Series: Dragonball
Company: Artbox
Year: 1995
Main distribution: United States
These are collectable cards from Dragonball by Artbox. These are “Chromium” meaning extra thick and shiny cards. The series exists out of 53 Chromium cards, and 10 Holocrome chase cards. Additionally there is a Promo Card. The 63 images are based on the first 26 Episodes of Dragonball.
Artbox (also known as DBA Artbox Entertainment or Japan Printing Products USA Inc.) was an American publisher of trading cards and Collectable Card Games. Their headquarters was in San Clemente, California, USA. A subsidiary of Ensky (Formerly Amada Printing MFG. Co., Ltd), Artbox Entertainment was established in 1995 as a United States based company to manufacture and market popular licensed products by specialising in the category of printed toys and collectables. Founded over 65 years ago, Ensky is Japan’s leading manufacture, marketer and distributor of licensed products. With strong support from Japan’s leading manufacturers, Artbox Entertainment was well equipped as a leader of printed toys and collectables for licensed products.
They gained many licenses, including Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Pokémon, Sailormoon and many more.
Here I’ll show my Dragonball Chromium series.
The cards are recognisable as being quite thick and shiny, and have a bar with Dragonball along the edge.
The backs have a grey marble border with an image of Goku and Shenron in the center with text on it.
They came in packs of 6. I do not have the packaging anymore.
I got 18/64.
I got really late into this series. I had gathered as much as I could from Dragonball Z, and I really wanted to finish some others before I properly started this one. But when I saw the packs I had to buy a few of course. I wanted to get as many series as possible, at least 1 pack of. Not sure why I do not have any of the packaging anymore, as I tended to add those…
These weren’t really for sale anywhere near me though. My uncle worked at the NATO, an American base, which had an American shop that imported stuff from America for the Americans based here. Occasionally my uncle brought me along and I would buy tons of cards there. I would also ask him to buy me some every time he went.
So when they stopped selling these, I could not get them anywhere else (the internet wasn’t a thing yet back then). And so I only got these few cards. Maybe one day I’ll actually finish it. But, just like then, there’s still other series of DBZ I want to finish first before I start on these DB ones!
Got any more details / information you think I should add? Or did I get something wrong? Do you own any of these cards? Or do you have the full set? Would you like to trade any? Do you agree or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments below!
Hello, do you have information on the card with a white back? like the promo card, without the dragon ball writing on the face.
THANKS.
Hi Gomes,
Sorry, I’m not sure which card you mean?
I’m from México, I have full set cards, I would love a price for that complete collection. If anyone knows, i’ll appreciate it
Thank you!!
Hi Jerry.
I’m not really a seller. Your best bet is to look for past sales, although I appreciate these don’t come up often. Perhaps setting it on auction on eBay or in a FB group is the way to go. It’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 😉 GL!
Hey hey!! Wasn’t sure I would actually get a reply and I appreciate that very much! 😁🤙 Still no luck over here. Btw…..I forgot to ask….what’s this promo card you mentioned in your original post? And does this set go to 53 or 54 cards..? I thought it was 54 lol have I been searching for card #54 this entire time which has never existed 🤦🤤🤤😂whoops! OHHHH welp…guess I might as well go looking for the Dragon Balls so I can wish Krillin /Yamcha /Frieza whoever back to life…or uhh I mean the for the cards 😏😏😁
Hi Matt,
53 cards, 10 chase cards, and 1 promo = 64 cards. 🙂
The promo I found here: http://www.nonsportpromocards.com/D/dragonball.htm
I am a huge fan of everything Dragonball (except for the live action movie which we will not speak of lol) and I infact do have this set…..sadly it has been years and I’m still at the same spot with the collection. I only need 5 more cards to complete it. Every now and then they will pop up but never all at once. It’s like a bag joke for me. And to make it worse, the prices for the 3 base set cards I need are usually around the $20-$30 range (that’s including the shipping which of course is absurd for something that weighs practically nothing). The 2 subset chase cards I need have always had a wide ranged pricetag (usually in the ballpark between $45-$800….) There is no way that I would pay that much for 5 cards…..but I also don’t know how else I would be able to get my hands on them once and for all. So, if you know anyone who has some of these cards and wants to get rid of them, let me know, maybe we can work out a deal.
Hi Matt. It sucks when you’re missing only a few! And the old cards got expensive indeed. You could try on the Facebook group “Dragon Ball Vintage Collectors (1985-1999)”. Cards don’t come by often but occasionally you can find them there or make an ISO post. Good luck!