It’s clear that Upper Deck is changing its style when it comes to its 2015-16 SPx Hockey product. That’s clear, as in acetate.
For example, the rookie cards are a dramatic departure, highlighted by an acetate-window player image next to autographs and/or memorabilia.
Hobby boxes will hit stores and online outlets on Wednesday.
Upper Deck is promis
ing one rookie auto jersey or Retro Rookie auto jersey per box. And as hockey collectors know, this year’s rookie class is chock full of new and exciting players, like Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin, Max Domi and Dylan Larkin.
A hobby box will consist 
of 10 packs, with four cards in each pack. Box prices are currently $110-$120 on eBay.
2015-16 SPx Hockey Base Set, Inserts
The base set will contain 60 cards, plus inserts like the 15 Shift Change cards that will fall one per six packs. An additional 15 Stick Wizards (also falling at a 1:6 ratio), 10 Name on Front cards (one in every 24 packs) and 30 short-printed high series foil rookies (one in every four packs) round out the inserts.
Each of those inserts will have signed parallels.
Relic Cards and Autographs
Jersey cards will include some tough to pull items like X-Dual (1:70) and X-Quad (1:16
0), with patch parallels numbered to 10 and
5. A new subset this season is the Monochromatic jersey cards, which fall one in every 20 packs (or every other box, if that sounds more attainable). The Monochromatic cards have a relic with a black-and-white image. Here’s the catch — the player’s jersey will be displayed in color.
Other memorabilia
items will be Acetate Jersey Rookies numbered to 349 and Acetate Auto Rookies numbered to 299. Acetate Auto Rookie jerseys will be numbered to 349 or 499 and also will sport red parallels (numbered to 50) and green (numbered to 10).
The Retro Rookie autographed jersey cards will be numbered to 225 or 125 and will sport the design from the 2005-06 SPx set.
Signature Shot Stick Signings cards will feature top rookies, but also a card of Wayne Gretzky. Updated cards for the Trilogy and Artifacts set will be sprinkle
d throughout the set.
Upper Deck seems to be working to develop new designs while remaining reverent to older configurations and these days, “something for everyone” is not a bad way to go. It’s a clear choice.
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