T his December, Sotheby's and Fanatics are proud to present Exquisite | Capsule Collection. As the NBA season continues to hit its stride with big-ticket Christmas Day matchups around the corner, this high-end auction is an exaltation of the groundbreaking trading card set.
Centered around the brightest stars and most awe-inspiring talent, Exquisite Collection is a stunning homage to some of the greatest sportsmen of all time including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and the product's muse LeBron James. Through this tightly curated sale lies the opportunity to own a piece from the hoopers that changed the game.
On June 4, 2004, Upper Deck released the first ever edition of Upper Deck Exquisite Collection, and the world of basketball collecting has never been the same. A groundbreaking product, Exquisite Collection has set trends and broken records while fully revolutionizing the sports cards hobby, a tradition over a century in the making.
We had the opportunity to sit down with the great Karvin Cheung, widely regarded as the "architect" of the Exquisite Collection, who graciously took the time to answer our burning questions about the creation of one of card collecting's most iconic sets.
After seeing the February 18, 2002 Sports Illustrated issue the “Chosen One” of LeBron James, the first High School athlete to have the cover, I knew we had to sign LeBron exclusively and kick off his debut season with a set for the ages. The strategy of releasing a new brand during LeBron’s rookie year was key to building brand equity.
While LeBron served as the primary focus of the set, the design drew inspiration from art that I engaged with and admired. As a fan of film, I spent many nights after work at Upper Deck at the theater. In particular, a movie that I had seen detailing the work and life of the American abstract expressionist artist Jackson Pollack stuck in my mind. The film inspired me to create a set that was truly unique, something completely different from all of the other brands in the marketplace. A piece of art in and of itself.
In fact, if you look at the maiden 2003-04 set you will see that there are many artistic actions, such as paint brushes or paint drips, visible throughout. However, these design elements had to be subtle so that collectors would still be receptive to Exquisite rather than turned off by the intentional imperfections.
Similar to an architect, I laid out the blueprints of the brand and all of the elements of the set. The size of each box, the biggest hits, the themes and titles of the inserts, the numbering, and so on. This strategic brief set the foundation for the product and provided the look we envisioned the set to have.
From the design, to featured rookies, to the price point, this would be something the hobby had never seen before.
While I was confident that Exquisite would be a success, we also knew that the pricing made it imperative that we create the greatest set ever made. Candidly, most of the feedback from collectors, retailers, and distributors was initially negative as they were largely hesitant to invest in such an expensive product. Adding to it the fact that Exquisite was meant to be a one time set around LeBron’s NBA debut and even I was skeptical that it was a formula that could be replicated.
For Exquisite to be a success, we had to curate each card to be the best the hobby had ever seen–the base cards, the memorabilia cards, the autographed cards all had to carry meaning. Adding to it, the insert names, the numbering of the cards, the archival nature of the autographs, the player checklist and even the packaging needed to reflect a new standard of collecting. In fact, I actually created the Exquisite name in reference to its packaging which was uniquely tailored with the collector in mind. To maintain a level of return on investment for collectors, Exquisite became the hobby’s first hand-packed product.
In order to build trust with collectors, it was critical to create an “Exquisite experience” that was both singular and enjoyable. This is how we would be able to transform a product into a brand. Once we got the vision in place, we discussed the Standard Retail Price (SRP) of $500 and the entire executive team reviewed the brand concept. Thankfully, our fearless leader Richard McWilliam came to me with the good news that it was approved.
What I find to be interesting about Exquisite is that it’s ultimately a fairly simple set. You know what you are getting in every box: designs that are elegant yet clean and minimalistic with nothing that is gimmicky.
When this was released over 20 years ago, collectors were focused on autographs and memorabilia patches. We presented these in a manner that allows the memorabilia, autographs, and especially the dramatic photos to be the focus of the card. Our design helps to accentuate these elements rather than overwhelm them. Looking at successful luxury brands in any field, it’s the same formula for building and sustaining a brand: a simple elegant design.
It’s an iconic product that has fostered a trust among collectors and certainly that connection has gotten stronger over two decades. In the last few years, it has become clear that Exquisite is the brand that all collectors trust.
Just like a proud father, each of these cards are special to me.
I recall each one that I worked on like it was yesterday. Most importantly, it’s the memories as we built out the feel of the set and how Exquisite, now some years down the line, has allowed me to build stronger relationships within the hobby. And yet today, when I examine each card, the perfectionist in me still sees areas of improvement to make the product even better.
Among the many memorable designs, the 2003-04 and 2009-10 Exquisite Number Pieces are very special as it has the beautiful fine art design that is endemic to the product while featuring a die-cut window of the number memorabilia patches and an autograph. As an Asian-American, numbers are a universal language and have symbolic meanings. Of course, this also translates well to sports where many of the GOATs are known simply by their jersey numbers.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the first ever basketball rookie patch autograph card, especially with LeBron James as the subject. While it was ultimately not my most beloved design, its impact on the hobby and status as Exquisite’s most desired card cannot be denied. I’m truly honored to be part of this card’s history and, considering that each card was hand-packed, I literally poured my DNA into this card as I handled every LeBron RPA during production in May 2004.
The greatest sports dynasty in modern history sealed with a trio of iconic Logoman patches. The Chicago Bulls were a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and likely would have won a few more had MJ stayed off the baseball diamond. Had Hall of Fame head coach Phil Jackson ever donned a Bulls jersey, we would certainly have made a quad logoman to include him.
The two greatest players in the history of the sport who both shared number 23. One of the many reasons why this is a great card is that it pays tribute to how LeBron idolized Jordan. Now as we approach the end of his career, it’s certainly possible that after Lebron’s last NBA game the iconic number could be retired across the league. More importantly to me, the opportunity to create sets that feature two of the most recognizable and revered humans in the world was nothing short of a blessing. It’s been a dream come true.
