Never heard of these cards, but darn if they're not on eBay. Don't think this promo really matches up with the Vampir Collection cards for sale, but the thing that really bothers me is . . .

What the heck is the fish doing there?

Is that a reference to Fisherton Street? Is there a joke I'm missing? Is she getting ready to make dinner? High art evades me.

I remember seeing that for sale a few years ago. You might want to take a closer look at that card. I think the "back" is actually a slip of paper or thin stock card behind the card and the card itself is the one with Spanish text.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raj:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
This is one of the promos for the John Bolton Vampire Collection, a boxed factory card set (High Heels Productions, 1994). The basic image is of a woman and a fish against a background of colored squares. There is a variant with the woman in the nude with the back text in English and another with text in Spanish. This one shows the background squares (which Allender coined as "modesty squares") extending to "clothe" the woman in a bikini. I assume the artist/company wanted a version to give away to adults and one for younger people or those not wanting the nude version. There is one with the back text in English listed in PCE2008, and a couple of years ago, I found this one with the text in Spanish. There may be a French version of the nude and modesty squared fronts as well.

I have one (nude version) for the Capital City Retailer Conference 1994 International. The conference was held in Brussels May 28 to 30 1994. The card is 1 of 200.

Hey Raven,

Yeah, they pop up only occasionally but they don't sell for a lot. I missed out on one I don't have - went for just $3. I think I paid about $10 for the one shown. PCE2008 notes the card with woman (nude) and the fish having two variants: English text on the back; Spanish text on the back. It notes the card with the woman (modesty squares) and the fish and English text.

I think there is also a French variant for both the nude and modesty squared cards but haven't seen one so they may not exist. I suspect that only because there is also another subset of John Bolton Vampir Collection promos that feature artwork of an impish demoness that has nude and similarly bikinied cards and both come in English, French, and Spanish variants. By the way, all the Spanish ones appear to promote a show in Barcelona as well.

Right, I don't think the images were repeated in the regular factory set.

I think the fish represents an impartial observer who may or may not be offended by the nudity or may or may not be irked at the attempt to censor the art. It doesn't appear to be a red herring at any rate. Some people might not have noticed the fish.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Never heard of these cards, but darn if they're not on eBay. Don't think this promo really matches up with the Vampir Collection cards for sale, but the thing that really bothers me is . . .

What the heck is the fish doing there?

Is that a reference to Fisherton Street? Is there a joke I'm missing? Is she getting ready to make dinner? High art evades me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catskilleagle,

[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I think the fish represents an impartial observer who may or may be offended by the nudity or may or may not be irked at the attempt to censor the art. It doesn't appear to be a red herring. Some people might not have noticed it.

Jess

Well that's because they were looking at something else , but an impartial fish observer? I always think fish look pretty judgmental in their little bowls. They know you forgot to feed them again

PCE2008 lists some promos for Kayo Boxing that were given out at The National Sports Collectors Convention ("The National") in 1991. There were 75 different ones of those skip-numbered from the regular 250-card set, each marked on the back "The National, Anaheim 1991." Anyone who collected promos in the mid-late 90's into the 2000's has probably seen at least a few of these at shows - maybe not as often in recent years.

There were other promos that are less-often seen because at least a couple of them had rather small print runs. There were actually 4 other subsets of promos as follows:

2 different unnumbered ones with yellow backs that say "We're Expecting" at the top

n.n. "Hector Camacho"...going for about $4-8 each
n.n. "Virgil Hill"...this one goes for about the same

6 different numbered prototypes that say "PROTOTYPE" in red diagonally across the backs
1 "Julio Cesar Chavez"...$4-12
2 "Sugar Ray Leonard"...$6-20
3 "Rocky Marciano"...$3-6
4 "Charles Murray"...rarely seen for sale
5 "Mike Tyson"...$85-125 with one sale at $316.76 on 3-21-21 with 12 bids. This card used to go for $20-30 until the pandemic when it was one of those cards that jumped in price and then jumped again.
251 "Terry Norris"...$8-9

7 different ones numbered "000" that say "SAMPLE" diagonally across the back with less than 500 of each printed
000 "Bert Sugar"
000 "Bruce Selden"
000 "Donovan Ruddock"...$10
000 "George Foreman"...$5-10
000 "Ray Leonard"
000 "Roberto Duran"...one known sale years ago at $20
000 "Tommy Morrison"
* Only known sales ranges are given but they all go for about the same except for the rarely-seen Bert Sugar card which has been offered in the past for $75 and up but I haven't seen any sales. He was not a boxer but a sports writer who covered boxing.

