Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey Cards are back for 2013-14

By Ryan Cracknell 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey sees the brand return after a three-year absence. But this isn't the same Trilogy as the last one that was released in 2009-10. The new high-end configuration centers on autographs and only the top rookies available for the set. Every 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey hobby box comes with three mini boxes. Each mini box comes with three packs. The hits in every mini box break down to a pair of autographs and either a memorabilia card or a new UD Crystal card, making Trilogy a hit-per-pack product. A precursor to the double rookie class that will headline sets released after the start of the 2013-14 season, Trilogy focuses on the best players to debut during the shortened 2012-13 season. Nail Yakupov, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Huberdeau are among the rookie cards in 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey. Just 33 rookies make the cut in the release, helping ensure a stronger upside. Rookie Signature Premieres have three levels for each player. Inserted one per mini box, they're numbered to 699, 399 and 49. Triple rookie autographs are numbered to 25. Signature Pucks use a puck face as the signing surface. Besides basic versions, Trilogy also has rare Retro Logo (#/13) and Shield Logo (#/3) cards. Combining to fall one per box are Ice Scripts and Clear Cut Combos. Printed on plexiglass, it gives the signatures a distinct look. Past Ice Scripts cards have held up extremely well on the secondary market. Clear Cut Combos come with a pair of autographs in three levels of rarity. Bringing more of the plexiglass are UD Crystal. Inserted one per box, these high-end inserts come in three tiers each of active, retired and rookie players. Rounding out the 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey hits are Three Star Spotlight triple jersey cards. Past, Present & Future offer a generational look at the game. There are also National Trios cards. The 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey base set has 100 cards. Estimated Release Date: 7/2/13 Product Configuration: 9 packs per box, 5 cards per pack Price Point: High-End Hockey Card Target Audience: Autograph Collectors, Rookie Card Collectors 2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Hockey Box Break 3 Rookie Autographs 1 Ice Scripts or Clear Cut Combos Autograph 1 Signature Pucks Card 1 Additional Autograph 1 UD Crystal Plexiglass Card 2 Triple Jersey Cards 45 Total Cards

Feeling Lucky? BOWMAN is proud to announce the Lucky Redemption!

Bowman Baseball launches in 5 days! We are halfway through our countdown and we still have so much to show. Today we are proud to announce that the Lucky Redemption program returns in 2013 Bowman Baseball. When you are ripping packs of Bowman this Wednesday make sure you look for special Lucky Redemption cards. There are five lucky redemptions. Each of which will feature the newest young players in the big leagues. We are happy to announce that Lucky Redemption #1 will be an autographed Rookie card of Dodgers young pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. Lucky Redemption #2-#5 will be announced in the near future. The lucky redemptions provide collectors another awesome opportunity to get in on the ground floor with tomorrow's big league stars. Be sure to follow us on twitter @toppscards and @bowmanscout or on facebook for announcements on the remaining lucky redemptions. 2013 Bowman Streets May 8th. Get Lucky and Get in on the ground floor. Bowman Baseball Who’s Next!

Bowman Black autos are back!

2013 Bowman Streets in just 7 Days and the buzz in the hobby has been immense for the launch. The Bowman team is proud to bring back an awesome insert that has quickly become a favorite among hobby collectors – The Bowman Black Collection! Bowman Black is an exclusive set of autographed cards featuring the hottest subjects on a sleek, all-black card. Baseball’s next stars such as Carlos Correa, Rio Ruiz and more each signed autos ON-CARD in beautiful silver ink! There are 25 subjects in all and each card is sequentially numbered to 25. This set is a MUST HAVE for any collection. Bowman Black will be in featured in all of the 2013 Bowman products. Everything is always cooler in Black. On May 8th, Get in on the Ground Floor and Uncover Greatness with Bowman Black! WE still have 2013 Bowman available for presale but it's going fast!Look for more pics on Twitter @toppscards and on facebook

Topps Will Preview 2013 Bowman Baseball EVERY DAY UNTIL LAUNCH – STAY TUNED FOR PRODUCT FEATURES AND SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

