It may be time to move over because there's a new card in town - "Hot Rod Super Freaks!' These automotive trading cards are quickly catching on with collectors in the Warsaw area.

Local business owner and president of DeKay Cards Inc., Warsaw, Kurt Kelsey, 38, has produced this new collection of trading cards with help from his partner and vice president John Detrich, Ashburn, Va.

The cards feature several traditional-style monsters with names like: "Eye On Da Road," "Freak 'N' Fast" and "Roadsta' Queen." The slobbering monsters are featured driving a variety of wild machines from vintage rods and Caddys to hot new Mustangs, P.T. Cruisers and new V.W. Bugs. Only 1,000 boxes were printed, holding 44 cards in the set, and costing $14.95.

Compared to trading cards found on the market today, "Hot Rod Super Freaks" are relatively simple in design, with identical, generic backsides. But, the wacky hot rod humor and colorful invention of the creators more than make up for any unnecessary glitz.

Kelsey is a graphic designer who, as a child loved the silly, strange and sometimes just plain gross trading cards and stickers. Detrich is an illustrator and a long-time fan of comic art who has been strongly influenced by the hot rod and comic illustrators of the 60s and 70s.

Together, both men wanted to market a card that resembled the old trading cards of 20 and 30 years ago. So they opened DeKay Cards, brainstormed and came up with "Hot Rod Super Freaks."

"We both came up with concepts for the cards and John did all the final illustrations," Kelsey said. "I came up with the title work."

Kelsey said they would send "conceptual sketches and ideas back and forth via e-mail, and John began finalizing a set of 44 original designs."

Brainstorming for the cards began in the spring of 1999 and "we delivered our first set of cards in January 2000."

DeKay Cards is different than most businesses.

"This is definitely a 21st century company," Kelsey said. "Our home really is electronic."

Both Kelsey and Detrich run their business out of their homes - Kelsey in Warsaw and Detrich in Ashburn, Va.

"We have a unique relationship," Kelsey said of his partner. "We've actually never met."

Kelsey said he and Detrich work through e-mail to produce the cards. He also said he sends proofs to Detrich to look over.

"Initially we were targeting (people) right around the age of 40, which is right around my age group," Kelsey said. "But, we started getting interest from 10-year-olds, which is the age I was when I became interested in (trading) cards."

He said a lot of the younger people interested in the "Hot Rod Super Freaks" are "looking for something else (and are) past the Pokemon stage."

Now they can stop looking. That something else is only a few clicks away on the Internet.

"We haven't had a lot of publicity," Kelsey said. "But, we've sold about 300 sets right off the bat."

DeKay Cards and "Hot Rod Super Freaks" are featured in the September 2000 issue of Hot Rod Magazine and also the May 2000 issue of Outre Magazine.

The 300 sets already sold were purchased by people who have visited the Web and discovered the cards. Kelsey said the articles in Hot Rod Magazine and Outre Magazine also have helped with marketing and selling the cards.

Once these cards are sold, new ones may be on the way.

"We've just started," Kelsey said. "After we get these sold we can continue to produce card sets.

"It's been a lot of fun working on this card series," he said. "We have piqued the interest of several other extremely talented artists who are interested in working with us on future projects."

Hopefully, the interest of local trading card collectors has also been "piqued."

For more information or to order "Hot Rod Super Freaks," visit the Web at www.dekaycards.com or write to Dekay Cards, Dept. HR09, Box 973, Warsaw, Ind. 46581-0973. [[In-content Ad]]