Should Upper Deck Change Its Redemption Policy?

Topps Changed Its Policy. Will UD Follow Suit?

Late last month, the Topps Trading Card Company announced that all redemption cards will now be valid for 10 years from the date of issue. This extends back to include redemption cards that were issued in 2021-22 products.

Normally, a redemption card – a little cardboard “I.O.U.” that promises the collector a premium card – would expire after two years or so. This would take the luster off of buying sealed products that were more than two years old. Sure, you might get a rookie card of a player that is now a superstar…or you might get an expired redemption card for an autograph of that same rookie that was now worthless. 

What this move does for Topps is increase desirability in both old and new card products. We all dislike getting redemption cards – but it is nice to know that if we buy a product from 2021 in 2024 that the redemption card is still worth something.

Of course, Topps does not make hockey cards, but Upper Deck does. So, will Upper Deck keep up with its main rival and also extend the window of its own redemption cards?

Continue reading “Should Upper Deck Change Its Redemption Policy?”

Puck Junk Podcast: Why Connor Bedard Will Win the Calder Trophy

Plus: How Topps Policy Changes Could Affect Hockey Cards
Episode #188: May 10, 2024

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, the guys discuss why Connor Bedard will win the Calder Trophy, as well as the latest population counts on graded copies of his Young Guns card. They also talk about Topps changing its redemption card policy and how it might force Upper Deck to do the same. Plus, how Fanatics is changing local cards shops…but not necessarily for the better. It’s 98 minutes of hockey goodness!

Links
Topps Announces Redemption Extension (Sports Collectors Daily)
Bedard, Faber, Hughes Named Calder Trophy Finalists (NHL.com)

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Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube

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Clemente’s Corner: Rookies You Should Collect Besides Connor Bedard

Say the word “rookie” and the name Connor Bedard instantly comes to mind. It’s a reflex. None of us can help.

While the Chicago Blackhawks center may very well be on his way to taking the Calder Trophy, there are other rookies – even sleeper ones – that may be worth gobbling up now given that the majority of people are so laser-focused on acquiring Bedard.

Players like Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks have lived up to the preseason hype, although both have been overshadowed by Bedard mania. Both Hughes and Carlsson remain in the mix – although they are longshots – to capture the Calder.

Instead, here are five NHL rookies from this season (not named Bedard) who remain under the radar and worth chasing:   

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Rookies You Should Collect Besides Connor Bedard”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2023-24 Topps NHL Sticker Collection

Plus: Connor Bedard’s OPC RC is on Fire!
Episode #179: February 17, 2024

In the latest episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal and Tim talk all about the 2023-24 Topps NHL Sticker Collection. They also talk about the insane prices that Connor Bedard’s O-Pee-Chee Marquee Rookie card is selling for, the Penguins retiring Jaromir Jagr’s number 68, and more. It’s 95 minutes of hockey goodness!

Links
Upper Deck My MVP Contest Website
LastSticker.com is a great site for trading duplicate stickers with others

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Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.1993-94
Follow Tim Parish on X/Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X/Twitter @ClementeLisi
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube

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

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Black Diamond Hockey Cards

Plus: The Return of Topps Now Stickers
Episode #168: October 18, 2023

In Episode #168 of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2022-23 Black Diamond Hockey Card set. Other topics include the return of Topps Now Hockey Stickers and Game Dated Moments for 2023-24, Ebay’s revised policy for trading card listings, and how Tim organizes his Pittsburgh Penguins hockey card collection. It’s 83 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links & Images:
The first six Topps Now Hockey Stickers (Topps)
Info on Game Dated Moments (Upper Deck)
Revised Policy on Ebay Trading Card Listings (Ebay)
Ebay Trading Card Conditions Explained (Ebay)
Connor McDavid “Gold Label Edition” SportsPicks Figure (McFarlane Toys)
A few Images of 2022-23 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Cards:

2022-23 Black Diamond base card
2022-23 Black Diamond Rookie Gems
2022-23 Black Diamond – Exquisite Collection Rookie Card
2022-23 Black Diamond – Team Logo Jumbos Autograph
2022-23 Black Diamond – Diamond Might insert card
2022-23 Black Diamond – Relics jersey card

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,  
PlayerFMPocketCastsPodcast AddictPodchaserSpotifyStitcher,
or Transistor.

