ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 10th Edition

Normally when I write up a review for an upcoming release I try to remain as unbiased as possible. I find myself in a difficult position with this review because I am utterly amazed with ITG's Ultimate Memorabilia 10th Edition.

Schedule Release Date: November 11, 2010
Box Configuration: 3 cards per pack, 5 packs per box
SRP: $620/box

Box Break:
5 Base cards
5 Autograph cards
5 Memorabilia cards

My Thoughts:
This high-end set is made for serious hockey collectors as well as vintage collectors and ITG went big with this release. You will be pulling 15 cards total from each box, 5 base cards, 5 autographs and 5 game-used memorabilia cards. I am not to keen on the idea of slabbing every card, including the base cards, but the slabbing (done by ITG and not graded) can help when storing and cataloging your cards.

The base cards are a tribute to the 1910-11 C56 hockey card set and you can actually pull a redemption for an authentic/graded 1910 C56 hockey card.

The thrill of the set is the amazing pulls that ITG has loaded in to each box. Some of the players that you can see include on the relics checklist include NHL Hall of Famers Newsy Lalonde, the Rocket Maurice Richard and Jacques Plante. How about some relic/auto cards of Colorado Avalanche greats Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic?

My favorite card has to be the triple autographs of NY Islanders greats Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy. I grew up on Long Island and I still remember going to games at Nassau Coliseum in the late 70s as a kid and this specific card just calls to me. Another card that I love is the Sakic Ultimate Emblem patch, how cool would it be to pull a Sasquatch foot logo patch? The Ultimate Decades is another one of the neat inserts.

Some cards are overpowering with all the relics and autographs being shoved in to the card design like the “Complete Jersey Autograph” cards where multiple patches and autographs are all forced in to the design along with a shrinking player image. The Hall of Fame Auto and Memorabilia card is another set that could work better without forcing additional relics in to the cards design.

I do not know the specific insert ratios for the inserts.


Pros:
Awesome checklist through out the entire set

Nice designs with most of the inserts
Amazing relics going back to the infancy of hockey and the Original 6 teams.

Redemptions for original 1910-11 C56 hockey cards

Cons:
Expensive ($620 box)

It has been pointed out that the autos are actually stickers and not on-card, that really hurts a set like this.

Forced relics in to some of the inserts

Not sure about the Real Heroes cut signatures

Every single card is slabbed


Rating:
I rate the ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 10th Edition release as 4 out of 5 for a number of reasons. This set has tremendous historical value, which is of interest to me, and the set is all about the hits. The only thing I found negative about this release, outside of the $620 price tage, is in the forced relics in to some of the designs, sticker autographs and the slabbing of every single card.