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American Morning

You Can Trade Places and Get Your Face on a Card

Aired December 21, 2001 - 08:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Still have that Mickey Mantle rookie of the year card in your closet that is worth a ton. Well, trading cards, and sports stars have been around for generations.

But now, as we hear from our own Jeanne Moos, you can trade places and get your face on a card.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once upon a time, you had to be a ballplayer to get your own trading cards. Now, all you have to be is human.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, of our slogans is collect all 6 billion. Actually, there are only 105 so far, 105 People Cards.

STELLA STENSEL, PEOPLE CARD PARTICIPANT: Just regular people looking stupid, as they do.

MOOS: Stella Stensel should know, she's on one.

(on camera): Could you imagine people collecting you?

MOOS (voice-over): it's a weird idea. People cards consist of people who make wear funny faces, people who wear weird hats, people who look absolutely normal, but when you read the back:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The weird thing he does is he passes out when he laughs to hard.

CHLOE SWEENEY, NOVELTY STORE MANAGER: The weird thing Wayne does, "I make sure all of the appliances are turned off and the toilet is not running before I leave the house."

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: And every person has a motto. "If it's for free, it's for me say," Tammy Morgan. They unashamedly list their habits, from nail biting and cussing to nose picking. "Fight the Glamour" is the People Card motto and many cards live up to it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, lovely.

MOOS: People Cards are the brain of San Francisco entrepreneur Brant Herman. Brant was sick hearing about celebrities,. so he decided to celebrate folks who have no claim to fame.

BRANT HERMAN, FOUNDER, PEOPLE CARDS: They've been immortalized, and you know, there's an artifact about them.

MOOS: A pack of seven cost $3. Here in Mod World in New York, the first packs sold out quickly. Favorites range from the guy training for the World Strongest Man competition to the guy with his drum set and dog posed in front of his trailer home to the mold maker dressed up as a wizard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he was in "Harry Potter."

MOOS: And then there's Melinda, the Bronx woman who described herself as a proud lesbian parent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, she looks very proud.

MOOS (on camera): I bet your card might be collectible because you said you were gay on it, you know, like a lesbian card.

MELINDA KLEMAS, PEOPLE CARD PARTICIPANT: I wish it would be.

MOOS (voice-over): To apply go to People Card, just go the People Card Net Website, answer the questions and send in a photo.

HERMAN: Maybe everyone in this world doesn't merit a 350 page autobiography, but everyone at least merits, you know, a trading card.

MOOS: For instance, Bob Boocan (ph), a high-voltage linemen.

HERMAN: His most pronounced feature is that he's got three skull fractures.

MOOS: Dennis Soper (ph) posed clutching snack foods sitting atop two cases of beer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I would hold on to this one.

MOOS (no camera): No way. I will give you Dennis Soper for George Merlin (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way. I'll go with the Merlin guy.

I will take her.

MOOS: Glenda is a clown. Robert drools in his sleep, and Roy's favorite food is anything Italian.

BRIAN MULLIN, PEOPLE CARDS: As far as us, he's a celebrity. This is my Tom Cruise right here.

MOOS: A steelworker who provokes a gut-wrenching reaction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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