It’s as if their design team came up with a bunch of ideas and the manager just said “oh hell, let’s just use them all!”. Either that, or Panini execs are trying to make up for the fact that Leaf R&S and Score looked almost identical this year.

Do some of the cards from this product look cool? Sure. Do I think it’s entirely too expensive? Certainly. The only “absolute” things about 2009 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia? It is absolutely ridiculous and I will absolutely not be buying any.