“Trading cards” memories?

[Fyrefox]

We all remember baseball cards; did any of you collect or trade them, or deal in other kinds of “trading cards?”

My favorites were of the “Mars Attacks” series, graphic and at times disturbing images sold packaged with a stick of stone-hard gum that pictured vintage evil aliens doing despicable things. Everything was there for the science fiction aficionado…flying saucers, ray guns, even giant robots!



The series inspired a wonderful manic 1996 Tim Burton movie that even featured Jack Nicholson as president. Catch this offbeat comedy if you haven’t seen it!

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I had a pile of cards. I used a clothespin to attach them to the spokes of my bike. to make those "authentic" bad ass motorcycle sounds. I know I didn't have an "allowance" as a kid, and I can't remember how I got all those cards.

 

[jujube]

I remember that some cards came in a pack with a thin, hard card-shaped slab of bubblegum. You would break the bubblegum into pieces and hold them in your mouth until the pieces were soft enough to chew. The bubblegum wasn't very tasty, though.

 

[Chet]

The cards I remember most were those of airplanes. There were contemporary planes, experimental and WWII. That may have gotten me to join the Air Force rather some other branch. There were other card subjects too which I can't specifically recall, but baseball was probably one of them.

We used to compete with each other by flipping cards. One kid would flip his card to the ground and the other would try to match the front or back whichever way the first card landed. If you matched you won the other's card. After flipping a long while you could become almost 100% perfect matching by holding and flipping a certain way.

 

[Murrmurr]

I'll never forget that time I asked my girlfriend, after we moved into a new place, "Honey, where'd you put that big old Spalding shoebox I packed with your gramma's old gravy-boat?"

That shoebox contained every baseball card I ever collected as a little kid and a teenager and clear up til I was 25. Some were from the early 1900s. There were rookie cards and world series champs cards, and all the biggies; Mickey Mantel, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, The Babe, Honus Wagner. Honus Wagner!

She'd thrown it out. The whole box. Took her 4 days to admit it. Took me one day to pack.

 

[Murrmurr]

I remember that some cards came in a pack with a thin, hard card-shaped slab of bubblegum. You would break the bubblegum into pieces and hold them in your mouth until the pieces were soft enough to chew. The bubblegum wasn't very tasty, though.

Bazooka gum was, but I think they only had comics, not trading cards.

 

[jujube]

Bazooka gum was, but I think they only had comics, not trading cards.

Yes, Bazooka gum had comics but these cards had flat hard gum.

 

[Marie5656]

When the original Addams Family was on TV in the 60s. They had a set of trading cards. Cool thing was, if you had the whole set, you can turn the cards over and they made a puzzle picture

 

[Fyrefox]

I can also remember James Bond trading cards from back in the 1960’s when he was as hot as a pistol! Being thrown out by one’s mother or spouse seems to be the fate of a lot of trading cards. My original Mars Attacks! set would now be worth hundreds… *sighs*

 

[Lewkat]

I only collected baseball cards. Sold them eventually for a lot of money.

 

[Paladin1950]

With me, it was strictly baseball cards. Now that I think of it, I had a few football and wrestling cards. I think wrestling is a "sport" you get bored with, as you age.
I have often wondered what my 1957 or 1958 Hank Aaron card would be worth now. You do a little research online, you get so many different prices.

 

[Lewkat]

With me, it was strictly baseball cards. Now that I think of it, I had a few football and wrestling cards. I think wrestling is a "sport" you get bored with, as you age.
I have often wondered what my 1957 or 1958 Hank Aaron card would be worth now. You do a little research online, you get so many different prices.

Usually depends on the condition of the card and which company produced it.

 

[JaniceM]

Yes, Bazooka gum had comics but these cards had flat hard gum.

I'm not 100% certain, but this brand came to mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleer

My brother was a big baseball fan, and had tons of baseball cards.

 

[Fyrefox]

Topps had a series of The Man from U.N.C.L.E trading cards. This was a rather cool TV series from the 60’s that fed into the James Bond/secret agent craze of the day, and featured an American and a Russian agent who worked together, a revolutionary concept for its time…