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Area man ‘Wacky’ about card
collecting Sun-Gazette Staff Reports There are things from
childhood that captivate and capture a person’s imagination.
Years later they revive many great memories. Simpler times,
when life was less stressful and the biggest concern was which
cartoon to watch or game to play. They take adults back to
remember times when bills, insurance, layoffs and
responsibilities were unfamiliar words. Life was
easy. One such childhood item that
for many was a “must have” from the 1960s through the 1970s
were “Wacky Packages.” When it came to “Wackys” there were two
mind sets: children loved them, parents hated them or could
not quite understand their appeal. Produced by Topps Chewing
Gum Co. between 1967 to 1992 the cards were a hit with
youngsters everywhere. Topps first
introduced the cards in 1967 to 1968 in a die-cut format where
the sticker had to be pulled apart and was never very sticky.
Next came “Wacky Ads,” which came
out for a year in 1969 and were fashioned to look like amusing
billboards. It was in 1973 when
Topps introduced its first series of “Wacky Packages” that the
idea took off and became
popular. During the 1970s Topps
issued 16 series of cards that continue to become one of the
most popular card series. A pack,
then, cost only a few cents and contained two stickers, a
petrified piece of cardboard-tasting bubble gum (no one ever
really chewed the stuff) and a checklist. The checklist was a
card that listed all of the cards included in that series. As
an added bonus, when all nine on the checklist were collected,
the backs of the cards would form a large picture of one of
the cards in that series. Although
they had a long run, the high point for “Wackys” was the
1970s. Similar to the size of a baseball card, Wackys were
colorful collector cards that also were stickers. They
parodied common household products using artwork similar to
the style used in Mad magazine.
The premise was to take a simple,
common household product like Cheerios and spoof it. The
picture might resemble a box of Cheerios closely, but with a
twist. Upon closer inspection it is evident that it is not the
traditional breakfast cereal but Cheapios. Other popular
take-offs were Quacker Oats (Quaker Oats), Brittle Soap Pads
(Brillo Soap Pads) and Dull Pineapple (Dole
Pineapple). Whether it was for the
funny art work, the connection to products used at home or
that parents found them questionable, children loved them.
Mark Shoemaker of Williamsport, an avid collector, recalled
what interested him in Wackys when he was younger and why he
still finds them so
interesting. “When I was a kid,
they were cheap to buy and featured great art work,” Shoemaker
said. He vividly recalls many
childhood trips to the corner mom and pop store to pick up
“Wacky Packs” and also buying them when he went to visit his
grandmother. “It brings back a lot
of great childhood memories,” he
said. He added one unique thing
about the cards was that they were also stickers and could be
placed throughout a bedroom or on other items. As much as
youngsters loved them, parents had different feelings. “I can
speak first hand,” Shoemaker said. “Lots of parents hated
them!” The “Wacky’’ collector, who
works as a deliveryman for Pizza Hut and a news carrier for
The Williamsport Sun-Gazette, still finds the hobby of
collecting cards as much fun today as it was when he was
younger. He started collecting them
in 1973 when he was 10 years old.
Shoemaker can be spotted at
numerous shows featuring the cards in the Philadelphia area,
which he said draws about 400 to 500 people from across the
country each day. Often you will see collectors buying,
selling or trading cards, all trying to obtain a full
collection in mint
condition. According to Shoemaker
anyone interested in starting a collection better have a few
extra dollars. He said average cards are priced at $1.50 to $2
each with some rare and hard to find cards reaching prices of
$500 to $1,000. Shoemakers’
collection of different cards overall totals roughly 1,750
including all 16 full sets from the 1970s.
With so much investment, proper
care and handling is required. He suggests storing cards in
special acid free binders or in baseball card sleeves. They
should be kept away from any heat sources and away from bright
lights. Special albums designed specifically for Wacky
Packages are an option for the serious collector.
Shoemaker may need to make more
room in his house for more cards since Topps recently
announced it is issuing a new series for the 21st century.
Although the price has risen from five cents to $1, the series
will include 55 features and 10 “Wacky” tattoos. Six features
will come in each pack and should retail for about $1 per pack
and will be available this month at local
stores. Although Shoemaker enjoys
other interests such as Penn State sports and Yankees
baseball, collecting Wacky Cards still brings back happy
memories. Most importantly, he adds, “They make me feel like a
kid again.” |
Section:
Life Date
Posted: 6/1/2004 |
As appearing in Tuesday - June 1, 2004 edition
of The Sun-Gazette
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