Homelands Release Event Admission Cards

[misterpid]

Last week, I had alluded in one of my posts about some scans I was going to post.  Well, I've finally harnessed enough of my not-so-computer-savvy skills to get everything together.

For those interested, here is the story behind them.  Back around 1996 or 1997, I bought a box of random cards at a flea market.  I only paid $5 or $10 for the whole box.  It was mostly Alliances commons, few if any rares were included.  There were 5 other cards that caught my attention.  I had no clue what they were from.

Over the next couple of years, I showed the cards to anyone I thought might be able to identify them.  Finally, at Origins 2001, there was a DCI judge I remembered seeing at a tournament in New Jersey a few years earlier.  I showed her the cards and she recognized them right away.  She said she had a set just like them at home (except all of hers were mint).

They were from the Homelands Release event in NYC. Apparently, WotC wanted to get as many local dealers to attend the event as they could.  So, they sent these cards out to local dealers so that they wouldn't have to pay to get into the event.  

I have no idea how many of these were made or how many have survived.


Stu

[misterpid]

Here are the backs.

Stu

[mintcollector]

No links are sowing up.  These sound interesting though.

[misterpid]

I spent about 2 hours trying to get this to work properly, and apparently it only works for me when I'm signed into my Yahoo account.

Try

http://www.geocities.com/misterpid/mtg


Hopefully, if you copy to your computer the pictures, you shoud be able to enlarge them.


Stuart

[mintcollector]

Were the M:TG cards there just to show size relation?  I think Ralph may have an interest to get these onto the site, and should he, he likes 600dpi scans.

[Ralph Herold]

Here are bigger images of the Homelands cards:

[misterpid]

Thanks Ralph,

I was having a bit of a tough time getting these images to upload.  Computers and I don't always see eye-to-eye.  They seem to like mocking me  alot.


Stu

[dry cereal]

yeah, my dad took a bunch of these when he saw them back in the day.  We never went, but he stowed them someplace (what a packrat).  He might find them someday.  If he does I'll let you all know....and I may steal them  ;D.

[flatmatt]

These would seem to fit in or around the badges section to me.

[mintcollector]

These would seem to fit in or around the badges section to me.

I think these should be put in whever the 10th anniversary image went (if it was even archived here at all).

[victorcamp]

I don't know. There have been so many cards, flyers, handouts, inserts, souvenirs, adverts, and posters in the last ten years that the task would be monumental. I wouldn't be surprised if most of them are in the hands of Forum members, but it raises the old question of including ancillary items.

I know, I know, we've been there before. The Homelands invites are kind of neat, though.

[mintcollector]

I don't know. There have been so many cards, flyers, handouts, inserts, souvenirs, adverts, and posters in the last ten years that the task would be monumental. I wouldn't be surprised if most of them are in the hands of Forum members, but it raises the old question of including ancillary items.

I know, I know, we've been there before. The Homelands invites are kind of neat, though.

I am not saying to start including any and all ancillary items, but I believe it was Ice Age that was the first pre-release.  For matters of a historical timeline, this invite for dealers may have been the antecessor for the pre-release concept.  Since Homelands was the last set released before Ice Age, information and archiving these specific invites has a far more unique quality to it.  I would be interested to here about or see anything of this nature in the pre-Ice Age days.  Items like this are almost archeological in nature as I know Ralph has a deep interest to preserve as much M:TG history as possible, especially when there are tangible items like these invites.
 

[rg]

Since Homelands was the last set released before Ice Age
 

Did i miss something or did you make a typing error? According to Wizards lists Ice Age was released June 95 and Homelands November 95?

[misterpid]

Ice Age was before Homelands.

One interesting thing about the cards is that they all have the big I on the back.  Apparently, at that time Wizards started numbering all of their major events.  This was the first one they numbered.  I don't know how long they kept up with this numbering system.

Stu

[mintcollector]

Did i miss something or did you make a typing error? According to Wizards lists Ice Age was released June 95 and Homelands November 95?

oops, error on my part.  I relied on the fact that WOTC had their sets ordered by date as it appears to be:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ma ... /cardlists

I only started around 4th/Ice Age in November of 95, so my knowledge is spotty from then and I rely on resources like WOTC to help clear things up.  Beck then I was able to buy Fallen Empires, Homelands, Ice Age, and 4th edition from dealers I went to, so I had assumed that those were the inprint sets Nov 95.

So I agree that this item many not be of that significant importance, but I think since the modern day pre-release as we know came into fruition as of Tempest (I mean format AND getting a pre-release promo card).  I still think promotional items prior to Tempest will better help shed light on the evolution of things.