I noticed an interesting trend at my local Target retail store–last year’s Upper Deck cards are back on the shelves at lower prices.
Here is a tin of 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Cards–you know, the series that no one bought–for $12.99.
This perplexes the hell out of me. As my girlfriend can attest, I practically memorize the trading card aisle at my local Target store. Every time we go there–about once a week–I beeline for the cards, hoping to find something new and cool to purchase. I don’t recall 8-pack tins being sold at Target last year.
So, my theory is that Upper Deck had a bunch of unsold 24-pack boxes sent back to them, repacked the packs in tins and sent them back at a reduced price. Further supporting this idea is that these are 8-card packs, and not the standard 5-card packs usually found in tins and blasters.
That might also explain this blaster box of 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice.
I also don’t recall Ice being sold in blaster boxes during the 2008-09 season. Either Upper Deck had a ton of last year’s Ice sitting around their warehouse, or a retailer returned them en masse.
Upper Deck’s “Extreme Value” wasn’t just limited to hockey cards. Old football cards have also found their way to the shelves.
How about that? Nine packs of football cards for $6.99. But if this is 50% off, then the normal blaster price for football is $14, and not $20 like a hockey blaster. Man, even at full price you football collectors have it so good.
I also spotted this complete football factory set for $14.99. It even includes 2 jersey cards. Granted, it is from 2008–like the football blaster–but $15 for a complete set is more of a deal than $13 for 8 hockey packs.
Has anyone else spotted “old” cards from the past year or two making a comeback on the shelves of your local retail store? I guess selling off old cards at half-price is one way Upper Deck is raising the funds to pay off their lawsuits, eh?
