Top Trumps is a numerical data card game in which players try to win their opponent’s cards by ‘trumping’ them with a higher-rated card of their own. Original sets from the late 1960s through to the 70s and 80s were often based on the theme of sports and high-powered vehicles, combining factual knowledge with competitive fun. The Waddingtons company was arguably responsible for making Top Trumps a household name in the 1970s and 80s.
Waddingtons Top Trumps. 1983. UK.
Relaunch
Top Trumps was relaunched during the late 1990s and expanded its themes to include science, wildlife, pets, TV, movie and pop stars, book and comic characters, and many other diverse subjects. Below are a few of my modern packs, followed by a vintage Waddingtons motorcycles quartet deck, an FX-Schmid automobiles quartet deck, and some print advertising examples.
Modern packs: The Smurfs, The Muppet Show, The World of Roald Dahl, Disney Planes.
Modern packs: Marvel Comics characters.
Modern packs: The Lord of the Rings, Wonders of the World, The Dog, Postman Pat Juniors edition.
French McDonalds Happy Meal exclusives.
Waddingtons Top Trumps quartet game, Motorcycles, UK
Vintage Top Trumps. 1970s Motorcycles pack.
FX-Schmid Top Trumps quartet cards, Germany/France
German company FX-Schmid, along with other companies like Piatnik, Altenburg-Stralsunder, and Dubreq, was the forerunner to Top Trumps. Below is a complete German/French quartet set from the 1970s, Autos de Course.
FX Schmid Top Trumps. Autos de Course Quartette Cards N° 53322. C1970s.
Advertising
UK. Star Wars Weekly. 1978.
UK. Star Wars Weekly. 1978.
UK. Eagle. 1983. Eagle Comics competition with 500 packs of Top Trumps up for grabs.
UK. The Mighty World Of Marvel. This 1978 UK Super Heroes card game by Jotastar is based on the Waddingtons’ Top Trumps.
Thanks for trumping with us! 🙂
Post updated April 2020 with new images.
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