In the 1999 June/July issue of NSU (Vol. 10, No. 3), and in one of his early promo columns, our friend, the late Bill DeFranzo, wrote about prototypes. Specifically, he wrote about unmarked prototypes. These cards don't have "prototype" printed nor stamped on them but they are pre-production versions of base cards (sometimes chase cards) used to promote an upcoming series. They tend not to have any promotional text on them as they are meant to show what the series is actually going to look like. They might even be numbered like a regular card. There can be a slight difference on the front or a minor text rearrangment on the back to distinguish it from the regular card version. Sometimes, the card sent out does not differ from the regular card at all.
Below are two examples of unmarked prototypes from the International Card Collection of Athletes (1993). The prototypes are very similar to the same-numbered cards in the regular set except that the prototypes have "1992" in the white circular space in the upper left corner while the regular card has "1993" in that same spot. Bill showed the #1 prototype in the article though the image is smaller than actual size so the year is not clear. I'm showing the same card here along with the #15 prototype. These are two of the five known prototypes for the set. I was lucky to find them in bargain boxes back around 2000. They are tough to find now. I've never seen the other three but assume they would also have the 1992 date on them.
Maybe someone else on the board has at least one of the others or knows more about them or has others from other sets. Bill also noted the Pro Set prototypes for "Young Indiana Jones," "Guinness Book of World Records," and "Beauty and the Beast."
Jess
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Posts: 4643 | Location: San Jose, CA, USA | Registered: December 23, 2002
Interesting thoughts there cats...I have a similar assortment of 6 cards sent from monsterwax.com, when I wrote to them asking for a few promo cards back in 1997. none are marked sample or prototype anywhere on the cards but still pretty cool to get them. Below is the list of cards the sent...
MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #20 SAMPLE CARD 1997 MONSTERWAX.COM THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #21 SAMPLE CARD 2004 MONSTERWAX.COM THE NIGHT SLASHER MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #27 SAMPLE CARD 1997 MONSTERWAX.COM THE TRAP DOOR, ALSO GIVES INFO ABOUT A HORROR HOTLINE TO CALL... MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #45 SAMPLE CARD 1997 MONSTERWAX.COM GHIDRAH,THE 3 HEADED MONSTER MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #6 SAMPLE CARD 1992 MONSTERWAX.COM THE SHADOW'S REVENGE MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS #90 SAMPLE CARD 1997 MONSTERWAX.COM THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE UNDERTAKER
Happy to be corrected on the year, also I'll try to add pics if anyone is keen?
Posts: 730 | Location: sydney nsw australia | Registered: February 09, 2004
That is one of the mysteries from the world of cards. I haven't seen the others but assume Bill either had them or had seen them all. The Joan Benoit Samuelson card used to pop up occasionally but I haven't seen one for sale in maybe 15 years. I've never seen another Jonnie Jonckowski - got that out of a bargain box maybe 20 years ago.
Jess
Posts: 4643 | Location: San Jose, CA, USA | Registered: December 23, 2002
Todd listed Chips Cards in PCE with additions in the 2008 edition. I have most of the ones listed. I consider them prototypes pending further information for the same reason he gave: the skip-numbering into the stratosphere. It does not appear a set was ever released though I have seen a checklist card for sale as well as the larger card Promoking noted in the PCE additions/corrections thread. Here's one of them:
Posts: 4643 | Location: San Jose, CA, USA | Registered: December 23, 2002
That checklist doesn't include three cards listed in PCE. And there are a few on that checklist I havent seen.
I really like the Chips Cards. I'll be bummed out if it turns out they arent protos, but you'd think after 30 years that would have been learned if they werent.
Posts: 2362 | Location: Maine | Registered: August 04, 2001
Here is the rare pack-pulled hologram (top card) along with the prototype version (bottom) from Yo! MTV Raps Series 2 (Pro Set, 1991). The finished hologram has a black backing with copyright information on it. The prototype is lacks the backing so it's just the plastic hologram layer. The hologram was developed by Polaroid and it appears the engineers were striving for a lighter and more uniform color because the prototype is green towards the edges but a rather dark blue color dominates the middle of the card which makes the three figures and the wording within the hologram not as easy to distinguish (it says "Yo! MTV Raps" with "Pro Set" in the background). As you can see, the pack-pulled card is light green with clearer figures and wording though I've seen one that has some blue in it.
The card on the bottom might be a reject that didn't pass quality control so it was not given a backing and not inserted in packs. I think it's interesting in any case as an artifact of the production process. No one seems to know the level of rarity of the finished hologram. It might have been as rare as one per case (or rarer?) because I don't always see one for sale. It was a $100 card about 20 years ago but the asking prices these days are more like $200-300 (though with no takers at that level that I know of).
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Posts: 4643 | Location: San Jose, CA, USA | Registered: December 23, 2002
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