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Saturday 2 April 2011

The Superheroes Swop Sensation

In 1982 Colin Penn Promotions (Durban) produced this great album & trading card set. The album has 70 famous DC and Marvel characters. These were card-stock cards with a description of each character on the rear.
These were great fun to swop when we were kids. This is a copy of my album. Wonder how many still have theirs from 1982? Or did your mom throw all your stuff away when you left home to go to university ...

The centre pages of the album promoted some gifts to buy - would be great to find some of these ...

For all you fans who wanted to see more cards - here is the set:
 
 
 
 
 
Great Memories!
Cards Envelope:
Hall of Fame Poster:
Thanks Seth for these pictures of the Order Form:



CLUE CARDS:
Clue cards - a subset of 20 cards from this series. The cards were one-sided, the reverse side was blank:


If anyone has any more Clue Cards, please e-mail me:
g.vdr26@gmail.com

IMPERIAL AND METRIC VARIANT CARDS:
Eighteen of the Marvel Cards have variants. There were different print runs, where some of the measurements listed on the backs of cards were printed as either Imperial measurements or Metric measurements.  These 18 cards were: Thor, The Vision, Cyclops, The Wolverine, The Angel, Marvel Girl, Storm, Colossus, Ice Man, The Night Crawler, Hulk, The Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Girl (where the metric variant was misprinted as "The Invincible Girl"), The Thing, The Invincible Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, The Wasp.
Backs of these 18 Marvel variant cards:


If anyone has any more Variant Cards, please e-mail me:
g.vdr26@gmail.com

The elusive Joker card  - I can only speculate which image Colin Penn used for this prized card ... this was the image of The Joker used most often in those days:
Two seperate accounts regarding the Joker Card:

1. My friend Bobby Raucher (RIP) found the Joker card. His brother confirmed this to me last year in May 2011.

His brother Steven said that Bobby, as advised by Colin Penn promotions, sent the Joker card to them so he could get the free ride in the batmobile (ie get collected from his school by Batman and the Batmobile) -this promotion was televised on TV1 on the Video4/Video40 tv show hosted by Delia Sainsbury in 1982.

We presume as the promotion was over and the Hulk, Spiderman, Batgirl & a rather well-rounded Batman and the 1960's TV show styled Batmobile had already gone back home ie overseas....... Colin Penn Promotions could not keep there promise.

All Bobby ever got back from them was a letter saying sorry but unfortunately the promotion is over.
And to top it off...... they didnt send the Joker card back to him.

2. I met a guy who told me that as a kid in 1982 and based in Pretoria his dad found the Joker card for him and as a surprise didn't tell him. The dad sent it through to Colin Penn in order for them to organise that the Batmobile would collect him from school.
Colin Penn sent him a letter saying that the Batmobile had been sent back to US due to a malfunctioning engine. What he did receive was a letter and a large hamper of the goodies that were on offer in the catalogue in the middle of the sticker book like the pencil top super hero rubber heads etc.

Many Thanks to Charles for these pictures of a Superheroes Swop Sensation Wild Card ... Joker Card mystery solved, I think!
Many Thanks to Gorkyvark for this picture of The Spider-Man Club Certificate, also produced by Colin Penn in 1982:
Many Thanks Pierre for this picture of two of the Superheroes Swop Sensation Pencil Covers:
Superheroes  Colouring Books 1; 3; 5; 6 covers (as advertised in the centre pages of the Album). Each issue featured the images used for the cards:
 
Colin Penn Promotional Poster 1982:
Colin Penn Bookmark 1982:
See Also:

57 comments:

  1. Nice to see this collection.
    I had the album also, with all the cards stuck in but sadly I used one of those heavy liquid adhesives and it wrinkled everything. I subsequently lost that album. I remember collecting those at school, I was in standard 3 at the time. They would come in a yellow pack.
    I then used a duplicate set of cards (minus Batgirl) to make my own "Top Trumps" with character attributes such as speed and hand combat on the back of each card. These were plain paper stuck on the back with Pritt. I still have those, they are well worn now though.
    Brings back memories...if someone has a spare Batgirl I would be interested in buying it. Also interested in any unopened yellow packs.
    Thanks.
    Brandon
    slapntickle@techie.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. The other thing I remember is that if you were to find a card with the Joker on it, you could get a ride in the Batmobile. I think that was for this set, anybody know who won that?

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  3. Awesome, I remember these, was very young at the time and was a bit destructive with my cards. Had the Superhero Swops, the Disney Swops, Garbage Pail Kids, Thundercat stickers, Looney Toon Stickers, Soccer Cards '92. The good old 80's and 90's.

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  4. The famous JOKER CARD.

    My friend Bobby Raucher (RIP) found the Joker card. His brother confirmed this to me last year in May.

    His brother Steven said that Bobby, as advised by Colin Penn promotions, sent the Joker card to them so he could get the free ride in the batmobile (ie get collected from his school by batman and the batmobile)(this promotion was televised on TV1 on the Video4/Video40 tv show hosted by Delia Sansbury in 1982).

