Patrice Bergeron Substitution Card

Patrice BergeronBack in July 2012, I first asked “Where in the World is Patrice Bergeron?” This was after waiting over a year for a redemption card that would supposedly bear Bergeron’s signature and a piece of a patch from one of his game-used jerseys.

The card in question was from the 2010-11 SP Authentic set, so the fact that Upper Deck did not have this card ready to ship out in the middle of 2012 had me perplexed. Was it that Upper Deck could not get Bergeron to sign the cards? Or was it that they could not secure a patch to cut up and put on the cards? I don’t think securing a game-used Patrice Bergeron jersey would be all that difficult for Upper Deck. And Bergeron has autographed cards for me in the past. So, I don’t know what the deal is.

Then last week, I received this letter, addressing the plight of my Bergeron card:

Upper Deck LogoDear Valued Customer,

Congratulations on finding your Upper Deck redemption card(s). We appreciate your patience and support of our redemption process. We strive to obtain athletes’ autographs and/or memorabilia before we launch a product, but unfortunately that is not always possible. Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to complete your card.

We apologize we were unable to deliver the item you were hoping to receive. We have exchanged your card for another comparable item, according to the policy in place on redemption offers. Please be assured that Upper Deck strives to produce the finest, highest quality trading card products and memorabilia. Unforuntately, we are not always able to control or predict all the circumstances surrounding the procurement of autographs and/or memorabilia items. We hope you enjoy this exchanged item and that it finds a cherished place in your collection.

Sincerely,

The Upper Deck Company

The letter didn’t really explain WHY I wasn’t getting the card, but that’s OK. Usually, when Upper Deck issues a substitution, they do not disappoint.

And in this case, they did not disappoint me. Enclosed in the padded envelope along with the form letter was this card:

2007-08 SP Authentic #201 - Tukka RaaskNeedless to say, I was floored. A 2007-08 SP Authentic Tuukka Rask rookie card, autographed on-card and serial-numbered is way cooler than a 2010-11 SP Authentic Patrice Bergeron autographed patch card–especially since said card of Bergeron does not exist.

I guess Upper Deck could have thrown an auto/patch card of any player and called it a day. Instead, they sent me a 5-year old rookie card that has since accumulated some demand in the secondary market The last two copies of this card on ebay sold for $100 and $130. This more than makes up for what was initially promised.

Coincidentally, this is the second time for me that Patrice Bergeron has been a part of an Upper Deck substitution. In 2009, the company sent me an autographed Bergeron card to compensate for a sub-par jersey card I pulled.

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Author: Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

6 thoughts on “Patrice Bergeron Substitution Card”

  1. That’s a great replacement! I may go see if I can find some UD redemptions on eBay and play the replacement lottery, haha. As much as I hate redemptions times like these make them bearable.

  2. Very generous of UD to do you a solid like that. I’ve had a substitution happen to me once and it did not go in my favor. I do not remember the year, but I pulled a redemption for a dual jersey/auto of Kovalchuk and Hossa. After a long wait, I was instead greeted with a jersey/patch card of Marty Turco. I live in Oklahoma and I am assuming that UD believed me to be a Dallas Stars fan. Not sure how I wasn’t given another dual jersey/auto, but I got shafted.

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