After missing out on this set previously, I found a well-used copy of the set for much less than the first one went for. Some of the cards are in rougher shape than others, but the pictures are all present and the text is all there. There are three different variations of this set, printed in different years, and I believe this is the version that was printed in 1915. The paintings appear to depict specific champion animals of the breed, with the animal's name in quotation marks. The first ten cards in the set feature cattle. There is a pretty good mixture of bulls and cows, with a good variety of breeds represented.
The card backs have a nice little border design at the top and bottom, a card number, and the breed name, as well as a description of the breed's characteristics, origins, and uses. One of the clues as to when this set was printed is the brown color of the ink. There is a later variation that had blue backs, and one that is a different size.
The next six cards feature horses of different breeds. Some of these cards even feature baby horses. I don't know much about horses. I never much liked them. I've ridden a horse a couple of times in my life, and I never really felt comfortable with it.
It would seem that horses are well regarded in other parts of the world, though, even surpassing cars as the status symbol of choice when it comes to a young man chasing the ladies. At least that's what The Rubberbandits would have you believe. Be warned, this video is probably not work-friendly, and may not even be home-friendly. You should probably avoid watching it if you are averse to (lots of) swearing, innuendos, references to drug use, and especially any of those things going on in a church/wedding setting. That being said, this video is pretty funny if you're into that sort of thing. There are subtitled versions of the song out there if you can't cipher out the Irish accents.
Apparently The Rubberbandits went viral a couple of years ago and I completely missed it. Looking at their Wikipedia page, I guess it's because they reached the height of their popularity just as I was getting settled in on my 2nd government-sponsored visit to Iraq. The video has been passed around among my Army acquaintances recently as a 'cool new thing,' so I guess it makes sense that we'd missed the first go around.
Pigs only get a couple of cards in the set. Both cards feature boars, I guess because boars are more majestic(?) than sows. Pigs are all right when they are little, but as they get older they just seem to get meaner. I never really liked having to get into the pigpen for repairs or to flip over an upended trough because it seemed like I spent more time trying to keep the pigs from eating me than I did doing the work. They sure do taste good, though!
And finally the set closes up with 7 breeds of sheep, in the same style as the other animal types featured. I don't have much experience with sheep. I think they're kind of goofy-looking.
Well, that does it for this set. I am getting close to the end of my current stock of posts featuring animal-related trading cards, so you may see some actual athletes featured on this blog sometime in the near future.
Well, that does it for this set. I am getting close to the end of my current stock of posts featuring animal-related trading cards, so you may see some actual athletes featured on this blog sometime in the near future.
The farm animal cards are the coolest....of all time.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty cool.
DeleteThe boys have this ongoing song they chant that goes, "I'm the judge, I'm the judge, I'm the judge." I don't know where it came from, but the other day I told Ben that I am the judge. He said, "No, you're the chicken judge." I told him that I'm not the chicken judge, but his grandpa actually was a chicken judge. I don't think he believed me.