The Upper Deck Death Watch?

What's left for Upper Deck?

As has been reported in the NY Time recently, the MLB players union has notified it's members that Upper Deck is facing financial difficulties and has not paid a large number of ballplayers money it is owed them. Furthermore, they advise ballplayers to not enter any new agreements with them and to not submit already signed, or soon to be signed cards to Upper Deck until the issue is resolved.

Just another nail in a potential Upper Deck coffin. 

It is hard to believe Upper Deck could possibly survive after a series of very public losses in their business.  On the other hand, they continue to release new products like some new Tiger Wood memorabilia items.  No kidding!

I recount, not in any specific order, the follwing major blows to the card company:

• Lost NBA license to produce cards;
• Lost NFL license to produce cards;
• Lost MLB Properties license to produce cards;
• Settled trademark infringement lawsuit with MLB Properties; and
• Settled counterfeiting lawsuit to Konami.

All of these items must have done some major damage to their cash flow and bottom line.  How much longer until the company folds?  Can they possibly survive with none of the big 3 licenses? 

A great many card blogs have already commented on this.  Check out what they have said. 

Mario with Wax Heaven:

Alright, before we throw a sympathy party it should be noted that Upper Deck brought this on themselves. From the crazy stories in the book ‘Card Sharks’ to the Konami and MLB lawsuits, the more you play with fire the better your chances are of getting burned and boy are the flames high in Carlsbad, California right now.

Stage Gum starts a Upper Deck death pool.

So, whaddaya say we have a little fun at a doomed card company's expense, huh? Introducing the "Stale Gum Upper Deck Death Pool." Here's how to play..

TS O'Connell.

Ouch. Obviously, this kind of incident is simply a by-product of larger problems that Upper Deck faces, but it is a reminder about what enormous costs the card companies incur by creating these upscale cards embedded with autographs, jersey swatches and other materials that ostensibly fall under the broad definition of memorabilia.