It’s been a while, but it’s time for some more random packs of trading cards!
These Pocohontas cards (1995), obviously based on the Disney film, are somewhat bland, mostly due to the somewhat ugly style of the animation. The set contains a selection of impressive chase cards such as etched foils and lenticulars, but the only unusual card in my pack was a standee. This set was overproduced and whole boxes of them can be found for only a few dollars.
Occasionally you open an pack from decades ago and find that all the cards have stuck together, like in this pack of Power Rangers cards (1994). This is due to the inks becoming slightly adhesive over time, and essentially ruins the cards (you can see the damage on the creature card at the lower left). This is a by-the-numbers series with unremarkable but flashy ‘rainbow’ chase cards in every pack.
Desert Storm (1991) is a somewhat infamous series all about the first Gulf War. Several companies made card sets based on this topic, but Pro Set packs were most common. The cards are packed with info but it’s a massive set (300+ cards) that would have benefited from judicious editing. Entire boxes of this set are common as dirt and can be bought for as little as $2 (for dozens of packs) so the cards are basically worthless.
Now these are nice! Released in 1993, these San Diego Zoo cards feature lovely photos of animals with information on the back. They’re well made and would have been a nice set for younger collectors. The set had a few extremely rare (1 in 40 packs or fewer) hologram chase cards and a single (even rarer) ‘tekchrome’ card.
This is a weirdly ugly Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy set from 1994 is based on the book (not the TV show) and features bland original art that misses much more than it hits. I struggle to imagine the market for this series, which was released during the heyday of speculation and market saturation. As usual the hologram chase cards were too rare (one per box or so) and based on images I saw online weren’t much prettier than the basic cards.
Webkinz are stuffed animals that come with codes usable on an online site to ‘play’ with the toys online. In the mid 2000s four trading card sets were released, and as you can see they’re execrable. The are technically playable as a TCG though, so maybe I should buy a box and bring it to Oz so Adam and I can have a Webkinz tournament next time I visit?
After this bounty of dazzling packs you may think things couldn’t get any better… stay tuned 🙂
I have that San Diego Zoo hippo card. I suspect you sent it to me back in the 90’s. 😐
Count me in for the Webkinz tourney. 🙂