Australian Tazos facts for kids
Tazos are small, round collectible discs that were very popular in Australia. They first came out in 1995. The very first set featured characters from Looney Tunes. Over the years, Tazos featured many cool themes like The Simpsons, Beyblades, Star Wars, and even Marvel Heroes. The last Tazos were released in 2008, featuring AFL and NRL footy players.
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How to Spot a Real Tazo
Tazos were found inside Smith's Snackfood products. You can tell if a disc is an official Tazo by looking for the special Tazo logo. This logo is usually in capital letters on the packaging and on the back of each disc. The "O" in the word "Tazo" in the logo looks like it's hitting a stack of three Tazos.
If a disc doesn't have this logo on the back, it's usually not an official Tazo. There's one main exception: the Simpsons Tazo Pickers set from 2002. This set was a team-up between Smith's Snackfood Company and an Australian company called Hot Shots. The discs from Hot Shots were called "Pickers" and didn't have the Tazo logo.
Over the years, other companies also offered similar collectible discs in chip packets. These included discs for Pokémon, Digimon, and Lord Of The Rings. However, these were not sold under the "Tazo" name in Australia. This means they are not considered official Tazo products.
Official Tazo Collections
Below is a list of the official Tazo sets released in Australia and the year they came out.
| Series | Number Run | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Looney Tunes | 1-60 | 1995 |
| Cheetah | 61-100 | 1995 |
| Looney Tunes Techno | 101-140 | 1995 |
| The Simpsons | 141-180 | 1996 |
| Chester Cheetah Techno Tazo | 181-200 | 1996 |
| Time Warp Looney Tunes | 201-220 | 1996 |
| Space Jam | 1-80 | 1996 |
| Star Wars | 81-160 | 1997 |
| Batman & Robin | 1-40 | 1997 |
| The Simpsons Pickers | 1-120 | 2002 |
| Beyblades Tazo Topz | 1-54 | 2003 |
| Mega Tazo Topz | 1-65 | 2003 |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! Metalix | 1-60 | 2004 |
| Crush Gear Tazo | 1-40 | 2004 |
| The Simpsons Bowlarama | 1-50 | 2005 |
| Marvel Heroes | 1-50 | 2005 |
| The Simpsons TV Tazo | 1-50 | 2006 |
| AFL Hot Shot Tazo | 1-30 | 2006 |
| NRL Hot Shot Tazo | 1-30 | 2006 |
| Footy NRL Tazo Classic | 1-48 | 2007 |
| Footy NRL Tazo Gold | 1-64 | 2007 |
| Footy AFL Tazo Classic | 1-48 | 2007 |
| Footy AFL Tazo Gold | 1-64 | 2007 |
| Footy Legends NRL | 1-72 | 2008 |
| Footy Legends AFL | 1-64 | 2008 |
- The Yu-Gi-Oh! Metalix set had a few extra bonus Tazos. You could find these with a kids' magazine called K-Zone and at Shell petrol stations.
Where Tazos Were Found
Tazos were included in many different Smith's Snackfood products. Over the years, these have included popular snacks like:
- Burger Rings
- Cheese and Bacon Balls
- Doritos
- Lays
- Smith's Potato Chips
- Twisties
Storing Your Tazos
For most Tazo sets, special folders were made to help collectors store their discs. You could often find these folders at supermarkets, news agencies, or sometimes order them online.
Completing Your Collection
If you were missing some Tazos from a set, there was often a way to get them. Usually, after the promotion ended, kids and collectors could send a list of their missing Tazos to the company. They would also send a cheque to cover the cost. This helped many people finish their collections!