3 different ones numbered ones that say "SAMPLE 6/5/91 NO COATING" across the back
000 "Hector Camacho"
000 "Donovan Ruddock"
000 "Michael Moorer...$8-9
*These may be the rarest of the subsets. I bought one when a number of Kayo promos were briefly available on Ebay a few years ago.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catskilleagle,

Here's a 4th undocumented card in the "Nintendo Top Secret Power" set (Nintendo, 1993) listed in PCE2008. They were inserted one per box of Apple Jacks cereal. The Nintendo and Apple Jacks logos are on the fronts which also peel off as stickers. The cards promote game characters with character profiles and fill-in spaces associated with the game.

This is card 5/6, "Tourist Rats," completing the 6-card set of Muppet Treasure Island cards (Dynamic Marketing) listed in PCE2008.

The cards are undated but probably from the mid-late 90's. Nobody seems to know how these cards were given out(cereal insert?) but Dynamic Marketing was an Australian company so it was probably done Down Under.

Getting back to boxing cards, here's another promo to add to the Ringlords (Players International, 1991) listing in PCE2008. It's an unnumbered show exclusive promo featuring Tommy Morrison.

PCE2008 notes a card from the "Disneyland 50" set. Here are four more (#5, 8, 35, and 38 with the back of #35). They were inserted one per Happy Meal with a toy at McDonalds. They have 3D fronts. What I noticed about the backs is that some say "Walt Disney World" instead of "Disneyland 50." The toy packaging is titled "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts: Happiest Celebration on Earth" so that might be the set title.

PCE2008 notes the "Tenchi Muyo! Collection" cards (Pioneer LDC Inc, 1996) based on the Japanese straight-to-video animated series. They were inserted one per specially-marked VHS tape of the American edition. Three of the cards (Katsuhito, Mihoshi, and Sasami) are listed. There are six others - all shown below:

Ayeka
Kagato
Kiyone
Ryoko
Tenchi
Washu

As also noted by PCE2008, the cards are unusual in that they have all-foil fronts and backs. The backs are puzzle pieces that form an image that might be too risque for Card Talk. It is not an easy set to complete. Some sellers highly value the videos and the cards wanting more (sometimes a lot more) than $15 each, but if you're patient, you can find the videos for around $10 and the cards for around $3-10 each.

Completing "The Wanderers El Hazard" 8-card set (Pioneer, Inc., 1997) noted in part in PCE2008, these four cards show the foil fronts. They also have foil backs acting as puzzle pieces to form a complete image. They were inserted one per VHS tape of the American edition of the Japanese anime TV show. They measure 2 1/2 x 4 inches and have unusual numbering: Bugrom Type 1 though Bugrom Type VIII. The numbers shown are:

Bugrom Type II
Bugrom Type V
Bugrom Type VI
Bugrom Type VII

The cards are rather dark so they don't scan as clearly as other cards.

Here's the front and back of a card noted by Greg Geerts in the PCE additions/corrections thread. It's a promo for "Thunder on the Water" (J & W Productions and Promotions), a set composed of at least 7 series of trading cards featuring hydroplanes (specially-designed speedboats for racing). The base cards were released as factory sets across the 1990's.

Here's a 4-card sheet promoting the "Dream Cars 2nd Edition" card set (Panini Canada Ltd., 1992). This one, which measures 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches, was apparently sent to some dealers. Todd noted a different one in PCE2008. This one has French and English text on the front and back.

Todd listed 9 cards from the "TelePoche" set in PCE2008. Here are 8 other cards I have. After all these years, it does appear to be a 17 card set as I haven't seen any other in that time.

The source of the cards remains unknown but someone once told me it may be a subscriber bonus gift. It has also been speculated that two groups of the cards, and perhaps another, were issued separately.

The fronts show various covers of TelePoche, a TV listings/entertainment magazine in France. It also covers games, comics, cards - various multimedia. Also shown is the back of a card. All the backs are the same with text promoting the magazine.

Here is a listing of what's shown below. The cards are numbered by the magazine issue date with notes about the celebrities shown on the cover. The dates are in French:

22 Fevrier 1999 "Shannon Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano"
5 Avril 1999 (various celebrities including the "Friends" cast and Leonardo DiCaprio)
3 Mai 1999 "Axelle Red"
26 juilliet 1999 "Lara Cox"
18 octobre 1999 "Ophelie Winter"
8 novembre 1999 "Lara Fabian"
13 decembre 1999 "Laam"
3 janvier 2000 "Buffy"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catskilleagle,

Jesse

In November last year I was in correspondence with Todd about these cards because I have 19 different (see listing below). In addition at the time an Ebay seller stated that these cards were in packs of French Football cards. I have since discovered that the seller was correct as I have now obtained a pack of the DS France Football 2000 soccer cards. Note that Télé Poche were sponsoring the issue of these cards as their logo appears on the wrapper.

