Nonsense Newsletter No. 172: Extended hockey, horizontal cards and the want list!
Howdy folks, welcome to another edition of the Nonsense Newsletter! In this week’s offering John Dudley talks want lists, Sean Ullman addresses a love I can relate to myself, horizontal cards. Meanwhile, I take a quick look at 24/25 Upper Deck Extended hockey. Oh, and we've got a smokin’ hot Quick Hits section. So, let’s do this again…. kick back and enjoy this week’s edition of the Nonsense Newsletter!
By Sean Ulman
I've been thinking about horizontal cards. How sweet they are.
Scarcity plays a pivotal role in the hobby. So let's take a look at a less common design.
There's whoppers. Logoman$. Patch Auto$. 1951 Bowman Mantle. Johnny Unitas and Bobby Orr rookies. Nolan Ryan/Jerry Koosman. Bird/Magic/Dr. J.
And there's a lot of iconic sideways cards. The Lebron chalk throw. Or the King's matchup with Mamba on Kobe's card from the same 2008 Topps set. Jose Canseco's first Fleer with Eric Plunk. 1990 Hoops Magic & Bird. 1993 Upper Deck MJ Fanimation.
Very seldom do I come across a Prizm card to turn on its side. Lebron's popular 2020 edition from Panini's flagship brand is classic for lots of reasons, but I think the widescreen layout is part of why it still turns heads. That perspective frames it like a piece of art.
Consider last summer's craze for the USA triptych of Steph, Lebron and KD. The autograph chase, the in-the-moment release by Topps Now. And it's natural for that card to go horizontal. But I wonder if that key design detail gets overlooked?
In a typical set from any era, I bet less than 5% of the cards cause the pack opener to twist the deck.
A transformation accompanies that adjustment.
By John Dudley
What’s on your want list? Every card collector has a want list, be it carefully catalogued and written down or jumbled and kept loosely in one’s mind; every collector has a list of cards they are actively searching for. So, my question this week is what’s on your want list and why? I’m also curious as to how you decide what makes the want list. Here’s a peek at how mine is constructed.
By John McTaggart
Admittedly, I am a flagship-type guy when it comes to hockey cards, in particular.
Chasing Young Guns is something I have enjoyed for decades, since Sergei Federov and Pavel Bure were the focus of so many hockey card collectors.
Nowadays, the addition of the Silver, Red and Gold Outburst Young Guns has even sweetened that thrill for me and gotten me even more excited with Upper Decks Series 1, 2 and Extended offerings.
That said, in an effort to keep all my hockey hobby brothers and sisters informed, let’s take a quick glance at 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series, which is slated to be released May 22, 2025, and should retail for around $120 per hobby box.
I, personally, am looking forward to ripping this release more than most extended series releases in recent memory.
Why?
Simple — Upper Deck has added a unique and cool feature to this year’s release — a tribute to Alexander Ovechkin’s record-breaking campaign.
Quick Hits
Hobby News — The Breaker’s Delight format (all hits and very few, if any base) is becoming common for Topps releases. Not every set has them, but they’ve proven popular and are likely to become even more widespread. My big question is if they’ll ever release a Breaker’s Delight version for Flagship or Heritage, which have previously been overlooked by breakers.
Hobby News — It’s Bowman time! Some big hits have already surfaced like a Caglianone Superfractor auto, but there are plenty more to find. I’m excited to see the Anime line continue. This year’s version moves us forward in time with a slightly more modern television design than the 1955 Bowman-inspired ones from last year. I’m a fan.
Vintage — If 86-87 Fleer basketball is your jam, then you have to check out this article on the iconic set. Some very cool facts and tidbits about arguably the most iconic basketball set in the history of the hobby.
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.