TOPPS STAR WARS CARDS 1993 - 1997

collated by Jim Van Fleet
"the librarian"
vanfleet@bucknell.edu

With many thanks to:

DISCLAIMER: this list is NOT intended to be a sales list or price guide. Its sole purpose is to help collectors identify all of the cards necessary to complete a collection of Topps Star Wars cards.
Hey, it ain't pretty, but its pretty accurate!

NOTE: Topps often issues promo or special cards for one set in conjunction with a different set. I include information about these cards in *only* one place on this list, under the listing for the set they belong in.

STAR WARS GALAXY I (1993)

foil wrappers, black and purple starburst.
140 cards

The six cards together make a mosaic scene of battle. The characters have their weapons drawn, and the background shows the Death Star, tie fighters, x-wings, star destroyers, a snow speeder, and Imperial AT-ATs. Topps also issued this 6 card mosaic as an uncut sheet

promotional cards, with art from Star Wars Galaxy "New Visions" cards:

 

Topps also distributed various uncut sheets of cards, including three different 9-card sheets of Topps "New Visions" cards, and two different 70 card uncut sheets comprising the entire Star Wars Galaxy set.

 

Bend-Ems cards

Topps cards were packaged with "Bend-ems" toys. Artwork from the Star Wars Galaxy set, such as the Joe Smith "Star Wars Ensemble" painted character portraits, but renumbered:

 

STAR WARS GALAXY "Millenium Falcon" factory set (1993)

Packaged in large cardboard box, with a thin molded plastic Millenium Falcon on a base shaped like a Massassi temple. The cards themselves were packaged inside a small box inside the base. Same 140 cards as the above set, but each card bears a silver foil stamp "Star Wars Galaxy". Same 6 foil etched cards by Al Williamson, but the background on these cards is silver, with "holographic" stars.
Special contents of the factory set included:

 

STAR WARS GALAXY II (1994)

foil wrappers, black with pink rays, or black with blue rays.
140 cards

The six cards fit together to form a mosaic of Star Wars bad guys, with the Death Star, Slave I, and an Imperial Shuttle in the background. An uncut sheet of these six cards, and uncut sheets of the entire Star Wars Galaxy II set were produced.

promotional cards for the Star Wars Galaxy II set:

 

STAR WARS GALAXY II tin set (1994)

Packaged in collector's tin. Same 140 cards, each with a silver foil stamp "Star Wars Galaxy." Same 6 foil etched cards by Al Williamson, with a silver background.
Special contents of the factory set included:

 

Miscellaneous promo cards issued in 1994

Star Wars Galaxy Magazine:

"Dark Empire II" promo cards:

 

STAR WARS Widevision (1995)

Widevision cards are 4 3/4" x 2 1/2"
foil wrappers with X-Wings flying from Yavin Moon, "Star Wars" in either red, yellow, or blue lettering
120 cards

10 "Topps Finest" chrome chase cards are based on concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie:

promo cards:

Four of the Star Wars Widevision cards have been reissued in the "Kenner Classic 4-Pack" of Star Wars action figures. These "specially numbered" cards are:

These cards have a few other minor differences; the Widevision logo on the bottom right of each card is the same as the one found on promo cards, not the hologram found on regular cards. Due to the special number designation on the back of the cards, the text has been laid out slightly differently than the regular cards.

 

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Widevision (1995)

Widevision cards are 4 3/4" x 2 1/2"
foil wrappers with 4 different images; AT-ATs on Hoth with black border, red letters "The Empire Strikes Back"; Luke carrying Yoda on Dagobah, red border, green letters; Star Destroyer chasing Millenium Falcon, purple border, blue letters; Darth Vader in carbon freeze facility, red border, gold letters.
144 cards

10 "Topps Finest" chrome chase cards are based on concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie

6 "mini-poster" 4" x 5 3/4" cards. On back of each is publicity photo of Chewbacca, Han, Leia and Luke on Hoth.

promo cards:
all cards have image of Han Solo frozen in carbonite on the back. All have purple borders with colored Topps Widevision logo on bottom front.

 

STAR WARS Finest Widevision Steel cards (1995)

These are a special set of six Star Wars Widevision cards on heavy steel backing, 2 3/4" x 5"

 

Miscellaneous promo cards issued in 1995:

Star Wars Galaxy Magazine:

 

Action Masters cards (1994)

collectors cards packaged with Kenner Action Masters diecast figures.
Unnumbered photo cards with yellow borders, packed with specific figures in single, four, or six packs of Action Masters diecast toys:

The Action Masters toys were also repackaged in four and six packs (1995), and the new ones include these same cards, but with a metallic gray border.

 

STAR WARS GALAXY III (1995)

Foil wrappers with box cover/title card art by Simon Bisley.
90 card set, 90 card "1st Day Production" set, 12 card LucasArts subset,
12 chase cards.

Six etched foil cards, grey or black background. Artwork by Walter Simonson. These complete his mural of Star Wars characters:

Six "Agents of the Empire" (bounty hunters) "Clearzone" cards, artwork on colored transparent backgrounds:

promo cards:

 

RETURN OF THE JEDI Widevision (1995)

Widevision cards are 4 3/4" X 2 1/2"
Foil wrappers with 4 different images: 1) photo from card #11, dark blue background at bottom of wrapper describes contents, ROTJ logo in gold at top of wrapper; 2) card #70, with dark green background, ROTJ logo in bronze; 3) card #91, orange background, ROTJ logo in blue; 4) card #98, blue background, ROTJ logo in red.
144 cards:

The chase cards are 10 "Topps Finest" chrome cards based on concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie:

Six mini-poster 4" X 5 3/4" cards. On the back of each is a publicity photo of Luke swinging with slave girl Leia onto the skiff.

