Ever since the last PCE came out in 2008, I have been trying to find every single card listed in that publication,including each variation and unreleased card. I can tell you it has been a daunting and frustrating task.
I had already assembled a sizable collection by then and I thought it couldn't be SO difficult to locate some of the more scarce and obscure promos which still had eluded me.
After all, these were not 100 year old Gum or Cigarette cards costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars . The "oldest" modern promo had been born no more than 20 years before and most are not too costly. Thus, I began my sanguine search by scouring internet auction sites, attending shows- including Philly, trading with fellow collectors and eventually even buying whole collections just to pick up a few treasures buried within.
At first, I was able to make a sizable dent in my want list. In the process, I learned a lot about the provenance of many cards I had been seeking. Many had been inserted in arcane comic books, others had been given away at far away conventions or been exclusively produced and distributed in a country other than my own. Along the way, I also discovered literally thousands of promo cards that have not been included in PCE.
it has been 6 years since I undertook this mission. Unfortunately, I now seem to have hit a proverbial wall. Regardless of how often I search or thru which venue I seek my elusive holy grails, there are approximately 250 cards I absolutely cannot find.
Of course, there are the usual suspects: Speed Racer P3;some Desert Storm ones etc... But there are others, such as John Deere History P1-P3 and Mystery Men of America, to name a very few, which have no right to be so elusive.
Perhaps one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, I will announce on this forum that I have finally accomplished my goal. Until then, the hunt continues....
So,is anyone else attempting this feat, or am I the only promo card masochist in the world?

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

Good luck with this... I'd enjoy hearing about your finds & what you consider to be elusive promos on CTalk.

I like collecting promos but I like certain insert cards better.

The thing that allways defeats me in trying to get some of these promos from years gone by is just where can you go to find them. They are not on ebay and all the dealers I know at shows tend to deal in the latest products so it's all well and good knowing that these things exist but as I said where do you go to find them.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wolfie:
The thing that allways defeats me in trying to get some of these promos from years gone by is just where can you go to find them.

Isn't that what makes for a fun, adventurous journey?

well actually no, how can I have fun tracking things down if nowhere that I know about or frequent ever has the things I'm after, I'm all for the thrill of the chase but you can't chase thin air.

I think that it's very tough at this point to track down postcard sized promos (which PCE lists) that promote obscure comics, which were given out at the San Diego Comic Con and other shows in the 1990s and early 2000s. Who has these for sale ?

As an example, these are not postcard sized, but for years I have been trying to complete my 5 card set of Earth Tribe comic cards (SDCC, 2000). I have 4 of the 5, and have seen complete sets only twice on ebay over the years, but both times missed out

In addition, some early 1990s sets are impossible to complete. Who has all 18 promos on Wings of Gold ? I have like 6 or 7, I think. Never seen any more

My Promo Column deadline for the next isuue was March 15th. Coincidently, it is dedicated to the last edition of PCE. It ties in with this thread perfectly.

So Bill, can you let the cat out of the bag early?

quote:

Originally posted by promoking:
So Bill, can you let the cat out of the bag early?

I just did. You read it here first.

Just received my NSU mag and wanted to mention that the seller of those Nightmare on Elm Street samples actually did have 1 Dream warriors card which he sold the first night he posted the others. i was very lucky to snap it up with BIN and only later realized that it may have been his only one.
On another note, those All Star Toon ups are a real bear to find. The actual sets are plentiful and cheap but I can't seem to be able to find any of the promos anymore. The ones I have were acquired shortly after the sets came out and then nothing!

It was the only one he had. I did talk to him about getting one and he didn't have anymore. I did find the card somewhere else.

quote:

Originally posted by John Oder:
It was the only one he had. I did talk to him about getting one and he didn't have anymore. I did find the card somewhere else.

Congrats John. So now there are 3 people that I know of that have completed that set. It only took me 22 years of searching......daily!!

And I have 5 of the 6 Nightmare on Elm Streets, just missing the # 3 !

I'm at 4 of 6.

does no one count the 7th card? I think that was a movie theatre promo.

Val

David,

Yes, even the dealers and collectors who picked up promos in the 1990's and early 2000's did not pick up every oversized one.

I attended the 2000 SDCC and don't remember Earth Tribe so I assume the set was given out in the artists' section and I somehow missed it (did get other promos in the artists' section) or you had to buy a comic to get the cards. Maybe it was giveaway only on the preview night?

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by David R:
I think that it's very tough at this point to track down postcard sized promos (which PCE lists) that promote obscure comics, which were given out at the San Diego Comic Con and other shows in the 1990s and early 2000s. Who has these for sale ?

As an example, these are not postcard sized, but for years I have been trying to complete my 5 card set of Earth Tribe comic cards (SDCC, 2000). I have 4 of the 5, and have seen complete sets only twice on ebay over the years, but both times missed out

In addition, some early 1990s sets are impossible to complete. Who has all 18 promos on Wings of Gold ? I have like 6 or 7, I think. Never seen any more

Sometimes, you find oddball cards in oddball places like toy dealers or sports memorabilia dealers at flea markets or antique stores.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:
well actually no, how can I have fun tracking things down if nowhere that I know about or frequent ever has the things I'm after, I'm all for the thrill of the chase but you can't chase thin air.

Jess, talking about SDCC promos, one set I do not have are those X-Files cards from 1999 or 2000, where you scratched them off to win some prize. Have you ever seen them ? Supposedly they are tough to find unscratched at this point. I think there are 4, and I once saw 1 on ebay, asking price like $ 200 !

Jess, or anyone else, I have scans of the Earth Tribe cards, including the one I am missing

Can someone please post the scans here, if I email them to the you ?

Please LMK if someone is willing to do it

Posted for David R.