1980 Fleer Pac-Man Cards
In 1980 Fleer released a trading card set based on Namco’s hit arcade game Pac-Man. It is the first trading card set to be themed after a video game. The set consists of 54 cards containing stickers that could be peeled off and a scratch-off game card.
The cards were sold in individual packs initially for 25 cents each then quickly increased to 30 cents a pack. Each pack consisted of 6 cards in total, 3 rub-off game cards, 3 sticker cards and a stick of gum. The cards came in either a white or yellow wax wrapper packs with Pac-Man and the four ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde featured on the front.
The first print run of cards came in yellow wax packs for 25 cents while all additional runs where sold in white wax packs for 30 cents each. Other than the white package the second run only contained minor alterations such as the colour of the ink used on the back of the cards, while the third run changed the look of Pac-Man considerably. The third run added depth to the Pac-Man character by adding red and blue shadows around the character. In addition to the added depth the third print incorporated eyes on Pac-Man significantly changing his look. Two different style of eyes were implemented on Pac-Man, some stickers used googly style eyes while others used a flat black style that was more fitting for the character.

Category | Trading Cards & Stickers |
Manufacturer | Fleer |
Publisher | Namco Midway |
Year | 1980 |
Set | 54 Sticker Cards 28 Rub-Off Cards |
Pack | 6 cards (3 scratch-offs and 3 stickers) per pack |
Cost | 25 cents per pack (1st Print) 30 cents per pack (Later Prints) |
The 54 sticker cards were all based on things that can be found in the arcade game. One side of the card contained either one large sticker or several small stickers featuring characters from the arcade game and quotes that fit the game’s theme. The opposite side of the card includes the sticker number out of 54 and promoted using the stickers as prizes by using the rub-off game cards as a contest between friends in a competition for the highest score.
The scratch-off game cards included in the pack were based on the gameplay found in the arcade game, a format that Topps would adopt for their video game themed trading cards throughout the early 1980’s. On the back of each rub-off game card featured the rules for the game. Consumers would basically scratch the gold circular areas found on the cards and advance through the maze collecting points while avoiding ghosts. The goal of the game was to get the highest score possible before uncovering three different coloured ghosts. The set contained 28 different patterned rub-off game cards allowing consumers to have numerous unique experiences.
1980 Fleer Pac-Man Set Images
- Complete Set
- Scratch-off
- Stickers
- Image Gallery