Hobby Oddities: 2004 Upper Deck Tiger Woods Executive Collection – Mouse Pad

In 2004 Upper Deck wanted to decorate your office in synthetic leather. It was all part of their Tiger Woods Executive Collection.

Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Tiger Woods Executive Collection. That’s ok. Most people have probably totally forgotten about it.

According to Upper Deck’s 2004 Holiday catalog:

“The Tiger Woods Executive Collection by Upper Deck combines elegant office products with one of the greatest golfers in history. Each product combines dual-toned synthetic leather with textured feel, a classic black-and-white image of Tiger, and a facsimile (replica) signature. Each item is further distinguished by an embossed golf ball and Upper Deck logo located on the front.”

Items in this collection include a portfolio, desktop business card holder, pocket business card holder, pen & pencil holder, and two styles of mouse pads (rounded & square).

I don’t believe any of these items sold very well. A mouse pad recently popped-up in it’s original package with a T.J. Maxx price tag on it.

Upper Deck’s catalogs had some odd stuff in them.

Celeb Rookie: Mickey Mouse

Twenty years before Mickey Mantle made his trading card debut another Mickey was being featured on cardboard for the first time. I’m talking about Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse made his public debut in the short film Steamboat Willie which was released in 1928.  It was a tremendous hit.  Animated shorts eventually turned into full-length feature films.

Three years after being introduced to the world, Mickey Mouse received what is now considered to be his true rookie card.

Drawn by Floyd Gottfredson, this premium was made available during the May 27, 1931 Mickey Mouse comic strip.  In that particular story, Mickey had his picture taken.  Fans of his could get a copy of that picture if they wrote in during the “High Society” story line.  This is the card they’ed receive.  It measures 3-3/8″ x 5-3/8″.  At the bottom it reads “Gobs of Good Wishes, Mickey Mouse” and “Me too, Butch”.  As you can see, Mickey’s streetwise friend Butch is standing in the background.

Mickey Mouse’s 1931 First Newspaper Premium Picture Card takes us back to a time when he was just beginning to make an impression on the world. Truly an interesting piece of history. Very few of these cards exist today.

The Wills Cinema Stars tobacco set (also released in 1931) has a card that pictures both Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. You’ll find that card to be much more readily available.

Card of the Day: 1931 W.D. & H.O. Wills Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse Cinema Stars – 3rd Series #24

Card of the Day: Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse 1931 Wills’s Cigarettes