Upper Deck Rolls Out 2008 Football Cards

While companies scramble to create fresh "Brett the Jet" football cards, Upper Deck has released its 2008 base issue.

Rookies, autographs and memorabilia cards are old standbys in the new world of football cards but Upper Deck is hoping the bells and whistles are enough to drive collector traffic its way as the NFL pre-season opens.  The company has released its 2008 base football product in time for the first full week of exhibition games.

Upper Deck collected photos of many of the top rookies recently at the annual NFL Rookie Premiere Photo Shoot, but the company also collected autographs of these players for its “Same Day Signatures” insert. For the first time, collectors can find hard-signed autograph cards of top rookie prospects in their professional uniforms with this set. Another new insert is the “Masterpieces Preview” collection. Upper Deck’s 2008 Masterpieces release is set to launch in late October, but collectors can now get an early look at some of the artist proofs.

Cut-signature cards of deceased personalities have certainly grown in popularity in recent years. Upper Deck will offer its “Mystery Iconic Cuts” insert in 2008 where customers can find exchange cards for limited-edition cut-signature cards from many of football’s founding fathers as well as a strong cast of other famous personalities.

Upper Deck believes the real draw for core collectors will be the “Star Rookie” cards, namely the 25 cards that are short-printed to enhance their future values. Rookies on that short-print list include top prospects like Brian Brohm (Packers), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Darren McFadden (Raiders), DeSean Jackson (Eagles) and Chris Long (Rams).

“In hobby circles, the launch of Upper Deck Football is usually considered the kickoff to the football season,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck Football brand manager. “There is so much history around it and we have added some great elements to captivate the interest of collectors. The ‘Same Day Signature’ and ‘Mystery Iconic Cuts’ inserts in particular are sure to have hobby shops buzzing as they are pulled from packs.”

The 2008 Upper Deck Football product carries a suggested retail price of $4.99 per 20-card pack with 16 packs per box. The product is available in stores and both singles and boxes are available on eBay.

PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

Regular Cards and Rookies:

o Regular Cards – 200 cards

o Star Rookies – 125 cards (including Short Prints)

Inserts and Parallel Cards:

o Masterpieces Preview Cards

o Starquest Black Parallel (hobby exclusive)

Memorabilia Cards (3 per box, on average):

o UD Game Jersey

o UD Rookie Jersey (Hot Box cards #’d to 350)

o Team Colors (Hot Box cards #’d to 299)

Autograph Cards (1 per box, on average):

o Signature Shots

o Star Rookies Autograph Parallel (#’d to 35)

o Iconic Cuts Mystery Redemption Cards (all cards numbered)