Not talking about advertisement cards from the 1940s-70s, but could the first modern promo be the card # 62 from the 1988 Grande Illusions card set ?

For those unaware of this card, the card set itself consisted of cards # 1-61 only, produced as a factory set.

However, card # 62 which shows a guy in a devil suit, was supposedly given out at conventions in 1988, and the back advertises how to send away/purchase the factory set of 61 cards.

Is this the first modern promo ?

Bill DeFranzo considered 1988 to be the year of the first modern promos but I don't recall which one he chose as the one that started it all. I don't think it was the Grande Illusions card, though. You'd have to check that 2008 NSU issue in which he celebrated the 20th anniversary of modern promos. I can't find mine.

Another collector thought it was that Comic Ball set in 1990 because it got a lot of attention. The cards became instant high-value collectibles.

It's tough to say because there were oddball promos given out here and there across the 80's and there were those Warner Bros. performers cards (given to radio stations) and Wings (as in Paul McCartney and) cards in 1979. By 1991 several companies were giving out promos so I would say it's valid to draw the line in 1988 because there was a spark of a few cards then and a few more in 1989-1990. I can see Comic Ball being the first attention-getter and therefore the set that started it all.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Not talking about advertisement cards from the 1940s-70s, but could the first modern promo be the card # 62 from the 1988 Grande Illusions card set ?

For those unaware of this card, the card set itself consisted of cards # 1-61 only, produced as a factory set.

However, card # 62 which shows a guy in a devil suit, was supposedly given out at conventions in 1988, and the back advertises how to send away/purchase the factory set of 61 cards.

Is this the first modern promo ?

PCE 2008 shows Garbage Pail Kids The Movie release of 4 cards in 1987 by Atlantic Releasing Corporation. It also lists several with a 1988 release date. There may well be others, see pages 6, 17,29, 56, 63 and 65 for examples.

Note that the back of PCE states "Features cards from 1990 to the present!" which is somewhat misleading.

regards

John

Yeah, well, Todd broke his own rules a few times. He included or excluded cards like an umpire who sometimes liked "high strikes." I thought he was on the mark almost all the time, though, so I didn't write him any nasty letters.

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
PCE 2008 shows Garbage Pail Kids The Movie release of 4 cards in 1987 by Atlantic Releasing Corporation. It also lists several with a 1988 release date. There may well be others, see pages 6, 17,29, 56, 63 and 65 for examples.

Note that the back of PCE states "Features cards from 1990 to the present!" which is somewhat misleading.

regards

John