Monday, December 14, 2009

Upper Deck Brings Back the Hologram

Even though Upper Deck is still holding back on their double top secret designs for their MLB-less line, I came across something today that's got me excited: holograms are making are making a comeback. Scouring over the initial info for 2009-10 SP Authentic Hockey, I noticed that the Holo FX line has been brought back from the dead. The throwback insert set will stay true to its roots offering a large checklist of 42 cards and a much rarer die-cut version that will act as a case hit in the product.

Basic Holo FX cards will fall 1:12 packs, while the die-cuts will be 1:288 packs.

While the return of holograms makes me giddy, seeing the mock-ups shows that they're not the same FX-branded cards I fell in love with more than a decade ago:

2009-10 SP Authentic Hockey Holo FX




1996 SP Authentic Baseball Special FX


A big part of what I liked back then was the holographic face, many of which turned and even winked as the card was turned. The new cards have a generic background. Sure, it's a hologram but it's not the same. So while I appreciate that Upper Deck is reaching back into their archives to bring something spectacular back, there's still some work to be done.

3 comments:

Field of Cards said...

Odd that the old technology works better than the new. I can't even see it on the new Hockey cards.

Anonymous said...

It's a start I guess. Upper Deck doesn't seem to have the design or technological touch they did from the mid-'90s into the early 2000s.

Ryan Cracknell said...

I think it's about money as much as anything else. Reusing the same generic background over and over is cost effective. Yet they can still cash in potentially off the brand recognition. Like you said, LS, I see it as a start.