Premium Trading Cards

Promotional leaflet front cover

On July 1, 1998, Inkworks released a series of "premium trading cards" featuring stills from the film, character maquettes, temporary tattoos, and actor autographs. These eight-card packs retailed at $1.75 USD, with a Collector's Album available to mail order for $17.95 USD.

Card List

Core Set
#	Title	Description	Image
1	Small Soldiers	Imagine what would happen if the best action figures in the world were built using artificial intelligence computer chips. Advanced chips designed to upgrade existing systems instead of replacing them. These toys would be able to adapt... to learn... to become aware. Now what if these Small Soldiers took their programming a little too seriously, and decided to wage their own private war in your town? You’ve just imagined the Commando Elite™ and their arch enemies, the Gorgonites™. Small Soldiers™-From now on: Everything else is just a toy.
2	The Presentation	GloboTech - whose holdings span computer systems and defense companies, to telecommunications and food - has bought out Heartland Toys. And if designers Larry and Irwin want to keep their jobs, they’ll have to impress Gil Mars, the world’s most powerful businessman. Irwin's well-designed Gorgonites™ - gentle, extra-dimensional monsters - get an immediate thumbs down. But Larry's multimedia presentation of the Commando Elite™ gets more attention. In fact, Mars promises to supply the designers with everything they need to make the toys unique.
3	Don't Forget	As soon as school lets out, Alan Abernathy rushes to The Inner Child, a toy store owned and operated by his dad, Stuart. The store follows a strict 'No Violent Toys' policy and business isn't bad, it's nonexistent. Much to Alan's surprise, he'll be in charge while his dad attends a business seminar. True, no one ever comes in, but just in case, Start wants his son to set up a new display.
4	Delivery	This is example text
5	I Owe You One	This is example text
6	Sworn Enemies	This is example text
7	I've Seen You Around	This is example text
8	Way Cool!	This is example text
9	The New Display	This is example text
10	I Am Archer	This is example text
11	Chip Breaks Out	This is example text
12	Fall In!	This is example text
13	Home...	This is example text
14	Armed & Dangerous	This is example text
15	Frag 'em All!	This is example text
16	The War Zone	This is example text
17	Who Did This?	This is example text
18	Clean Up	This is example text
19	Recon	This is example text
20	Command Post	This is example text
21	Hold On!	This is example text
22	There's a Problem	This is example text
23	The Trap	This is example text
24	The Interrogator	This is example text
25	Into the Pit!	This is example text
26	Medic!	This is example text
27	A Packed Arsenal	This is example text
28	I'm Messed Up	This is example text
29	Where Are They?	This is example text
30	You In There?	This is example text
31	What Was That?	This is example text
32	We Fixed him	This is example text
33	Age Five ...and Up	This is example text
34	What Is Christy?	This is example text
35	A Complete Collection	This is example text
36	Wire Tap	This is example text
37	Move Out!	This is example text
38	You Can Talk!	This is example text
39	P.O.W.	This is example text
40	Bombshells, Sir	This is example text
41	You'll Live On	This is example text
42	Reporting for Duty	This is example text
43	Attack!	This is example text
44	Hi! You're Cute!	This is example text
45	Are You Scared?	This is example text
46	The Wind	This is example text
47	Search Complete!	This is example text
48	Surrender	This is example text
49	Behind Enemy Lines	This is example text
50	The Rescue	This is example text
51	Roll Out!	This is example text
52	Christy Fights Back	This is example text
53	Expect No Mercy	This is example text
54	Interlock!	This is example text
55	There's Still a Way	This is example text
56	Home at Last	This is example text
57	You're Alive!	This is example text
58	Oh, No...	This is example text
59	Negotiations	This is example text
60	Reinforcements	This is example text
61	Ready to Detonate	This is example text
62	We Must Help Alan!	This is example text
63	We will Lose	This is example text
64	Insaniac's Charge	This is example text
65	Freakenstein Fires	This is example text
66	Go	This is example text
67	The Chopper	This is example text
68	No Prisoners	This is example text
69	High Voltage	This is example text
70	Do You Smell Smoke?	This is example text
71	Are You Okay?	This is example text
72	We Won!	This is example text
73	Archer	This is example text
74	Insaniac	This is example text
75	Slamfist	This is example text
76	Punch-It	This is example text
77	Scratch-It	This is example text
78	Freakenstein	This is example text
79	Ocula	This is example text
80	Chip Hazard	This is example text
81	Nick Nitro	This is example text
82	Butch Meathook	This is example text
83	Brick Bazooka	This is example text
84	Kip Killigan	This is example text
85	Link Static	This is example text
86	Alan Abernathy	This is example text
87	Christy Fimple	This is example text
88	Tim Fimple	This is example text
89	The Inventors	This is example text
90	Checklist	(Lists cards 1-90)
Temporary Tattoos
#	Title	Description	Front
T1	Chip Hazard & Brick Bazooka
T2	Kip Killigan / Link Static
T3	Nick Nitro / Butch Meathook
T4	Archer / Punch-It & Scratch-It
T5	Slamfist / Ocula
T6	Insaniac / Freakenstein
T7	Archer vs. Chip Hazard
T8	The Gorgonites	(logo)
T9	The Commando Elite	(logo)
Battle Cards
#	Title	Description	Image
B1	The Power Assault Vehicle	This is example text
B2	Buzzsaw Tank	This is example text
B3	Helicopter	This is example text
B4	Toaster Tank	This is example text
B5	Flaming Tennis Ball Shooter	This is example text
B6	Skateboard Flame Thrower	This is example text
Troops Tribute Card
#	Title	Description	Image
S1	The Commando Elite / The Gorgonites	(Features an embossed, foil image on both sides)
Autograph Cards
#	Title	Description	Image
A1	Gregory Smith	This is example text
A2	Kirsten Dunst	This is example text
A3	Joe Dante	This is example text
A4	Stan Winston	This is example text
―	Autograph Redemption Card	(The rear is a form to be filled in and returned to Inkworks to redeem the marked autographed card)
Memorial Card
#	Title	Description	Image
―	Phil Hartman 1948-1998	This is example text
Promotional Cards
#	Title	Description	Image
P1	"If it Launches, Lacerates, or Detonates ― I Want it."	Introducing the Commando Elite™ and their sworn enemies the Gorgonites™, the latest toys to hit the stores. When a computer conglomerate acquires the toy company, the toys simple computer chips are accidentally switched with top secret artificial intelligence chips Intended for the company's military division. An early shipment of the Small Soldiers™ arrives at the store where 14-year-old Alan works after school for his father. With their programming multiplied by the high-tech computer chips, all-out war breaks out is the Small Soldiers™ wage the ultimate toy battle. Alan and his friend Christy must rally with the Gorgonites to protect Alan's home - Gorgonite Castle - from the invading Commandos! Inkworks tells the tale in a series of trading cards that include the entire movie story and 3 levels of cool insert cards, including a TATTOO IN EVERY PACK! SMALL SOLDIERS...BIG MOVIE Coming July 1998
P2	"Gentlemen, We Got Us a War to Win!"	(Distributed via Non-Sport Update Magazine) (Same text as P1)
P3	"Our Mission: To Destroy the Gorgonite Enemy. Defeat Him."	(Same text as P1)
00	―	(4-card panel, 7" x 5"; Distributed via Suncoast Video and Media Play)
MS1	―	(4-card panel, 7" x 5"; Distributed via Starlog Magazine)