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel

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

Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers

Plus: Tim’s Thoughts on ’20-21 The Cup
Episode #145: March 2, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish take a long look at the new 2022-23 Topps Hockey Sticker Album set. Tim also gives his thoughts on the recently-released 2020-21 The Cup set, as well as the upcoming 2020-21 SP Signature Legends set. Plus, Linus Ullmark’s “Goalie Goal,” Sal’s recent trip to see two Hurricanes games, and more. It’s 92 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
Video of the Goalie Goal scored by Linus Ulmark (Twitter)
Crawford under fire after hurling homophobic slur at referee (Yahoo!)
An example of the Bruce Boudreau meme (Video)
Tim’s Twitter thread with his observations on 2020-21 The Cup (Twitter)
2021-22 Topps Sticker of Seth Jones Topps that’s Photoshopped (TCDB)
Sal’s Box Breaks of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers (Box 1, Box 2, Box 3)
Some pictures of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers:

Base sticker design.
Foil sticker design (superstar)
Foil sticker design (mascot)
Foil sticker design (team logo)
Celly Season sticker design
NHL Rookies sticker design
Art of the Deke sticker design
Season Highlight sticker design
2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Wrapper

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAmazon MusicCastboxDeezeriHeartRadioOvercast,  
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2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #3

The Law of Diminishing Returns is in full effect when opening packs of stickers. The first box is always fun because you need every sticker. The second box is also fun because you will need most of the stickers. Any box after that is will most likely be mostly doubles, with a few needed stickers mixed in. And that was pretty much the case with my third box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers. While most of it was doubles of stickers I got in my prior two boxes, I still got a lot of new stickers towards my set. 

Here’s my breakdown of my third and final box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #3”

2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #2

Opening and sorting stickers is a lot of work. 

It isn’t necessarily hard work, but it is time-consuming work.

For my second box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers, I streamlined opening the packs. Normally, I would open a pack, look through the stickers, and sort them by 100s. This time, I would open the pack and remove the stickers, but just put it in a pile until I opened 10 packs. Then, I’d thumb through the stickers and sort them. This seemed to make opening and sorting the stickers go much faster. With a pack of cards, I want to savor the moment, look at each card — and hopefully get a hit. With stickers, there are no “hits” and you don’t get anything rare; just four paper stickers and one foil sticker. 

One of the packs was put into the box sideways. This caused some of the stickers to “curl,” but fortunately they were easy to flatten out. If they were creased, I’d be annoyed. 

Another pack was — gasp! — missing a sticker. 

Here’s my breakdown of my second box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #2”

2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #1

Every year, I usually purchase three or four boxes of Topps Hockey Stickers for the difficult-but-not-impossible task of completing the annual sticker album. This year’s sticker collection has 679 stickers: 539 regular stickers and 140 shiny “foil” stickers are needed to complete the album. Stickers measure 1-7/8″ wide by 2-5/8″ tall. 

A few weeks prior to my birthday, my sister asked me what I wanted. I sent her a link to an online retailer who was selling boxes of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers for about $38 per box. I asked for three boxes — asking for four seemed greedy — as well as two sticker albums. And before you ask, yes, it is because I put stickers in one album but still want to have an empty, “mint” album. Weird, I know, but what do you expect from a guy who blogs about hockey cards and collectibles?

2022-23 Topps Hockey Sticker pack.

A box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers has 50 packs, with each pack containing five stickers — four regular “paper” stickers and one shiny “foil” sticker. This year, the stickers have soft paper backings instead of the hard backings of the prior three years, which made the stickers seem more like little trading cards. Also, the wrappers are not like trading card wrappers that are “crimped” shut at the top and bottom edges. This year, the wrappers are two pieces of paper glued together, just like the way Panini stickers were. No idea why Topps made these changes, but my guess is that it was to cut down on production costs. 

The three boxes that I was gifted — thanks, sis! — would put me at 750 stickers. I know that many of those will be doubles, so there will be some trading involved. 

And that’s another thing that makes collecting Topps Hockey Stickers so challenging: you can’t just buy the last few stickers you need from Topps. When Panini was producing an annual hockey sticker album from the late 1980s to the late 2010s, you could purchase the last few stickers that you needed directly from them. It wasn’t cost-efficient for buying a whole set, but if you needed 30 stickers or less, it was a worthwhile option. With Topps, you have to trade with other collectors, keep buying packs, or overpay on eBay, to finish your album.

No one said collecting was easy. Or cheap. 

Anyway, let’s see what the breakdown was like for my first box of 2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #1”