'Grand Opening' plans set for Feb. 22, 23 & 24; Free autograph signings by
Luke Walton and Steve Garvey!
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Upper Deck Company, one of
the largest manufacturers of league-licensed trading cards,
entertainment-based cards and authentic sports memorabilia in the world, will
be opening a retail store location at the Bella Terra Shopping Center in
Huntington Beach, Calif. The Grand Opening celebration will be Feb. 22, 23 and
24. Superstar athletes like Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton and Los
Angeles Dodgers legend Steve Garvey -- as well as World of Warcraft Trading
Card Game artists -- will be on hand to commemorate this exciting event. Visit
http://www.upperdeckretail.com for a complete schedule of events.
"This will be a terrific opportunity to showcase our best merchandise and
partner with some local sports favorites to make our retail store debut a most
memorable one," said Tim Muret, Upper Deck's vice president of Sports Cards
and Memorabilia.
Upper Deck's retail store grand opening will have something for every
collector on the planet! Boasting exclusive autograph relationships with long-
time sports legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Ken
Griffey Jr. and Tiger Woods, Upper Deck produces some of the most sought-after
signed memorabilia keepsakes in the world. In addition, the company produces
and distributes two of the most successful trading card games (TCGs) ever
developed: Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and World of Warcraft(R) TCG!
"Upper Deck is strongly committed to supporting hobby stores everywhere,"
said Greg Goldstein, Upper Deck's vice president of Gaming and Entertainment.
"The Upper Deck Store is a perfect place for us to test out new products and
to see first hand how customers respond to hobby promotions. The ultimate goal
of everything we learn here is to help hobby stores increase sales and more
effectively host in-store events."
On Friday, Feb. 22, the Upper Deck Retail Store will be a celebrity home
base including Lakers fan favorite Luke Walton, who will be signing free
autographs from 6 to 7 p.m. Huntington Beach City Council Member Joe Carchio
will assist with official ribbon-cutting duties at 5:30 p.m. And AM 570 KLAC
Radio will be broadcasting from the Bella Terra Shopping Center on Friday
evening just outside the store's entrance to chronicle the store's historic
unveiling.
On Saturday, Feb. 23, former Dodgers great Steve Garvey will be in
attendance signing free autographs from 1 to 3 p.m. Renowned World of Warcraft
Trading Card Game artists will be sketching live each day.
The Upper Deck Retail Store will serve as a true testing ground for new
products and marketing programs. Lessons learned at the store will be fine-
tuned and then rolled out to more traditional hobby stores. The Upper Deck
Retail Store is just the latest initiative engineered by the industry leader
in an effort to build a better hobby experience for future generations to
enjoy.
"Our plan is to open a store where we can test new products, kid friendly
marketing initiatives, and promotions and retail merchandising solutions. We
also want to figure out ways in which we can work with local hobby stores to
attract new collectors and create excitement," added Muret. "It is our
intention to continuously test ideas and programs and share those results with
the hobby community. There is no better way to learn than being at street
level."
During the fourth quarter of 2007, Upper Deck officials met with owners of
Orange County hobby stores to discuss ways to work collaboratively and
effectively together. Local hobby shops were invited to attend an open forum
where Upper Deck listened to their concerns. "We appreciate the participation
and feedback provided by the hobby store owners as we are passionate about
creating and implementing innovative marketing concepts that will be mutually
beneficial to everyone," said Muret.
"This is my life," said Brian Farole, owner of nearby Baseball Cards Plus.
"I have a store three blocks away so it just makes sense that we should be
working together. This is something positive that we can be a part of and that
will help to keep the industry going."
Upper Deck will utilize the 2,100-square-foot retail facility to showcase
both sports and entertainment products, with a specialized gaming area for TCG
and other tournaments and additional space for guest signings by superstar
athletes. Added features of the store will include a spacious lounge area with
interactive desktops with access to the Upper Deck Websites.
Upper Deck Retail Store Location
Bella Terra Shopping Center
7777 Edinger Ave., Suite D-150
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-898-8000
About the Upper Deck Company
Founded in 1988, Upper Deck is a premier global sports and entertainment-
publishing company that delivers a robust portfolio of products for sports and
entertainment collectors alike. For more information, visit
http://www.upperdeck.com or http://www.upperdeckstore.com.
SOURCE The Upper Deck Company
Terry Melia, Public Relations Manager of The Upper Deck Company,
+1-760-929-3055, cell, +1-760-420-3511
