The SPX Hockey release is its own thing. It usually included a mere four cards per box, all within one pack. This time, they expanded the contents all the way to five cards per box.
Other SPx Hockey releases: 2023-24 SPx Hockey
Therefore, we are talking about a high-risk and high-reward proposition. The main attraction is the gorgeous black patch on-card autos,
But is it worth the relatively high entry price? Find out in our 2022-23 SPx Hockey Review
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
The SP line was Upper Deck’s attempt to up the game after its rivals had integrated most of the innovations the company had introduced with its groundbreaking 1989 Upper Deck Baseball release.
The 1993 SP Baseball product was seen as a new level of high-end cards and had a good deal of success in its early years. Upper Deck first released its SP product for hockey in 1994. The SPx line was designed as a higher-end expansion of it.
The inaugural version of SPx Hockey saw light in 1996-97. It was a small set with 50 base cards and a gold parallel card for every base card. It was a hobby box-only release with 36 foil packs.
Amazingly, that first release did not have any rookie cards in it. Still, it did well enough to launch a product that is still around over 25 years later.
The secret was the gorgeous die-cut design of these cards and their unique colors. The number of cards in each box has decreased over the years. But, the emphasis has remained on cutting-edge designs.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
Like so many releases nowadays, the date for this one is not great. It comes out on September 27, 2023. That is a bit less than a month before the 2023-24 NHL season is set to start.
It is hard to generate excitement for cards from the previous season right before a new one. We would all be grateful if Panini and Upper Deck found a solution to this problem.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
SPx Hockey is a hobby-only release, and 2022-23 SPx Hockey is no exception. Here are the specifications for a box of this product:
Upper Deck has some great-looking premium cards in its products. But they seem to save their best designs for SPx Hockey. This product delivers with its production values, especially if you enjoy more cutting-edge and modern-looking designs.
Another advantage is that an increasing portion of collectors (especially the younger ones) are not interested in valueless base cards taking up valuable space at home.
Honestly, when I look at my shelves of worthless cardboard, they may have a point. This release gives you a few select hits without frills or filler.
The return of the UD Black brand to SPx Hockey is a big deal and dramatically improves these boxes. The unique design of these cards stands out among the flashier cards in this release. They have a classy look and maintain better value than most cards in this release.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
The weak point for this release has always been its resale value, which has never been particularly strong.
If you are a set completist or enjoy getting many cards in your products, you won’t enjoy this one. And, of course, it takes a lot of the fun out that the hits are not likely worth all that much.
While the designs are still nicer than most, in my opinion, a lot of hockey collectors are displeased with the direction designs have taken. If you look at the reviews on various forums, the designs have become less popular.
There is undoubtedly a feeling that Upper Deck has focused on its more prestigious releases like Upper Deck The Cup.
Finally, this is a pretty inexpensive product, which is great. But we have gotten used to picking up boxes of SPx Hockey for under $100. So, the current price point of $130 does seem expensive to some. But that is more a reflection of the waning popularity of this release than anything else.
The base set for the SPx Hockey is kind of beside the point. Nonetheless, it does exist. There are 200 base cards, 100 of which are for veterans and the rest allocated to rookies.
But there are no unnumbered base cards in this set. The lowest-numbered base card is to a /299.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
The base cards come in four levels of parallels. Here are the details:
The last one here, the NHL Shield Hologram, is an excellent addition. These cards are cut to look like the iconic NHL logo.
Other parallels include the Spectrum parallels: (/65, /35, or /25), Patch (/35, /25 or /15), and Patch Spectrum 1/1 cards. Meanwhile, holograph cards are a new edition of this year’s product.
They include the HoloGraphs and Rookie HoloGraphs. Each has a serial number, including the coveted Red, Gold, and Blue 1/1 parallels.
The SPx Hockey line is best known for its modern and cutting-edge designs. But in either a lovable bit of nostalgia or as an exasperating sign of a lack of ideas (it depends on your perspective), they have looked at previous releases for insert inspiration.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
The 2002-23 SPx Retro is the main thrust in this look to the past. As you can tell from the name, they have never been included in this release. The base versions of these cards are numbered 199 copies, but the cool-looking Gold Spectrum parallels are numbered to a lower /99.
There are also some excellent autographed versions of the 2002-23 SPx Retro cards, such as the Lunar Waves (1:25 packs, Rookies 1:15 packs), and the 1/1 Gold Whirlpool.
SPx Force is an old favorite, with holograms ahead of their time in the early 1990s. Each card features four players, and there are 10 team versions you can collect.
You could find these in some of the earliest releases, and now they are back with a vengeance. But they can be pretty hard to land. The base versions are already very rare and appear in 1:100 packs.
Of course, the Red Holo (/30), Gold Holo (/15), and Blue Holo (1/1) parallels are even harder to get. The hologram element also features in an assortment of SPx Force parallels, such as:
Also new are HoloChampions (/299). These have a Red Holo (/65), Gold Holo (/35), and Blue Holo (1/1) rainbow. Some cards also get autographs that have Red Holo (/10), Gold Holo (/5), and Blue Holo (1/1) parallels.
However, if previous years are any indication, you can’t expect much value from these SPx Force cards.
There is a massive Gretzky card among recent sales and a couple of other strong cards. But most of these do not sell for over $100, even when they feature a strong rookie.
I’m not really sure what the concept of Radiance FX is supposed to be. Stars with laser beams in the background? I don’t know. But there is a decent resale value for some of these inserts if you get a low-numbered parallel of a strong rookie.
