Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Artist Proofs Added To The Collection = Another Mystery To Solve....

Just wanted to update you all today with 3 new cards for the collection. All of them are Artist Proof cards from the 2009-10 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Premier product, released in 2010. 

I had seen old eBay listings for some of these cards over 10+ years ago, but never did I ever think more than one of these would turnup for sale again all these years later. I know there are more out there to chase, but it's a group of cards on my wantlist that I put there realistically thinking I'd never take them off, so to add 3 of them in one deal is a big deal for me.

For readers who are wondering what Artist Proof cards are, I would describe them as cards that have been printed so it can be reviewed by the manufacterer in order to approve the final design of the card before the production team can continue the printing and overall assembly of a card set. Once a proof set is approved, the prints are usually destroyed, and the Artist Proofs are rarely released into the public, making Artist Proof cards quite the find for any collector. 

The front of these cards have all the makeup of a regular card in the set (foils, colours, etc), and are just missing the serial numbered stamping, along with the cutouts inside the small windows for the memorabilia pieces. These cards look nearly identically to it's packed-out counterpart. The backs, however, are completely blank.​
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Notice the difference between the Artist Proof card and the eventual card inserted into the product.

​As for the history of these O-Pee-Chee Premier Artist Proof cards, I'm really not sure. I know they would have come from an uncut sheet at some point, but where or when these were released still remains a mystery to me...
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An example of a Uncut sheet redemption card released in upper Deck The Cup.

An example of an uncut artist proof sheet from 2007-08 The Cup once redeemed through Upper Deck via redemption. The sheets used to come already framed but ceased to after 2009 I believe. Now they are just delivered rolled up inside a shipping tube.

I know the uncut Artist Proof sheets from 2009-10 The Cup were released as redemptions inside the product (a practice which Upper Deck still continues to this day inside The Cup), but I am unaware how these O-Pee-Chee Premier sheets would have been circulated - or if they weren't meant to be released at all. These types of oddball pickups with a mysterious backstory is super cool to me.

Hope you enjoy this update! If anyone has any information on these, please let me know. Thanks!

Happy Collecting, 

- Aaron
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