"Found In The Attic - VISA Before It Was VISA"

Yep, just as you suspected, VISA used to have a different name too.  That name was Chargex.  In the attached application you can see that the colour and design have remained the same since 1980, and confusingly the VISA name is also on the card so conceivable they were in the middle of a name change in 1980.  VISA Canada is also still using that fake cardholder name ... G Raymond. Interestingly, the application says that Chargex is accepted at 145,000 locations in Canada.  I'll bet the total is at least 10 times as high today.

From a design perspective, the application features a smiling woman lifting brand new sunglasses (tag still attached), a guy fixing a flat tire, and a man about to dig into a large plate of spaghetti -- weird.  More 2 come...

"Found In The Attic - MasterCard Before It Was MasterCard"

As this application form shows, it was originally called Master Charge, and was only available thru BMO or Canada Trust. The graphic art was pretty cool, and the logo is similar to today. The form says you'll find it useful for "big ticket" purchases, and the card has no fees or dues. More 2 come...

"Found In The Attic - Blue Jays 1977"

Okay, let's start this series off with a flyer for the Toronto Blue Jays 1977 season (eg. their 2nd season ever). It's sponsored by Collegiate Sports, which isn't around anymore. There are 6 seniors nights (!) and 3 teen nights ... hmm. The games were still played at old Exhibition Stadium, and look at those prices -- a top seat is $6.50! Today it's $85. Wow.

Found In The Attic (continued)

In my "Found In The Attic" series you'll see stuff from the Blue Jays in 1977, flyers for credit cards that don't exist anymore, original catalogs from Atari and Intellivision, what Panasonic & Sanyo thought was hi-tech in 1980, and a flyer from the Government of Canada that is so ahead of it's time that I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself. Stay tuned 4 more...

Found In The Attic

After 45 years, my folks are moving out of their home into a condo. In helping them clean their house, I found a ton of interesting stuff from the 70s and 80s. So, I'm starting a series to show you some of this unique stuff from a bygone era. Stay tuned for more...

Sedona AZ

 

Sedona, AZ (Faye Canyon)

Grand Canyon, AZ

 

Sedona AZ

Sedona AZ