During the last promo meeting we had over zoom, Steve showed the two prototypes from the Winnebago set (TCM Associates Inc., 1994). You don't see those for sale much these days. Since then, I was thinking about those and the other prototypes released by the company. TCM ended up doing just a few sets during a time when card companies were covering a wide range of subjects. TCM deserves credit for exploring such a range (bicycle history, Air Force aircraft, wildlife conservation, Santa Claus, prehistoric animals and Winnebago).

Here are images of the Winnebago prototypes. Someone might wonder why anyone would do a set on Winnebago, and it was a 100-card regular set, but there has been a whole recreational vehicle culture out there going back to the 60's. People would vacation or spend a winter out of their retirement out on the road. Many used to drive down Baja or tour the American southwest for warmer weather.

Here are the three prototypes for the Bicycle Museum of America set - also from 1994. These cards are not often seen for sale these days.

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

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:

there has been a whole recreational vehicle culture out there going back to the 60's. People would vacation or spend a winter out of their retirement out on the road. Many used to drive down Baja or tour the American southwest for warmer weather.

Two RV notes:

1. I was fishing on the Tennessee River near here (Huntsville, AL), and a barge loaded with RV's went by. Apparently a club had rented it and they parked their RVs and cars on top and floated down the river. They would stop at various towns and drive off to sight see. Sort of a do-it-yourself cruise ship.

2. Twice, the Wally Byam Caravan Club met at an abandoned airport here in Huntsville in the summer. (WBCC is a club of people who own Airstream trailers). It's pretty amazing to see a single field with 1000 aluminum airstream trailers in it.

My stepdad's mom and his stepdad used to RV down from around northernmost California all the way to southern California and down through Baja back in the 60's and 70's. His mom would buy an ironwood sculpture along with other souvenirs almost every trip.

I knew people who would RV around southern California and Arizona in the winter. Quartzsite, Arizona, a town just on the other side of the CA border on I-10 would become a huge gathering place for RV's and campers and there is still a giant flea market there during January.

The Winnebago cards are a reminder of the incredible variety of card sets in the 90's. I still find cards half-remembered or never seen before from that time.

Here are the three Air Force prototypes (undated). I'm not sure if a regular set was ever released but TCM sold a 4-card phone card set that used the same photos. They come up for sale occasionally.

Here are the two National Wildlife Federation prototypes (TCM Associates Inc., undated). It doesn't appear that the regular set was ever made. I have seen the other TCM prototypes for sale recently but haven't seen these for a few years.

This is the prototype for the "Heroes of Extinction" 4-card phone card set (TCM Associates, no year). It was available for free with $3.95 for shipping through a mailaway offer in the August-September 1995 issue of Non-Sport Update Magazine. It's not marked as a prototype but referred to as one by the company in subsequent price lists and not included in the regular set. The sticker covering the back of the card says that it is a functional phone card worth the $5 noted on the front. I assume you were supposed to peel off the sticker so you could see the PIN but I never tried using it.

The prototypes were offered for sale by the company in later price lists.

I'm not sure if there were other prototypes made by the company but haven't seen any others since the 90's.