How to collect

Topps chief executive Arthur Shorin originally tried and failed to secure a license for Cabbage Patch. Mark Newgarden then pitched a parody of the dolls for a 1985 Wacky Packages release. Mark edited the new line alongside Art Spiegelman. John Pound painted the majority of the early cards. Original Series 1 shipped in June 1985, and packs cost 25 cents.

An out of court agreement forced the manufacturer to alter the logo and the physical appearance of the characters. The franchise expanded into theaters with a live action movie on August 21, 1987. CBS produced a 13 episode cartoon that same year, but the network pulled the broadcast the day before its premiere.

The manufacturer brought the property back in 2003 with the All New Series, a run that lasted until 2008. The company celebrated the 20th anniversary of the brand with the release of ANS4 in 2005. That specific set added sketch cards.

The Flashback series reprinted classic art between 2010 and 2011. The Brand New Series followed from 2012 to 2013. The company moved to a schedule of yearly themed sets starting in 2014.

Topps began offering online exclusives in 2016. Topps is owned by Fanatics, and 2024 Bowman Chrome brought the characters into a major sports release. The 2025 Worst of GPK 40th Anniversary set became the first Topps.com pre order for the brand. A 1/1 Superfractor of Cooper Flagg from the 2025 Bowman release sold through Fanatics Collect for $288,000 on August 28, 2026. That stands as the record sale.