Lots of Blue

First 2022-23 Upper Deck MVP pack today has lots of blue covered...

Jets, Blues, and both NY teams, but none are the Leaf blue I am looking for.

Even the inserts tease me, but the Pin Points insert is about as fancy as MVP set inserts get, and in hand it is definitely much nicer.

Pack two...

Nice - Marner base card, yay. Add in the rookie Samberg card, and another solid pack.

Only made a bit strong with a solid Ice Battles card at the end - fantastic!

The Set Build Continues

Two more MVP packs today as we continue the set build from the retail box.

Not a bad pack, a nice Foligno and the ugly Islanders jersey, but still set helpers!

Hoping I might get a couple Leaf Ice Battles cards as I don't plan on getting a full set, so Leaf set would be great.

Pack number two for today...

Guentzel and Forsberg are good pick ups...

A Drouin silver script to finish.

The MVP parallels and inserts aren't spectacular given its a low end set, but they are solid enough. I have never been one to love the faux signatures on cards, but it is fine enough on these and is a bit of a staple for MVP sets.

Set Got Back

Now that we have had a few days with the fronts of the cards from 2022-23 Upper Deck MVP, let'

s check out some backs too.

I really am not a big fan of the backs because of simply, the lack of stats. I want full stats, but at least give me a most recent year and career lines - or something. A small team logo, no picture, big MVP across the top. I know it's a lower end set, but this could have made a big different on how much I'd like the set by these back fixes.

Okay, getting a one in thirty-six packs 20th anniversary insert makes up for it a bit. Would have been better to be a Leaf, but a nice pick up - even if it's a design I don't have great regard for - it's just middling to me.

Second pack today...

All new today, is good, and the back of the Ice Battles cards - are very basic. Again, a picture if nothing else, would have added plenty - heck, make it from the NHL game even, a headshot, to go with the stats here. I mean, perfect tie in, no?

Same Name Different Team

 Another couple packs of 2022-23 Upper Deck MVP Hockey today and we start with a card that confuses me.

I still don't like seeing Fleury as anything but a Penguin. Maybe it's just me, but that's his team and always will be. First dupe though as I happened to have Farabee already.

Another Ice Battles card, but no Leafs in this pack unfortunately.

Second pack:

Sweet - first Domains insert pick up. These fall one every seven packs, so should be a few in this box, but still a decent design and better looking in hand. Not a surprise it mentions the time played with Canada and leading Canada to gold over the Czech Republic.

Another solid couple packs, hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.

2022-23 Upper Deck MVP Hockey

 I still have the boxes from October free shipping trades that I did with a bunch of goodies, but I also have more new stuff I want to get to, and I also want to get in a position for the start of this coming year, to work through another lot I bought almost a year ago now - though I know how I plan to work quicker through that one, since I have another newer lot I also purchased to go through.

I think I am off buying cards in 2025 and up to just trades and updating what I have with all these cards to share still. Not sure if I will ever be "up to date" with stuff, but that's when I will stop posting daily.

As for the next to share item - a retail box I got on the cheap a while ago from 401games.

I have an unopened pack already, so will be opening all the packs, maybe two a day so we have some cards to really look at. 

As for where we start on this set build before even opening it...22 cards which includes 2 short prints, so I would expect I will get close on the pure base set (hopefully over 80% done) completion, but will be missing some short prints. It is MVP, so those should still be readily available I would think, to trade for, once we are done.

Let's get right to the first couple packs:

Though the front design may take up a bit more real estate than desired, it's a nice looking card, even for a low end product. Good, clear photos, easy to read names, and maybe an MVP logo that's a bit bigger than it needs to be.

The Ice Battles cards which fall just shy of one per pack are a nice vibrant orange and easily discernable from the base set. They make for an interesting enough parallel.

Pack 2:

It may be a Predator hot pack, but I'll take the Leaf pick up with Nylander. Those uniforms are bright though - wow!

Well, if you are going to get a parallel, doesn't hurt to get Sid The Kid out of the way early in this retail box. Definitely my favourite player from the last, near, 20 years, will be a shame to see him retire though we aren't quite there yet!

With all new to me cards in the first two packs, that's a trend I'd like to see continue!

Shut Out

 No base addition for me in the entire blaster - again. Luck is definitely not on my side. We do get an early Uncle Howdy.

Bo, as himself, was a mid-card talent on the main roster, at best. I think he had a better run in NXT, it just didn't translate well with the move to the main roster.

With some maturing and opportunity for a new character through the storytelling and build of his real life brother Bray Wyatt, Uncle Howdy has been a much better character for the man and hopefully provides a great run - Bo is a talented wrestler and just needed to find the character side that works for him.

A shame, not even the 2K card is new for me, though it was a 50/50 shot as I had 4 of the 8.

As for the bonus pack...

The Sting card is a great new addition, and as far as "base" relics go, I could have done much worse than the future Hall of Famer in Charlotte.

Definitely helps the look of the card that the colour of the shirt relic matches the colour if the shirt worn in the picture.

Well, given there were no base additions, the extremely low score isn't much of a surprise. Still, nice to have the Charlotte swatch at least, but not a lot to celebrate on this box. For better or worse, I do have another floating around for another time.

Well Speak Of The Taker

 Funny enough that I wrote about Kane with getting his Now & Then insert, and today we pick up his storyline brother's card.

So much could be said about the great career of the Undertaker, but I am just going to highlight one high and one low that are outside the usual trains of thought.

He may be one of the last who truly acts as a protector of the business - someone who stayed in character outside of the ring, as much as possible, during his active career. He never pulled back the curtain to show the man behind the Taker until his days were over from really being in the ring and it definitely added to the character mystique.

On the other hand, he is a perfect example of the business being too addictive as, from his interviews after retiring, it sounds like he went on too long for the aches and pains he deals with post career, but loved the business too much to stop sooner. I can't imaging how hard it must be to stop once you get to the point on not being able to compete at the high level you want to, and appreciate all he gave to the business, but wish he could have stopped when his post-career health and aches and pains would be better overall. Unfortunately, seems to be the nature of the business.

Charlotte looks so you there, as done even The Miz. Still love The Miz and he is one of my all time favorites.

Just one pack left and the "bonus" for tomorrow.