Keep in mind that the base card has the highest print run of any insert here at 1,299. So, you will want a low-numbered version for sure. Speaking of which, here are the parallels you can get for this insert:
The Finite Rookies insert celebrates the best young talent in the NFL. However, these cards are more common than most of the items you can find, with a base card numbered /999. That will do little for the value of these inserts.
But there is a large selection of parallels for this insert that may garner higher market value:
Indeed, some of the lower-numbered Finite Rookies cards have sold for a few hundred dollars.
We already discussed UD Black and its advantages. The biggest cards from UD Black go for thousands of dollars, which is rare for cards from SPx Hockey. That makes this a real plus.
The Obsidian Rookies (/499) is the basic form of UD Black here. But there are several varieties:
Not every base card has an auto version, but many do. The veteran autographs come in about 1:8 packs and the rookies 1:10.
But the most loaded versions are the auto patches and the 1/1 Auto Premium Memorabilia versions. The Rookie Auto Jersey is numbered /375, /175, or /75 copies. You can also get Jersey cards in 1:25 packs, but only for the veterans.
But those aren’t the only autos available for this product. You can also land the Superscripts (1:12 packs), Rookie Superscripts (1:10 packs), and White Out Rookie Autographs (1:20 packs).
In addition, there are White Out Autographs /25 in packs. And if you are lucky, gold editions for these autos are available.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
Meanwhile, the Lustrous Rookie Signatures has the following varieties:
If you are a sucker for patriotic cards, and I know I am, you will enjoy the Pride of a Nation Auto Patch. It has a signature and a patch of the home country of the relevant player.
However, remember that these are manufactured patches and not legit game-worn items. You can get these as /99 or /25 parallels, and the best are the 1/1 Spectrum parallels.
Boxes of 2022-23 SPx Hockey are not particularly expensive. Therefore, the bar they need to clear to have some value is not exceptionally high.
Nonetheless, SPx has struggled with its popularity in recent years, and it’s unclear if it can even clear that modest bar. But there is only one way to find out: crunching those darn numbers.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
Box prices have increased by about 30% in recent years. Does that reflect a rise in its resale value? Or is it just general inflation doing its thing? We looked at the importance of current boxes to get a general idea.
| Release | Value |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 SPx Hockey Hobby Box | $175 |
| 2018-19 SPx Hockey Hobby Box | $235 |
| 2019-20 SPx Hockey Hobby Box | $219 |
| 2020-21 SPx Hockey Hobby Box | $174 |
| 2021-22 SPx Hockey Hobby Box | $110 |
The dive in the value of boxes post-Covid is pretty noticeable. Last year’s package is worth less than the starting price of the current release. That is usually a bad sign. Nonetheless, I expected things to be considerably worse.
The cost of some of these boxes has increased significantly over the last couple of months. So, if any of the rookies in 2022-23 really pan out, the boxes could eventually be worth over $200. But the ceiling for this product is not very high nowadays.
The great thing about SPx Hockey is that you get some really cool cards for a meager price. The return of UD Black is an excellent example of the kind of cards I mean.
But even when you pull something that looks cool and is low-numbered, the actual resale value of the card can sometimes be quite disappointing. So, we looked to see how much some of the more valuable single cards in this release currently sell for.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 1997 Upper Deck SPx Hockey Mike Modano UD #13 Grand Finale /50 SSP Stars (PSA 8) | $660 |
| 2006-07 SPx Hockey Winning Materials Sidney Crosby Dual Jersey /10 (SGC 9) | $380 |
| 2021-22 Upper Deck SPx Hockey Radiance FX Connor McDavid Auto /15 | $359 |
| 2020-21 SPX Hockey Mitch Marner Finite Die Cut Gold Platinum Super Auto #ed 1/1 (Raw) | $266 |
As you can see, the upper limit for these cards is not all that high. So, even when you get a big hit, the chances are that it will not resell for all that much. Nonetheless, the boxes are $130 each, and you can always hit a card that covers the chest.
I have certainly seen worse odds to do so in some of the more significant sports releases, especially in basketball. But by the relatively high standards of value set by Upper Deck, this box does not offer as good a deal as many other hockey products.
Shop for boxes on 2022-23 SPX Hockey on eBay
The main advantage of the SPx Hockey line is the design. They remain pretty strong, although there has been some erosion in quality over the last few years.
But as hockey fans increasingly turn to other releases, the product has lost some of its value. We can see it in the sale price of wax and singles alike.
Nonetheless, this release has some advantages. The return of UD Black is excellent news and will make this a far better rip than some of the other boxes. Meanwhile, some of the boxes have gained a bit of value over the last few months.
That means that you are unlikely to lose money on stashing one of these $130 boxes. However, there are certainly better investments out there in the hockey space.
Indeed, that is the main issue for SPx Hockey. While the value offered here is decent enough, Upper Deck has far better investments. They will need to improve this release more to make it worthwhile again.
January's Biggest Auctions, Jayden Daniels 1/1 Prizm, Topps Archives Review, and more
32 Spot Random Team 2024 NFL Mosaic Mega 8 Box Break
32 Spot Random Team 2024 NFL Mosaic Blaster 10 Box Break.
Sealed Blaster Box of 2022 Topps MLB Baseball Update Series.
Sealed box of 2019 Topps MLB Baseball Series 2 Hobby Box. 1 autograph or relic card guaranteed. Great rookie class.
Sealed Box of 2021 Panini Prizm Baseball Cello. 12 packs per box, 18 cards per pack.
© Copyright 2024 - All rights reserved Cardlines.com / Media Techs LLC - Sports Card News, Reviews, Releases and BREAKS - #thehobby.
Important: When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.