I've been working hard on my Recovery project that I detailed a few weeks ago. I'm trying to get it done before Christmas, and as usual I found a bit of a rabbit hole to go down, and ended up solving a mystery that's been befuddling me for 20 years.
Now, I don't mind mysteries in the hobby. It's part of the fun to figure out something that you come across and can't really identify easily. However, it's very much a frustration when it's something you got new yourself and just didn't remember, and that is the case with these cards.
These three cards have been that mystery for me. I was thrown a bit by the fact that they are copywritten 1999, and feature 1999 season photos. I thought they were 1999 releases. They are lenticular and the picture moves when you move the card, but that is extremely difficult to capture in a scan.
As it turns out, they are actually from 2000, and were an Avon exclusive. Called the Avon Millennium Series, they came as a set for $9.99 in early 2000, and this is the complete set, something else I was not sure on.
I ended up solving the mystery via ebay of all places. I had looked in the past with no success, but this time was different. A seller has a set for sale on there, and even better, posted the ad for them!
This photo, taken from ebay seller treasure23, solved the mystery.
There's a pretty good chance I have this page, apparently taken from an Avon catalog, somewhere in my storage unit. But possibly not, as I'm loathe to cut up a magazine, even a catalog. (If I do have it, it's likely still in the full catalog).
I'm really glad to have this mystery finally put to rest. Although I have not really discussed it much on here, the cards that came with 1/64 diecast are a specialty of mine, and these were the only ones in my entire collection that I could not properly identify, so that makes it all the better.
I'm glad you were finally able to solve this mystery!
ReplyDeleteThose copyright dates can really throw you. I've come across a few sets that I couldn't identify, including one football card I just received. At least you were able to find more info on these cards after 20 years!
ReplyDeleteThe crazy thing is that I've thought of these as 1999 sets just about since new. By as early as 2002 these were a 1999 release in my head.
DeleteAwesome! Feels good to solve stuff like that. Interesting that Avon of all companies marketed them.
ReplyDeleteIt really does! I don't know of any other NASCAR release from avon although they did do other street cars.
DeleteA. Congratulations. It always feels good to solve a hobby mystery.
ReplyDeleteB. Not sure what the deal is... but the late 90's and early 2000's posed a few issues with copyright dates. I sort my player PC's housed in binders by years and over the years I've discovered so many cards in the wrong section because the copyright date on the card doesn't match with the year listed on Beckett or COMC. It's so annoying.
C. Any idea how these cars/cards arrived from Avon? Was this a box set? Did each car come within their own cardback/blister? Lol. I'm not really a huge diecast guy, but for some reason this type of trivia interests me.
It's weird, I usually can tell when a card is from, based on context clues. The copyright doesn't play much role. But these threw me because the text on the back is clearly from mid 1999. It doesn't give any indication of being later at all.
DeleteThey came in a bag very similar to McDonald's Happy Meal promos. The car and card and possibly a display stand. The ebay seller has the original packaging shown but I can't tell if a stand was included. I never liked the stands so they got dispersed after I got them, in boxes, bags and wherever I could put them.
Great bit of detective work!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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