Plastic cards. That's the first thing that comes to mind when the name E-X is mentioned, and that hasn't changed even though Upper Deck now produces the former Fleer brand.
2006-07 E-X basketball features NBA stars and rookies - including autographed rookie cards - on transparent plastic cards. Hobby boxes contain eight packs with five cards per pack, and promotional materials state that collectors can expect one autographed insert card per box on average.
Common Cards
As mentioned above, the E-X base cards are printed on plastic, and the common card design takes advantage of that with a design that allows you to see through both sides of the card. There's still a pretty decent-sized area in the middle with room for a player photo on the front and stats and a short bio on the back.
The player's name stands out in rainbow foil on the left. Plastic cards are nothing new at this point, but this design is still very nice. Two small things to watch: the cards are thicker than many normal cards, and the non-transparent sections look like they could chip if not handled carefully.
Only 40 veterans are included in this year's set, which doesn't allow for many players per team. Upper Deck still included an occasional surprise (like Martell Webster of the Blazers), and the small set size means you get most of the cards in a single box. My review box produced 37 of the 40 commons with no duplicates.
Rookie Cards
Forty rookies are included in 2006-07 E-X in four different levels. The rookie card design is similar to that of the veterans but is laid out horizontally.
The first six rookies did not sign autographs for the product (including Adam Morrison, who is a Topps autograph exclusive), but Upper Deck ensured they will still be collectible by limiting them to just 99 copies. Autographed rookie cards make up the other three tiers, with 17 rookies numbered to 899, 11 rookies numbered to 399 and the final six (the bigger names like Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy) numbered to 199.
My sample box turned up a signed rookie numbered to 899, former Illinois guard Dee Brown. One nice thing is that the signature is on the card itself, a rarity in a time when sticker autographs are becoming the rule rather than the exception.
Insert Cards
E-X has one of the most well-known non-memorabilia inserts in the hobby: Jambalaya. These die-cut cards have been a staple of the E-X brand for years and command some fairly high prices because they are so hard to pull.
Fleer/Upper Deck's product information page didn't give an insert ratio for this year's edition of Jambalaya, but last time the cards were made (in 2004-05) they were found at a rate of 1:216 packs, which should give an idea of how rare they can be.
Although it's technically a parallel to the base set, another name from E-X's past returns in the form of Essential Credentials. All 80 base cards are included in both the Future and Now versions, with varied numbering going in opposite directions based on the card number.
For example, card 1 in the base set (Joe Johnson) has an Essential Credentials Future numbered to 80 but an Essential Credentials Now numbered to just 1. This could lead to some big money for the top tier of autographed rookies, as their Future cards are limited to single digit print runs.
About.com's review box yielded no Jambalaya or Essential Credentials cards.
Memorabilia Cards
Even though the packaging and specs don't guarantee any memorabilia cards, E-X has enough game-worn and event-worn cards to make your chances of pulling one pretty good. Behind the Numbers cards have swatches in the shape of the player's number and are numbered to 199, ConnEXions have swatches from two players, also numbered to 199 and Clearly Authentics patch cards are limited to 75 copies. Some of each of these inserts also have lower numbered autographed versions.
My box contained a two-color Behind the Numbers card of Warriors guard Jason Richardson numbered 076/199.