3 reasons why they will never release golf cards again. : eBay Guides

3 reasons why they will never release golf cards again.

I KNOW that there are a lot of you golf lovers out there that often wonder why Upper Deck stopped making golf cards.  After all some of the most saught after cards in any hobby are golf cards.  Golf collectors are the most religious and persistant when it comes to collecting.  We are a rare breed whether you realize it or not.  To rationalize why we pay over $10,000 for card is pointless....it is because we love the game and we love the hobby! 

Unfortunately corporate America does not see from the vantage of the "golf" collector.  Most of the time, and rightfully so, they see just dollar signs. (we do also sometimes admit it)  I have talked to Upper Deck executives, hardcore collectors, players and just about everyone under the sun and I came up with three reasons that I know to be the contributed to the cease & demise of golf card production

1.  The first one is obvious but, believe it or not, golf is not really that popular of a sport!  If you take a holistic look at collecting you will find a little niche called the golf card world.  We are the solar system in the Milky Way arm way out on the edge. The demand is just not there and we are overshadowed by the other sports pretty plain and simple!

2.  Tiger Woods is just too dominant.  This leaves little demand for other golfers and golf cards (hell I'd buy a Boo Weekly rookie auto!) This is the reason why Upper Deck still releases Tiger Woods stuff under the moniker UDA or Upper Deck Authenticated.  They ARE still filling the need for Tiger autos but yet the explicitly zapped the fun out of it.  I mean who wants to pay $2,000 and have no excitement of the possibility of pulling a card from a pack that makes your heart stop!  Upper Deck did re-release the Tiger Woods fan club for 2008 which is cool so they may make a collectors club swatch available or if we are ever so lucky a gold or red parallel.

3.  This is the biggest reason, the icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel's back, the kick in the salsa...There is no Player's Association for the PGA & LPGA.  What this means is that in baseball, football, basketball and even racing I do believe, when an athlete gets signed to play, in the NBA for example, they have to belong to a Player's Association.  It is similar to a "homeowner's Association" where they have rules and codes you have to follow.  It is my understanding that when a player signs a contract to sign a certain number of autos for Upper Deck they HAVE to follow through as it is a breach of contract.  The contracts are ALWAYS done through the Player's Association so there is that accountability.  "Hey buddy...you do not sign you get fined or even suspended." 

In the PGA there is no "Player's Association" and every man or woman is for themself.  Upper Deck has to hire a team of lawyers, seek out each and every golfer WORLDWIDE and sign contracts and provide travel arrangements for them to sign.  Basically it is horrible, expensive and tedious as most of the time they cannot get matters resolved.  That is why Duval only signed in 2001 and Mickelson in 2002.  They flaked or wanted too much money!  Ever wonder why the David Duval 2001 SP Authentic Sign of the Times is so hard to find?  He probably did not send any of the cards back but a few of them to fulfill his "obligations" He probably handed them out to family and friends too.  That happens more that people realize.  Many athletes just do not give a hoot and they get sick of signing 2000 cards.  Sad but true. 

You can see the evolution of events as Upper Deck tried to SAVE golf by making those stickers and sending them out to athletes to sign.  This cut down on theft and increased the amount Upper Deck got back as they were sent in sheets.  What was the athlete going to do rip one off and put it on his rear view mirror?  No way...also this enabled Upper Deck to put stickers on whatever cards they wanted.  No longer were our golf cards made by a human piece by piece like a Rolls Royce but instead were made in an assemply line like a Honda and got stickers slapped on them. 

So you see for golf cards to be made again will be tough...maybe with Tiger's resurgance and the bar being raised for other golfer's we will get lucky but until them anyone have a Tiger Woods red tour gear?  Hey... if you liked this article please vote yes.  The more "yes" votes we get the farther up the "guide" ladder this goes and pretty soon it will be available for ALL TO ENJOY and we can spread golf to the minds of many!  So please vote "yes" and by golly have fun collecting.  If you have any questions about golf cards let me know! Golfgasm