One 3-D chase card, being called a "case card" since it only came one per case! There is also an ROTJ 3-D card certificate, the front has a matte black finish, with a sketch of Boba Fett in red and the ROTJ logo in white. The back has directions for mailing in to claim a 3-D chase card.

Topps also issued 2 uncut sheets comprising all of the regular 144 card set.

promo cards:

 

STAR WARS MasterVisions (1996)

These new large format cards are 6 1/2" x 10 3/16". They come packaged in a slip-case style box/display stand, one complete set of 36 cards per box. The box art is the same as card #1. I can't begin to describe the art in this space, but the cards are beautiful, large scale reproductions from (mostly) previously published artwork, as described on the back of each card. Each has a MasterVisions silver embossed stamp in the corner, which does not detract from the image:

promo cards:

 

Star Wars Finest:Characters (1996)

A 90 card set of Star Wars art/character biography cards, with the "Topps Finest" Chromium finish. Note that the Title Card #1 bills this set as the "All-Chromium Guide to the Star Wars Universe", "Series One: Characters." A second version of the complete 90 card set is made up of the same cards with a "refractor" finish.
The card text was written by Andy Mangels, and the artwork on the back of cards #1-89 is by Mike Butkus or Brandon McKinney.

6 Embossed foil chase cards with art by Dan Brereton make a mural of Force Users on the steps of a Massassi ruin:

A Topps Star Wars Finest Mastervision Matrix card was issued as a "case card", there is also a special redemption certificate available as a chase card found in some card packs. The certificate is on plain paper stock, one side is card redemption and address information, the other is a dark blue shaded image from the Star Wars Finest box artwork.

Topps also issued an uncut sheet of the 90 refractor cards.

promo cards:

 

Miscellaneous Promo Cards (1996)

Star Wars Galaxy Magazine:

 

Shadows of the Empire (1996)

A 100 card set featuring 72 cards based on the Steve Perry novel, with artwork by the brothers Tim and Greg Hildebrandt. There will be 6 cards based on the Dark Horse Comics mini-series, 6 cards based on the Nintendo 64 video game, 6 cards depicting SOTE vehicles, and 10 cards featuring the main characters.

promo cards:

 

Miscellaneous Promo Cards (1997)

Star Wars Commemorative MagazineDealer Incentive cards:

Star Wars Galaxy Magazine:

 

Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition Widevision (1997)

A 72 card set, with 60 images devoted to the new footage and special effects of the Special Edition, 6 cards for TESB, and 6 cards for ROTJ. The Topps home page describes these: "The card backs have behind-the-scenes photos, illustrations, storyboards, and text." The text was written/edited by Stephen Sansweet.
As with other Widevision sets, the captions at the bottom of the cards are scene or "stage" descriptions.
The cards have a gold tone border and a foil "Topps Widevision" stamp in the lower right corner.

Chase cards include one 3-Di card per display box, two Trilogy Special Edition Holograms, and 6 "Topps Laser" cards. Laser cut card #0 was issued as a promo.

Laser Cards:

Hologram Cards:

Promo cards were issued through three different avenues! P number promo cards (and laser cut #0) were found in magazine promotions or at conventions. H number promos were packaged with Hasbro/Kenner toys, and G number promo cards were found in Galoob micro-machine toys:

Laser Cut:

 

Star Wars Trilogy Super Widevision Movie Cards (1997)

This is a 72 card Widevision set, featuring 24 card images from each Star Wars movie, with a different color border for each movie (brown, blue, green). Very, very few (maybe 2?) of the images on the cards are from new Special Edition footage.
The Star Wars Trilogy logo is in the top left corner of each card (not foil stamped), and the name of the movie in the lower right corner. Text (again written/edited by Steve Sansweet) on the back describes the movie story line, with additional photo images from the movies, but no behind-the-scenes information.
These cards also have an extremely cheesy caption at the bottom front of each card.

Six "Topps Laser" chase cards, different from the chase cards in the Special Edition Widevision set!

Laser Cards:

 

Star Wars 3 Dimensional Imagery cards (1997)

These cards are Widevision format 3D "Multi-motion" images. Topps describes this set as: 63 cards "comprised of all-new images, never before seen in any card series."

promo cards:

The chase card is "1 lenticular motion chase card in each box."

 

Star Wars Finest: Vehicles (1997)

This card set was produced with standard collector's cardstock,, *not* the Topps Finest Chromium finish. The set consists of 72 cards, four "Finest Cutaway" chase cards which show vehicle blueprints, two 3D cards, and a two-card 3D sheet.

Finest Cutaway Cards:

3D Cards:

Promo cards:

Dealer Incentive Cards with Chromium "Finest" finish:

These two were also issued as refractor cards in very limited quantities

Please send questions or comments to:

James A. Van Fleet
vanfleet@bucknell.edu
URL: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/vanfleet/toppcard.html

Revised: August 8, 1998