Niche Market

In Hollywood, the most elusive beast is known as a four-quadrant picture. at’s a film that appeals to the four major demographic quadrants of the moviegoing audience: both male and female, and to those both over and under-25 years of age. If a film hits each of those marks, the studio has a blockbuster on its hands.

In the hobby, there’s a similar desire to appeal to the widest possible base, only in our case those four quadrants would likely be defined as collectors and investors, and set builders and singles chasers. While most releases aim to appeal to as many of those as possible, the product that best targets those four elements is, not surprisingly, the most important release of the year:

Upper Deck’s flagship brand.

But in the hobby, as in cinema, not every release is or even should be built to appeal to the widest possible audience. ere’s nothing wrong with creating a unique product with a clear vision to serve a smaller segment of the market. Case in point: 2020-21 SP Signature Legends.

While there are elements of this brand that have wide appeal – I mean, who wouldn’t love the chance to add hard-signed cards of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Patrick Roy, and dozens of other Hall of Famers to their collection? – it’s built for those with an appreciation for players with a more localized fan base.

Consider the autographs of players like Al Iafrate, he of the epic skullet, and even more epic slap shot. Or Adam Graves, the former Windsor Spitfires great who went on to set a franchise record with 52 goals for the New York Rangers in 1993-94. Or how about Guy Chouinard, the flashy forward who was the first to 50 in an Atlanta Flames jersey, and also the author of the team’s last goal in Georgia before the team relocated to Alberta.

None of these signatures will pay off the mortgage when pulled by a collector, but there’s a story worth knowing behind each of these players and their cards. And while they won’t be widely pursued, they’d make for a special addition to someone’s collection. Maybe even yours.

at’s what made telling the story of the making of the product so compelling to writer Bill Hoppe, and why we thought it was worth sharing. You’ll find Bill’s feature in this issue, starting on pg. 12. If you’ve already busted some Signature Legends, you’ll love hearing what went into the four-year production process. And if you haven’t, we bet you’ll want to give it a second look the next time you stop in at your LCS.

I know it got me hyped to pick up another box. And I’ll be right there in line if Upper Deck delivers a follow-up. Maybe that one will include the hard-signed Luc Dufour card I’ve been hoping to find for the past 40 years.