MONSTER CARDS

Mars Attacks

(1962 Bubbles Inc. \ Topps)

The Set

Set title: Mars Attacks
Set type: Trading card set. (Sold via wax packs.)
Producer: Bubbles, Inc. (AKA "Topps")
Year released: 1962
Cards in set: 55
Wrapper produced: Yes
Card cost (Nrmt): (#1) $100.00-$175.00
Card cost (Nrmt): (2-54) $25.00-$35.00 ea.
Card cost (Nrmt): (#55 Checklist) $350.00-$475.00
Set cost (Nrmt): $1,500-$2,500 (See below.)
Wrapper cost: $500+
Empty box cost : How high is up?
Unopened box cost: Purchasing a time machine to go
back and buy one would be less expensive!

Set Comments

The big one!

Some sets are more expensive, but few monster cards are more in demand than Mars Attacks which spins a story of a bloody Earth invasion by Martians (who also employ giant killer insects).

At the time of distribution, Topps must have anticipated strong parental reaction owing to Mars Attacks' blood/gore content (which is effective even today!), so Mars Attacks cards were released carrying Topps' alter ego brand name "Bubbles, Inc."

From Saturday flea market sellers to baseball card dealers, it seems everyone knows that Mars Attacks is one hot set. There's something about the phrase "Mars Attacks" that instantly puts dollar signs in seller's eyes and you may never again experience such "creative pricing" when buying any other cards. Thus the wide set and card price range listed above.

In 1986, a similar set was produced by Bob Ting entitled "Uranus Strikes" which has been embraced by Mars Attacks collectors.

Mars Attacks Update

1962 Mars Attacks cards originally distributed via vending machines? That's how collector Jeff Shaffer reports
obtaining many of his original cards.

"I bought the Mars Attacks cards in Palo Alto when they first appeared in packs. Then they disappeared for awhile.
Then the neighborhood supermarket where we shopped put out a little mechanical vending machine with six different
varieties of cards in it, and you put in a nickel and pushed the slot thing (like the money slot thing on coin laundromats)
and five cards slid out. And Mars Attacks were one of the six available types of cards. So I got most of mine by
loading nickels into that machine. I have never heard anyone else describe buying loose Mars Attacks cards in this
way. Just one more little pop culture footnote."

-Jeff Shaffer (Portland, OR)

**1962 Mars Attacks: Card Fronts**

1962 Mars Attacks: Card Back

1962 Mars Attacks: Wrapper

**Vintage Monster Cards**
1959 You'll Die Laughing 1961 Horror Monsters (Green) 1961 Horror Monsters (Orange) 1961 Spook Stories 1962 Mars Attacks 1962 Adventures of Captain Chapel 1963 Monster Flip Movies 1963 Monster Laffs 1963 Monster Laffs (Midgees) 1963 Monster Magic Action 1963 Terror Monsters 1963 Famous Monsters 1964 The Addams Family	1964 The Munsters 1964 Outer Limits 1964 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 1964 Dracula's Greatest Hits 1965 King Kong 1965 King Kong (Test Issue) 1965 Monster Cards 1965 Monster Greetings 1965 Ugly Stickers 1966 Weird-Ohs 1966 Make Your Own Name Stickers 1966 Superman 1966 Lost in Space	1966 Frankenstein Stickers 1966 Insult Postcards 1967 Terror Tales 1967 Star Trek 1967 Baseball Weird-Ohs 1967 Blockheads 1968 Dark Shadows (Pink) 1968 Flash Gordon (Test Issue) 1968 Land of the Giants (Test Issue) 1969 Dark Shadows (Green) 1969 Quentin Postcards (Dark Shadows) 1969 Planet of the Apes 1973 You'll Die Laughing

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