It’s unusual to see non-sport cards in television or movies. Comics and action figures are often seen and talked about. Occasionally sports cards get the limelight too. But not non-sport cards. So this viewer was surprised when Captain America cards turns out to be a plot gimmick in Marvel’s $2 million dollar powerhouse The Avengers. Though not a huge plot point, the trading cards are referred to on more then one occasion in the movie. Kudos to Josh Whedon and company for including our little end of the hobby in your excellent movie.

On a somewhat related note, we received an unusual email several days ago from Bench Warmer. The email says “Get paid $500 to show your Bench Warmer collection on cable TV.” It goes on to say:

Do you have a room dedicated to your Bench Warmer Collection? Do you keep adding to the collection despite your significant other’s objections? Do you feel you are constantly defending your hobby? A major cable network is casting for men and women who are hardcore collectors. We want to submit OUR LARGEST BENCH WARMER COLLECTOR – IS IT YOU?

The company is asking mega-fans to contact them with their story. One hitch…the end of the email informs readers that you must live near Los Angeles to be eligible and that travel expenses will not be awarded.

We hope this will turn into a trend and we’ll not only see a mega Bench Warmer collector on television (hey, we’ve already seen Bench Warmer president Brian Wallos on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker) but we’ll also see more non-sports at the movies and on TV.