2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review

Upper Deck is back with the newest installation of their Goodwin Champions series. This year’s product is set to release on February 22, 2022, and it is one of the more interesting products on the market. So without further ado, here is our 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions review.

What Is Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

It is a multiset product featuring cards from the NBA, women’s tennis, soccer, snowboarding, the WNBA, baseball, along with historical relics, and much more.

This set features cards that include relics from non-sports history like pieces of an old ship or chips from a famous casino from 1980. As previously mentioned, this is one of the most out-there products in the hobby. However, it does feature signatures from top athletes like Michael Jordan

The Goodwin Champions series is a little more abstract than most products. That renders it more exciting and a draw for some buyers. However, many collectors are more interested in traditional products. So, if you are strictly a sports card collector and only want to have sports cards, this probably is not the product for you.

History Of Goodwins Champions

This product has one of the richer histories in the hobby. It all began with a tobacco company named E. Goodwin and Brother, founded before the American Civil War.

The company was known for two cigarette products: Old Judge and Gypsy Queen (now also a card product). In 1887 and on, the company attached cards depicting baseball players, other athletes, and various social scenes and portraits.

Upper Deck revived the product in 2011 and has placed it at the center of the Goodwin Champions line.

The original release looked like this (get more N162 series Goodwin cards on eBay)

Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Is An Unlicensed Product

The California card company does not currently have any deals with major sports leagues like the NFL or the NBA. Therefore, the athletes do not appear in their professional uniforms.

The lack of licenses has forced Upper Deck to think outside of the box to compete. Hence the extensive amounts of autographs in the set compared to sports relics and the comprehensive inclusion of historical cards and relics.

The 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review: Pros And Cons

The thing that makes this product popular is also what makes it unpopular. That being the abstractness of the set and the historical value it holds. To some, the inclusion of historic relics makes it their favorite set. The inclusion of these artifacts has helped the product generate a dedicated fan base. However, it is also the main reason it has detractors.

The primary thing casting this year’s product in a negative light is the number of hits per box. Last year, there were on average three hits. However, this year it is down to two. Despite this, the price will likely not change or may even go up compared to last year. Understandably, this has dismayed every the most diehard Goodwin Champions fan from purchasing the product this year.

The final thing that hinders the product’s popularity is, of course, its unlicensed status.

Goodwin is known for its non-sports autos and memorabilia cards (look for more astronaut autos on eBay)

2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review Of Release Formats

Although there will likely be more buying options once the product is officially released, the only way to buy this product now that is listed is a hobby box and a sixteen-box case.

In the past, Upper Deck has released blasters and Mega Boxes. Therefore, we expect they will be available this year as well.

Hobby Box

The hobby box includes five cards per pack and twenty packs per box. Currently, at presale, a 2021 Goodwin Champions hobby box will cost around $129.

• 20 Packs per Box
• 5 Cards Per Pack

Sixteen Box Case

The sixteen box case has a unique spin. Each sixteen box “master case” also includes two eight box “inner cases.” It has not been confirmed what the case hit will be.

Overview of key players

Some of the biggest names to keep an eye out for in this product are:

• Ben Simmons
• Jonathan Kuminga
• Naomi Osaka
• Michael Jordan

The 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review: The Checklist

The base set includes 100 cards varying in both sport and subject matter. Included in the base set are cards from history.

Inserts

The main insert is the “Splash of Color” insert which adds up to fifty cards.

Parallels

Brand new to the set are platinum parallels. They will come at six per box. Along with this, there are printing plates and multiple color variations in these boxes. Also in the product are autographed cards, relics, and historical cards (most of which got their own set).

Parallel Odds

The breakdown for the rarity of the parallels goes as follows:

Base Platinum – 1:7

Rainbow – 1:20

Red – 1:30

Blue – 1:60

Orange Prism – #/399

Pink Traxx – #/299

Cosmic – #/99

Purple Pulsar – #/23

Green Wave – #/10

Golden Treasures – 1/1

There is a bounty program for collectors who obtain all of the Splash of Color Lenticular Bounty set. Unfortunately, some of these cards will be incredibly difficult to get, and they are not all guaranteed to have scratch-off codes that can be redeemed.

Auto Odds

Autographs (1:1,200)

Horizontal Autographs (1:640)

Inscribed Autographs (1:1200)

Goudey Autographs (1:100)

Goudey Sport Royalty Autographs (1:8000)

Splash of Color Autographs (1:1920)

The Goudey Sport Royalty autos hold value particularly well (look for them on eBay)

Memorabilia Odds

Memorabilia – 1:60

Dual Swatch – 1:400

Splash of Color – 1:600

Goudey Sport Royalty Memorabilia – 1:1520

Goudey Sport Royalty Memorabilia Dual Swatch – 1:2880

The rarity of the historical and other sets that do not fall into the sports category goes as follows:

Animal Kingdom Painted Art – #/10

Centuries of Progress World’s Fair Relics – 1:1,760

Entomology Oversized Relics (Redemption)

Goodwin Masterpieces Founding Fathers – #/10

Goodwin Masterpieces Art of the Ages – 1/1

Historic United States Currency Relics – 1:1,120

Hometown Icons – 1:3,000

Impactful Legacies Vintage Stamps – 1:640

The 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review Of Value

Goodwins Champions is not known for its high value. However, there is some profit to be made from this product.

Wax

What are your chances of getting back the money for a Goodwin Champions box? Pretty good, it turns out.

Singles

What is raising the value of these Goodwin Champions boxes is the high-caliber autos lurking in them. Here are some of the most notable. All cards are PSA 10.

The set can be qualified as a low-risk, high-reward proposition. There is a good chance you go through an entire box and do not find anything worth much. However, some cards in the product offer exceptional returns. Most notably, the Jordan autos.

The Michael Jordan autos are the most sought after cards in the Goodwin Champions sets (look for them on eBay)

However, it won’t be easy to draw these cards.

Bottomline Of The 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Review

The Goodwin Champions product is something that is not for everyone. However, it has a very dedicated group of core fans, and it makes sense as to why. Goodwin and Upper Deck are dealt a tough hand as they do not have the resources to compete for contracts as Topps and Panini can. However, their out-of-the-box thinking brings us one of the most exciting sets out there. There is a lot of value in this product. However, it may be challenging to find. There are at least two hits per box, six splash of color cards, and six platinum cards.