GPK Cheap Toys Figure Foto

GPK Cheap Toys Brainy Janey, Muggin' Megan, & Double Heather
Rubbery Green
Rubbery Red
Rubbery Orange

NFL Cardboard Close-Up

Card Series: T.C.G. (Topps Chewing Gum) NFL Cards

Release Date: 1961-62 (?)

Collector's Note: This card somehow happens to be hideous and beautiful at the same time. I'm not sure how the conversation went in the graphic design department, but choosing a bright red background for a team picture in which the players are wearing Army green was a ballsy move. The bright yellow lettering and powder blue border are the icing on the cake. Somehow, it works for me.

The back of the card looks great too. The orange color is crisp, and the top and bottom of the card balance each other nicely. But again, I'm not sure how the orange matches up with the front of the card. Wow.

And yes, I am an Eagles fan. I know what you're probably thinking, the Eagles suck. And while that is currently true - coming off a 4-12 season as they are - it's not completely fair to say the franchise has historically sucked. Of course, you would be correct in pointing out that they haven't won a Super Bowl, despite two appearances.

However, before you get too carried away with your hate, you might note that of the 32 teams in the league, the Eagles are in the top 10 in popularity. This is despite not having won a Super Bowl (the other top 10 teams have). So, the Eagles must be doing something right. And, you certainly can't accuse Eagles fans of being fair weather fans.

Maybe that's why I like this card so much, because it's ugly and beautiful at the same team, just like the Eagles, haha.

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Masters of the Universe

Release Date: 1984

Collector's Note: "I HAVE THE DUMBEST DIALOG!!"

Disclaimer: Nicodemus does not necessarily represent the views of Toypedia, haha. And in this case, he doesn't! {Soupie}

Wacky Packages Erasers

Name of Toy Line: Wacky Packages Erasers

Production Company: The Topps Company, Inc.

Distributor: The Topps Company, Inc.

Years of Production: 2011

Countries/Regions Available: US and Canada for sure, not sure about elsewhere.

Size/Scale: 1"

Figure Trade Markings: None

Approximate # of Figures: 24

Details: The Wacky Packages card range of Topps which got its start in 1967 is a long-running classic, right up there with Garbage Pail Kids. In 2011, the range experienced an exciting, new evolution and was produced in the eraser medium.

Twenty four Wacky Packages were made in eraser form. Twenty of them apparently common and four allegedly produced in "rare" quantities. Wacky Packages are parodies of various North American products ranging from sodas and soups to cereals and crackers. How well does the range translate from the 2D form-factor of card art to the 3D world of rubber sculpts? Let's see!

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Cards

Release Date: 1990

Collector's Note: I can't believe this card is from the 90's...it's just so...well...80's!

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Batman Returns

Release Date: 1992

Collector's Note: Keaton rocked the batsuit.

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Wacky Packages

Release Date: 1974

Collector's Note: From the original 10th series. With all the new WP goodies in stores, I just didn't want collectors to forget that these are actually a very old release ;)

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Hollywood Zombies

Release Date: 2007

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Star Wars

Release Date: 1977

Collector's Note: It sure is an elegant weapon.

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Garbage Pail Kids (Russia)

Release Date: 2009

Collector's Note: For more information on this Russian version of Garbage Pail Kids, please visit this link.

Goonies

Name of Card Set: Goonies
Production Company:Warner Bros
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1985
Pack Contents: 10 Cards, 1 sticker, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

The Goonies! The end-all-be-all coolest kid-adventure flick to come out of the 80's. This movie stands the test of time better than almost any other movie from that decade. In addition to being a success in theaters, the film has enjoyed an extremely loyal cult following. Lucky for us fanatics there is a fantastic(ly cheesy) card set to wrap our hands around. Released by Topps in 1985, this set serves up some great Goonie memories.


Mom :)

Each pack of Goonies came with 10 cards, one sticker and one stick of the almighty. The cards were fairly standard for Topps' movie releases...featuring scenes from the movie on the front and explanations of the scene on the back. Perhaps one of the best little gems of this set is the kickass 'silhouette' of the characters on the back of the cards! Definitely a nice little touch that could easily be overlooked. The stickers were a fun little part of the set, focusing on specific characters from the movie (example of sticker can be found here) in a cool 80's style border.



