More UD Carnage, the loss of USA Baseball

[mredsox89]

According to their facebook page, they've settled the lawsuit and are happy with outcome. I hope they just focus on legends projects now.

I don't understand how they can be happy with the outcome. Unless they were basically told that if they didn't settle they would go under, there can't really have been a worse scenario. They basically can't produce baseball cards at all, and have to pay a significant portion of sales from the products they have sold.

 

[011873]

I promised not to post this but I am.

My spy at Topps told me the plans Topps has for the U.S.A. line for Bowman Chrome and its amazing. :lol:

Starting with Bowman, then BC, BDP and ending with BS, us collectors will be rewarded with a massive 300 card cross brand set honoring all the players who ever played on the U.S.A. team.

Yes, if you thought getting slammed down the throat with WBC crap in every BC product was bad last year, wait until you get that gold refractor of Billy Swift or Gookie Dawkins.

Ok so I might be joking but this is Topps. So expect it.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Topps is the best.

dont hate.

 

[docsilvey]

Am I the only one chomping at the bit to get TopProspectAlert's and Docsilvey's reactions?

I worked a 30+ hour shift last night (3/2 - 3/3), was that last night? Anyway, when I logged on this morning, I saw the news. WOW! To be working for over 24-hours then read that, it was mind-blowing news (for me anyway).
I really thought Topps would eventually get the license or at least make a move for it as UD was burning far too many bridges as of late (don't forget, MLB took over sponsorship for USA Baseball last year and I'm sure Topps offered a TON of money). With that news in my mind as I went to bed this morning... sheesh! Actually made it hard to get to sleep...
Thoughts:
1. This is ultimately a GREAT thing for USA Baseball
-USA cards will now be a part of the #1 brand in baseball cards; talk about increased exposure...
-Topps bringing a ton of money into the organization (I suspect a "coup d'etat" to drive UD out of business)
2. This is ultimately a GREAT thing for collectors/sellers of USA Baseball cards
-I'm thrilled about the possibility of pulling a "gold auto refractor" of Bryce Harper/Strasburg/Cole/etc...
-My passion is for USA, but I also like to dabble in Bowman; now I get the best of both worlds from one brand, and it's the brand with the biggest following in the hobby; so once one of those "17 year olds nobody knows" gets hot a couple years down the road, collectors will be scrambling to get singles/boxes/cases of that years' product...
-Now we don't have to worry about prices falling through the floor when a USA player eventually "gets a chrome card/auto"...
-The annual USA Box Set will be labelled to reflect the current year (i.e. the December 2010 Topps release of the USA Box Set will be listed as 2010 CARDS!!!)...
3. This terminates Upper Decks baseball future
-'nuff said? IMO, they were leaning on the USA line to keep them relevant with prospect collectors; now that it's gone, I think UD will depart from baseball... "Upper Deck" only producing Hockey & Football, wow...)
4. Worries
-Back in 1987-88 Mark McGwire's USA card was arguably THE hottest card on the planet; less than 10 years later, Topps had let their licensing agreement with USA Baseball lapse and there weren't any USA cards for almost 6 more years; with a virtual monopoly on baseball cards, who's to say Topps won't neglect the USA license if it doesn't turn out to be a lucrative proposition for them? A lousy USA set is better than NO USA set...
-Not really a worry, but more a frustration--> I just invested thousands of dollars on UD's version, and now I have to do the same for Topps modern inaugural version...

While this doesn't address all of my opinions on the situation, it's a good outline for starters...

EDIT: I posted this before I read everyone else's opion on the matter; now that I have read all of the posts up to this point, here's a couple more things I'd like to say...
-I agree with Ben, the box set is the pinnacle of the USA brand and is my #1 collecting focus; PLEASE Topps, keep the format similar to what has been issued in the past...
-200lb--> we are both in agreement that this (Topps acquiring the license) was basically an inevitability...
-Even if Topps incorporates USA players in several products, this will only enhance those products when those players eventually get hot, in essence adding to the investment potential of every product Topps releases with USA players; as stated, UD inserted USA players in SEVERAL products as well...
-Although a very low minority of USA players reach "elite" status in MLB, most every player from the National/18U/16U teams gets drafted and performs better than the vast majority of pre-rookie players Bowman puts out annually...
-While Bonds & Rodriguez never had a USA card, Frank Thomas had a couple (1987 "Blue" BDK USA and 1990 "Red" BDK USA cards)...
***I am excited about the change but also nervous to see how Topps handles the new license; I was on the fence about purchasing Bowman products this year before this announcement, now I will be purchasing several cases...

 

[1995BBRefractorGuy]

lmao, good for topps, upper deck is a joke.

 

[Wes]

So, now that Bowman will have USA cards (Harper), who here will be increasing their order?

this probably isn't gonna hapen

Why?

 

[kentuckyderby]

I've been a fan of USA cards since 1985 when I was trading for those Topps cards with all of my buddies (yeah Cory Snyder and Oddibe McDowell...got lucky with this other guy out of USC)
I would pick up a few sets here and there (year with F Thomas)

I was pumped when UD came out with their sets in 2002 and have spent the majority of my spending on the USA products since

I expect Topps to flood the market with USA cards in as many brands as possible
They should!

 

[bballcardkid]

Question

What does this do to the value of the Upper Deck Signature Stars cards? Obviously if distrubtors can't order anymore product and there is only a miniscual amount of this stuff busted, the cards will be far more scarce than there serial number suggests.

 

[Jaypers]

Question

What does this do to the value of the Upper Deck Signature Stars cards? Obviously if distrubtors can't order anymore product and there is only a miniscual amount of this stuff busted, the cards will be far more scarce than there serial number suggests.

The majority of the cards would fall in value, just as regular USA boxed set cards do, once Topps makes cards depicting these kids in their major league uniforms. I see nothing changing this year as far as that goes.

 

[ChasHawk]

Question

What does this do to the value of the Upper Deck Signature Stars cards? Obviously if distrubtors can't order anymore product and there is only a miniscual amount of this stuff busted, the cards will be far more scarce than there serial number suggests.

The majority of the cards would fall in value, just as regular USA boxed set cards do, once Topps makes cards depicting these kids in their major league uniforms. I see nothing changing this year as far as that goes.

From Upper Deck:

However, as part of the settlement, Upper Deck can and will continue to sell three recently released baseball products currently on store shelves: 2009 Signature Stars, 2009 Ultimate Collection and 2010 Upper Deck Series One