In 1979, after a decade off the airwaves (syndication success notwithstanding), Star Trek triumphantly returned, not to television, but to the silver screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Accompanying this cinematic event was a new collection of trading cards from Topps, eager to capture the resurrected adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise and its iconic crew for fans old and new.

History: The Final Frontier... of Cardboard

Released in 1979 by The Topps Company, Inc. under license from Paramount Pictures Corporation, the Star Trek: The Motion Picture trading card set aimed to bring the visual spectacle and updated look of the franchise into the hands of collectors. The movie itself was a highly anticipated event, marking the first big-screen outing for Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the beloved characters.

The set consisted of 88 base cards and a complementary 22-sticker set. Each wax pack contained 10 cards, 1 sticker, and the obligatory stick of bubble gum (now a 40+ year old relic best left uneaten). The cards featured a mix of images, including scenes directly from the film, posed publicity stills of the main characters in their new pajama-esque Starfleet uniforms, and shots of the impressively redesigned U.S.S. Enterprise and other new spacecraft and alien designs.

Card fronts had white borders, with the images framed by a solid color (often blue or purple) that included a small U.S.S. Enterprise icon soaring along the bottom. Unlike many Topps sets of the era that featured large caption boxes, this set opted for a much smaller font for captions, usually placed in the top corner of the colored frame. The card backs were a mix: some featured puzzle pieces that, when assembled, created larger images, while others contained text offering actor bios, story summaries, character descriptions, and quotes from the film.

Behind the Scenes: A Glimpse into V'Ger and Beyond

While specific "behind-the-scenes" stories about the production of the card set itself are not widely documented, the imagery on the cards inherently reflects the ambitious, and at times notoriously troubled, production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

• A New Look: The cards prominently feature the updated Starfleet uniforms and the refitted Enterprise, designed by Andrew Probert and Richard Taylor. These visuals were a significant departure from the brighter, more "television" look of the original series and were a key talking point of the film.

• Alien Menagerie: The set showcases the diverse and often bizarre alien designs created for the film, many ofwhich are seen only briefly on screen, such as the various alien diplomats and Starfleet personnel. The cards provide a clearer, lingering look at these detailed costumes and makeups.

• Emphasis on Spectacle: Many cards highlight the film's focus on visual effects and grand scale, with numerous shots of the Enterprise, the mysterious V'Ger entity, and dramatic space sequences. This was a clear effort to position Star Trek as a serious science fiction epic on par with contemporary films like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

• Delayed Arrival: The film itself had a rushed and challenging production, with special effects being completed right up to the premiere. It's plausible that Topps faced similar pressures or limitations in acquiring a wide variety of dynamic action shots, potentially leading to the inclusion of many posed publicity stills.

Value Assessments & Rarity: How Coveted Are These Relics?

As of May 2025, the 1979 Topps Star Trek: The Motion Picture trading card set is generally considered affordable and readily available to collectors, though high-grade examples and sealed material command higher prices.

• Complete Sets: A complete base set of 88 cards in excellent to near-mint condition typically sells in the range of $20 to $40. Sets that also include the complete 22-sticker set in similar condition can fetch $40 to $90, sometimes more if the condition is exceptionally pristine.

• Individual Cards: Most common single cards can be purchased for under a dollar to a few dollars, depending on the character and condition. Key characters like Kirk and Spock might command a slight premium.

• Graded Cards: Professionally graded cards (e.g., by PSA) in high grades (PSA 9 MINT or PSA 10 GEM MINT) are significantly more valuable. For example, PSA 9 MINT commons might sell for $20-$40, while popular characters or visually striking cards in the same grade can range from $50 to $70, with some rarer high-grade examples fetching over $100, and exceptionally rare cards or those with very low populations in high grades potentially reaching several hundred dollars (e.g., specific aliens like the "Alien Insectoid" or "Betel's Attendant" graded PSA 9 have seen asking prices in the hundreds).

• Stickers: Individual stickers are also relatively common, with prices similar to common cards. Complete sticker sets can add $15-$30 to the value of a base set.

• Unopened Wax Packs: These are still available and are popular with collectors seeking a nostalgic experience or hoping for high-grade cards. Sealed wax packs typically sell for $5 to $15 each, with some authenticated and graded packs by services like BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange) potentially fetching more.

• Unopened Wax Boxes: A full, sealed wax box (usually 36 packs) is less common and can sell for $150 to $300 or more, depending on condition and authentication.

• Uncut Sheets: Uncut sheets of cards are rare and are considered significant collector's items, with prices varying widely based on condition and the number of cards on the sheet, potentially ranging from $100 to several hundred dollars (a rare uncut sheet was listed on Fastball Collectibles for $795, marked down from $950).

Overall, the set is not considered exceptionally rare, and a "shortage of supply" is not an issue for most items related to this set. Its affordability makes it an accessible entry point for vintage Star Trek or non-sport card collectors.

Fun Facts & Notable Features:

• The Stickers: The 22 stickers had two distinct designs, both featuring purple borders. One style was the traditional Topps die-cut character portrait with a thick outline. The other, more unique design, set the image inside a shape resembling an overhead view of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

• Puzzle Backs: A common feature of Topps sets from this era, many card backs combined to form larger puzzle images.

• International Variants?: While the primary Topps set was for the US market, it's worth noting that other Star Trek: The Motion Picture card/sticker sets were released in other countries, such as a 54-card sticker set by Swizzels in the UK that came with Refreshers candies and had blank backs. There were also bread-company-issued sets (e.g., Kilpatrick's Bread, Rainbo Bread) in the US that used some of the same imagery but were distinct 33-card sets identified by the company logo on the back.

• A Decade Later: The release marked a significant moment, as it was the first major Topps Star Trek set since their iconic 1976 "Star Trek" (Original Series) set.

• Focus on the New: While the original crew is well-represented, a good portion of the checklist is dedicated to new characters like Ilia and Decker, and the numerous new alien species introduced in the film.

The 1979 Topps Star Trek: The Motion Picture trading card set serves as a fascinating time capsule of the franchise's ambitious return to the forefront of popular culture. While the film itself received mixed reactions, the card set remains a nostalgic and collectible piece of Star Trek history, offering a colorful glimpse into the "Human Adventure" that was just beginning anew.

Sources:

• eBay.com (for current sales data, set and pack availability, and pricing on graded and ungraded cards/sets – accessed May 2025)

• COMC.com (Check Out My Collectibles) (for individual card pricing and availability – accessed May 2025)

• PSA.com (Professional Sports Authenticator) (for population reports and auction price realized data, though specific links for individual cards are numerous)

• StarTrekCards.com (for checklist information and details on related sets like the Swizzels and bread issues)

• Various collector forums and blogs (e.g., Non-Sport Update discussions, general Star Trek collecting sites for historical context and fun facts).

• Etsy.com (for current sales listings of vintage cards and sets - accessed May 2025)

• LiveAuctioneers.com and invaluable.com (for auction results and past sales data).

• StarbaseAtlanta.com (for specific item listings like wrappers).

• FastballCollectibles.com (for listings of rare items like uncut sheets).