Garbage Pail Kids - The Gross, Weird, and Wonderful Cards That Took Over the 80s

Garbage Pail Kids - The Gross, Weird, and Wonderful Cards That Took Over the 80s

In the mid-1980s, while kids were trading baseball cards and begging for Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, Topps decided to stir the pot. The result? Garbage Pail Kids - a set of hilariously gross, satirical trading cards that became both a playground sensation and a cultural controversy.

Adam Bomb – The most iconic Garbage Pail Kid of them all

Where it all began

First released in 1985 by Topps, Garbage Pail Kids were designed as a parody of the wildly popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Each card featured a grotesque yet funny character with pun-filled names like Adam Bomb, Leaky Lindsay, or Up Chuck. Kids loved them. Parents… not so much.

Artwork came from comic legends like Art Spiegelman (later Pulitzer Prize winner for Maus) and John Pound, who turned gross-out humor into collectible gold. Every sticker card had two versions: an “A” and “B” name, but with the same artwork — fueling the chase for completists.

Controversy and lawsuits

It didn’t take long for the toy industry to notice. Cabbage Patch maker Coleco sued Topps for trademark infringement. Some schools outright banned Garbage Pail Kids, saying the cards were “disruptive” or too disgusting for the classroom. Of course, that only made kids want them even more.

The collector’s market today

While parents may have tossed them back in the day, collectors now pay serious money for well-preserved sets. Iconic cards like Adam Bomb in high grade can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There are also rare test sets, foreign editions, and unopened wax packs that make hardcore collectors drool.

Garbage Pail Kids in the modern era

You might think the gross-out craze ended with the 80s, but Topps has kept Garbage Pail Kids alive with new series, digital cards, and crossovers with brands like WWE and Stranger Things. In 2020, they even made a parody set about the U.S. election.

And yes, you can still find brand-new packs at card shops, online, and even in mainstream retailers. The difference now? Adults who were kids in the 80s are buying them, this time with their own credit cards.

Why collectors still love them

• They mix nostalgia with outrageous humor.
• Print quality issues and banned cards make for rare, valuable finds.
• The artwork is iconic, gross but clever.
• They represent one of the best examples of cards as social commentary.

Whether you’re chasing that mint Adam Bomb, flipping through binders of weird characters, or just laughing at the names, Garbage Pail Kids remain a hilarious reminder that collecting doesn’t always have to be serious business. Sometimes, the grossest cards are the most fun.