everyone knows the history of trading cards? they tried to ban them, on the theory that they were a form of illegal lottery. what was the real problem.? young boys spent their lunch money on packs. [whether for the gum or the cards is not studied] Church ladies were very upset. Since prohibition was repealed, they needed something else to be upset about.
TCG = Topps Chewing Gum Company. Cards were a promotion for the sale of gum.
the consent decree required Topps to give away free cards, at random, to those whe wrote in requesting them
What else did they ban? In NEW York they banned pin ball machines. Also because young boys were wasting their lunch money, also the legal grounds were that it was an illegal lottery. Most large cities and states coped the beacon of enlightenment, great city of New York , in banning pin ball machines. The great mayor Laguardia did this. He took on the mob, and pin ball machines. BTW, while church ladies were upset about kids losing their lunch money, Laguardia was actually pissed because pin ball machines tended to be indirect business of the mob. The IRS was pissed because most pin ball operators did not declare their pinball income. Laguardia got an airport named for himself, but he never got elected president, though he had high hopes.
So now, here we are. I wonder if Walmart / Target are getting pressure from the church ladies.
New York, a great city. Mayors banning things. Ban pinball, then Bloomberg bans large sodas. And he wants to be president. Ban plastic bags, and plastic straws. Soon they will be banning plastic water bottles.
"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." - John Wooden
