SWTC - Website Promotional Postcards - Various Years

Sometime during 2000, I came across an advertisement from a printer who was doing something slightly unique. The company was creating postcards to advertise websites. The idea appealed to me, not so much because I care about advertising this website, but because it seemed like a fun idea for a card collecting website to have a card of its own. I had the company print up 500 postcards for me, and distributed them to those who were interested in having them. I also used them as inserts whenever I did a trade, and generally had fun with them.

As with most websites of course, I eventually did a site redesign, and now the original postcard no longer matched the look of the site. What to do? Make a new postcard of course!

Unfortunately, the original company I used to print the first set of cards significantly raised their prices in the meantime. Since my site is non-profit, I couldn't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on more cards. After a search of the web however, I found a site that would print me 250 postcards in a slightly smaller size, and with slightly less design help, at a price I could afford. Site postcard 2001 was created.

When 2002 arrived, naturally the same issue came up again. This time the postcard company allowed you to print text on the back of the card as well as the front. Since I was planning to attend the Fan Convention in Indiana, it made sense to have the card advertise the site specifically for that event. Over 1500 cards were printed for 2002 with many of the cards distributed at the convention and others given out in the usual manner along with trades, or to contest winners, and so on. The 2002 card promoted the site under the domain name www.starwarscards.info a new domain added to the site that year. The site can be found at www.starwarscards.net, www.swcards.com and www.starwarscards.info.

The 2003 postcards were a three card set instead of single postcard, and instead of showing a simple image of the front of the site, I commissioned local artist Jerry Kosak to create three sketch images, one for each card. Next to each image I added my own caption text and then printed 250 of each card. To simplify things, 2003 cards were only issued in sets of three, and the majority of cards were given away as contest prizes during the year.

2004 nearly came and went before a postcard could be created. It was October before the card was finally printed and started being distributed. Following up the huge popularity of our sketched images from 2003, Jedi Council member Dale created an original piece of art for the 2004 postcard. A limited number of 500 were printed using ad money from the site to cover printing costs. Postcards are primarily being given away as contest prizes, though each member of the Jedi council also has a small number to give away as they see fit. The challenge for 2004 will be to get a card and then to get Dale to sign his truly original artwork.

For 2007, the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, artist Duncan Irvine created a special postcard that not only celebrates 30 years of collecting Star Wars trading cards, but also helped promote our site's charitable efforts in support of the NothingButNets.net charity. The card was available in limited quantities to those who participated in the charitable effort. In addition, a total fo 30 cards were numbered and signed by the artist. These 30 cards will be the highlight of a small number of collections.

2008 was a fun year for the site's postcards, as Duncan Irvine again created special artwork, this time for a special event as well. Star Wars Trading Cards went to Celebration Japan, and our postcards were handed out to participants who attended the Trading Cards Fan Panel, as well as at other random locations around the convention. Featuring Leia as a Geisha on one side, and a Yoda on the other, the cards highlighted not only SWTC, but also a new website for collectors launched in 2008 by Duncan.

Then came 2009, this time featuring a retro look as a comic fan imitates one of his idols to create a Vader-inspired card design. As with all the site postcards, these cards will be printed in limited numbers, and will mostly be obtained by participating in a site charity event. And after a delay, 2013 comes, and with the 2nd Celebration Europe on tap for Essen, Germany, a 2-sided promotional postcard was created to highlight both StarWarsCards.net and Jawa-Trader.co.uk as Andy and I present a talk on trading cards. Although the postcard doesn't mention the event, it will be exclusively available at Celebration Europe, or to those who support the SWTC Gives Back 2013 charity.