Here's #22 from the 24-card "Mister Softee's Pop Parade" set from 1969. It's an interesting mix of pop performers in the UK a few of whom I'm not that familiar even now. I don't know how the cards were distributed. I've heard that Mister Softee is an American company but read before that it actually started in England.

The cards measure just under 3 1/2 inches long in either dimension (or 88 x 88mm).

Traffic was an interesting band. I've never seen them play outside of an old video but have seen Steve Winwood in concert a few times (twice in the 80's) and he played a few songs from those days. At least one of his concerts has played on the AXS channel.

Jess
They were issued in with ice cream throughout the 1960's and 1970's. There were at least 10+ sets just on Pop Stars with cards in different shapes and sizes. They distributed other themes as well some of which would fit in with this blog. Look up the LCCC web site at least 15 different sets can be seen.

regards

John

Thanks, John. I was hoping you'd have more info on these. It doesn't appear that collectors have talked about them online even though prices have gone up.

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
Jess
They were issued in with ice cream throughout the 1960's and 1970's. There were at least 10+ sets just on Pop Stars with cards in different shapes and sizes. They distributed other themes as well some of which would fit in with this blog. Look up the LCCC web site at least 15 different sets can be seen.

regards

John

Jesse
I have a book called A History of J. Lyons & Co "The First Food Empire" In the late 1950's they formed a company along with the company that made the UK Ice Cream vans and acquired the franchise from the US Company for Mr Softee ice cream sales in the UK. Lyons and Walls in the 1960/70's were the main sellers of ice cream in the UK. this being the boom period. I remember that I rarely had ice cream bought from a roadside van instead my parents would buy an ice cream block and a packet of wafers or cornets for us children. In the road where I lived as a child most families did the same, this meant that I rarely managed to collect any of the cards given out by the van salesmen. After the boom had died down I seem to recall that a lot of cards suddenly became available.

Note that Lyons Maid was also part of set-up and they introduced some of the first Gerry Anderson themed cards in special ice lollies.

regards

John

Not exactly a nonsports card, but interesting nonetheless.

Available here

There's an easy-to-find 9-card Desert Storm promo pack (Pro Set, 1991) and there's a less-common 10-card version too, the difference being a specially-printer header card shown here. The 10-card pack was given out only at the Spirit of America Rally (honoring America's troops during Desert Storm) in Texas Stadium on March 3, 1991.

For years, the 10-card pack wasn't always easy to find. Collectors paid as much as $15-20 to get one 15-20 years ago but I've seen them sell for just a buck or two this year. It could be a case of every longtime collector who wanted one already having it and it's just not in-demand with newer collectors who might not be aware of its relative rarity.

Twenty years ago, I would have posted the header in the "Rare" thread because you couldn't always find it when you wanted it. Today, it seems to be more of an overlooked oddity.