1997 Pinnacle Fanfest Playing Card

This is the Frank Thomas Playing Card specially produced for the 1997 Fanfest in Cleveland. It was used by Bryan Berg, holder of 10 Guinness World Records for Card Stacking & Card Building. His amazing skills were utilized to build a replica of Jacobs Field out of these specially printed cards.

I've read the accounts of various attendees who, without exception, report it was an impressive display - typical of Bryan's creations. (I just watched a television special on Bryan and his ability to 'build' things using regular playing cards is truly amazing!)

Because these cards were only approved for use at the Fanfest, once the show was over, Pinnacle was supposed to gather these neat cards up and have them shredded. However, a typical highlight of Bryan's demonstrations is the famous "implosion" - the point after the show where he allows kids to go into the display area and collapse whatever he created. It was at this point that these cards were taken by the some of the attendees. Quickly avoiding the floor staff, these nimble fingered fans reached into the collapsed pile and quietly walked away. And due to the sheer number of cards used in the demonstration - it was not possible to prevent these great collectibles from getting away. To which I say a belated:"Thank you!". <nod of appreciation> :-}

These are fairly tough to get undamaged (dogearred corners and surface scratches) and should be considered quite rare in mint condition.

Collector's Note: Pinnacle Brands produced these playing cards using the same checklist as the Fanfest giveaways.

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