Popular Music Trading Card Collection

This is a collection of trading cards featuring individual artists and bands, reflecting the trend of collectible cards in the 20th Century. The collection contains multiple sets of trading cards featuring the Beatles and Elvis Presley, including cards relating to both their music and acting careers. In addition, there is a complete set of RockCards, featuring 1980s hair metal and heavy metal bands. The collection contains smaller numbers of KISS trading cards, and minimal holdings of trading cards for other rock, pop, and country music artists.

Trading cards featuring individual musical artists and groups.

Trading cards featuring color Elvis pictures from both his musical and acting career on the front of the cards with an “Ask Elvis” section on half, and movie descriptions on the other. Made in 1956 by Bubbles Inc. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 65 cards.

Color trading cards depicting Elvis Presley in various stages of his career. The backs of the cards contain Elvis facts about Elvis’s early life, recording and movie career, personal habits, and other similar topics. Produced by Boxcar Enterprises in 1978. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 64 cards.

Trading cards featuring color and black-and-white photos of Presley from various stages in his career. Facts about Elvis’s life and career as well as Elvis quotes are printed on the back. Produced by the River Group in 1992. BGSU has an incomplete set of 27 cards.

Beatles trading cards featuring color photos of the band and individual members with short diary entries from individual band members covering topics like songwriting, rehearsing, and life as celebrities on the back of each card. Produced by Topps, likely in the mid-1960s. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 53 cards.

Beatles-themed cards featuring color photos of the band and of individual members. Cards have questions and answers with individual members of the band printed on the back. Produced by Topps, likely in the mid-1960s. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 34 cards.

Trading cards with photos of individual members and band photos. The back of the cards contain text about the filming of A Hard Day’s Night (1964). Produced by Topps, likely in 1964. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 2 cards.

Trading cards with black and white photos of individual members and the entire band; many contain signatures of Beatles members printed over the images. Produced in three series by Topps, likely in the mid-1960s. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 141 cards.

Beatles Collection color trading cards, with images the band on the front and facts about their careers, recordings, and public personas on the back. BGSU holds a set of 220 loose cards, housed in original box, and a set of 35 packs of 10 cards each, mostly unopened, in original box.

One Recording Session card for singer and teen star Fabian Forte, with a Tell Us Fabian spot on the back. BGSU holds 1 card.

Trading cards and packaging depicting black and white photos of the Flashcats with nothing on the backs. Features a mini catalog on the back of the packaging. Made in 1981 by Bogus Records. Originally packaged with bubblegum. BGSU holds a set of 5 cards, along with one package that originally held the cards.

Trading cards containing facts and pictures of Michael Jackson, stickers, and puzzle picture pieces. Packages feature a photo of Michael Jackson on the front. Made by MJJ Productions in 1984. Originally packaged with bubblegum. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 12 cards plus two bubblegum wrappers and two packages that originally held the cards.

Grateful Dead trading cards showing art and pictures relating to the band and features facts about them on the back. Made by Brockum in 1991. BGSU has an incomplete set of 6 cards.

Trading card depicting the band O-Town and the band member “Dan” on the front with promotional information, website information, and the release date of the album. Made by J Records in 2000. BGSU owns 1 card of an incomplete set.

Trading cards with photos of Kiss and individual band members on the front and back, with quotes from band members and facts about their career on the back. Also contains one Kiss temporary tattoo that was likely packaged with the cards. Made by Press Pass in 2009. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 23 loose cards, as well as a box of 12 unopened packs with 5 cards in each pack.

Trading cards featuring multiple musical artists and groups grouped by decade, genre, or label.

Trading cards with photos of 1970s rock bands Queen, the Babys, the Village People, and Kiss. Some cards contain facts about the bands, others have pieces of larger photos that could be assembled when the trading card set was complete. Produced by an unknown company, likely in the late 1970s or early 1980s. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 6 cards.

Trading cards depicting artist and band photos on the front with brief bios, information about the artist’s or group’s most recent album, a list of singles. The musical genres represented vary widely and include stand-up comedy, folk-rock, world music, country music, jazz, and others. Made by Warner Bros., Island, Sire, ECM, Bearsville, and Reprise records in 1978 and 1979. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 23 cards.

Trading cards containing artist and band photos with brief bios, agency information, facts about the music and artists, and information on how to order more cards. Made in 1983 and 1985 by Big League Cards. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 24 cards.

Various color photo trading cards, mostly containing photos of 1970s rock artists and bands like Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors. Some cards contain images of concert posters for 1970s rock bands. All cards have facts about the artists’ lives and careers. Likely manufactured in the 1990s by Rock Express. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 20 cards.

Rap themed cards with pictures of artists and groups with bios and facts about the groups on the card. Made in 1991 by Winterlands Productions. BGSU holds an incomplete set of 20 cards plus one Instant Winner Entry Card.

Trading cards featuring pictures of 80’s and 70’s artists and bands with bios and facts. Made 1991 by Brockum. Also includes unique set of band art cards and holographic band logo cards. BGSU holds a likely complete set of 288 Rockcards, with a possibly complete set of 17 art cards and likely incomplete set of 4 holographic cards.

Cards illustrated by R. Crumb with bios and information of the careers early players of blues, jazz, and country. Packaged separately by genre. Made in 1992 by Yazoo Records. BGSU holds three boxes of complete card sets.