I’m not sure what the first set to include redemption cards was, but this set had to have been one of them. There are 24 Carat Gold Redemption cards in this set which can be redeemed for a 24 Carat Gold Fire Engine card. Would I be so lucky? Would Virginia Hobby Supply redeem it if I did? Do they even exist anymore? Let’s find out…
Kicking things off is Plymouth, MN’s ’91 Ford and Lebanon, OR’s ’89 Western States Autocar. What is an Autocar? Google doesn’t point me to anything that relates to fire trucks.
Here are a couple from Oregon and North Carolina… a ‘91 Spartan and ‘90 Ford. Its not unheard of for fire engines to last 20 years, some of these could still be in service!
Here’s a throwback… banana yellow ’73 Imperial. This looks like a scene out of “Emergency!”.
Check out that one. It looks like you could live in it!
This ’68 Crown Firecoach takes the cake for baddest truck in the pack. I would love to cruise around in one of these.
Here’s a 1990 Sutphen… I wonder if some of these manufacturers just make fire trucks? I’ve never heard of this one.
This is the back of one of the cards, just to give you an idea. A lot of info on these cards. I never knew “Jake Brake” was short for “Jacob” but it makes sense.
I know what you are thinking. And I’m thinking it too. A fire boat?!?! I guess if you can access a fire by boat, a boat would be the ideal way to fight a fire… no worries about finding a fire hydrant, right?
Rounding things off is Jacksonville, FL’s ’93 Saulsbury.
Given the fact that I have 0 knowledge about anything relating to fire engines, I have to admit this was a fun pack to break. As far as educational value goes, these cards fare pretty well, with a lot of interesting details on fire engines and the cities in which they run. I was expecting to just make fun of this pack when I bought it but I can’t deny the fact that I enjoy the cards.
Pretty cool. For a while I was going around taking pictures of fire hydrants. I thought they'd make a cool book. They do, someone else already published one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/American-Hydrant-Sean-Crane/dp/1891661469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336440269&sr=1-1. BTW I know the Chicago Fire Department has fire boats.
Fire hydrants would indeed make a cool book!
ReplyDeleteI bet Chicago has fire everything after the Great Fire.
Interestingly, the fire hydrants used in the city of Chicago proper are to be found nowhere in any of the surrounding suburbs. Here's a link to a picture of the Chicago hydrant:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&biw=1190&bih=643&authuser=0&tbm=isch&tbnid=ldvE8P-c5ShKnM:&imgrefurl=http://edenmakersblog.com/%3Fp%3D483&docid=jH0iy2ZaY9qqNM&imgurl=http://edenmakersblog.com/wp-content/uploads/red-fire-hydrant.jpg&w=600&h=453&ei=CYKoT6TlGOnc0QGo-oz-BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=891&vpy=151&dur=8642&hovh=195&hovw=258&tx=136&ty=105&sig=112432080984780049400&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=186&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:85
I find it interesting that the oneboat in the bunch was from Phoenix, in the middle of the Arizona desert!!
ReplyDeleteDawgbones, I think the boat might actually be from somewhere else it might just be called the Phoenix. I know San Francisco also has a "Phoenix Fireboat". But yes that would be very silly.
ReplyDeleteSomething tells me they didn't stop at 4 series.
ReplyDeleteThere are enough towns for 10,000 series.
Would any of those cards happen to be 100 or 385? I need those two for my sets. Bought them at a show years ago. When I got home, found those two cards missing.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only extra, I have from that set. http://i.ebayimg.com/t/1991-MACK-DARLEY-PUMPER-TANKER-FIRE-TRUCK-ENGINE-CARD-Teaneck-New-Jersey-NJ-/00/s/MTAyNFg3MDM=/$(KGrHqZ,!jYE6DsMJ+4TBOpw!M4ysQ~~60_35.JPG
The only reason I have that particular card is because that was my engine. I didn't own it, I just drove and commanded the crew. That engine is in service as a reserve piece.
BTW, it was a pisser to drive. Had a turbocharged diesel, and man it could go.
Unfortunately I don't have either of those cards. Sounds fun though!!
ReplyDeleteAutocar is just another name for a car or automobile.
ReplyDeleteTHERE WAS A SERIES 5 RELEASED IN 1998 BY A DIFFERENT COMPANY BUT FOLLOWED THE SEQUENCE OF THE PREVIOUS 4 SERIES. BTW, I HAVE A COUPLE OF EACH OF THOSE SETS, INCLUDING THE SERIES 1 24 KARAT GOLD CARD!
ReplyDelete