Upper Deck All Star Vinyl Brett Favre Black Variant

When I first saw the press releases for Upper Deck's All Star Vinyl figures, I didn't know what to think. Was UD out of its element? What's up with the comic-book "stylized realism"? How are collectors reacting to this?

Well, upon receiving this Brett Favre Black Variant, I quickly figured out that UD has a sweet product on its hands and some very unique pieces for collectors!

The Black Variant is limited to a production run of 250 figures and depicts Favre in solid black (uniform and skin) with gold trim. The packaging is awesome itself, again all in black and gold with the All Star Vinyl logo phantomed in the background. The front panel of the box is held in place with velcro and opens to reveal the figure and removable helmet behind clear plastic. Inside the front panel is a sweet portrait of the figure.

When considering the figure itself, remember that it is a stylized interpretation (and marketed as such), so you can't compare it to some of the other figures out there. UD has outdone itself with the Favre series - I have to admit I personally like it better than the recent NBA figures (LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Iverson) and Ovechkin figure which were all great in their own right. Maybe it's only because I've seen it up close now, but even from the press release the Favre stood out to me because of its confident grin which is perfect (and almost devilish) with the Black Variant.

Overall I give the Favre Black Variant a solid A! It looked cool in the press release and didn't disappoint in person. You can see my categorical ratings above - I believe with the quality and the limited print run that the value today and in the future are great, and while it doesn't have the suspense of breaking a box of cards, the fun and experience of seeing and displaying this piece are definitely there!

THANKS to Don Williams of Upper Deck, as well as the TR network, for allowing me to review this product. You can find more information in the original press release here:

NFL’s Iron Man Returns to UD’s All Star Vinyl Line With A Trio Of New Collectibles

And check out UD Sports | All Star Vinyls for info on their full line!