Why Upper Deck 

Authenticity has been the cornerstone to Upper Deck products since the company's inception. Upper Deck Authenticated ® became the first company to find an answer to the forgery problem by creating an airtight five-step authentication system that assures fans are getting genuine autographs. Today the company has autograph relationships with the game's biggest stars and produces some of the finest memorabilia on the market.

Upper Deck dedicates more resources than any other sports collectibles and memorabilia company to ensure the authenticity of its products. Click here to view the Authenticity Section of the Upper Deck Store Customer Service site.


History 

Upper Deck revolutionized the sports trading card experience in 1988. Our Number One mission has been to capture the excitement of the game and deliver it to fans of all ages through high quality, innovative, authentic and collectible products. The cornerstone of our business is based on sports trading cards, but over the years our brand has expanded to include other products. In 1992, Upper Deck launched Upper Deck Authenticated ® (UDA) and created the first patented autograph authentication process in the industry. Sensitive to the fact that forgeries in the marketplace make it difficult for consumers to get authentic signatures of their favorite athletes, UDA built its reputation on a patented five-step process that guarantees fans are getting the real thing because company representatives witness every single autograph. This groundbreaking process is why some of the most prominent names in sports such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Garnett have signed deals with the company.

For more information on The Upper Deck Company please view our comprehensive Overview and Company History pages.


Career Opportunities 

Get with the Pros & Join Our All-Star Team

Ever wondered what it would be like to play in the majors? To rub elbows with the best in the business? Well, stop guessing and get ready to score a great career at UPPER DECK!

DYNAMIC environment. EXCITING work. REWARDING opportunities. ALL-STAR pay and benefits. AND, the opportunity to be a part of our winning team.

To suit up for a major league career at Upper Deck, select one of the categories here at our Careers homepage or telephone our Career Line at: (760) 929-3163.


Affiliate Program 

The Upper Deck Company, LLC and the UpperDeckStore.com are pleased to offer you the opportunity to become one of our affiliate partners by joining Upper Deck's Affiliate Program. This exciting program gives you the ability to earn money while simultaneously giving your web site's visitors the chance to own Upper Deck Autographed memorabilia and unsigned collectibles. Visit the Affiliate Program Website to learn more about this fantastic program.


Authenticity Guarantee 

Authenticity has been a central theme to Upper Deck products since the company's inception in 1988. The company revolutionized trading cards using sophisticated printing technology to improve the overall quality of products and adding a trademark hologram that prevented them from being counterfeited. In 1992, Upper Deck expanded the company's focus on authenticity to include fine autographed sports memorabilia backed by a patented five-step authentication process which guarantees fans are receiving genuine autographs.

The heart of the five-step process is the company's policy that an Upper Deck representative must witness each autograph signed by any one of its stable of high-profile athletes including Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr., Peyton Manning, and Kevin Garnett to name a few.

Today Upper Deck dedicates more resources than any other sports collectibles and memorabilia company to ensure the authenticity of its products.


UDA 5-Step Process 

As the popularity of professional sports has grown over the years, so has the demand for autographed collectibles. To forgers, public interest in sports signifies a golden opportunity to make a buck off unsuspecting fans. Upper Deck recognized the problem and introduced a solution when he established Upper Deck Authenticated in 1992 and created the first authentication system in the industry. His mission was to create a source that sports fans could trust for genuine autographed sports memorabilia.

At the heart of the company's patented five-step authentication process is the company's policy that an Upper Deck representative must witness each autograph signed by any one of the high-profile athletes with whom it has a relationship. The five-step process goes like this:

Step 1	Every autograph is witnessed by an Upper Deck Authenticated representative. After all, observation is the ONLY WAY to truly guarantee authenticity;
Step 2	A record of the autograph session is signed by both the athlete and the UDA official and is stored in a secure permanent file;
Step 3	An Upper Deck Authenticated serial numbered hologram is affixed to each signed piece of memorabilia;
Step 4	A certificate of authenticity is assigned to every piece of memorabilia and includes a matching hologram to the one affixed to the item;
Step 5	Every piece of signed memorabilia is packaged with a registration card. The owner has the opportunity to register the item with Upper Deck Authenticated. If for some reason the item is sold and/or transferred to a new owner, a full detailed record of the item's history is readily available.

PenCam 

PenCam™ is a pen with a tiny video camera that is encased in a special housing and has circuitry and software that enables it to wirelessly record visual images. As the athlete signs his autograph, the signature is captured electronically and automatically saved to a computer file. The digital file, which bears the same unique number as a hologram that will appear on the memorabilia item, is available for viewing on-line, along with a digital jpeg image of the item. The web site also provides a description of the item and information about when the signing took place.

To see the PenCam in action, hear from our spokesmen their impressions, and learn all about this revolutionary technology that gives fans a visual record of autograph signings, visit the PenCam Homepage.