Preview: 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

Schedule Release Date: May 20, 2012

Box Configuration:  5 cards per pack, 20 packs per box

SRP: $70-75/box

Box Break:

Three of any of these:

Autograph cards

Memorabilia cards

Animal Kingdom Patch card

Printing Plate

Plus a World Traveler Box Topper

My Thoughts:

Because Upper Deck is limited on their sports licensing they need to be creative with what they can produce and that includes using the licenses that they do have (NHL, MLS, CLC and MLL) along with the athletes they have signed to contract. Pepper in oddities like Entomology cards, Museum relics and some hand painted cards and we have the 2012 Goodwin Champions release.

Collectors who do not like non-sports inclusions in their sports sets will want to pass here because this set is as much non-sports as it is sports.

This year will include some original ideas include:

Hand painted 1888 Originals, a collection of 50 hand painted cards depicting original 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions cards.

It Came From Space! relics, a relic set made up of actual meteorites and other space items.

Museum Collection, a relic set containing Civil War and Presidential memorabilia.

Animal Kingdom patch cards, Manu-patches depicting popular or endangered animals. This set is a continuation of last year’s popular Animal Kingdom patch set and will begin with card AK-101.

The other inserts and parallels are made up of SPs, SSPs, Minis (plus mini parallels), Military Machines (2 per box) and the World Traveler box toppers.

Pros:

On-card autographs

Space relics

Museum relics

Animal Kingdom patch cards

Cons:

No major sports licenses

Inclusion of random athletes and other notables

Strange poses including a scary Larry Bird in short shorts and a Bo Jackson card where he is shooting and arrow

Painted-style cards which leaves some athletes looking odd

Rating:

I give this set 2 out of 5 because there are some positives such as a decent autograph checklist (on-card helps) along with a nice selection of relics but loses out with the lack of licenses leaving the athletes being placed in odd situations.

I won't be picking up a box but I will probably be looking to pick up some of the Space and Museum relics.