Part I- 2013 Horrors Of War II

One of my favorite non-sports vintage sets would be the R69 1938 Horrors of War by Gum, Inc. This set has some of the most vibrant and detailed illustrations I have ever seen and while they do depict violence there is something beautiful about the product. In 2011 Famous Fabrics released Horrors of War, now designated as Horrors of War I, a 48-card addition building on to the original 1938 set. What made the set quite interesting, besides the limited number of boxes released, was the addition of a 1/1 cut signature card that included the signature of a soldier or political personality connected to various military actions from the American Revolution to the War on Terror. Prices obviously range greatly from $30-40 range all the way up in to the thousands for someone like John F. Kennedy.

These signatures made the product so popular that it sold out as soon as it was made available, knowing that eventually a second series would be released I began wondering what Famous Fabrics was going to do to top their previous release. During the 2013 Las Vegas Summit Famous Fabrics made the announcement that Horrors of War II would be out this summer, June 27, and they even included three special relic cards in preview packs during the event to show one of those new additions to the upcoming set. I set out immediately to add all three cards to my personal collection, I was able to pick up two of the cards within the first week following the Summit but then it seems like the supply dried up and the third card has alluded me since.

The three cards contained one of three uniform swatches and the cards were each #/30 for a total of 90 cards being made. The uniform swatch is quite large, roughly 1.5x1.5 inches, and the card design highlights the relic. The front tells what type of uniform the piece is from and which war it was worn during. The back is pretty basic, the standard “Congratulations” message and a short description of the item. The cards are encased with the label including all the same info, the card number out of #/30 as well as the total series number out of #/90.

The first thirty cards are from a U.S. Navy Winter Flight Suit from World War II. My card is #21/30 and #21/90 and it is a beautiful reddish-brown leather fabric that is very similar to a WWII flight jackets but heavier.

The second thirty cards are from a uniform worn by the U.S. Army Rainbow Brigade from the Vietnam War. I do not have this card and I am unable to find these cards anymore, I waited on these because the price was pretty low and I figured to get the other two cards first. Now I am stuck waiting for one to show up for auction.

The final thirty cards are from a U.S. Army Tunic from the Spanish-American War. My card is #16/30 and #76/90 and it is a dirty-tan color that looks oddly like corduroy pants.

Being a history buff these cards are a wonderful addition to my personal collection, hopefully I will be able to pick up one of the Rainbow Brigade cards to complete the three card checklist. These cards are just a preview of one aspect of the upcoming Horrors of War II set, along with the military uniform relics we will also see Military patch cards, actual patches from various uniforms, and hand painted cards. They are also inserting original 1938 Horror of Wars buyback cards. I will do a preview of the new set shortly.