Base Card Design -
Upper Deck does not go wrong with this iteration of Series One. The cards are clean and crisp and 'oh so beautiful'! The photographs pop off the cardboard with a glossy sheen. As Upper Deck has traditionally done with this set, the cards are all about the photographs that adorn them. The images are stunning to look at, and it's a thrill to just flip through the set and enjoy the pictures. The graphical elements on the front of the card are minimal and out of the way. They compliment and provide a nice frame for the card. The fonts and colors used are very modern... really a superior design.
The Series One backs do a great job of utilizing the front elements, but overall the card backs don't excite too much. It's a very traditional Upper Deck card back that looks good, but doesn't overwhelm in terms of eye appeal.
The Young Guns this year come with a fresh and exciting look. The look this year is a bit reserved, but I really did enjoy the actual 'Young Guns' marquee that was used this year. The silver foil and the light blue work well together on these cards. My only complain about the Young Guns cards is that if you go through the card quickly in the pack they can be missed as they have a similar feel and look to the standard base cards. Other than that I would say that these Young Gun cards are a great addition to the overall Young Gun card line-up.
Base Card Design Score:
9/10
Inserts/Game-Used/Autos -
If you're buying a hobby box of Upper Deck Series One you can expect to find two memorabilia cards and a smattering of inserts and parallel cards. Though Upper Deck can be considered a mid-lower-end brand, Upper Deck has inserted some very short-printed and extremely desirable cards for collectors to find.
One of the the sweetest looking insert cards that came out of my break of Series One was this blue parallel Wayne Gretzky Shining Stars card. The card looks like a jewel shining in the light. Standard versions come on a silver foil backing. These Stars Inserts remind me a little of the insert cards once found in Upper Deck SP products in the 90's. There was definitely an emphasis on making a card really good looking first and foremost back then, and these cards do just that.
The Hockey Heroes set is back... AGAIN. Ughh. As you can tell I'm not a fan of these cards. Though I like the fact that there is a set that runs through each set of Upper Deck every year, these cards just aren't that great looking. I'm definitely tired of them. Many of the past Hockey Heroes sets have been of retired players. It's a bit strange to see guys like Alex Ovechkin adorning these cards.
Canvas parallel cards have also been put into Upper Deck packs. These popular cards have a canvas feel to them and feature even more unique photographs than their base card counterparts. I see these cards as being very popular again, especially the Canvas Young Guns... collectors seem to go crazy for them each year.
My box of UD1 had the standard two jersey cards inside it. It's nice to be able to pull hits out of Upper Deck, but these jersey cards tend not to fetch much in terms of money value. In terms of design, these Game Jersey cards look good. They are colorful and actually remind me of a base card design with a jersey on it. Super short-printed patch variations of these cards are the ones to really look for in boxes.
Autographs and other short-printed cards are also available in Upper Deck Series One this year. I would have to say that the box I opened was a typical box. If you're able to pull an autograph out of this product, you're doing pretty well. Some of the most desirable pulls this year will be of hand numbered buy back cards from the 90's.
Inserts/Game-Used/Autos Score:
7.75/10
Overall Rating -
As a set of hockey cards, you can't go wrong with Upper Deck Series One... it's just so solid! I would say, however, that many times this set lives and dies by the Young Gun class that it contains. If there isn't a stand-out Young Gun to be found, the set value usually suffers a bit. That being said, there are plenty of goodies that Upper Deck has put into this set of cards that should make collectors drool over.
Upper Deck Series One is a set that I would recommend purchasing 'just because'. And that's the way it is.
Overall Rating:
8.5/10
Check out my box of UD1 from D&P Sportscards in Sacramento, Ca:
Thanks for the video and review. We think a like in many things; base looks great, shining stars looked like an old sp when I saw them first time and hockey heroes is boring and ugly concept. On the other hand, I was not very impressed by the game jerseys. To me they look too common and boring. The blue shining star looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteYT:PoorlyUseMeBlade
Nice jersey card! it sucks how the hockey heroes are back but on the bright side the shinning stars look way better this year!
ReplyDeleteYouTube: David Krawczyk
Nice teravainen and severson
ReplyDeleteYouTube:RedWraith
My favourite product !!!
ReplyDeleteYT: Simon L-Roy
Nice Gretzky
ReplyDeleteYT : darsielle jim
HATE Hockey Heroes... Rest of product looks great.
ReplyDeleteYT:SexyOmlet43
Nice
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
ReplyDeleteYoutube: crazyshnitzel
+ Well designed base cards, Young Guns and Canvas cards.
ReplyDelete- Since there's no big rookie like MacKinnon or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were this year it's not a very good product to pull valuable cards from.
Youtube: Majlfp
I'll be getting a box of this for sure. Keep up the good work Blacksheep.
ReplyDeleteyt: ryannturnaa
Great break and review as usual
ReplyDeleteYoutube: brandon simpson
Great review!!!!
ReplyDeleteInstagram account- Hockey__cards
great review as always ill be picking up a box of this soon
ReplyDeleteYOUTUBE: newyorkislanders777
congrats!!!
ReplyDeletenot the best box but your cup box made up for it lol
ReplyDeleteI'll grab myself a blaster for christmas! great review!
ReplyDeleteYT - Skroeker24
nice ud game jersey card Youtube: kinggay29
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ReplyDeleteGreat product once again! I prefer 13-14 design though (for base cards and especially Young Guns). Teravainen is one of the best rookie to get out Series 1. We'll have to wait for Series 2 for Drouin!
ReplyDeleteYoutube : frankthachamp
Nice cards
ReplyDeleteYt:HockeyCardCollecter
Really awesome looking design on most of the cards but i once again find the hits in this product underwhelming. The jersey size could be a little larger in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYouTube: andicardsnstuff
Nice Break Like the Landeskog
ReplyDeleteYT Name: pokpower8
Great review. The design of the base cards and the shining stars inserts are better than last year, and no silly MVP cards time either. Though, the boxes should end up eventually costing less due to the relatively weak Young Guns class.
ReplyDeleteI Really love the Gabriel Landeskog card ( cuz my name is Gabriel!)
ReplyDeleteYoutube: Gabriel T.
The young guns weren't the best but I love that Gretzky! Also I don't mind the hockey hero cards. I think they're pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteYouTube: Brennan Osinski
Nice box, Teuvo Teravainen is supposed to be the best young gun in Series 1.
ReplyDeleteIf I somehow win the contest, could you send some Canucks base cards from 14/15 UD Series 1?
YT: GoCanucksGo
my first look at the product great break ud game jerseys are looking way better YT:Dominic Mcleod
ReplyDeleteUD1 release is always exciting
ReplyDeleteYT: chris20lee
really loving the shining stars this year
ReplyDeleteyt: sbhockeycards
base looks good like always this year the young guns rookies have a sweet design also the canvas cards looks excellent and fun build the sets like always youtube is ironjeep58
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ReplyDeleteGreat read, I really like the design this year. 9/10 for me, going to pick some up soon. Youtube: BrawlinLeafs
ReplyDelete