Card of the Day: Giannis Antetokounmpo 2013-14 Fleer Retro ’97-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Green #252

Card of the Day: Giannis Antetokounmpo 2013-14 Fleer Retro #47

Card of the Day: Kirby Puckett 1998 Upper Deck Retro Sign Of The Times Auto

Card of the Day: Blake Bortles 2014 Topps Mini Retro RC Auto

2013 Fleer Retro Football Is Shaping Up

One of the most exciting products to come out within the last few years is Fleer Retro.  Upper Deck finally gave collectors what they had been craving for a long time – 90’s inserts/parallels.  This brand is most popular with basketball collectors, but other sports such as football, hockey, and even baseball have been given their own Fleer Retro sets.  Many of these inserts/parallels, especially the Precious Metal Gems, can command huge amounts on the secondary market.  It impresses me when a new non-autographed/relic card can bring thousands of dollars today.

With each new version of Fleer Retro, Upper Deck continues to throw in classic inserts/parallels that we haven’t seen for a long time.  Among the designs they plan to bring back this year for 2013 Fleer Retro Football include 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game and 1991 Fleer Ultra.  Both of these sets were very well designed and adding autographs of current/former players will just make them even better.  I would like to see them use the 1997 Skybox Premium design again as that is one of my favorite sets.  So far I haven’t seen anything though.  With a much weaker rookie class this past season I think it was a good idea for Upper Deck to include autographs of Andrew Luck.

Upper Deck should give some serious thought in creating commemorative PMG cards for the 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention.  They would be a huge hit.  Last year Upper Deck created special PMG parallels just for their employees.

2013 Fleer Retro Football is due out in March.

Card of the Day: Jon Kitna 1999 Upper Deck Retro Inkredible Auto

Additional 2013 Fleer Retro Baseball Pics

Here are some additional images of Upper Deck’s 2013 Fleer Retro Baseball that is scheduled to be released in August (that will probably change).  Its great to see some of the classic designs, but with many cards not containing logos I’m not sure if the cost will be worth it.  What is more important to the collector – classic designs or logos?

Upper Deck’s MLBPA Agreement Will Bring Collectors Retro Baseball

Upper Deck has seen great success with their Fleer Retro brand.  Reviving all those popular inserts from the 90’s really hit the nail on the head to what collectors were looking for.  During the 90’s, basketball more than any other sport was the main focus to some of the most sought after inserts that continue to hold their stance today.  It is no surprise that when these inserts/parallels were brought back with 11/12 Fleer Retro Basketball collectors weren’t afraid to spend thousands of dollars on a low numbered non-autographed card.  Having Michael Jordan on their side to help drive up prices doesn’t hurt either.

I wasn’t sure how collectors would react to Fleer Retro crossing over into football.  Yes, football collectors had many popular inserts/parallels to look for throughout the 90’s too, but it wasn’t anything like basketball.  Football fans have been eating up ‘12 Fleer Retro like it was meatloaf.  Granted the prices aren’t quite as extravagant when compared to it’s basketball counterpart, but they’re performing well.  American football doesn’t have the international appeal like basketball does.  I would imagine that when Fleer Retro Hockey is released, it will perform somewhere in between the two.

During the Industry Summit it was announced that Upper Deck and the MLBPA had come to an agreement that would allow Upper Deck to produce baseball cards once again.  Upper Deck had been out of the baseball card business since that fiasco back in 2010.  Although last summer they did make 2012 SP Signature Edition Baseball which didn’t feature any player pictures at all, only sticker autographs.  In my opinion that was the worst product Upper Deck has ever made.  Given their great history of making some of the nicest cards in the hobby, that should have been an embarrassment.  2011 SP Legendary Cuts wasn’t that bad, but these cut signature and sticker autograph only products really limit Upper Deck’s true ability.

I couldn’t have been happier after hearing that Upper Deck is going to start making normal looking baseball cards again.  They might be spreading the Fleer Retro brand a little thin though while extending it to baseball.  Fleer Retro basketball and football utilize college logos, and hockey will use NHL logos.  When it comes to baseball we might be seeing more airbrushed out logos as we do with Panini baseball products.  Not unless the player is in their college uniform, but baseball players are the least associated to college sports when you think about them.  Unlike football and basketball.  I personally am not a fan of high-end products that do not contain team logos.  But given the fact that Upper Deck is approaching this product at a unique angle by including rare inserts based on the ones from the 90’s just might work.  With Upper Deck’s ability to make even non-college collectors purchase their Fleer Retro basketball and football brands just shows you how good of a product they can actually make.  Perhaps with Fleer Retro Baseball they might turnaround some non-MLB logo licensed fans.

Card of the Day: Teddy Bruschi 2012 Fleer Retro Skybox Autographics

Retro Spreads To Hockey

I guess when you have a hit on your hands, you just don’t let it go.  With the shortened 2012-2013 hockey season, and having the NHLPA announce that no rookie cards shall be produced, manufacturers have been forced to cancel several products.  Upper Deck said yesterday that they plan to cancel 12/13 NHL SPx, 12/13 NHL Upper Deck Series Two, and 12/13 Ultimate Collection.  Despite these cancellations, some of those products were already in production.  Upper Deck plans to include many of those big “hits” into the remaining products they intend to release.

Within the last year, there is no argument that one of Upper Deck’s most successful products is their Retro brand.  Bringing back all those classic insert designs from the 90’s was very popular with collectors.  It all started with basketball, and football won’t be far behind.  Hockey collectors can now look forward to Retro.  Retro Hockey will most likely be a high-end product selling for $300.00 to $500.00 a box.  Its scheduled to be released in April, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that changed.

Upper Deck truly listened to collectors when it came to Retro.  Collectors have been wanting these inserts and parallels to make a return for years.  I wish they could do Retro Baseball.  Its a big deal when a manufacturer can make a product where people are willing to spend thousands on a non-autographed, non-relic, insert or parallel in today’s hobby.  I think Retro Hockey will be more successful than Retro Football.  Hockey has more of an international appeal than American football.  The only thing that sticks out to me on these preview images is that some of the names are slightly difficult to read.  Light text and light colored backgrounds don’t mix well.  Its probably not a big deal, and the cards look different in person.