The 1994 Skybox Series 2 Simpsons Trading Card Set was a quick follow up to the first Skybox series. They were released less than 1 year after the first series. Most collectors will agree that like most sequels...it was not as good as the original. There were many more total cards printed and there was no Super Chase Card (Art d'Bart). As a result, this series is not as popular as the first Skybox series (but still more popular than the 1990 Topps set). However, there were some highlights from this set. Firstly, the Disappearing Ink Cards were some of the coolest cards from any series. See the section on Disappearing Ink Cards below for more information on these cards including scans of them with the ink removed. Also, the Smell-O-Rama Cards were very cool and even though this set is 10 years old, freshly pulled cards will still "smell" when scratched". Finally, some of the cards have "hidden" messages that require a "decoder" card. This set actually has 2 different decoder cards (one was a promo card and one was a mail-away). Surprisingly, the hidden messages are almost impossible to read without the decoder card. In most other card sets, it is easy to decode the message even without a decoder card.
Each pack contained 8 "swellegant" cards. In addition to the chase cards, the base set had a special Itchy & Scratchy subset (20 cards), 10 Radioactive Man Cards and 10 Bartman Cards. As with the Skybox 1 series, some of the cards contained "newly created original art from Bongo Comics and the Simpsons TV Show". The bottom back of each card had a "Flip-o-matic scene. This time, it was Bart jamming on the guitar. When the cards were all held together and flipped, it looked like a motion scene. To see the scene in action click the picture below:
Now for the specifics...
The Promo Cards: There were 2 sets of
promo cards from this series. The "B" set and the "P" set. The "B"
cards were found in issues of Simpsons Comics and the "P" cards were given out
at shows and to dealers. Specifically:
B1 was found in Simpsons
#4
B2 was found in Radioactive Man #412
B3 was found in Itchy & Scratchy #3
B4 was found in Simpsons #5
B5 was found in Bartman #3
B6 was found in Radioactive Man #679
B3 is the decoder card. It has Itchy and Scratchy on it and the card says you can use it to decode the scrambled images inside the comic (Itchy & Scratchy #3). You can also use it, however, to decode the scrambled images on the cards from this set.
There are four "P" numbered promo cards. P1 was somewhat hard to find but P2 and P3 are very common. Remarkably, the most interesting (and rare) card from this series is the "P4" Willie "The Dupe" Dipkin Promo Card. For some reason, it is unusually rare and I have only ever seen one or two of them. As you can see below, the front of the card is identical to the B1 Willie "The Dupe" Dipkin Card but the back is totally different. I wish I had more information on the P4 card but unfortunately, I do not. I believe it was given out at a card show (I believe the San Diego Comic Con) in 1994.
1994
Skybox Series 2
B1 Promo
P4 Promo
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Also, there was a second "decoder card" which is called the "Bartscreen". This was only available as a mailaway and is a bit harder to find than the other decoder card. However, they both function similarly.
Finally, the card storage tin that was available during series 1 was also available during the release of this series.
The Base Set was separated into 4 subsets. There were 40 Simpsons Cards (card #40 was a checklist for these 40 cards). There were 20 Itchy & Scratchy Cards (card #60 was a checklist for these 20 cards). Two of these were 'decode-a-cards' meaning that they had hidden messages on the back. In case you do not have the decoder...here is the hidden message:
Card #I4: Itchy's secret health tonic is...Cat
Liver Oil
Card #!12: Tells you how to solve the puzzle on Card #I8.
There were 10 Bartman cards (card #B10 was a checklist for these cards as well as the chase cards from this set). All of the Bartman Cards (except #10) had hidden messages on the back of each card. Once again, in case you do not have the decoder...here is the hidden message:
Card #B1: What is the secret password to the
Bartcave?
Lemme in, Man!
Card #B2: What were the magic words?
I'm Telling Mom!
Card #B3: What is Mageena's secret defense maneuver?
