GPK Classic Online Set

In the autumn of 2017, Topps adjusted the direction of its direct-to-consumer calendar with the GPK Classic Online Set, launched on September 28 as Topps On-Demand Set #8. The company's online offerings had seen significant shifts across the year, with daily Trumpocracy cards coming to an end in July while weekly holiday and award packs filled the schedule, but this release was framed as a conscious retreat to traditional gags and artwork. Sold through the Topps website for a seven-day window ending on October 5, the release cast aside topical satire and political subjects in favor of non-themed humor painted by Brent Engstrom and J.

Instead of offering individual character pairings as earlier internet releases had done, Topps sold GPK Classic exclusively as a complete boxed unit containing the full forty-sticker base run and one artist sketch card. The box carried a $99.99 price tag, alongside an alternate bundle option of twelve sets for $1,149, effectively doubling the card count of previous online sets. Numbered from 1a through 20a and 1b through 20b, the checklist featured non-themed characters including Stagnant STELLA, BIRDIE Bath, Brainy BENNY, and Candlestick RICK. While collectors widely welcomed the break from current events, reception was mixed on whether the finished product truly achieved the classic feel, particularly as buyers voiced disappointment over the absence of die-cut sticker borders, front card numbers, and illustrated backs.

That figure outpaced the sales of the preceding couple of online sets. The guaranteed inclusion of an original sketch card marked a first for a Garbage Pail Kids release under the On Demand banner, though the production behind the insert program ran far ahead of the sales total. Thirty-two artists had each prepared twenty-eight sketch cards on non-themed stock, creating a total inventory of 896 original drawings. With only 156 sets purchased, hundreds of finished sketches remained unissued, leaving Topps with extra material to hold for a potential second series or other future card releases.