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Satisfying nostalgia for the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s
Card Breaks: 1991 Topps Desert Storm Series 1
Introduction
The year is 1991. The president is George H. W. Bush. Saddam Hussein’s Iraq has just occupied Kuwait. In response, the United States along with a coalition of 35 countries (“The Coalition for Peace”) invades Iraq.
Two Different Iraq Wars
George H. W. Bush and the Gulf War (of 1990-91) should not to be confused with George W. Bush and the Iraq War of 2003. Different presidents, different wars. I actually think confusing them could be a pretty easy thing to do, especially as time goes on. Both presidents named George Bush, both invaded Iraq, both had the help of Dick Cheney.
There are some major differences however - 1991’s Gulf War boasted a coalition of 35 countries, while 2003 had only 6. And while the 1991 Gulf War lasted a roughly a year and a half, the 2003 Iraq War lasted over 8 years, officially anyway.
As perhaps due to a difference in the popularity of the wars, three trading card makers would produce Desert Storm (Gulf War) cards, while nobody would create them for the second Iraq War in 2003. There were however, “Iraqi’s Most Wanted” playing cards made by Bicycle.
The Cards
Now I know you are totally wondering: what did Topps, the trading card company, do in response to the war?
Well, they made not one, not two, but three series of trading cards about it.
And they weren’t the only ones making cards - multiple trading card companies produced cards about the conflict.
Topps however made the biggest splash, producing three separate series. Pro Set would come out with a 250 card set. And the now-defunct Pacific would also get involved, producing an Operation Desert Shield 110 card set.
Between the three Topps series, cards were created for some of the biggest names in war - Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, and in Series 3, Saddam Hussein. Not to let defense contractors down, there is also a ton of military technology (weapons, etc.) showcased in each series. In the card breaks video, we will see that a majority of the cards are technology-based - military assets, technological capabilities, etc.
Desert Storm Series 1 & Series 2
Topps Desert Storm is a classic mixture of patriotism and capitalism, something America knows how to do pretty darn well. These cards were a hot commodity back when they were released, with some stores selling out within hours. I might have been 7 years old but these were the packs I was opening. I even remember having a poster of fighter aircraft (F-14, F-16, etc) at this time. Colin Powell is said to have spent years after signing Desert Storm cards. Inevitably, they were wildly overproduced (like many things from the 90s) and today you can now find a box of them for under $10.
The Breaks
So, without further ado, let’s have some fun and break a few packs open and see what we get:
Conclusion
As I mention in the video, Series 1 and Series 3 are a bit more fun, given you can get find cards for the big names in the war: George H. W. Bush, Dick Cheney, General Powell, and even Saddam Hussein.
Cheney & Powell
These cards are also easy to find, and cheap. You may be able to score some for south of $10 a box of 36 packs. It wouldn’t be too hard to build a set for each Topps series, as well as a Pro Set and a Pacific. They are that cheap.
I’ll admit that these cards can only hold my attention for about 5 - 10 minutes. They possess almost zero collector value. However, they can be fun gifts for the right people - and there is some value to that. Bring a few packs to the next party you go to - they are a great conversation starter (for better or for worse, of course).