The movie itself was great for a number of different reasons, but at the top of that list was the fact it combined memorable characters with unforgettable environments. From their house, to the Fratelli's hideout, to the pirate ship, and more...the entire movie was a crazy adventure from start to finish. The card set does a pretty good job of capturing images of the characters and scenery...therefore making it easy to sink right into the feel of the movie. Honestly, it's like you're in the room when Chunk meets Sloth ;)



Another interesting thing I noticed while flipping through the cards is just how many actors from this movie have remained relevant today. This movie helped spawn the careers of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman and more. Seriously...Frodo Baggins, Llewelyn Moss and Virginia Chance amongst others!



Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go did my "pinchers-of-power" out of my dresser and head out on an adventure of my own!

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Bathroom Buddies

Release Date: 1996

Dinosaurs Attack!

Name of Card Set: Dinosaurs Attack!
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1988
Pack Contents: 5 Cards, 1 sticker, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

Wow...a Topps card set that wasn't based on a movie, TV show, or popular toy? I know, it's hard to believe. Thankfully for collectors, Topps partnered with some fantastic artists and released the Dinosaurs Attack! trading card set back in 1988. This set tells the story of dinosaurs transported through time into the present day via a freak accident, and their eventual destruction of planet Earth. The set contains 55 cards and 11 sticker cards.



The best thing about this release is how little Topps held back when it came to censoring the cards. The images are graphically bloody, and shocking in some cases. They don't shy away from bloody deaths, decapitations, mutilations, etc. Man I miss the 80's when everything wasn't G-rated - and there wasn't a fear of having to please everybody. :( In addition to the chaos on the front of the cards, the backs featured newspaper-styled writeups of the destruction being caused by the dinos.



Of course this set wasn't all about guts...it was also there to help educate ;) Included in the release was a mini-set of sticker cards. These stickers featured one dinosaur on the front, and some information on said dino on the back. The artwork on these stickers is pretty impressive, and it looks like it could be put into a science book and no one would know. (Well, except for the guy being eaten!) Definitely a nice little addition to the set.



An interesting little side note...it's rumored that Tim Burton loves this card set, and he was planning on making a movie based on it until the overwhelming success of the Jurassic Park movies. He eventually made Mars Attacks!, but I can only imagine how sweet his take on these cards would have been.

Cardboard Close-up

Card Series: Topps Funny Valentine

Release Date: 1960

Collector's Note: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY from Toypedia. Topps released this humorous take on Valentine's cards way back in 1960. The front of the card featured a standard valentine greeting...but when the recipient turned it over, they would find something a little less flattering:

ALF

Name of Card Set: ALF
Production Company: Alien Productions
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1987
Pack Contents: 5 Cards, 1 Sticker, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

Residing comfortably at the top of the list of "Worst Television Shows Ever" is ALF. The story was fairly simple (and ridiculous!)...centering around the title character Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF (an acronym for Alien Life Form), who crash lands in the garage of a suburban middle class family. Sounds pretty atrocious, yet it managed to remain popular on NBC for over 4 years. I can't imagine there was a big demand...but for some reason Topps decided to make a card set featuring the TV series. Without further ado...



As you can see above, the cards featured random scenes from the television show, complete with a caption of the hilarity taking place on screen. The back featured either information about the "Life & Times" of li'l ol' Gordon...or a puzzle piece. The production value of the set is pretty much on-par with the rest of the 80's Topps releases...not great, but not bad at the same time.



There were a couple of subsets to the ALF release as each pack contained one sticker and one "Bouillabaseball" card. The baseball cards portrayed aliens as a ball players - complete with random team names and player names. The stickers were more of a 'character card'...featuring personalities from the show and a little quote.



All-in-all, this set is best used to remind everyone just how fantastic the 80's were. Honestly, what kind of drugs were people on to come up with this kind of stuff...let alone sit on the couch and watch it every week for 4 years??

HURR

Smurf Supercards

Name of Card Set: Smurf Supercards
Production Company: Peyo
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1982
Pack Contents: 7 Supercards, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

"La, la, la-la-la-la...la, la-la, la, la..." You know the song, and no matter how hard you may try to get it out of your head, it stays. That simple little song signaled the beginning of the Smurfs attack on North American pop culture. It was 1981 (really!??!!?) when the Smurfs started invading our Saturday mornings, and they are still going strong today. Topps Inc, the king of non-sport card releases, helped Smurf-collectors out by releasing a card set based on the popular cartoon.



