Card Identification Forum

I found this Raghib Ismail card.  Seems to be from a Smokey the Bear set.  There are some other college team sets, but I cannot find anything about a ND set.  Any ideas?

Its a promo card or printers sample, when I asked I got its a "broder card" or custom. After some digging, there isnt a 1991 Smokey ND set, but according to an old school printer they made these in an effort to sell more. There is a similar 1991 set (diff school) that looks very close if not exact to this design. He said the giveaway that it was a sample is the fact they used ND logo from the 30s (copyright expired) rather than the one they were using in 1991. I then asked about them using Smokey pic, and he said that they held copyright for that and/or the USFS officials wouldnt have cared since they were raising $. His explanation seemed thorough/plausible....lol so thats what Im going with.....to be fair to the people that insist its a "custom" there are a lot of unliscenced custom cards for Raghib Ismail,  probably have 5 different canadian ones

Notre Dame had a multi-sport Smokey set in 1988 handed out by the school.  Along the lines of David657, it seems to be a one off issue rather than part of a set issued by the school.  For many of the college sets issued in the late 80s and early 90s, when there was an extra spot on a schools production sheet, they would add and extra card(s) that were not released.  Often a team logo but sometimes players or Smokey Bear.  I have never sheet a sheet with a player from a different school, but I also have not seen every sheet produced.  Of the hundred or so Smokey college sets produced, I don't remember seeing the sky background as a style.

Awesome card! The Rocket! Go Irish!!!

-Rick ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾

The printer's explanation doesn't hold water.  Smokey is not a copyright, it's a trademark. From what I've read about Smokey licensing, anyone producing that card would probably have lost their Smokey license.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/contracts-commercial-permits/licensing-of-smokey-bear

Also, ND's logos are trademarks not copyrights. Trademarks don't expire like copyrights. The university would basically have to "give up" the trademark.

Someday my cards may double in value and then be worth half of what I paid for them.