Collectibles /Trading Cards / Non-Sports
Collectibles /Trading Cards / Non-Sports
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Non-Sport Trading Cards
Non-Sport Trading Cards
Though famous for baseball, Topps built a cultural empire with non-sport cards. Starting in the 1930s, they captured imaginations with licensed heroes before defining the genre in the 50s and 60s with original, often controversial, creations like Mars Attacks and the beloved parody series Wacky Packages. They also mastered television tie-ins, with their 1966 Batman set becoming a massive hit for a generation of kids.
The game changed forever in 1977 with Topps' Star Wars cards, an unprecedented phenomenon that created the modern template for movie merchandising. This model continued for decades with cards for every major film and TV show, from E.T. to Stranger Things, eventually evolving to include modern chase cards like autographs and memorabilia. From simple wax packs to high-end collectibles, Topps’s non-sport history remains a vibrant, pocket-sized timeline of popular culture.
Charlie's Angels (1976)
Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
Howard the Duck (1986)
Indiana Jones (series) (1981-1984)
Michael Jackson (1984)
Star Trek The Motion Picture (1980)
The Panini story begins not with cards, but with stickers. Founded in Modena, Italy, in 1961 by the Panini brothers, the company revolutionized collecting with its iconic Calciatori soccer sticker album. This model—buying sticker packs to fill a dedicated album—became a global phenomenon, cemented by their legendary FIFA World Cup collections starting in 1970.
For decades, Panini’s non-sport presence was defined by applying this successful sticker album format to beloved cartoons, Disney characters, and pop stars, making them a household name across Europe and Latin America. Their transformation into an American trading card powerhouse began in 2009 with the pivotal acquisition of Donruss. This allowed Panini to produce modern, hit-based card sets for major licenses like Fortnite and blockbuster movie franchises, operating alongside their classic sticker collections and securing their legacy as a true global collectibles giant.
Snow White (sticker set) (1987)
Donruss is one of the “Big Three” classic American trading‑card manufacturers, alongside Topps and Fleer. The company played a major role in shaping the modern sports‑card and non‑sport‑card hobby, especially from the 1950s through the 1990s.
Baseball Super Freaks (sticker set) (1973)
Founded: 1885
Founder: Frank H. Fleer
Original Business: Chewing gum manufacturer
Fleer began as a gum company in Philadelphia. Trading cards were not their initial focus, but like many gum companies of the era, they eventually used cards as pack‑in premiums to boost sales.
Comic Images is an American trading‑card and collectibles publisher founded in 1984 in Montvale, New Jersey. The company became one of the most recognizable names in non‑sport trading cards, especially during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, when the hobby experienced a major boom.
Julie Akihito,
[editor of Sales Over Clutter, an Overlord Company]
Julie is a former accountant, but now is a stay at home mom, and has a passion for garage sales and Thrift Store finds. "I'm always on the lookout for a great deal, or to learn something new about our collectible past."
Julie Akihito,
[editor of Sales Over Clutter, an Overlord Company]
Julie is a former accountant, but now is a stay at home mom, and has a passion for garage sales and Thrift Store finds. "I'm always on the lookout for a great deal, or to learn something new about our collectible past."
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