In 1980, Fleer released Pac-Man stickers. At that time, Pac-Man Fever was in full effect in my world. So when I spotted the stickers at our local convenience store, I eagerly picked up my first pack for 30 cents. It was thrilling to have something representing Pac-Man in my hand, and from that moment on, all my money went towards getting more packs.
Each wax pack of cards contained six cards and a stick of gum. Three of the cards had stickers, and the other three featured rub-off games. These games were designed to be played like a game of Pac-Man. You start at the yellow Pac-Man in the center, then begin scratching off spaces as you move through the maze. Once you reveal three colored monsters (ghosts), your game is over. You then use the scoring system included on the back of the card to tally your score and write it down.
Even though the outcome was very random, my friends and I were obsessed with beating each other’s high scores. This competition was great because it meant we were all collecting the cards. With only three stickers per pack and duplicates being common, having more people with more cards to trade with was extremely helpful. Still, even with four of us collecting, it took me well over a year to complete my collection. This was only possible because, as time passed, my friends became less interested in collecting them all and eventually traded their cards to me for other ones we collected at the time.
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This also meant I ended up with a lot of duplicates, which was fun since these were stickers! And stickers were meant to stick! For years after these came out, Pac-Man stickers could be found on surfaces and objects all around our home.
Luckily, I had some self-control and held onto a full set, along with some extras. I’ve scanned these, and I’m going to share them here, but before I do, I want to talk about some details regarding the cards.
The cards were successful enough that they released multiple printings. They also did a European release, but I’ve never seen those. You can recognize the different printings in three ways:
Different Color FontsAs more Pac-Man games hit arcades, they released more card sets based on games like Ms. Pac-Man and Super Pac-Man. I also collected these, but I never came close to completing a set of them. Eventually, the cards disappeared or got stuck to something. I regret that now, but at the time, putting stickers on stuff was an important part of who I was.
Complete Set of Fleer Pac-Man StickersMy collection is a mix of editions that I accumulated during the first two years the cards were out. Well over seventy percent of them are from the first release. Here are the scans I took of them recently to share. Click on thumbnails to view larger versions.
Cards 1-3
Waka! Waka! Waka!
Charge! & Feet Don't Fail Me Now
Official Pac-Man Fan Club
Cards 4-6
U.S. Pac-Man Team
Pac-Man Operator's License
Slide Out The Side Door / I’m Cookin’ Now
Cards 7-9
You'd Smile Too If You Could Eat Monsters!
Never! & Let's Get Together
Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka! GULP!
Cards 10-12
Cards 13-15
Cards 16-18
Cards 19-21
Cards 22-24
Cards 25-27
Cards 28-30
Cards 31-33
Cards 34-36
Cards 37-39
Cards 40-42
Cards 43-45
Cards 46-48
Cards 49-51
Cards 52-54
Note: I am not sure how they decided what punctuation to use and why. It all seems sort of random, but I tried to transcribe it like I see it on each card.
Looking back, these Pac-Man cards and stickers were more than just a collection; they were a piece of a larger craze that defined a moment in time. They connected me with friends, fueled our friendly competition, and brought a bit of the arcade magic into our everyday lives. Even now, years later, these stickers evoke memories of a simpler time when the thrill of tearing open a new pack was all it took to brighten my day.
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