Well..with my impatience for some new football cards..I went out and gave Upper Deck Football 2012 a go. In some ways, I should have waited for an NFL licensed product. But, I did get some good rookie cards. Here is the reveiew:
Box Design: I like the box design. Good coloring. RG3 on the front. Stands out on the shelf. Another reason why I picked it up.
Pack Design: The pack itself has a different feel. Feels like its more likely to keep the cards protected before they are opened. I like that. As for design, see box above.
Base: I found it strange not to hit any veterans or legends. All of the cards were rookies. I did hit some of the top ones in Wheedon, Richardson, Wilson and Tannehil. I like the design with the photography and the silver Star Rookie name standing out and the name put in a blue section. Upper Deck has always done a good job with their photography and not adding too many borders.
Inserts: Shiny and bringing back an old design. However, two no name players didn't help this break. The design is nice though.
Bonus Inserts: Though we got no names with the inserts, Upper Deck inserted a 5 card Rookie exclusives pack in every blaster box. There are 10 cards in the set to collect. But we landed 3 of the big ones. RG3 anything is a nice find. Trent Richardson as well. The design and feel to these are a little on the low end, but they are much needed added value to this blaster break.
Autographs/Jerseys: We wished to have hit something..but didn't. Odds are way against you. But with popular Mascot patch cards and Signed Letterman cards to chase it may be worth the risk.
Overall: We hit some good rookies. It doesn't have much in insert terms. And the rookie exclusives really needed to be in there. I missed veteran and legend players being included. But, in order to find out how much this product is worth we will have to wait til the Beckett comes out to see if any of the rookies we pulled were Sp's or not.
Ratings: Bloggers Note: Our ratings are based specifically on the blaster, box or packs we opened and do not express what the overall product could bring. Packaging: 4 Base Design:
3 Insert Design: 3 Memorablila/Autographs: N/A Blaster, Hobby Box, or Pack Value: 2 1/2 for now. We will have to see how top rookies go and if we got any Sp's. With lack of inserts and really hard odds of hitting it big it could be hard to get your $20 back.
Thats just a start. Put cards and video games together. In order to get kids into this great hobby, you have got to target their favorite spots. If they really dig what they find in their box of cereal or in the other foods or video games for free cards, it could push them into buying the real stuff.
But there has got to be a kid friendly brand(s) out there for them to purchase. Not something too expensive (I have seen so many parents not buying because of price), too confusing (meaning no Sp’s and variations), or too much in depth with the product. They need something simple, colorful, eye catching and on a kid level. Die cuts, refractors, cards that you can feel (ones with felt or bumpiness) could be attention drawers.
And maybe besides sports, doing their favorite tv shows might be a draw in. You never know."
This was only part of an idea I had. There is a ton of stuff we can do to fix the hobby to draw interest from younger fans.
I now post this question to you guys...what do you think we or card companies should do to draw in a younger fan base so the future of our hobby doesn't disappear?