Thursday, September 3, 2009

39. TEKS: Philippine Collectible Cards

Back in the '60s and '50s, Filipino kids spent their precious centavos collecting "teks" cards, the local equivalent of American trading cards. These "teks", available at the corner sari-sari store, showed hand-drawn Filipino or American superheroes (Superman, Mandrake the Magician, Batman, etc.). Others featured running story series (such as the one shown here, "Master Kung Fu") that looked like panels of a comic book when put in a correct sequence.

These cheap cards, printed on cardboard, were numbered so that a whole collection could be assembled--to be traded, swapped or kept as childhood treasures in shoeboxes. One could also accumulate "teks" by playing a toss-up games with friends, derived from the traditional "cara y cruz" rules. "Teks" have all but disappeared in the growing-up years of Pinoy kids, being replaced with fancier and more expensive Pokemon Cards, NBA basketball cards and gaming character cards that kids now stash away in binders, to be seen and not played. So unlike our own "teks" that you can hold, shuffle, flip, toss in the air--and still love afterwards. Kids collect cards--not thinking about return of investment, but just plain fun.

10 comments:

  1. Do you have a card showing Mandrake the Magician ?

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  2. Gee, I sued to own a complete set of those back in the 60s--including Mandrake. Unfortunately, it's now lost. It had a plain geen background with a crude illustration of Mandrake in front.

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  3. can i repost this picture? naalala ko tong nilalaro ko dati e,, tapos dito sa site mo ako napunta..hehe

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  4. sure. John. Sorry for the super late reply!

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  5. He he he... Dati teks, ngayon text na.

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  6. Hi,
    I liked your blog and I personally invite you to join htttp://www.coollectors.com - The World's Free Collectors Zone.
    We will also be happy to cooperate with your blog such as adding its link to our site.
    All the best,
    Diane
    info@coollectors.com

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  7. Do you have any Phantom ones by any chance? Am interested in getting some as well as trying to track down some comics featuring the Phantom.

    Thank you for any help.

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  8. Oh my, I think I have seen a few Phantom examples. I was just not into them. Let me check again.

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  9. HI Mr. Alex, I have this research about TEKS. i hope i can get in touch with you soon. thanks!

    and to those TEKS collectors, avid fans or writers of the history of TEKS. hope you can contact me..
    here is my email

    swarleydent@gmail.com

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  10. Teks lovers, email me at holidayland@hotmail.com I have several Teks

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