Chaos and Kanji is the blog where I write about my adventures through Japan!

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Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 4th Fan Selection

Has it been four years already? Every year, Swallows fans vote for their favorite players, and for the past four years now, a company called TIC has been issuing sets featuring the top players in that vote.

TIC is also known as Hits, and was probably more well-known for idol cards - you know, cards of sexy women in skimpy clothes. But they have been doing single-player sets for several years now, and they also issue cards for the men's and women's volleyball leagues.
 Each box contains 12 packs, with 6 cards per 300-yen pack. Even with perfect collation, it'll take more than one box to finish a set.
There are 81 cards in the base set, with nine players total. Each player has 9 cards. The fronts have a standard but minimal design, while the back has even less design. One thing Hits is good at is focusing on the photos.
 There are two types of insert designs, though they are numbered as one set. Special 01-09 has blue foil and a facsimile signature on the front.
Special 10-18 has green foil and a large foil number representing the player's jersey number.
The hits can be seen above, and are as follows:
  • Photo Cards: the language is a bit confusing, but there's one type, with each player having two "patterns" - I have no idea what a pattern is.
  • Combo Autographed Cards: 5 cards (sticker autographs)
  • Autographed Cards: 4 cards (these might be on-card)
  • Gold Autographed Cards: 9 cards (sticker autographs)
  • Green Autographed Cards: 9 cards (sticker autographs)
Hits usually promotes this set with promo cards, and while I don't have one, I saw the packages in stores last month. Unfortunately, I don't know what the promos look like.
Finally, this sticker (blank-backed) might have either been a stadium or event giveaway, or some other promotional material. My guess is it was given away at the stadium on a Fan Appreciation Day, given the logo at the top.

2 comments:

  1. Damn, I feel like I blinked and you published four posts!

    I didn't realize that Hits had done these sets. Is there any connection with Sports Graphic Number? I see their logo on the box and the sets always looked very similar to the single player sets that they have done.

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    Replies
    1. I'm cramming those posts in there to get done by the end of the year! Vacation time is writing time. And I finally finished my year-end and New Year posts. I think it's time for a short break now.

      The brand name itself doesn't appear on the products, though it is the same company. The Sports Graphic Number sets are marketed as such, and team sets are marketed as coming from the teams - the mini trading paper sets they issued for the BayStars have BayStars Official Goods marking on the back, and Produce/Hits/TIC (they have so many names...) contact information.

      Actually, TIC is the website (which is called TIC Toreka Jimukyoku). The same website shows Hits Limited Company copyright information for the card images, and the packaging lists Produce216. Figure that out, if you can.

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