I have listed my cards in the date order of the magazine covers.

22 Février 1999 'Charmed' Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and a photo from the Lion King
29 Mars 1999 “Lisa Kudrow” also features a photo of Nagui (a French TV Presenter)
5 Avril 1999 "Tiffani-Amber Theissen"
12 Avril 1999 (Dawson's Creek)
3 Mai 1999 "Axelle Red" (Belgian Singer)
7 Juin 1999 “Catherine Zeta Jones”; also features a photo from Men In Black
5 Julliet 1999 “Michelle Williams”
26 Julliet 1999 "Lara Cox" (Heartbreak High)
23 Août 1999 "Larusso" (French Singer)
13 Septembre 1999 “Nicole Kidman”; also features an image from Pokemon
27 Septembre 1999 “Melanie Griffith”; also features a photo from Star Wars Episode I
4 Octobre 1999 “Courtney Cox”; also features an image from Pokemon
11 Octobre 1999 “Star Wars” and “Natalie Portman”; also features an image from Pokemon
18 Octobre 1999 "Ophélie Winter" (French Singer and Actress); includes images of Apollo 13 Astronauts and of Belgian cartoon "Doggyguard"
8 Novembre 1999 "Lara Fabian" (Belgian-Canadian Singer); also features an image from A Bug's Life
15 Novembre 1999 “Heather Graham”; also features Austin Powers, Pokeman, and Tarzan
29 Novembre 1999 "Lara Croft" and an image of Tarzan
13 Décembre 1999 "Lââm" (French Singer) and a Pinder Circus Clown image
3 Janvier 2000 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Sarah Michelle Gellar & David Boreanz) and a image of French Astrologer Didier Derlich

Here is the wrapper

Front
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

Back
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

regards

John

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JOHN LEVITT,

Do prototypes count as promos? Have had this one in my collection for forever.

Thanks for the information. Now that you mention it, I think I've heard that too. It's great that you could confirm it. Mystery solved.

I had wondered if the cards were released in 8 or 9-card groups because I always seemed to see them available like that. I figured there could be other cards but it was always the same 17 in different combinations that I saw. You'd think if they're packs, I would've seen more singles floating out there. That's card collecting, though. Each of us can see only so much even when we think we're observant.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
Jesse

In November last year I was in correspondence with Todd about these cards because I have 19 different (see listing below). In addition at the time an Ebay seller stated that these cards were in packs of French Football cards. I have since discovered that the seller was correct as I have now obtained a pack of the DS France Football 2000 soccer cards. Note that Télé Poche were sponsoring the issue of these cards as their logo appears on the wrapper.

regards

John

Yes, they are considered promos because they are distributed to show what the product will look like even if they don't have any advertising on them to provide more information. Sometimes, there's not really a difference when they call it a prototype.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:


Do prototypes count as promos? Have had this one in my collection for forever.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Yes, they are considered promos because they are distributed to show what the product will look like even if they don't have any advertising on them to provide more information. Sometimes, there's not really a difference when they call it a prototype.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:


Do prototypes count as promos? Have had this one in my collection for forever.

First of all, is that signature a facsimile on the card? I think it looks like it, but would be great if hand signed.

Jess, I don't think I would agree that a prototype is the same as a promo. Not sure who nails down the terminology, but the word prototype invokes the promise of more rarity than free promos handed out as advertisement to me. It's like the sample product before the product is made, not that its the advisement for the product. It's more of an in-house demo than something distributed to the public at large.

I would put true phototype cards in a higher category than true promo cards. I would also think that at least as far as the old days went, prototypes should be more limited than promos because distribution should be more limited. You rarely see old cards that do say phototype or sample and really are one or the other, but promos could have been a dime a dozen.

I agree that a prototype would be more limited as in the case of it being more of an in-house, generally unreleased thing but it seems to have a looser definition because some prototypes had a decent print run and were sent out to a large number of dealers or inserted in magazines with rather wide distributions. Some prototypes are very limited as in 10 or less were made and were passed around only within the company. Something like that is often a piece testing a printing technique different than what has been used before - a technique too expensive to show in a wide-release promo.