    We presume as the promotion was over and the Hulk, Spiderman, Batgirl & a rather well rounded Batman and the 1960's tv show styled batmobile had already gone back home ie overseas....... Colin Penn Promotions could not keep there promise.

    All Bobby ever got back from them was a letter saying sorry but unfortunately the promotion is over.

    and to top it off...... they didnt send the Joker card back to him. Bloody bastards!
    Its probably framed in Mr Penn's office.... thats if hes still around.

    Knowing how many of the boxes Bobby bought from my grand father's cousins corner cafe here in Camps Bay..... I don't doubt that this is 100% true! Bobby RIP!

    PS: If someone has an album or cards for sale... give me a shout! My mom threw mine in the trash during the Dec summer holidays when I was at my dad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mystery solved!
      Thanks for sharing this - had always wondered if this was just an urban legend.
      I have updated the post with a Joker image I suspect may have been used for The Joker card.
      George

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  5. My pleasure George. I too would have liked to have seen the artwork too... I tried to track down Colin Penn Promotions in Durban but I don't think the one of today is the same or its trading under the company name in a new field. I have 2 difference copies of It's Disney. One is my wives and she kept the extra promo pages in the album and Colin Penn Promotions had a whole 2 month event calender of Disney themed events and fairs. The one in Cape Town was 2-3 days long but as a kid in 1983 I never heard a thing about them via the playground. Do you want me to photograph these extra pages and email them to you? Regards Marc

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  6. LOVE this. I still have mine! (well its originally my cousins as I lost my original)
    I never even knew about the Joker card!

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  7. Searched high and low for a long time on any information on this collection and this is the first time I've found anything! I had two complete books as a kid as well as a full mint collection of loose cards including 3 question cards. All stored safe and sound for years, thrown out by my mom one weekend when we moved house! :(
    Thanks for memories.

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    Replies
    1. me too, well just one completed album and my mother threw it away with my Colin Penn Its disney album. Luckly she kept my A-team Mission Dossier Album released by Arlenco toys South Africa via CNAs. No where else in the world!

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    2. Wow it's great to see the complete Card selection !! Had 4 albums when I was a kid and this brings back wonderful memories !! thanxx for the upload buddy...cheers :)

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  8. Oh, this I haven't seen in a long time! Thanks for scanning and posting this.

    Unfortunately, my book was lost in a move may years ago - but collecting these cards was one of my most exciting childhood memories.

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  9. Amazing! I never thought I'd see this again. Brings back so many great memories. (I was in pre-school when this came out!) Thanks so much for posting!

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  10. Hahahh. Amazing!!! Suddenly had a thought today to google this nostalgic part of my childhood and lo and behold here is the entire collection including the Joker!!! Thank you for confirming the Ride to School In Batmobile legend! I never knew whether it was just a childhood rumour or true!

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  11. I had the full collection, I remember each card came with a card size bubble gum, In my circles the most sought after card was the Green Goblin, Wonder which dump heap mine ended in...Thanks for the trip down memory lane George van der Riet.

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  12. Hi all. Just putting it out there that I have a few doubles, most of which are in Mint/Near Mint condition. I am however interested in swopping (far more so than selling) to improve/complete my collection.. If you are keen on improving your collection, perhaps we can do something.. If you are a serious collector looking for a mint/near mint card, drop me an email. I would be prepared to sell with some of the doubles..

    For what its worth, I'm needing She Hulk, Dazzler, Thor and a few of the Clue Cards. Also need an Album. If you can help or want to chat, my email is gerryscholtz121@gmail.com Thx

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  13. Hi I have one, currently on auction, with a few extra cards. What is the value? I thought they are sought after, but have had no bids. Regards Janet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Janet
      I am sure I can help. Where is it being auctioned? Please e-mail me for further advice: g.vdr26@gmail.com
      Regards
      George, blogger and author of southafricancomicbooks.blogspot.com

      Delete
    2. Hi Janet. I would be interested for sure.
      Regards
      Willoe

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    3. Any one have the dazzler card I'm interested in buying it please email me at juanlords@gmail.com thanks

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  14. my email is willoe.myburgh@gmail.com if you are interested.

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  15. Wow. This is a real throw back. I lived in Durban South Africa from 1974 to 1986 and during that time, I managed to put 2 of these sticker books together. I am now 45 years old and live in Toronto Canada. I was recently going through old boxes and found BOTH books. Completed and in amazing shape. I was curious if they were rare but after seeing all this information, I can tell they are very rare and there is lots of people still in love with these books. Awesome to see.

