Sweepstakes Galore

Big box a while back, from Baseball Cards Come To Life, packed full of  lots of stuff but mostly Sweepstakes/Special Offer/Info/etc. cards that I love. Seriously like 200 cards in the long box. I pulled out a sampling to show off.

 1992 Donruss Triple Play Game Sweepstakes Rub-Off Card

I prefer “scratch-off” to “rub-off” because that’s what you do, that’s what we all know to do…take a coin and scratch off the flakey silver stuff. You cannot rub-off the flakey silver stuff.  Also note that the rules say there are 1,000,000 second place prizes of three packs of Triple Play Baseball Cards…one MILLION! I seriously think that has to be a typo. But I also have to assume that means Donruss was obligated to print 1,000,000 second-place winning cards. Doesn’t seem logical to me.

1984 Topps All-Star Baseball Game Sweepstakes Card

Oh how I love the 1983 and 1984 Topps All-Star Game cards. They go right to the core of my joy of collecting. That’s because 1983 and 1984 Topps were some of the first full wax boxes of cards I ever ripped. When I got back around to rebuilding those sets 25 years later, those game cards were some of the first I looked for.

 1996 Leaf Preferred Frank Thomas Charity Card Special Offer Order Form

Four special Frank Thomas numbered cards available for $20 a card with the proceeds going to charity. After Donruss took it's cut for taxes, production and licensing fees, I wonder how much remained to go to the charities. I didn’t see any of these cards on ebay, so I’m curious as to how many actually sold.

 2004 Topps The Topps Story Info Card

I imagine it takes a lot of money to pay a graphic designer and then print and distribute these useless info cards. This one is not even a stiffener, or relic decoy, so it's actually just an advertisement for Topps products.

 2010 Topps You Sketch It! Sketch Card

Pretty cool idea, except that Topps stipulates the sketch must be based on 2010 Topps or Bowman Baseball products. So, does that mean you’re supposed to copy from a photograph on another Topps card? It may then be your original artwork, but not your original concept. Artist are all about freedom of expression, Man! You’re handcuffing them.

 2001 Royal Rookies Todd Helton 5-Card Set Special Offer Card

I guess Todd Helton was a big deal in 2001, enough to warrant a special 5-card limited edition set. And at only $2.00 a set it seems like a great deal. Helton went on to have a great career. The $3.95 shipping/handling seems a bit excessive though for 2001.

 1991 Topps Magazine Subscription Card

I subscribed to the Topps Magazine the first year of publication in 1990. I still have a few of the awesome card sheets that came with each issue. That was the reason I subscribed, even though some of those sheets didn’t print so well. I still have the Nolan Ryan cover issue #2, as the only remaining complete magazine in my collection. I love these little Topps mini-sized cards.

2003 Bowman-The Pit.Com Promotion Card

I will let you read the back of this card to see how this promotion was supposed to work because it’s as confusing as all hell.

 1997 Pinnacle X-Press Swing For The Fences Sweepstakes Card

Wow, here’s another contest that seems near impossible to actually win, unless of course you’re a dealer ripping both retail and hobby cases of this product. This Carlos Delgado card is one of a set of 60 player cards. You just had to 1) find the PLAYER card of the home run champ at the end of the season in either league, 2) find a HOME RUNS game card, and then 3) find enough POINTS cards to add up to the home run total.  Catch is the HOME RUNS card can only be found in the expensive Home Plate-shaped Hobby version box. Sheesh.

 2002 Upper Deck Special Savings Scratcher Card

We’ve all used these thick cards as stiffeners in trade packages, that’s about all their good for. They’re more of a nuisance than anything else, and I've had a zillion of them at any one time. This one is a different though in that there is a scratch-off on the back to reveal a PIN you can use for a discount at the Upper Deck Store. First time I'd seen that on this card.

2002 Topps Opening Day Slam Derby Sweepstakes Card

It’s always funny when a card has to actually include “Please see back for details” on the front. Do they think that we are so completely clueless, that we don’t know to turn the card over and read the content there? But even though I am smart enough to turn the card over, there’s no way I can read that font without the help of a magnifier. Older guys collect cards too Man! Down at the bottom is a place to write in your personal information. I wonder when “Home Phone” became “Daytime Phone” which has become “Cell Phone”?

All great stuff Bo, thanks.