Forgotten Sets: 2008 UD Special F/X

I've never been a fan of formulaic blog posts.  I cringe a bit when I write some of the weekly features, like Throwback Tuesday, but those are themes I enjoy and the writing always takes me in different directions. 

Don't get me wrong, I completely get why some people use a basic template and plug in some info here and there.  But for me the blog is perhaps less about cards and more about just having a chance to write about something I enjoy in a casual format.  The downside to that is that it can make it tough to come up with fresh ideas.  Sure, there are the seemingly never backlog of purchases, card show hauls, and new releases to look at.  But what I really enjoy writing (and I hope you enjoy reading) are the more thought out, thematically driven posts.

Sometimes those themes delve into the history of the game, franchise, or hobby. 

Other times, it's just about shiny cards.

2008 Upper Deck Special F/X is a set that seems to have pretty much flown right past the hobby radar.  Designed to be a competitor with Topps Chrome technology, the set offered a full parallel of the UD base set.  For a team collector, that means glorious, glorious parallels.  For box breakers and casual collectors, it means instead of hitting shiny cards of superstars, you get Damaso Marte.

The sheer size of the esset, and its 4 colored parallels, make it a challenge to collect.  I've made nice headway with the parallels, though I amusingly only have two of the base cards.

The card's red background compliments the team's colors well, and perhaps equally important the cards are ten times more plentiful than Topps and Bowman offerings of the same color.


Upper Deck put together a fantastic looking set that I would have loved to see a follow up for.  Fortunately a few other companies are integrating chromelike technology, and while those sets will probably never have the same "value" or hobby currency as Topps' chrome sets, I personally like the non-Topps sets a lot more.