Upper Deck

By Alejandro de los Rios

Since it introduced its first baseball set in 1989, the Upper Deck has been synonymous with sports trading cards. Now the online Upper Deck store sells everything from sports trading cards to die-cast collectibles to vintage memorabilia.
Site navigation is a bit complicated at times, as sections are divided into product categories (i.e. “Autographed Memorabilia” and “Sports Figures”) as opposed to teams or sports. The only exception is the NHL, which has its own section featured on the homepage.
As expected, complete Upper Deck trading card collections are available on the site dating back three years. But the site seems to lack in comprehensiveness in other areas. Take for instance its figurine collections: Though the link to “NBA Historical Beginnings” shows pictures of Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James, only the James figurine is offered for sale.
An e-mail inquiry to the site’s customer service department revealed that signed merchandise and memorabilia in stock depends on “demand and popularity of certain teams.” Also, as noted on the site’s “About Us” page, Upper Deck “has autograph relationships with the game’s biggest stars,” and all products are Upper Deck Authenticated.
Though the selection is limited, products change from week to week. For example, Dwight Howard merchandise was made available the week after he won the 2008 Slam Dunk contest. The site also has weekly specials and promotions like “The more they score,” where NBA memorabilia is discounted depending on how much a player scores. The Autographed Memorabilia section groups active, former, star and second-stringer players together.
While the site navigation can be frustrating at times, Upper Deck is a reliable source for authentic signed merchandise and memorabilia. However, the unpredictable nature of what merchandise is available might make collectors look elsewhere for similar products.


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