A small big bang took place on Wednesday in the nested but expanding world of the collector’s card. The worldwide release of Upper Deck Series 2 attracted fans to the counters of specialty stores all over the world in search of the Holy Grail to unwrap this year: a unique card from young prodigy Connor Bedard already released. priced for 1 million US dollars.
A few minutes before the doors open, the advisors at the sports counter at the Imaginaire boutique in Quebec City listen in a circle, knees on the ground, to the motivational speech of one of their own. “It’s going to be a big one game Today. Prepare yourselves ! » The day promises to be long and the heat, harsh: some even wear bracelets to absorb the sweat to come.
The cause of this uproar within the troops: Upper Deck launched its series 2 worldwide this Wednesday with, inside, the famous “Young Guns”, which the popular convention ended up considering, since their launched in 1990-1991, like the “official” rookie cards for young hockey players.
An unprecedented enthusiasm surrounds the launch this year. In question: the young prodigy of the Chicago Blackhawks and first choice in the last draft, Connor Bedard, whose performances are already impressing the hockey world and its most illustrious legend, Wayne Gretzky, who is full of praise for him.
“He can be even better than we thought,” said the 99 about the 98 at the start of the season. An opinion that the world of collecting seems to share: this Wednesday, Bedard’s Young Guns Outburst Gold card, printed in a single copy by Upper Deck, already shattered all records. An American store, Dave & Adam’s Card World, is even offering a bonus of 1 million US dollars to get their hands on it – and broadcast live on the Internet on Wednesday its “hunt” for the most coveted card of the day.
“In hockey, this is unheard of for a rookie card,” underlines Yannick Godbout, advisor to the Imaginaire boutique, who has cultivated his passion for cards for around thirty years. His boss, Benoît Doyon, nods alongside him.
“We offered $10,000 to have one of ten Alexis Lafrenière Young Guns High Gloss,” he recalls about the Quebec prospect drafted first overall by the New York Rangers in 2020. There was no single Lafrenière card at the time, but what would it have been worth? $100,000? »
“Reserve me 40 crates”
If Connor Bedard already represents the Holy Grail of collectors even before having completed a full season, it is because he is one of those athletes with rare potential, capable of leaving a lasting mark on their sport .
“He’s a generational player,” explains Yannick Godbout. You got [Sidney] Crosby, [Connor] McDavid, [Auston] Matthews, Lafrenière and now you have Bedard. Him, on the other hand, the enthusiasm is exceptional. »
As soon as the store opens, collectors storm the counter in the hope of getting their hands on a box — or several — from the coveted series.
“I’ll take two for you,” said Jeanine Lemieux, delegated by her son with strict instructions. “Attention: I need two boxes which come from two crates different. »
Further on, a father accompanies his son William, a big hockey fan, to buy two boxes. “It’s a bit of a reward for his good report card,” explains his father. We usually come to buy packages together two or three times a year. I take great care to explain to him that it’s luck to make sure he understands that it’s first and foremost a lottery. »
The passion for collecting requires, it is true, a certain budget. The box of 12 packets of series 2 retails for $330 and several customers, on Wednesday, left with more than one copy under their arm. Some left with a crate containing 12 boxes — and which sold for $4,000 each.
“I’ve had people ask me to reserve 40 cases for them,” explains Yannick Godbout — an order worth $160,000 alone. “But we limit one case per customer to give everyone the chance to have one. »
Despite the difficult economic context, Imaginaire’s phone rang earlier and more often than usual for the arrival of Connor Bedard’s famous rookie cards. “I have people who haven’t bought anything in five months to save for today,” says the veteran advisor.
Such demand makes business boom: the launch of Connor Bedard’s rookie card alone guarantees a good year for specialty businesses. “If a sports card store closes this year,” says Benoît Doyon, “it’s because it did it on purpose. A grand slam like that can wipe out all the collections we bought that didn’t sell. »
Revolt against soaring prices
The scarcity created by Upper Deck to arouse desire—and drive up the price of its products—does not only attract praise. Several collectors are rebelling online against a greed which, they accuse, is destroying their hobby by making it increasingly beyond the reach of their purses.
“Finished for me,” wrote a user on Wednesday, under a publication from Dave & Adam’s. Thanks Upper Deck for ripping off the regular card collector. »
Yannick Godbout, also co-host of the podcast Card Show, puts these grievances into perspective. “People forget that everything has increased: just in the last year, the price of package packaging has jumped by 54%. The price of cardboard has also increased and it’s not free to use the image of a National Hockey League player. From one year to the next, the royalties owed to the NHL cost more and more. »
To think that 45 years ago, when Wayne Gretzky took his first steps in the NHL in the uniform of the Edmonton Oilers, his rookie cards, far from being unique, were sold for a handful of cash. Irony of fate: a copy in perfect condition found a buyer, in 2021, for the astronomical sum of 3.75 million US dollars, or 5 million Canadian dollars.