A few years ago I picked up 1 pack (a pack per box) of Ultimate 08 /09. This was the second time I purchased this product, with the first being a pack of Ultimate 06 /07 which was discussed in the previous blog post. In comparison to the 06/07 product, the 08/09 cards have a much better design. The color scheme is brighter and more engaging. The players are again silhouetted against a background of geometric shapes, which I find myself torn on whether I prefer seeing the background of the original photograph or if I like the silhouette approach.
What I pulled:
Base Card: Paul Kariya base card numbered out of 299, which is a downsized printing run of 400 in comparison to the 06 /07 series. The lower printing run always makes a series more interesting because it obviously becomes more rare. As said above the design of this product is quite nice, and unique to the base cards is that the lower image of text that displays the name "Ultimate Collection" is pressed into the card in silver foil. The lettering could be brought forward more by the use of a different color against the silver background, but I really like the idea of the shaped area around the text being pushed into the card, providing some depth.
Rookies: I was very pleased with the two rookies I pulled. The first was of Petr Vrana of the New Jersey Devils, numbered out of 399, and features a prominent autograph signed in black ink. The design of the card is quite sharp and the auto has a nice frosted background to make it really pop. I also like the placement of the card's serial number which is placed on the lateral margin to the left of the auto. The only downside is that there are no
stats on the back of the card, which is something I've ranted about in previous posts.
The second rookie is what made the pack worth it. This was a Jakub Voracek auto rookie numbered out of 99. The card has the same design as the previous Vrana rookie except that the red and blues were switched in the design.
Material: The final card pulled was an Ultimate Debut Threads jersey of Ilya Zubov, numbered out of 200. The jersey window is shaped like the Ultimate logo and is of a moderate size. The swatch features 1 color. A stock photo of the hockey player is featured to the left, where he is grinning maniacally. Really this is quite a nice looking card and the only drawback is that it features one of the no-name rookies of the 08 /09 season.
I enjoyed the 08 /09 Ultimate product, but this enjoyment hinged heavily upon pulling a case break card (the 99 serial numbered rookie). I would definitely try my hand at another pack of this product if not for the very sharp product design and the hope of pulling the big rookie of that year, Stamkos.
stats on the back of the card, which is something I've ranted about in previous posts.
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