There can never be too much of a good thing? Or can there be? Is Upper Deck flooding the market too quickly with 2023-24 hockey products?

We have all heard the old saying, "There can never be too much of a good thing." In the case of Connor Bedard and Upper Deck Hockey's new releases, the above quote is not entirely accurate. 

Hockey cards are mainstream thanks to Bedard. Long-time hockey card collectors will tell you this is a bad thing. Those who enjoy the thrill of mining cards with substantial value will tell you they love the thrill of the Bedard chase.

By now you may be wondering what the problem is. Hockey card collectors are still buying Upper Deck Hockey products and Bedard has brought new interest to hockey cards.

Supply and demand is one of the easiest ways to determine success in business. Businesses want to produce the right amount of supply and price appropriately to meet the demand.

Is a company successful if the prices of their products are constantly dropping? In the case of Upper Deck, that depends.

Upper Deck sells their products to select card shops or distributors. Distributors then sell to card shops or breakers. What is happening to the pricing of 2023-24 Upper Deck Hockey products once they hit the shelves is alarming.

Prices of Upper Deck 2023-24 Hockey Products are Dropping

Back to supply and demand. If prices are constantly dropping for a product, the demand simply is not there. Why is the demand not there? We will get to that later.

Upper Deck 2023-24 Ice Hockey released on Sep. 5 and the retail price pushed $200 USD. As of Oct. 4, Upper Deck 2023-24 Ice Hockey retails for $150. 

Upper Deck 2023-24 Credentials Hockey released on Aug. 21 and the retail price pushed $160. As of Oct. 4, Upper Deck 2023-24 Credentials Hockey retails for $140.

Upper Deck 2023-24 Allure, Extended, and SPX Hockey have seen substantial drops in price. 

The most recent release, Upper Deck 2023-24 O Pee Chee Platinum is currently holding at the release day retail price of $300. But recent buying and selling trends on DealernetX suggest the retail price may drop sooner than later.

Why is the Demand Not There?

It is not that the demand is not there. Hockey collectors and Bedard chasers are experiencing an overload. It seems like every other day there has been a new hockey release. Upper Deck 2023-24 O Pee Chee, 2022-23 The Cup, 2023-24 Ice, and 2023-24 Credentials released within the last month and a half. 

Upper Deck is not slowing down either. Three big releases are on the horizon; 2023-24 Metal Universe Hockey is slated for Oct. 9, 2024-25 Upper Deck Series 1 is slated for Oct. 16, and 2023-24 SP Authentic Hockey is slated for Oct. 30. 

What Does All of This Mean?

Good question. In the present it means that it may be advantageous to wait to buy wax until a couple weeks after a new product releases. But what fun is that?

A new hockey season is just days away. That in itself will spark interest and drive prices of products sitting on the shelves up a bit. Imagine if Bedard comes out and rips a hatty on opening night?

Speaking of Bedard, the $1,000,000 million bounty on his 1/1 Gold Outburst is still available.

Happy hunting and collecting!