First look: 2008 Sweet Spot Baseball

Product information has been released for 2008 Sweet Spot baseball, due out in December.

According to information, the tins will only SRP for $19.99 each which appears to be incorrect at first glance. However, as I understand it, you only get one autograph or relic per tin, thus explaining the lower price. However, there could be a typo in the information stating per tin averages as per box averages. Perhaps a quick e-mail to the Upper Deck customer service department can solve this mystery.

The product info states that each box will include one Sweet Spot Signature card, one Rookie autograph card and four single, dual, triple or quad memorabilia cards on average. With six tins per box, that leaves one hit for each tin making a $20 price normal.

The base set reminds me a lot of Upper Deck Ovation without all the white on it. Each year, Ovation utilized the baseball stitching in its design, even once using the exact stitching design present on the new Sweet Spot cards. Even the player name and team name are very Ovationesque. If Upper Deck is turning Sweet Spot into an ovation type product, they are looking for trouble because I don't recall Ovation being an overly popular release. With this product coming out in December, it will be the last Upper Deck release collectors will think about before the 2009 cards surface so they better not screw it up.

Some of the sets to look for in this year's product include Sweet Beginnings Rookie Signatures numbered to 999 or less (featuring rookies like Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce), USA Baseball Signature sets and variations and the traditional Sweet Spot Signatures, which look just as good as they have in the past.



I like the mirror effect Upper Deck has chosen for these autographs. All three images in the product information had two player images facing each other on both sides of the autograph. However, I think they'll have to redo the Ken Griffey Jr. autograph card now.

Last year, each tin included two autographs and two relic cards, but there is almost no mention of relic cards in the initial product information this year. However, the lowered price per tin ($59.99 to $19.99) may help this product sell. Because many of the hits won't have that great of secondary market value, collector's should be more willing to give a tin of these a shot. Considering how much market value comes from say a box of Co-Signers compared to its price, why wouldn't collectors want to go get something as cheap as Sweet Spot (assuming it really is $19.99 per tin).