Art
In 1982, Topps released trading cards featuring scenes from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the year's blockbuster film. Millions of American children collected, traded, and stored these cards, turning a movie tie-in into a everyday ritual of childhood commerce and friendship.
Art · Full story
You tear open the waxy pack, the sharp cardboard smell hitting your nose. Inside: glossy photos of that wrinkled alien face, a stick of pink gum, and maybe—just maybe—the hologram card your best friend needs. By lunchtime, the schoolyard deal is done.
Reflect
What did you collect as a kid, and who did you trade it with?