4 Iconic Cards from 1985 Garbage Pail Kids
For collectors who grew up in the 80s, Garbage Pail Kids bring back a lot of memories. Trading them with your friends on the bus, buying a pack at the toy store - for many it is an essential memory of their childhood.
These stickers weren't just fun for the kids, however - they caused a big uproar with schools and a lot of parents. A lot of these cards were just plain gross, and while they were a massive hit with kids, they ended up being banned by many schools because kids spent more time trading and talking about the stickers than they did learning.
Let's take a trip down memory lane for those old enough to remember and introduce them to collectors who might be new to these amazing stickers that are still highly sought after today.
1985 Garbage Pail Kids Jay Decay
Jay Decay was included in the first set of Garbage Pail Kids, released in 1985. It's a safe bet that nightmares went up by 100% for kids who pulled this sticker. Great, creative artwork and attention to detail - just look at those worms! - make this one a classic. The concept was so fresh in the first series, and collectors still gravitate to this sticker and other classics from that release, as we'll see below.
The last sale of a PSA 10 was for $780.
1985 Garbage Pail Kids Fryin' Brian
The Fryin' Brian sticker was part of the first series and was among the more controversial Garbage Pail Kids ever released. Many adults at the time were repulsed by the fact that the sticker portrayed a young person being electrocuted. Production was never pulled, but it did receive its fair share of negative publicity.
A recent sale of one in a PSA 10 was for $2,325.
1985 Garbage Pail Kids Adam Bomb
Adam Bomb is probably the most iconic of all Garbage Pail Kids. That could have something to do with marketing, as Adam was the face on the wrappers of the first five series. In any case, when most collectors think of GPK, Adam Bomb is most likely the first one to come to mind.
The last sale of a PSA 10 was for $7,450.
1985 Garbage Pail Kids Nasty Nick
Nasty Nick has clearly been up to no good here - a look at the poor doll he's holding shows she has been bitten multiple times on the neck. One reason collectors gravitate to this sticker is that, technically, Nick was the first Garbage Pail Kid ever released, as the sticker's number, 1a, gives away.
The most recent sale for a PSA 10 was $9,200.
As we've seen over the last few years, the hobby was quick to re-establish the GPK brand as a staple of collecting, from basketball to baseball, or regular GPK sets.
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Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.