Careless Upper Deck - Upside Down. No Ka-CHING

Anyone who has read this blog regularly knows my distain for Upper Deck and their piss poor MLS soccer card issues. Printing errors have been part of the hobby since Guttenberg pressed the first bible.

However, the excuse for making an error that a First Grader can see is inexcusable. Here is a perfect example of why Upper Deck should not be making soccer cards for MLS fans ...
 

 

Do you see it ?  While we may remember that the San Jose Earthquakes were moved to Houston to become the Dynamo, and then the Earthquakes were reborn, we should also know that the Dynamo play in in orange jerseys, in an orange stadium.

 

 

All of Brain Ching's jerseys contain orange.

 

 

Can it be any clearer ?

 

 

Houston Dynamo are orange - San Jose Earthquakes wear blue.

 

 

What amazes me is that a company that can produce the waste plant material like the above, can also issue classic soccer legend cards like the Goodwin series (below).

 

 

Although this 2012 Goodwin sample is not without error. For some soccer collector's, it may appear that STEVE BLOOMER played in the USA from the star and stripes shield under his portrait. At closer look, we can see the 3 Lions crest on his shirt depicting the England National Team.

 

And yet, this modern issue is a great link to soccer history at an affordable price. That is unless you can first find, then pay, the $200-$300 or more for this rare Clarke's Cigarettes issue from 1902.

 

 

It is becoming very clear why Upper Deck is losing its licenses for all the sport leagues. I would not shed a tear if they lost the MLS too. I would actually prefer a card maker like In-The-Game to come along and produce unlicensed cards with great history and memorabilia.

 

Upper Deck has become Sewer Dwellers. If the card maker doesn't care, why should I collect them ?

Quakes, Kookie cards and more Stan ...

One of the great things about surfing the web for your favorite cards is finding stuff that you've never seen. One of the worse things about surfing the web to find your favorite cards is finding stuff you've never seen ... but now want.

Case in point - this Greek card, of a French movie poster, of BRUCE LEE from Enter The Dragon, depicted as "Kato", from the Green Hornet TV show. Phew !

Just plain kookie, but pretty cool in another way, as it is quite colorful and may be a very rare card.

With all the art cards / sketch cards being produced (I should know, as I used to make them for Topps and Co.) it is interesting to find vintage memorabilia with some quality pencil work. Here are two samples from the 1978 Coca-Cola SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES set.

This is PARVIZ, the Iranian Soccer Captain at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic games. He joined San Jose after the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Two other Iranian stars who also came to the NASL were Andranik ESKANDARIAN who joined the New York Cosmos and Iraj DANAEIFARD with the Tulsa Roughnecks.

This is LES CHAPMAN, who racked up an amazing over 700 games in English League. He spent one season with San Jose.

I really like these sketch cards, albeit they are just prints and not actual sketches. Upper Deck could learn a few things by making the MLS sets a step up from less boring. 

And the results of more searching is this fantastic 1 of 1 art card of SIR STAN MATTHEWS from the 2012 SPORT KINGS set. From what I understand it went for over $1000.00 to a private buyer. 

That's really too bad. Or should I say good - because I really, really wanted this. And I have a grand burning a hole in my wallet ... NOT.

So I have to settle for some other Stan Matthews cards to add to my collection. I will feature these in an upcoming blog.