As a set, it's a fairly odd release by Topps. Obviously the first difference collectors will notice is that these cards are not the typical 2.5" x 3.5" release, rather these are (dun, dun, dun...) SUPERCARDS! Each card is approximately 2.5" x 5", and every card features an image in landscape mode. The front of the cards feature your favorite characters with clever little sayings with a 'Smurf-spin' to them. Sadly, the back of the cards are all the same (except for the card number).



So...of course since this is a Topps release, you can expect the typical stick of bubble gum to be included in the package. Wait....what? No pink gum??!! Hang on now - climb down from the ledge because one of the best parts of this release is that Topps not only changed the size of the cards, but also the color of the gum! Some might cry blasphemy, but to me the inclusion of blue gum is just another reason this obscure set belongs in everyone's collection.

Considering there were only 50 cards for a complete set...and 7 cards came per pack...this was a fairly easy set to complete. And although it's slightly difficult to locate these cards today, it's still possible with just a little bit of searching. Until our next post...

Masters of the Universe

Name of Card Set: Masters of the Universe
Production Company: Mattel, Inc.
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1984
Pack Contents: 10 Cards, 1 sticker, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

It’s barely longer than one minute, but to children who grew up in the 80’s, it is quite possibly the most recognizable one minute ever. Aside from the fact it is one of the best introductions to a show (ever!), it also captures the ‘feel’ of 80’s nostalgia better than almost any other piece of memorabilia. Just have a look:



Seriously…what kid wouldn’t get completely psyched at what was to come!!?? The show of course is He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Without a doubt, one of the best cartoons of the 80’s…based on one of the strongest and most collected toylines of the decade. Of course Topps released a card series to capitalize on the success…but sadly, it doesn’t quite hold up to the strength of the toys and television show.



At first glance, the set seems pretty strong. Topps used the familiar ‘multiple-wrappers’ strategy to draw in collectors (main image above). Also, the set was fairly large, consisting of 88 cards and 21 stickers…but once the initial ‘wow-factor’ wears off, the flaws in the production value begin to show through. The set is riddled with miscuts and lack of effort from the design team. Sure, all of the popular characters are captured in card-form, but aside from that there isn’t really anything to jump up and shout about.





The entire set tells a story…similar (if not identical) to one of the cartoon shows. The card fronts feature a picture of a particular scene, and the back contains a little synopsis…followed by a “continued on the next card…” message. The set is fairly plain – and sadly, one of the most unique features of the set is the interesting variation Topps took when it came to the checklist. Just take a look at how different it is from the typical checklist:



Don’t get me wrong…it’s still an incredibly cool set – but it just doesn’t come close to living up to how amazing the cartoon and toys were. That being said, a kick-butt non-sport card collection is NOT complete without a few samples from this undeniably-cool piece of the 80’s.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Name of Card Set: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Production Company: Mirage Studios
Distribution Company:The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1989
Pack Contents: 5 cards, 1 sticker, 1 stick bubble gum

Details:

Dude! Perhaps one of the most popular and successful comic/cartoon/action franchises of all time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have enjoyed success for over 25 years. What began back in 1984 as a comic book has exploded into multiple television series, movies, video games, merchandise and more! One of the first pieces of merchandise made available to collectors way back in 1989 was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trading cards from Topps.



The details of the release were fairly standard for the time. Scenes from the popular cartoon were captured on the front of the heavy cardboard stock, while the back contained descriptions of various scenes and plot developments. And of course the cards are loaded with (pizza) cheesy catch-phrases that just reek of 80’s nostalgia.



Available in four different wrappers (pictured above), collectors had plenty to shout “Cowabunga” about. This was not the first time Topps issued multiple wrapper variations for a card set, but it might be the best implementation of the idea to date. Having a wrapper for each turtle just seemed right…and it gave children just one more thing to collect!



Inside the packs were five cards, one sticker and one stick of pink goodness. The stickers were by far one of the best parts of the release, featuring bright colors and detailed artwork. Sadly they were not die-cut, so you had to stick the whole ‘square’ onto your Trapper Keeper, but they were still totally cool! The back of the stickers featured puzzle pieces that (when assembled) formed larger images of the individual stickers.



Hopefully you enjoyed this brief look at the first trading card set related to the heroes in a half-shell. There’s much more where this came from, so stay tuned to Toypedia for more goodies!!