Art for Race Fans

KEVIN HARVICK autographed DAYTONAS COKE ZERO Winning Ticket card!! US $6.25 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:29:02 PST

2011 MATT KENSETH autographed LEAD FOOT Main Event card US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:29:54 PST

CARL EDWARDS autographed 2010 stealth DUAL OPERATOR card#60 US $6.50 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:31:20 PST

CARL EDWARDS autographed 2011 MAIN EVENT *LEAD FOOT* nascar card!! US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:32:06 PST

DALE EARNHARDT JR autographed 2002 ECLIPSE TALLADEGA WIN #8 card! US $6.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:32:31 PST

CLINT BOWYER autographed 2011 ELEMENT CHEERIOS #33 nascar card!! US $3.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:32:48 PST

Jeff Burton autographed 2011 MAIN EVENT catipiller #31 DRIVER INTRODUCTION card! US $2.31 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:33:13 PST

RYAN NEWMAN autographed PREMIUM US ARMY #39 card US $2.39 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:33:40 PST

2011 Marcos Ambrose autographed PP *STEALTH* Stanley driver card!!! US $5.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:34:01 PST

DALE EARNHARDT JR autographed 2003 NO BOUNDARIES BUD #8 card US $5.50 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:34:32 PST

RYAN NEWMAN autographed 2010 ELEMENT US ARMY #39 card US $3.39 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:34:54 PST

2011 PRESS PASS FANFARE ROBERT RICHARDSON AUTHENTIC AUTOGRAPH CARD US $3.45 (5 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:59:52 PST

RYAN NEWMAN SIGNED 2002 PRESS PASS TRADING CARD US $1.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:00:13 PST

2011 PRESS PASS FANFARE "RACE-USED GLOVES & AUTOGRAPH CARD US $5.23 (4 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:09:25 PST

1996 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Driver Bill Elliot US $6.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:13:19 PST

1996 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Driver Terry Labonte US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:19:58 PST

1996 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Driver Ted Musgrave US $6.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:22:19 PST

1996 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Driver Rusty Wallace US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:24:27 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Darrell Waltrip US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:28:13 PST

Autographed Dale Earnhardt Sr. Card in a One-of-a-Kind Custom Enclosure US $449.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:28:31 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Ricky Rudd US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:30:48 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Ken Schrader US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:32:27 PST

2010 PRESS PASS SIGNINGS GREG BIFFLE AUTO SP 49/75 US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:34:33 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Morgan Shepherd US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:35:23 PST

2009 PRESS PASS WHEELS FUEL AUTO RICKEY STENHOUSE JR. US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:35:46 PST

LEGENDS BUDDY BAKER AUTOGRAPHED NASCAR CARD COA US $10.88 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:37:40 PST

LEGENDS DARRELL WALTRIP AUTOGRAPHED NASCAR CARD COA US $9.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:37:48 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Bobby Labonte US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:37:59 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Michael Waltrip US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:40:22 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Bill Elliott Driver card US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:42:11 PST

1995 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Jimmy Spencer US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:46:17 PST

1996 Action Packed Nascar Embossed Jeff Gordon US $3.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:49:11 PST

Nascar Scott Riggs Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:31 PST

Nascar Truck Series David Reutimann Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:31 PST

Nascar Truck Series Travis Kvapil Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

Nascar Greg Biffle Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

Nascar Joe Nemechek Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

Nascar Truck Series Bill Lester Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

Nascar Mark Martin Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

Nascar Truck Series Jon Wood Autograph Card US $4.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:32 PST

1991 Maxx NASCAR Racing Card Set 240 Set New Never Opened Winston US $29.95 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:06:26 PST

Richard Petty Autographed Food Lion Signature Edition Promo Card US $1.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:21:14 PST

Johanna Long Silver Press Pass Fanfare Autograph /75 US $10.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:23:49 PST

2011 Press Pass Legends Cale Yarborough Auto #5/5 US $49.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:24:16 PST

1991 Maxx NASCAR Mike McLaughlin card US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:36:25 PST

1991 Maxx NASCAR Phil Parsons US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:39:01 PST

1991 Maxx NASCAR Patti Moise US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:41:51 PST

1991 Maxx NASCAR Geoff Bodine US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:44:39 PST

KYLE PETTY 1994 PINNACLE "SELECT YOUNG STARS" TRADING CARD #24 US $0.25 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:48:30 PST

GEOFF BODINE 1994 PINNACLE "SELECT YOUNG STARS" TRADING CARD #136 US $0.25 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:48:30 PST

Last year I began collecting ATCs, or artist trading cards. Those of you who hang out at sites like Etsy.com or Quilting Arts are familiar with these miniature wonders, which are 2-1/2" X 3-1/2" one-of-a-kind works of art. Recently I snagged a copy of Patricia Bolton's 1000 Artist Trading Cards, which offers detailed photographs of, yep, one thousand ATCs along with some helpful instructions on how to make them from different materials.

I've also been fooling around with making my own watercolor, photograph and quilted ATCs (click on the images to see larger versions):



   

This has mostly been just for fun, but the more I think about ATCs, the more I want to see what writers and bloggers can do with them.

Last year we talked about using an online generator to make character cards as a fun way to remember our character stats and possibly to serve as a form of self-promo to hand out at signings and conferences. I think we can get more out of it, though; possibly come up with a writer's version of the ATC -- a writer's trading card or WTC, if you like.

I've seen writers handing out business cards and fridge magnets with cover art, release dates, ISBN#s and so forth, but I've never had a writer hand me a card with a quote or mini-excerpt from a story on it. Since words are our art form, I tried making a card with some of mine:



One problem is size -- you can't fit a lot of text onto trading card. Even with the smallest readable font, I'd say fifty to seventy-five words, max. With such a small space, the temptation is to write a teaser instead of using an actual excerpt. You could fit on a card a URL to an author's website, blog or an longer excerpt posted online -- but what's going to make the recipient curious enough to check it out? A great hook line or hot premise, i.e. "She knows your darkest secret" or "See what everyone is hiding" Or maybe a one-line joke? "This is why I didn't get the laundry done for three months."

Another problem is the visual aspect -- words aren't exactly colorful or attention-catching. I think using weird fonts in other-than-black shades makes the text hard to read, and any background image would have to be very light, semi-transparent or somehow muted to keep it from overwhelming the words. Unless you used an image on one side and words on the other.

I don't know. I've been thinking it through for a couple days now, and I'm a bit frustrated. It's as if there's an answer dancing just outside my brain's reach. What I do know is that these cards would be simple for a writer to make, print out, swap and otherwise distribute. The trick is to figure out what to put on them to make them a) one of a kind, b) irresistible to readers and c) potentially collectible.

I probably need to let the idea percolate for a while, but in the meantime, what do you guys think? Good idea, bad idea?

Related links:

Author Joumana Medlej has an amazing page with all you ever wanted to know about ATCs: Art in Your Pocket: ATCs.

Artist Trading Cards ~ a Collaborative Cultural Performance
U.S to Roll Dice on Lifting Internet Gambling Ban?

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), chairman of the house Financial Services Committee, indicated at a press conference Thursday he intends to push for a repeal of the three-year-old Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which effectively quashed online gambling in the United States by barring businesses from knowingly accepting payments from credit cards, checks, and electronic funds transfers made in connection with unlawful Internet gambling. When enacted, the ban strained trade ties with the European Union, as European online casinos and other operations lost billions of dollars in market value and revenue as their U.S. customer pools dried up. At the time the

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 8:42 am and is filed under Trading Cards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.