Rarities

Card rarities range from the guaranteed core set to ultra-rare actor autograph redemption cards, which were redeemed by post to receive the marked autograph (resulting in even fewer of the redemption cards surviving). Beyond the rarities found in retail packs, there exist a small number of promo cards and a memorial card for Phil Hartman, which were distributed to companies for promotional use.

Display boxes contain 36 packs of 8 cards and 1 tattoo. This means a complete base set should occur approximately 3.2 times per box, and a complete tattoo set should occur approximately 4 times per box, assuming equal distribution.

• Base Set ― 8 per pack
• Temporary Tattoos ― 1 per pack
• Battle Cards ― approx. 1 in 27 packs
• Troops Tribute Card ― approx. 1 in 108 packs
• Autograph Redemption Card ― Unknown

The Memorial Card and Promo Cards were not distributed in packs.

Trivia

• As the application side of the temporary tattoos is face-down on the paper backing to avoid damage, the images and text can only be seen mirrored before use.
• The autograph cards are the most expensive to buy second hand, as one would expect, with the the most expensive signature being Kirsten Dunst's by a large margin. These prices are certain to increase as the actors die, as is always the case with autographs, though Dunst's fame will likely maintain the card's higher value.
• Phil Hartman's memorial card was originally going to be a standard autograph card, prior to his tragic death before the release of the film. Rather than remove it, Inkworks distributed it as a promotional card in his memory.
• Interestingly, the Promotional Cards refer to Alan's house as "Gorgonite Castle", which must be referencing an earlier draft of the script, as it is never called that in the film.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

Promotional leaflet
(centrefold)

Promotional leaflet
(rear)

Wrapped display box
(front)

Wrapped display box
(rear)

External Links

External Links
Small Soldiers Inkworks - 1998 on Jeff Allender's House of Checklists 1998 Inkworks Small Soldiers on Trading Card Database 1998 Inkworks Small Soldiers Checklist, Trading Cards Info on Trader Crack's