Company History
With a passionate focus on high quality craftsmanship, innovation and cutting-edge technology, the upper deck company llc revolutionized the trading card experience in 1989 and raised the standards of collectible cards to a new level. packs from the company's first baseball set featured color photography, an anti-counterfeit hologram on every card and foil wrapping. the set was an instant hit with collectors.
World-wide presence
The huge popularity of Upper Deck's baseball cards led the company to become the first manufacturer to produce sets in other major sports including hockey (1990), basketball and football (1991). The company's meteoric success also paved the way for growth in other areas. In 1991, Upper Deck introduced its products to the global marketplace with the creation of Upper Deck International. With an office in Amsterdam and distribution throughout Europe, Asia and India, the company markets and sells collectible products that are geared to local consumers.
Authenticity
In 1992, McWilliam launched Upper Deck Authenticated ® (UDA) and created the first patented autograph authentication process in the industry. Sensitive to the fact that forgeries in the marketplace make it difficult for consumers to get authentic signatures of their favorite athletes, UDA built its reputation on a patented five-step process that guarantees fans are getting the real thing because company representatives witness every single autograph. This groundbreaking process is why some of the most prominent names in sports such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Garnett have signed deals with the company.
Breaking New Ground
Over the years, innovation has become synonymous with Upper Deck collectibles. Here are a few samples of headline-grabbing products:
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1998 -- "Piece of History" Bat Cards
The controversial-yet-hugely-popular Babe Ruth "Piece of History" bat cards - rare collectibles that feature actual pieces of a game-used bat swung by the Sultan of Swat. |
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1999 -- PowerDeck
The world's first digital trading card with video game footage, music, photos and player profile and stats. |
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2000 -- e-Card
A regular trading card with an online virtual twin that has the potential to evolve right before collectors' eyes into a rare collectible. |
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2001 -- WebPass
An ordinary trading card with an invisible digital watermark that automatically launches the collector's browser and takes him to an exclusive website. |
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2001 -- PenCam
A high-tech writing device with a tiny video camera that captures footage of autographs as they are being signed. The innovation is the first to offer memorabilia collectors a visual record of a signature at the time it is being signed. |
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Over the years, Upper Deck has evolved from a trading card manufacturer to a world-wide sports and entertainment company. Today the company is still dedicated to its original mission: to create products that capture the excitement of sports and make them a collectible experience for fans.
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