2021-22 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Hockey

Exquisite Collection landed in 2021-22 as Upper Deck's ultra-premium hockey offering, positioned squarely at the high-end market where packs run $40-60 and boxes approach $2000. This is the year Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon were in their prime and driving rookie-adjacent demand despite being established stars. The product centers on on-card autographs and premium materials, with each pack guaranteed to deliver nothing but hits. You're pulling game-worn swatches, numbered parallels, and dual or triple autograph cards that feel genuinely special in hand. The base design is clean and luxe without being overwrought, which is appropriate for a product at this price point. What separates Exquisite from regular hits is the parallel structure. You've got Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, and other gem-themed parallels that range from /99 down to /10 or lower on the rarest versions. The autograph cards come with multiple tiers of scarcity, and the memorabilia integration actually looks intentional rather than slapped-on. Exquisite is also where you find the truly scarce young talent autos from prospects who hadn't hit their stride yet, making it a gamble play for future value. Hobby boxes guarantee autographs and memorabilia in every pack, though the quality and player range varies wildly based on luck. Buy this product if you have deep pockets and patience for variance. Ripping Exquisite is more about the hunt for specific player autos than building sets or flipping quick profits. The resale market is thin because most serious buyers either keep what they pull or buy singles of known quantities. If you're after McDavid or Matthews autos at reasonable prices, buying singles from completed boxes beats the risk of box ripping. Casual collectors should skip this entirely and focus on Series 1 or Artifacts instead.