A box of the first edition of Wacky Packages sold for $79,300 this weekend at Heritage Auctions, a record for the franchise.
The previous record paid for a sealed box was $63,084, set in Dec. 2022 at a Mile High Card Co. Auction.
In 1967, Topps decided to make cartoon like parodies of consumer products that would make kids laugh. They commissioned young artist Art Spiegelman to draw them.
The original version featured a punch-out that could then be licked and stuck onto an object.
It wasn't smooth sailing for Topps, as some brands were upset about being parodied, and Topps wasn't exactly sure of its rights under parody law.
The original 44 cards turned into 56 because 12 had to be replaced after companies such as Ritz (Ratz Crackers), Jolly Green Giant (Jolly Mean Giant), Morton Salt (Moron Salt) and 7-Up (6-Up) sent the card company cease-and-desist letters.
Soon confident of its legal position to parody the products, Topps brought out Wacky Ads in 1969 and a new series of packages in 1973, which was helped by the fact the cards were now peel stickers. Sales soared, as the fervor for Wacky Packages competed with baseball cards. The brand took a break from 1992-2004, but has had a presence since then.