Semantics Time: Are the Japanese Vending sets "promos"?

[stagecoach]

@Dyl

The three Vending Machine Series (1: Blue, 2: Red, 3: Green) are originally referred to as “Expansion Sheets” in Japanese (拡張シート). This suggests that the series were not promos per se but actual expansions.

They fall under the category of “Special Expansions” (e.g., Southern Islands, Poké Card Creator Pack, Pokémon Rumble, Dragon Vault, etc.) rather than a “Main Expansion” (e.g., Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, etc.), “Black Star Promo” (e.g., ADV-P Promotional cards, PCG-P Promotional cards), or “PLAY/PPP Promotional Cards.”

The other piece worth considering is, “What is the main purpose of the set?” Is the set promoting something? If so, maybe you can consider it a promotional item, but it is not an official “promo” if that makes sense.

I have returned from the cave of knowledge with new insight after meditating on this post in particular.

The Japanese Rainbow Islands set is a “Special Set”. In Japan, the tradition of special sets is well-established and goes back to the earliest generations of the card game. Categorically, the substance of what constitutes a Special Set in Japan is less ambiguous.

But in the West, Special Sets were, and are, often foregone. We do not have a populated category of Special Sets that stands distinctly from what we’d consider collectively as promos. This is especially true of Southern Islands and the era it was released in.

For this reason, perhaps English Southern Islands are promos but Japanese Southern Islands is a Special Set.

[eeveeteam]

My take on promos:

• Given out as a prize (tournament, illustration contest, Toys-R-Us event)
• Promote the sale of a product (game boy, magazine, collection box, tin, blister pack, movie ticket)
• Promote the brand of Pokémon - big curveball because “special sets” could be a brand promotion.

Southern Island and Vending don’t specifically promote the sale of something else… one could argue the cards promote the sale of the binder

[fazool]

You’ve always been able to buy McDonalds toys without buying food

The purpose of the cards is to bring you into the restaurant. The purpose of the vending machine is to do much the same for a store

This is all a game of semantics from the beginning, but if black star promos are indeed promos then vending machine cards in a variety of stores across the country would definitely fall into the same category

“the publicization of a product, organization, or venture so as to increase sales or public awareness”

[Caith_Sith]

@fazool

You’ve always been able to buy McDonalds toys without buying food

First news about this, one thing is what store owners do and other -and the most important- it’s the real way the cards are distributed: with a toy, that it’s part of a product (the Happy Meal in this case). I never saw an advertisment on McDonals page that says I can buy the toy If i dont want the food

[zubat]

Well, it’s a “series”, so the cards are to be considered collectively. I’d consider them to be a set. It’s be even more compelling if they were marked X/36. Likewise, I consider the 25th anniversary McDonalds promos to be a “set”.

Its just confusing because” set” is so strongly associated with a retail release.

[smokemon]

So I can’t offer anything in terms of whether it’s a promo or not, but I did have the pleasure of buying these as a kid at the Jusco in Okinawa Japan.

There was a Mcdonalds, toy store, and an arcade all within 20 feet of one another. The Mcdonalds is where I got some of the e-series promos and the toy store is where I bought my Neo packs. Anwyay, between the Mcdonalds and the arcade, there was a stand-alone green box with a knob and a slot to put in the 300 Yen (IIRC). I think this machine was there for quite some time (maybe early 2000s?) and was always stocked. While these were a fun purchase, I didn’t buy too many because I remember I got a lot of repeat cards. At one point I had about 4 bumble bee pikachus and ended up saving money for packs.

I remember being confused about the Quick Starter holo Scyther as I thought you could pull it from the vending sheet. I remember being frustrated since I never got a holo from the sheets and it wasn’t until years later that I knew why. I did end up trading a friend for the holo Scyther so I was happy in the end.

Anyways, just had to share!