The company, claiming to be the number one collectibles and sports memorabilia company in the world, launched its `Star Quest India' Film Star Collector Cards at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi last week. The first collector cards series features popular Bollywood stars Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala, Ajay Devgun and Gulshan Grover.

``A lot of research went into this project, like which film stars to launch through these collectible cards,'' says Richard McWilliam, founder, chairman and CEO Upper Deck.

``The Indian film industry is very big, making these stars the true ambassadors of India, '' McWilliam says. Ironically, the idea was hatched in Hollywood, California, along with Upper Deck's partnerfor this project, Vijay Amritraj, and his First Serve Entertainment Company.

``In 1989, we launched high quality Upper Deck Products, which created an industry overnight in the US,'' claims McWilliam. ``Our product emphasis has always been on high quality and creativity, which is what Upper Deck stands for among collectors and hobbyists,'' he adds.

The `Star Quest India' collector cards series consists of 90 cards, sold in packs of five each and retailed at Rs 25 per pack. The company hopes that the target group of school-going children will build their personal collection by not only buying, but exchanging, these premium cards with other collectors. After collecting a certain number of cards, the children can redeem a certain value for the packs, and can get a free album to display their cards.

The cards feature live action photographs of the stars, gold foil autographs, puzzles and insights about the stars and more. And each card has a hologram on it indicating its authenticity.

``We realised thatchildren tend to pick up a great deal of information by exchanging such cards. Basically, each card has a lot of information behind it and in the process of exchanging, the child will pick up more information,'' McWilliam adds.

In the US, Upper Deck products focus on sports. But the company felt that popular Bollywood film stars would be more relevant to launch this product in India, explains Howard Farfel, general manager, Upper Deck, Asia-Pacific. According to him, once this concept catches on in India, they will include a sports series as well.

Upper Deck has launched its products in China, Australia, France and Germany, too. Farfel says the company's media blitz featuring all the stars on these cards will be launched soon.

Vijay Amritraj's First Serve Entertainment, currently in control of nearly half the market share of the children's television/merchandising market in India, is Upper Deck's manufacturing and marketing licensee in India, Delhi-based Stic Pens Ltd is the distributor.

``We are amajor player in catering to youth television/merchandising in India. We believe that exciting new product concepts like the `Star Quest India' Film Star Collector Cards will capture the imagination of Indian youngsters,'' says Munish Gupta, vice president, First Serve Entertainment.