One of the most anticipated products of the year, 2013 Bowman Baseball Streets in 9 days! Every year Bowman allows you to get in on the ground floor with the next generation of Major League Baseball Stars. The checklist for Bowman covers it all. It is deep and loaded with both the big names and those “diamonds in the rough.” Not only does 2013 Bowman Baseball feature the 1st Autographed Chrome cards of the top two draft picks from 2012, Carlos Correa and Bryon Buxton, it also features Autographed Chrome cards from all the hottest prospects like well-known young stars such as Mariners pitching prospect Taijuan Walker. See for yourself. The Checklist is up on Topps.com and on facebook! The 2013 edition has plenty of new features that collectors will love, such as a Bowman 65th anniversary “Best Bowman Players of All-Time”, Bowman Top 100 Prospects insert, and mini Chrome cards. Every day until launch, we will UNCOVER all that 2013 Bowman has to offer so stay tune! Be sure to look for pics of product on twitter @toppscards and on facebook at facebook.com/topps. ON MAY 8th, Get In On The Ground Floor! Bowman Baseball, Who’s Next!

Panini Cracks open a box of 2012 National Treasures Football!

T206 Honus Wagner Fetches Record-Breaking $2.1 Million!

By Ryan Cracknell | Apr 06, 2013 UPDATE (4/6/13): With extended bidding going well into the night, the 1906 T206 Honus Wagner card dubbed the Jumbo Wagner sold for $2.1 million. This includes a 10 percent buyer's premium. Although this was short of some estimates, it still broke the record for a baseball card in a public sale. That said, it's still well below the $2.8 million paid by Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendricks in 2011 for the famous PSA 8 Honus Wagner that was once owned by Wayne Gretzky. Called the Jumbo Wagner thanks to its slightly over-sized measurements, it's one of the nicest known versions of the legendary card. The Jumbo Wagner has larger borders than every other known version of the legendary card. Graded PSA 5, it's also one of the best condition examples card. It's one of only three cards authenticated and graded 5 or above by a reputable company. The card features a Sweet Corporal back and is highlighted by extremely bright colors. The Jumbo Wagner was last sold in 2008 for $1.62 million. It's almost unheard of for T206 Honus Wagner cards to lose value. It's expected that bidding on the Jumbo Wagner will continue to rise, setting a record in the process. The 1909 T206 Honus Wagner is the most famous card in the history of sports cards. It's believed that around 50 still exist today, however most are in extremely poor condition. Every time one comes up for sale, it's a big deal in the hobby. Usually the stories of such sales branch out into the mainstream media as well. In recent months, the controversial Gretzky Wagner has been called into question as Bill Mastro, the man who brought the PSA 8 version of the card to prominence, pleaded guilty to several counts stemming from auction manipulation and doctoring sports memorabilia. The famous T206 Honus Wagner could become a central part of any further legal action. The T206 Jumbo Wagner was sold though Goldin Auctions

Back in Baseball: Upper Deck Partners with the MLBPA for New Trading Card Products

Upper Deck returns to the sport that made the company a household name with new baseball releases planned for 2013 Carlsbad, CA (March 21, 2013) – Upper Deck is pleased to announce that through its existing agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association the company will produce two exciting and innovative baseball trading card products in 2013. Upper Deck pulled out all the stops to announce the return to the diamond at the 2013 Las Vegas Industry Summit by having retired baseball legend Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas on hand to share the news with industry leaders. Thomas signed autographs and posed for pictures with hobby shop owners from across North America this week, courtesy of Upper Deck. The Thomas appearance came on the heels of Upper Deck’s announcement that the company’s first baseball release would be 2013 Fleer Retro Baseball, set to release this summer. Some attendees at the show received a promotional Fleer Retro Baseball Precious Metal Gems card of baseball superstar Mike Trout. Three versions (Green, Blue and Red) were inserted randomly into special promotional packs distributed to Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealers at the show. The dealers who received the Trout cards were thrilled and all expressed excitement to hear of Upper Deck’s return to baseball. “We took time planning our return to baseball to make sure we could deliver our fans the value they have come to expect in Upper Deck brands,” said Jason Masherah, president of Upper Deck. “Great photography is imperative in making a great baseball trading card set. We will leverage the power of Upper Deck’s exclusive collegiate license and recent photo shoots with a bevy of current baseball stars to provide fans some of the best imagery on the market.” A second MLBPA licensed baseball product will be officially announced this summer as baseball gets into full swing. Additionally, Upper Deck plans to produce a baseball card set comprised solely of retired subjects with the return of a 2013 Sweet Spot Classic, a brand much beloved with collectors. Collectors can expect excellent photography, beautiful design, rich content and new innovations as Upper Deck returns to the big leagues this season. About the MLBPA The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and the Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.