Topps - US - Sugar Free Gum Wrappers (1978)

It is sometimes easy to forget that trading cards initially started out as a premium that purchasers received when they bought gum. Over time, the gum became the added item in the package, and the cards became the main purchase. Eventually, the gum disappeared altogether. In 1978, Topps had just finished distributing five full sets of Star Wars trading cards, and each packet of cards came complete with a stick of Topps gum. George Lucas however, wanted something done for diabetics who couldn't enjoy the sugar filled gum found with regular Topps cards. At his urging, Topps produced a sugar free gum product associated with Star Wars. Instead of cards, the sugar free gum came with a Star Wars themed wrapper complete with a one of 56 cool Star Wars pictures underneath. There were a total of 56 wrappers to collect.

For collectors today, it is often difficult to complete a set of the sugar free gum wrappers. Fewer of these wrappers were produced than the regular cards. In addition, the wrappers tend to have small flaws, usually a small tear. Collectors who prefer things to be mint can find it hard to make a mint set of gum wrappers when so many were never perfect to begin with. A last challenge for the collector was the poor collation of these wrappers in a box. It is still relatively easy to find a full unopened box for sale on the collector's market, but it is rare for a box to contain a full set of wrappers. Often the boxes give you many duplicates of only 10 or 20 different wrappers.

Thanks to "Tirza" for helping making corrections to the information on this page.