2017-18 Upper Deck Artifacts hockey delivers redemption offers to collectors
Upper Deck’s second major release of the new NHL card season, 2017-18 Artifacts, promises one rookie redemption card in each hobby box.
After 2017-18 MVP dropped the puck on a new hockey card year and 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee advanced the puck into the offensive zone, 2017-18 Upper Deck Artifacts represents the first shot on goal for collectors and fans. With three premium inserts and four serial-numbered cards to supplement one rookie redemption card in each hobby box, consumers are likely to score.
The set, which will be available to collectors on Wednesday, Sept. 27, contains a 100-card base set. Three subsets play off the base card design and are serial-numbered. Legends are numbered to 499, Stars to 599 and Rookies to 999. There are also five parallel subsets, printed in varying runs.
Ruby parallels are the most frequent, numbered to 299. Emerald parallels go up to 99, while Orange run to 55. Purple and Black are the rarest parallels, numbered to 20 and five respectively.
To complete the base card variants, there are Black Autographs numbered to five. Material Silver and Autograph Material Silver editions will be found in packs as well.
The set bears the Artifacts name because of the strong representations of memorabilia cards. Seven different variations on that concept are among the 32 cards in every hobby box — 4 cards per pack, 8 cards per box.
Collectors who are familiar with the product can anticipate more Honoured Members Relics in this year’s release, along with its autograph variant Honoured Members Signatures. Upper Deck has added Honoured Hopefuls Relics and Signatures to highlight the careers of future Hall of Fame prospects still active in the NHL. All four Honoured Hopefuls and Honoured Members variations come numbered to 27.
Also new for 2017-18 are Centennial Remnants, containing 100-year anniversary jersey swatches. That insert is found once in every 240 packs. Lord Stanley’s Legacy Relics (found once in every 160 packs), Tundra Teammates Duo (numbered to 199), Tundra Teammates Quad (numbered to 99) and Year One Rookies Sweaters (one in 50 packs) finish off the relic list.
Among the autograph-only inserts are Autofacts (one in 60 packs), Lord Stanley’s Legacy Signatures (one in 800), Top 12 Rookie Signatures (one in 1,200) and 2016-17 Updates (one in 1,800). Perhaps the biggest chase of the set is neither an autograph or relic card listing, however, and it brings the growing Bounty program to Artifacts.
In every 20 packs, one of a 50-card Aurum subset can be found. The first 25 collectors who compile every card in the set and redeem the online codes found on the card backs will be rewarded with a special six-card Aurum White set from Upper Deck’s Bounty program. The Aurum subset also features the first-ever Las Vegas Golden Knight card, depicting keeper Marc-Andre Fleury in his new sweater.
As if all of that weren’t enough to entice collectors, each hobby box comes with one rookie redemption card that offers fans the chance to snag autograph, autograph relic, base and relic cards of the 2017-18 NHL rookie class prior to those players making their regular season debuts. Each case of 2017-18 Artifacts comes with a autographed rookie redemption card.
Next: 30 best NHL jerseys of all-time
Hovering at a price point around $88-$100, the guarantee of three hits and four serial numbered cards along with a rookie redemption card is a great value. If a relatively unheralded rookie class turns out to be underrated, the rookie redemptions will only increase that value.