Swap cards. My first ‘collection’ and my first obsession.
I carted them around bundled with eleventy billion rubber bands and sorted into categories such as ‘Cute babies!’, ‘Cute horses!’ and ‘Cute kittens!’.
For many years I couldn’t find my swap cards. I pestered my mum who was fairly certain that they’d been chucked with “…all your other crap…” when I moved out of home. I was fairly certain that I wouldn’t have thrown them out – after all, they were a major investment of my pocket money.
A few years ago, mum was cleaning out a cupboard and came across (yet another) box of my crap. The cards were there. I’m informed that my extensive collection is actually worth something now but too bad, I won’t be parting with them.
Check out other first obsessions over at Life & Other Crises.
“Got it, got it, want it, got it.” Did you do that? I’ve got my swap cards too, and I reckon if we sat down and compared, they’d be much the same. I might dig them out and put some pics up, you’ve inspired me. They were the best and looking at them, so nostalgic!
I’d forgotten that little swap card routine until you mentioned it! Wow, such memories. We spent hours ‘playing’ with our cards. I bet we have almost identical collections – there seemed to be a number of artists who dominated the swap card scene and when I’ve showed people my age those pictures they all remember the cards.
OH!!!! They are BEAUTIFUL! I have some swap cards that my nana gave me. They were hers. They are very old and probably worth something but I’ll never give them away. I have tried to get my girls interested but they have zero interest. It makes me sad.
I have a few oldies from my nan as well but the majority are thoroughly seventies. NEVER parting with them.
Oh. What memories these have brought back. I has albumins full and they were carefully moved around whenever I got a new card that had to be inserted into a very specific location. Trash and Treasure was my hunting ground.
Same – a new card = complete reorganisation of the albums.
I had a few of those but I was never a collector, they were so cute though!
As you can see, I liked Holly Hobbie-type illustrations (although maybe everything looked like that in the seventies?!)
wow! love them wish i did have time for swap cards oh well good keep safe for you cute too!
I am LOVING this week’s linky- SO many unexpected happy memories they bring 🙂 I’m pretty sure I gave swappies a go for a bit. I’m so pleased for you you found them again, never to be parted. My mum recently (a few years ago) found my original, hand inscribed 70’s edition of The Enchanted Wood. A better gift I could not imagine. I nearly cried!
Wow – that book is a real treasure.
Oh my goodness, these bring back so many memories! I wonder where my old albums are? Stashed in my parents’ shed hopefully. Aren’t they just divine?
When I showed some of my friends it was as if we were seven-years-old again – if they’d had their cards there, we might have started swapping!