Today’s selection brings together vintage Studio Ghibli playing cards from the pages of Animage magazine and a small-scale figure from one of Japan’s most enduring shonen franchises. Each piece offers a window into the anime culture of past decades.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Playing Card — Hearts 5 (Animage 1984)
A single playing card featuring artwork from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, distributed through Animage magazine in 1984. Animage was a Japanese anime magazine published by Tokuma Shoten and played a central role in promoting early Studio Ghibli films.
Price: $8.63 | View on eBay
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Playing Card — Spades 10 (Animage 1984)
Another card from the same 1984 Animage Nausicaä set, this one the ten of spades. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is widely considered the spiritual starting point of Studio Ghibli.
Price: $8.63 | View on eBay
Laputa Playing Card — Diamonds 10 (Animage 1986 Summer)
A diamonds ten playing card from a 1986 summer Animage promotion tied to Castle in the Sky (known in Japan as Tenku no Shiro Laputa). The film was the first project released under the official Studio Ghibli banner.
Price: $8.63 | View on eBay
Andromeda Shun Mini Figure (Bandai MFS Collection, 2003)
A small Bandai figure of Andromeda Shun from the 2003 MFS Collection line. Saint Seiya, created by Masami Kurumada, is a long-running manga and anime franchise about young warriors who don mythological armor known as Cloths.
Price: $13.76 | View on eBay
About This Collection
Three of today’s picks come from Animage magazine promotional sets tied to early Studio Ghibli films, while the fourth turns to the world of shonen action with a Bandai figure from Saint Seiya. Together they trace a path through Japanese animation merchandise from the mid-1980s into the early 2000s.
