The Pop Culture League challenge this week:

Buying Blind

Who doesn’t love gambling on a blind box or mystery package?

Well, I sure don’t, and judging by the responses of other League members, I’m not alone. As a toy collector, nothing is worse than spending some hard-earned cash for just the chance to get a toy you want. I feel the same about Magic: the Gathering cards, Dice Masters packs, and the like. I’d rather look online for exactly what I want.

That said, I certainly enjoyed one particular type of blind buy item when I was younger: trading cards! Busting open a pack and looking at a checklist to see if you got them all was a good way to spend a few dimes, back in the day. On Labor Day weekend, we did a little flea market shopping, and I found three items that struck my fancy. Coincidentally, they were all trading card related, so why not talk about them for the challenge this week?

Its empty, but this Tron trading card box was too cool to pass up for $6. It will look awesome on display in the game room.

Obligatory sweet light cycle side art photo.

$2 for this! How could a child of the 80s resist?

I know from experience that 36 year old gum belongs in the trash can, not my mouth.

This would have been the greatest indoor recess activity ever.

Clearly this predates Ms. Pac-Man, and is kinda creepy.

Pac-Man is a bit like The Shadow, it seems.

INDEED THEY WERE!

Giving new meaning to the phrase “rub-off Olympics”.

Ooooh pretty! But all the same cards, it turns out.

Alien on right spotted in Missouri. My state!

Bay-ee-ay-ay-bay thats no angel!

Those ape aliens are rather creepy.

My favorite alien sighting: the Hopkinsville goblins!

All the details and colored art on the back. Stellar!

I was surprised that the alien card packs were all the same. But the two bucks I wasted on the two extra packs means my loss is your gain! I’m giving away the extras. Just post a comment here if you are interested, and I will randomly choose two commenters and send them the cards. The date of the alien encounter from card #8 is September 19, 1961, so I will end the giveaway commenting period on September 19, 2016. Good luck! These cards are out of this world! (Groan.)

Here are a few other interesting Blind Buy posts:

• Green Plastic Squirt Gun has two really nifty Tron figures that would look great next to my new trading card box!
• 2 Minute Toy Break shares my disdain for blind buy toys, but reminds us all of the coolness of toys found in cereal boxes.
• Calvin’s Canadian Cave of Cool has a deep loathing for blind buy stuff, as well as Build a Figure toys, which have been a thorn in my side for years now.

The rest of the Pop Culture League posts can be found here. Don’t forget to comment below if you want a groovy set of holographic alien trading cards!