2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Box Break

First released during the 2017-18 season, Upper Deck Synergy hockey cards feature all the bells and whistles. Synergy cards are two layers thick. Like past years, the 2022-23 Synergy cards have a top layer that is printed on die-cut foil board, and a bottom layer is printed on clear plastic. 

One thing that makes Synergy an odd release is that the base cards are very hard to find. You read that right; the base cards are tough pulls. Synergy base cards of veteran players are serial-numbered to 13 copies each, while Synergy rookie cards are numbered to 23 copies each. What you will normally get in a box is mainly Red Parallels, which some may mistake for the base cards.

That said, Synergy is not a cheap product. A box has eight packs, with each pack containing three cards, for a total of 24 cards. When 2022-23 Synergy launched at the end of June 2023, a box was $100; now the price has settled to $85. 

I opened a hobby box of 2022-23 Synergy. Here is what was inside. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Cards

Part 6 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series 
Episode #163: August 31, 2023

Sal Barry and Tim Parish continue their ’90-91 Retrospective Series with a long conversation about the 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey card set, including the set’s colorful design, most-sought-after error cards, the legendary Stanley Cup Hologram, and the set’s enduring legacy. Plus, if there was a Pro Set Drinking Game, what would the rules be? It’s 103 minutes of nostalgic hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
1990-91 Pro Set Brett Hull Promo Card (Puck Junk)
1990-91 Pro Set Stanley Cup Hologram (Puck Junk)
Remembering the 1990 Chicago Hockey Show (Puck Junk)
Custom Helmut Balderis Card (Puck Junk)
That Rene Bourque Card that Sal Has Been Hoarding (Puck Junk)
1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)
List of 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Errors (Trading Card DB)
Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)

Past 1990-91 Retrospective Podcasts:

    1. Part 1 – 1990-91 Bowman Hockey Cards
    2. Part 2 – 1990-91 Topps & O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards
    3. Part 3 – 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Cards
    4. Part 4 – 1990-91 Score Hockey Cards
    5. Part 5 – 1990-91 Upper Deck Hockey Cards

Images of some 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Cards:

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Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube

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2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Box Break

For the first time in three years, Upper Deck Ice is back. Ice was last released for the 2019-20 season, then was cancelled for 2020-21. The 2021-22 Ice set came out at the end of the 2022-23 season. So, it is the first Ice set in two seasons, but took three years to come out.

Anyway, now that Ice has been out for a while, the price of a box has gone down a bit, from $130 to $110. A hobby box has 12 packs, with each pack containing six cards. A box also includes a “Bonus” pack of 2020-21 Ice – so if you really want to build the cancelled Ice set, you could, though it would be tough.

One selling point of Ice is that all autographs in the set are “hard-signed,” meaning that the autographs are on the card itself and not on a sticker later applied to the card. A box of Ice also contains at least two Ice Premieres rookie cards, which are printed on acetate (clear plastic). 

I opened a box of 2021-22 Ice, which was also the subject of the Puck Junk Podcast recently. But I thought it would be nice to show off what I got in my box. So, let’s take a look at what my 12 packs of 2021-22 Ice – plus the 2020-21 Ice bonus pack – had inside. 

Continue reading “2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Cards

Episode #162: August 24, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss the 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy hockey card set, including the design, the inserts…and why the parallels should really be the base set. It’s 71 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Connor McDavid  Plays in Beer League Hockey Game (Toronto Star)
NHL Ref O’Rourke Biking from California to Chicago for Charity (NHL.com)
Tim’s Take: Is Fanatics a Monopoly? (Puck Junk)
Tim’s Take: Fanatics Strikes Back (Puck Junk)
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Some images from 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Cards:

Follow
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Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube

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or Transistor.

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Hockey Cards

Episode #161: August 18, 2023

Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Hockey Card set, which came out after the 2022-23 season, despite being a 2021-22 product – and it even has cards for 2020-21. There is a lot going on with ICE, and the guys critique the base set design, the parallels, and the inserts. Plus, they talk about some upcoming releases. It’s 57 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Some images from 2021-22 Upper Deck Ice Hockey:

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube

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or Transistor.

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel

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2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break

Like the final part of a three-act play, Upper Deck Extended Series rounds out the company’s most-exciting card set. Extended Series adds 200 more base cards and 30 new Young Guns to collect, as well as 20 “Round 1 Draft Picks” short prints, making Upper Deck’s flagship release the biggest set of the 2022-23 season. 

2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series costs about $95 per box and contains 24 eight-card packs. This is the last Upper Deck flagship set that will have this pack configuration, as the set will increase the card count – but decrease the number of packs – starting next year. 

I opened a box of 2022-23 Extended Series. Here is what was inside. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break”

Tim’s Take: Fanatics Strikes Back

If you recall in my article where we first discussed the Panini vs. Fanatics lawsuit, we asked if Fanatics was a monopoly, as Panini accused them of being. In that article, we said the short answer was no, and the long answer was also probably no.

But let’s flip the script and turn the attention to the accuser, Panini. Is Panini a monopoly in the hobby space?

I think the conclusion ultimately ends up being the same. But fortunately for all of us captivated by this drama, if both parties have their way, we may now eventually find out. Let’s break down a simple timeline of what has transpired to get us here, shall we?

Continue reading “Tim’s Take: Fanatics Strikes Back”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey Cards

Episode #160: August 12, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series, including the crop of Young Guns, the new “Round 1 Draft” short prints, and the myriad of inserts. The guys also discuss why Extended Series – as great as it is – is often overlooked by hockey collectors. It’s 59 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Tim references our interview with Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel (Episode #78)  who is a huge hockey fan.
You should also give a listen to our interview with Paul Zickler of Upper Deck (Episode #149), who discusses in detail the changes to the pack configuration starting with 2023-24 Upper Deck Series One. 
Finally, some images of 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series cards:

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAmazon MusicCastboxDeezeriHeartRadioOvercast,  
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or Transistor.

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Connect 
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Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Puck Junk Podcast: 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention Recap

Episode #159: August 5, 2023

Sal Barry, Tim Parish, and Clemente Lisi give their extended recap of the 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention – including what they saw, what they bought, the HEAT, and more. It’s 101 minutes of hobby goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sal’s Interview with SlabStox (YouTube)
Sal’s Interview on the Rebel Base Card Podcast (Spotify)
The Wrath of COMPS! T-Shirt (Puck Junk Online Shop)
Clemente’s Corner: 2023 National Recap (Puck Junk)
Tim’s Take: The 2023 National (Puck Junk)

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – check them out on YouTube.

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAmazon MusicCastboxDeezeriHeartRadioOvercast,  
PlayerFMPocketCastsPodcast AddictPodchaserSpotifyStitcher,
or Transistor.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel

Connect 
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group. and subscribe to the Puck Junk Newsletter. 

Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop