The other day I mentioned that I had finally managed to get back into my storage unit and had retrieved some paintball memorabilia (and other memorabilia).

It’s the gift that keeps on giving, since today I was able to open up my collector card collection and – low and behold -

Professional Paintball Player Trading Cards!

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a post-apocalyptic civilization – you know, the one after the fall, where we’re trying to pick up the pieces and marveling at the glory that was once Rome. You know, things like: ‘you mean they had interior lighting that didn’t involve a candle? Wow’, or ‘you mean they put a magic elixir into this wheeled monstrosity and it would move around under its own power like a horse?’ Wow!

These feelings are engendered when I look back over the years and see all of the things that competition paintball used to have and doesn’t anymore.

Not that it was a show-stopper or won anybody any games all by itself, but yes, Virginia, we did use to have trading cards for professional paintball players. Cards like this little selection of players from the Smart Parts Pro Set of 93.

Yep. Seventeen years ago boys and girls, BITD when the paintballs were square and we used saranwrap for goggles, these fine folks (where are some of you guys?) used to tear up the fields all across the country.

For all you padded-up, electro-toting tournament wannabes – check out the gear! No facemasks on some of ‘em. No elbow pads, slider shorts or chest-protectors either.

And check out those guns! Cockers, ‘mags, PMI3s and even Icon-Zs!

All of it in the woods of course. Hey – you can also see a pic of one of the game’s first professional female paintball players – Karen McPherson (who eventually became Karen Barber, making up what was probably the first professional husband and wife team in the game!)

Ahhhh nostalgia. Kind of funny how you remember all the good stuff and kinda forget the bad, huh?

(Don’t worry kids, there’s plenty more cards where those came from)

AND HERE’S A BIT OF NEW NEWS: 68Caliber is going to be bringing back Paintball Player Trading Cards!

We’re putting the behind the scenes action together and will be announcing some details shortly – but in the meantime you all can contribute to the project:

I think we should do different series based on the various leagues (tournament AND scenario); others think we should feature well-known players; still others think that we ought to do them up really big and include things like a set of paintball team logos, or product (get the whole set of tournament electros!); should we have ‘Paintball Action!’ cards from the playing field? Help us decide!