Telephone Time - 1999 Osaka Tournament Souvenir Telephone Cards

When I moved to Japan in 1999 telephone cards were still used and I used to to carry numerous ones around with me in case I needed to make calls while I was out and about.  By the time I left in 2001 cell phones had hit the scene and were all the rage pretty much phasing out phone booths and pay phones.  But in 1999, people were still collecting phone cards like this sumo set I came across recently.  It's an interesting set with some heavy hitters (pun intended).  Yokozuna Wakanohana (the other half of the famous Hanada Brothers), Ozeki Chiyotaikai, and Maegashira Terao are the ones I have come across so far.  Interestingly, these came in the little paper/plastic purple holders to protect your "investment" which the owner did until I rescued them and catalogued them here and in my book.  I love telephone cards and I'll certainly pick any up I can for the right price.  Imagine a world without cell phones like we lived in 20 years ago...

Have a great week!

Thanks Billy...an awesome card from an awesome collector!

If you don't read Cardboard History by Billy Kingsley, you are missing out.  I pull up his blog at least once a day seeing if he has posted anything new as I like his style of writing, his passion, his amazing collection, and his great attitude.  I sent Billy a small care package a few months ago with some early 1990 hockey boxes since I knew it would fit perfectly in his collection.  He surprised me this week with an amazing card.  This card has NASCAR, Bruce Lee, and Japan written all over it and those that follow my blog know that it is a perfect fit!  Thanks Billy!


Here is the history of the card courtesy of Billy:

In 1996-1998 NASCAR ran 3 exhibition races in Japan.  In the final race, Jeff Burton drove this car (depicted on the card) and Racing Champions included it in the 1999 lineup of 1:64 scale cars.  Jeff did well finishing 4th and leading 14 laps.  Racing Champions numbered the cards only on the package that year....this is #23 in the 83-card issue.

Wow, thanks again Billy, but I am "mad" at you.  I spent the last 20 minutes on eBay looking at all the other cool NASCAR Japan stuff and have 5 new things watched.