Latest news with #TheCupHockey
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Upper Deck Unveils Industry-First Trading Card Authentication for Highly Coveted Rookie Auto Patch Cards
CARLSBAD, Calif., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upper Deck, the global collectibles company that pioneered the trading card security hologram, today announced it is expanding its industry-leading advances in anti-counterfeit technology with a card authentication feature that safeguards the integrity of its trading cards. As part of the highly anticipated release of the 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey on June 4, 2025, this new feature deepens Upper Deck's commitment to security and authenticity by allowing collectors to verify that their Rookie Auto Patch cards have not been tampered with via patch swapping. Upper Deck President Jason Masherah explained: 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch. Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' The power is placed in the hands of the consumer with this revolutionary authentication service. Each Rookie Auto Patch card in the 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey is slabbed, photographed and serial numbered with a QR code, which collectors can scan to view a gallery of images from multiple angles that depict the card as it was originally issued by Upper Deck. This feature is already found within Upper Deck's ecosystem on Collect Forever where uncirculated comic books and figurines are similarly slabbed, imaged and provided a QR code for authentication. Those familiar with Upper Deck's groundbreaking memorabilia authentication system, which set the industry standard in 1992 for ensuring autograph authenticity through a five-step process using recorded hologram IDs and a database for collectors to verify the item's authenticity, will find the Rookie Auto Patch Authentication works in a similar, easy-to-use format. 'This is a game changer for the industry. Collectors have never been in a position to have confidence in a card's authenticity before making a purchase,' said Masherah, who spearheaded this initiative for the company. 'Before you buy an Upper Deck Rookie Auto Patch Card from an auction or a card show, you now have the ability to quickly see on a secure platform whether or not the card remains as we originally created it, without the risk of purchasing a manipulated card or needing to go through the extra step of shipping it to us or a third-party for verification.' Upper Deck's Rookie Auto Patch cards are the most highly chased, high-end rookie cards and typically carry extremely high valuations on the secondary market thanks to their on-card autographs, low numberings, and colorful patches. The 2023-24 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey trading card set will be available for purchase at local Certified Diamond Dealer hobby shops and Authorized Internet Retailers on June 4, 2025. Those who score Rookie Auto Patch cards can visit to test the Upper Deck Rookie Auto Patch Authentication process using The Authority Authenticator. Learn more at About Upper Deck Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia, collectibles, games, and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity, and innovation, and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorite athletes and characters with unique and authentic sports and entertainment product offerings, as well as its digital trading ecosystem. The company prides itself on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for sports and entertainment's most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop memorable moments for collectors of all kinds. Find more information at or or follow us on Facebook ( /UpperDeck ), Instagram ( UpperDeckSports ), X (formerly known as Twitter) ( UpperDeckSports ), and YouTube ( UDvids ). Media Contact: Nicole Brief, [email protected] Matt Burkey, [email protected]
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. Advertisement 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' (Upper Deck) While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Advertisement Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. Advertisement The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. Advertisement It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Upper Deck introduces new security measure to combat trading card ‘patch swapping' in NHL set
Trading cards bearing pieces of game-worn or player-worn memorabilia have become a central element to the sports card hobby, with some commanding price tags of more than $1 million on the secondary market. And with those rising values have come increased incentives for fraud. Jason Masherah, president of prominent trading card manufacturer Upper Deck, finds himself questioning the authenticity of attractive patches within cards 'every time' he sees one. It's one of the many reasons he hopes Upper Deck's new strategy will ease worries of fraud for collectors buying into The Cup Hockey, the company's premier high-end NHL set. Advertisement Upper Deck will attempt to combat the practice of 'patch swapping,' announcing each rookie patch auto card in the 2023-24 The Cup Hockey set will be sealed in a plastic case, photographed and serial numbered with a QR code. Collectors can view a gallery of images from multiple angles to display the card as it was originally issued by Upper Deck. The Cup will be released June 4. 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this rookie auto patch authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Multi-colored patches, team logo patches, uniform laundry tag patches or manufacturer logo patches (like the Nike Swoosh) tend to be more sought after, and more valuable as a result, than other cards with more basic patches, like one from a plain white section of a jersey. This creates an incentive for scammers to remove a less attractive patch from a card in favor of a flashier one from a random jersey. Attempting to do so could potentially damage a card beyond repair, but Masherah said there's been plenty of instances of this occurring without much issue to where it's become a hazard for collectors. Altered 2024 Paul Skenes #JPM-PS Panini Boys of Summer 11/49 raw cert# 2024psJPM-PS 11-49 — (@tiffanycards) April 21, 2025 'I think there's so much doubt from collectors that we have to assume it's pretty widespread because it's just hard to know,' Masherah said. 'And to me, this whole industry is backed by authenticity and confidence. If we continue to go down the road where we are, I'm concerned that the consumer is going to lack confidence to buy those cards on the secondary market. Advertisement 'And I think in most cases, we don't want to know, right? I think there's so many things in this industry where people just don't want to know what's really going on, because I think it would scare them. I'm concerned that it's very widespread, but it's hard to say because nobody's going to admit to it.' Upper Deck became known for their innovations in fraud protection starting with the company's famed 1989 baseball set that included Ken Griffey Jr.'s iconic rookie card by placing small holograms on cards. In 1992, the company extended protection with autograph authenticity through a five-step process using recorded hologram IDs and a database for collectors to verify the item. Upper Deck said the new rookie patch auto authentication for The Cup will implement a similar format through 'The Authority Authenticator.' One hurdle Upper Deck knows it will face with the new initiative comes with collectors breaking open the sealed case and removing the card so they could submit it to be independently graded in the hopes that a top grade for the condition of the card would further enhance its value. Masherah said he's had some conversations with grading companies about possibly adding Upper Deck's authentication serial number to an independently graded case, but admitted that might be a difficult task. Upper Deck will mark the card label at the top of its new cases with a 'U,' meaning the card was uncirculated outside the protective shell. The company is hoping that will hold its own value to customers. Masherah said the company will gauge how well the authentication initiative works for this edition of The Cup to determine if Upper Deck wants to extend this practice to other sets in the future. Still, the Upper Deck president feels like giving consumers a guarantee at the initial purchase or acquisition is a 'game changer' for the industry. Advertisement 'Before you buy an Upper Deck rookie auto patch card from an auction or a card show, you now have the ability to quickly see on a secure platform whether or not the card remains as we originally created it,' Masherah said, 'without the risk of purchasing a manipulated card or needing to go through the extra step of shipping it to us or a third-party for verification.' The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top image: Upper Deck)
