1985 Garbage Pail Kids Series 1: A Collector's Guide

The sticker set that got banned from schools, sued by a doll company and remembered by a generation. Here's how to collect the original.

In June 1985, Topps released a set of gross-out parody stickers aimed squarely at the Cabbage Patch Kids craze. Parents hated them. Many schools banned them. Kids traded them anyway. Forty years later, the original Garbage Pail Kids Series 1, known to collectors as OS1, is one of the most important non-sports sets of the 1980s, and Gen X collectors are chasing it with real money.

The Set at a Glance

• Stickers: 82, numbered 1a/1b through 41a/41b.

• Format: Peel-off stickers with die-cut borders, sold in wax packs with gum.

• Creators: Developed at Topps with Art Spiegelman among the creators, and painted largely by John Pound, whose grotesque, detailed style defined the look.

• Release: June 1985.

How the a/b Numbering Works

Every image in OS1 appears twice, under two different names. Card 8a is Adam Bomb, and card 8b is Blasted Billy: same art, different name. Collectors treat each name as its own card, so a complete set is 82 stickers, not 41. When you buy singles, always confirm both the number and the letter.

The Key Cards

• 8a Adam Bomb. The face of the franchise and the set's headline sticker. Adam Bomb also appears with a checklist on the back, a version collectors track separately.

• 1a Nasty Nick and 1b Evil Eddie. The first stickers in the set, condition-sensitive like every #1.

• New Wave Dave and the other early fan favorites that defined the original lineup.

• Checklist-back stickers, which carry the series checklist on the reverse.

Glossy vs. Matte

OS1 stickers come with both glossy and matte (non-gloss) backs, depending on the print run. This is one of the most discussed details in GPK collecting, and sources disagree about which finish is scarcer for which cards. The practical rule: identify the finish on every sticker you buy, list it clearly when you sell, and check the population report and recent sales for the specific card and finish before paying a premium.

Other Back Variations

Look closely at the copyright line on the back. Stickers exist with one or two asterisks. Checklist backs don't vary this way. Master-set collectors track these details. Most collectors focus on getting the right number, letter and finish.

The Cabbage Patch Problem

The parody was close enough to its target that the maker of Cabbage Patch Kids took legal action, which Topps settled. The controversy, the school bans and the gross-out humor are all part of the set's appeal today. Collectors aren't just buying stickers. They're buying a piece of 1980s childhood rebellion.

Why High Grades Are So Hard

OS1 stickers were made to be peeled and stuck, and most of them were. Surviving stickers face several condition traps:

• Centering. OS1 is notorious for off-center stickers. Well-centered copies command a clear premium.

• Edges and corners. The die-cut sticker borders chip and fray easily.

• Peeled or lifted stickers. Even a partly lifted corner is a serious flaw.

• Print defects and color variations common to mass-produced 1980s stock.

• Gum stains and wax marks on the backs.

High-grade OS1 stickers are genuinely scarce, which is why graded copies of the key stickers carry such strong premiums.

Building the Set

Decide your finish. Choose glossy, matte or "any" before you buy your first lot, and track it for every sticker.

Lock in the keys. Get 8a Adam Bomb and the #1 stickers in the best condition you can afford first.

Build a and b together. Completing both versions of each number keeps the project organized and makes your set easier to verify.

Grade selectively. Grading makes sense for the keys and for sharp, well-centered stickers. Most mid-grade commons are better left raw.

Consider sealed material carefully. Unopened OS1 packs and boxes are prized, but they're also a target for resealing. Buy authenticated sealed product only from trusted sources.

Beyond Series 1

Topps followed OS1 with more than a dozen original series in the 1980s, plus later revivals. Series 2 is the natural next set, and many collectors build the first several series together. OS1 remains the cornerstone, the set that started the franchise and the one with the deepest collector demand.

Storage and Display

Store stickers in standard sleeves and toploaders, and never press anything against the sticker surface. Keep them away from heat, which can loosen adhesive over time. For display, a binder with side-loading pages lets you show the a and b versions side by side.

Researching OS1 Prices

Because every sticker exists as an a/b pair with possible finish and back differences, OS1 comps are easy to get wrong. When you research a sticker, match the number, the letter, the finish and the grader. A PSA-graded glossy 8a Adam Bomb and a raw matte 8b Blasted Billy are entirely different markets. Use sold listings, not asking prices, and note which variation each sale was.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many stickers are in Garbage Pail Kids Series 1?

Eighty-two: 41 images, each issued in an "a" and a "b" version with different names.

Is 8a Adam Bomb the most important OS1 sticker?

Yes. Adam Bomb is the franchise's signature character and the set's key sticker, with a checklist-back version tracked separately.

Are glossy or matte OS1 stickers worth more?

It depends on the sticker. Sources disagree on which finish is scarcer across the set, so check the population report and recent sales for the specific card and finish.

Who painted the original Garbage Pail Kids?

John Pound painted much of the original artwork, and Art Spiegelman was among the creators at Topps.

Shop Garbage Pail Kids at Crafted TCG

Browse original 1985 Garbage Pail Kids stickers at Crafted TCG. Every listing names the number, the letter and the finish, with photos of the front and back.