Topps - Star Wars Series 1 (1977)

The first ever card set issued for the Star Wars movies, this card set marked the beginning of the relationship between LucasFilm and Topps. Although many collector's tend to become confused by the fact that there is no Topps logo on any of the vintage Star Wars sets. Instead, the logo for 20th Century Fox appears. The cards were in fact printed by Topps however. For most collectors, the Topps trading cards have come to symbolize what Star Wars cards are all about, and the original sets of cards are what they think of when they use the term Star Wars cards.

The first set of cards had a blue border with stars. There were 66 cards, and 11 stickers to collect. The cards came in packs complete with a stick of gum, each pack containing a single sticker and seven cards. The box for this set, as well as the wrapper, featured C-3P0. Many collectors also collect the empty (or full) boxes, as well as the wrappers for their card sets. In addition, collectors can also find uncut sheets of the cards and stickers for all of the different Star Wars vintage sets.

This first series of cards is now the most difficult to find complete and in good condition. It isn't that fewer of these cards were made, but simply that fewer have survived in the excellent condition most collectors expect of their cards. Even so, the card set is still fairly easy to find, and singles are available in a variety of conditions.

Many collectors will notice that some cards have a small star on the back. Originally thought to relate to the print run (most Star Wars card sets had multiple print runs) it is now known that this small star actually indicated whether the card was on the A or B side of the uncut sheet during the printing process. The small stars served as a guide to the printers working with the cards.