There is a rich history of fun, campy Halloween and horror cards over the past few decades. Obviously, Garbage Pail Kids lean on the grotesque and frightening, but even the last couple of years of Topps Baseball Update Series have featured jack-o-lantern foil hologram inserts.
Topps, in particular, seems to shine when it marries collecting with holidays. In 2019, Bowman had limited edition turkey-stamped and holiday plaid versions of its cards (as well as one featuring a literal turkey…but more on that in a month). And there is a full “Topps Holiday” line dedicated to winter traditions.
But Halloween is a little different when it comes to cards. There’s a pervasive theme of fun that can run the gamut, from goofy captioning of terrifying “Nightmare on Elm Street” scenes to the underrated design of the Topps Digital offerings. And for the most part–with the exception of things like Paul Skenes rookies with the Jack O’Lantern refractor–you can get Halloween and horror-themed cards at a fairly reasonable price. Even Nasty Nick, technically the “first” Garbage Pail Kid, is significantly lower in price than Adam Bomb cards.
https://ripped.topps.com/topps-cards-and-halloween-culture/
