Card collectors can often get hooked on free promotional collector series cards and this is a clever form for maintaining brand loyalty. As long as you are willing to purchase the product, you will be rewarded – and this is often used with novelty cards or gifts. All of a sudden you realise you have to have the complete set and sometimes you have to move mountains to do so, rather than simply trading with your mates.  There are many types of products which venture down this path, and it seems that it is back in fashion . Over the past 12 months the various supermarket chains have been offering themed card collections and books to put them in, which has reminded me of earlier ‘Tazo’ collectors (ca 1995) and before that, the likes of leaf-tea, confectionery, or even those on offer at Petrol or Gasoline Stations such as those offered by the former Golden Fleece or Shell Refinery. Here we have two examples from the Shell Project Cards – Citizenship Series (which focuses on top job offerings in the 1960s in the service professions:

(Librarians Card No. No.56 in the series) . According to the information written on the back of this card, “Librarians must hold minimum educational qualifications (Matriculation) and must study to obtain a Registration Certificate or Diploma. They are employed by city and local councils, universities, schools and private organizations. Their duties include book selection, classification and cataloging, advice to readers and research services. Mobile libraries, similar to the one illustrated, carry books and magazines to residents of remote areas of Australia”.

Notice the gender difference between this and the one featured below? (Scientists – No.7 in the Shell Citizenship series) – According to the back of this card: “There is an ever-increasing need for scientists in this modern world. Australian scientists work in many fields. Some carry out research in medicine and physics to help improve our standards of living – others are engaged in the development of space rocket and war weapons. Recently at Woomera testing range in South Australia scientists of the Joint UK-Australian Long Range Weapons Project successfully completed tests with the British ‘Blue Streak’ missile.”

Without looking ‘bookish’ I think I may have discovered a link between card collecting, librarianship and rocket science! Nevertheless, as sure as Shell, I think I know what I want to be when I grow up!

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