Spits Drool Covered Pacifiers
Card #B4: What is the secret of Bart Dog's incredible energy?
Chocolate Dipped Dog Biscuits
Card #B5: What is the angry Scotsman's secret weapon?
His Peat-Filled Tam O'Shanter
Card #B6: What was really behind the illegal t-shirt factory?
Lionel Hutz
Card #B7: What is the Penalizer's secret weapon?
The Hypno-Coin
Card #B8: Who stole the Bartsignal and plundered Springfield?
Sideshow Bob
Card #B9: What is Half-Nelson's secret weakness?
He Is Extremely Ticklish
There base set also had 10 Radioactive Man Cards.
The Smell-O-Rama Cards are a set of 10 Cards that were basically scratch and sniff cards. These were and still are very cool cards. Freshly pulled cards still have a scent on them when scratched. For example, #5 Maggie, smells like baby powder when scratched.
The Wiggle Cards are a set of 9 Lenticular Cards that look like an action scene when you "wiggle" them in your hands. That is part of the reason why the scans look blurry. The back of the cards form a picture that you can see below
1994 Skybox Series 2
Wiggle Cards (Back Picture)
Separated
Together
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The Disappearing Ink Cards were a set of 4 cards. While the cards said to "Rub" to remove the ink...this would only ruin the cards. Instead, you simply have to heat the cards via a lamp or a blow dryer and the ink disappears to reveal a secret on each card.
D1: Skinner is bald
D2: Itchy's present for scratchy is a bomb!
D3: The monster is only Maggie
D4: Bart is so intrigued because he is reading
Radioactive Man
Once the card cools, the ink returns and once again conceals the secret. I have scanned all 4 cards with the ink removed to reveal the secrets. Here they are:
1994 Skybox Series 2
Dissapearing Ink Cards - Revealed
D1
D2
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1994 Skybox Series 2
Dissapearing Ink Cards - Revealed
D3
D4
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The Arty Art Cards were a set of 4 cards the featured Simpsons Characters as seen through the eyes of "really cool artists". Jim Valentino, who painted Card #A4, also did another Simpsons Related Card called "The Shadowbart". It was a Super Rare Chase Card found 1 in every 432 packs in the 1994 Image of Shadowhawk Card Set. Click here for a link to the page with information on this card.
Other
Items: Finally, a few set of uncut
sheets have been found from this set. These were obtained from former Fox
executive and he led me to believe that there were only a few that survived
(less than 10). It is very difficult to put a price on these and being so
large are expensive to frame. I know of a total of four sheets:
1) Uncut sheet of Base set of 80 cards.
2) Uncut sheet of Disappearing Ink Cards. This sheet had a total of 28 cards on it with 7 of each of the four cards on it.
3) Uncut sheet of Arty Art Cards. This sheet had a total of 16 cards on it with a total of 4 of each of the four cards on it.
VALUES:
Promo Cards:
B1 thorugh B6 Cards ($7-10 each)
except B3
B3 Card ($12-15)
P1 Card ($10-15)...for
some reason this card is harder to find than P2 & P3.
P2 & P3 Cards ($2-3 each)
P4 Card ($60-75)...this is
one of the rarest & hardest Simpsons Promo Cards to find.
Base Set of 80 cards ($10
- $15)
Chase Cards
Set of 10 Smell-O-Rama Cards ($5)
Wiggles Card (9 total) ($2-3 each)
Disappearing Ink Cards (4 total) ($9 each)
Arty Art Cards (4 total) ($35 -
$50
each)
Uncut Sheets
Uncut sheet of base cards ($100
unframed)
Uncut sheet of Disappearing Ink Cards ($150
unframed)
Uncut sheet of Arty Art Cards ) ($150
unframed)
Other Items
Mail Away Bartscreen Decoder ($50-60)
Collector Tin ($60)
Sealed Box ($35-45)
Sealed Pack ($3)
Empty Display Box ($3-$5)
Empty Wrapper ($1)