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    Replies
    1. Yes - great memories. Thanks for writing!
      George

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    2. Hi George,
      Thanks for sharing these as it brings back the memories from my school days.... i’m from Sri Lanka and these comic books were available here too.
      I would like to get hold of a completed book to give it to my little boy. Pls help.
      Thanks
      Hashantha

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    3. Hi there
      Pls do let me know if you are willing to sell the completed book. My email is hashantha.b@gmail.com

      Delete
  16. Hi there, just would like to confirm posts about the Joker card - and suggest that maybe nobody ever rode in the Batmobile, because a kid I grew up with in KZN (then just N) had so many yellow packs of cards bought for him by his folks that he found the hen's tooth Joker... and also received a hamper of goodies rather than a ride as a reward. What a cool 'craze' it was, and by looking at this blog I've discovered that most of the cards' designs were burnt into my mind - possibly forever - all those years ago. Cheers, M.

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  17. Golden memories in great childhood era. Not like current children who addicted to their smart phones. Thanks mate for sharing this.

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  18. Hi, so I have come across this post and can confirm I have a couple of these cards that were handed down to me as a child. Anyone still interested in them? I have Professor Xavier, 2x Flash, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Hercules, 2x Ice Man, The Silver Surfer, 2x Nova, The Green Goblin and 2x Colossus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - Thanks for your message - I am interested - please get in touch:
      g.vdr26@gmail.com
      Kind Regards
      George

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    2. Hi. Do you still have the silver surfer? Mine got lost over the years. That's the only one I need to complete the collection. Regards Kevin

      Delete
  19. I also have this album but missing Dr Doom. Was looking for this one for years. I packed the album away thinking I can keep it dor my son one day. Now I final took it out, still missimg Dr Doom. My son really likes this book and can't believe these heroes he likes so much are sooo old.

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  20. Would you co sided selling the collection?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi, I have that complete super hero album in good condition as well as the Disney one that came out in same era . All cards are stuck in Windows with pritt. You can reach me at email martutc@yahoo.co.uk

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  21. Hi. If anyone out there has a Thor, Clue Cards, Variants or any of the SSS paraphernalia they would like to swop, I have many Mint, Near Mint and general cards to swop. I not interested in selling, only swopping thanks.
    I'm happy to buy your collection or cards if you have spare or just want to sell. I do pay well for MINT to Near Mint condition cards in particular. Feel free to email me on gerryscholtz121@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there, anyone interested in selling a complete album please email me. ebennaidoo@gmail.com

      Delete

    2. Hi, I have that complete super hero album in good condition as well as the Disney one that came out in same era . All cards are stuck in Windows with pritt. You can reach me at email martutc@yahoo.co.uk

      Delete
  22. Hi there. If anyone is interested in selling a complete annual please email me. andrewferreira110@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi, I have that complete super hero album in good condition as well as the Disney one that came out in same era . All cards are stuck in Windows with pritt. You can reach me at email martutc@yahoo.co.uk

      Delete
  23. Hi, I have that complete super hero album in good condition as well as the Disney one that came out in same era . All cards are stuck in Windows with pritt. You can reach me at email martutc@yahoo.co.uk

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  24. I have a fully completed album in good condition.....any offers?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dee. You are welcome to send me photos of your album? Regards Marc

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    2. Hi Dee,
      I'm interested. Pls send me the details to hashantha.b@gmail.com

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    3. Hi Dee, is this album still available?

      Delete
  25. Hi Dee, I would be interested as well if it's still available. Email : hiteshgarach@hotmail.co.uk

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  26. Howsit. I have a whole bunch of these super hero cards. I am missing batman, hawk eye, black pantha, iron fist, silver surfer , professor x, wolverine. I would be keen to swap . Thanks dimi p.s
    I have 3 thor cards :-)

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  27. Howsit. I have a whole bunch of these super hero cards. I am missing batman, hawk eye, black pantha, iron fist, silver surfer , professor x, wolverine. I would be keen to swap . Thanks dimi p.s
    I have 3 thor cards :-)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dimitri. Do you still have any of these cards in stock for sale? Regards Marc WhatsApp cell: 0828289812

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  28. Hey guys , Ive got this really cool book passed down from one of my grandmother's friends lol. Book is still in great condition although I am missing "the thing" , "marvel girl" and "Robin"
    Was wondering if anyone would be interested or knows of anyone that would be
    Thankssss :-)

    @davevandenberg020

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dave. I would be interested for sure :-). Mail me at willoe.myburgh@gmail.com. Cheers

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    2. Do you still have it for sale?

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  29. Does anybody have the book for sale I would be interested in buying it Email: stallionelevators@gmail.com

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  30. Jan van der Walt24 March 2022 at 06:56

    I'm short Superman to complete my book, my hall of fame still has a bunch of empty slots though, anyone have a spare Superman they willing to sell?
    Janjwalt@gmail.com

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  31. This is amazing, i have been looking for ages for other people that have books etc. I have a pack of cards and keen to swap. hichristoff@gmail.com

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  32. Hi, please let me know if anyone out there has a complete book they want to sell. Thank you, Gerhardt - email: gerhardt.steyn@gmail.com

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  33. Kindly email clintonhartman84@gmail.com with any cards for sale

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  34. Hi ...if any one is open to selling their album, preferably the loose cards, please drop me a note on gnferraz@gmail.com

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  35. Please let me know if anyone has a spare Superman card for sale. janvdwphoto@gmail.com

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