One of the fascinating things about trading cards is that, over time, they become small cardboard time capsules. Let a few years pass and there's likely something about them that feels off as trends have changed. Let a few decades pass and you might notice a cultural shift. Such is the case with 1975 Topps Good Times trading cards. On the one hand, it's a look back at one of the most popular shows of the 1970s. On the other, it shows just how pop culture is evolved. While it's possible the show still might be made today (in an updated form), there's likely no way a series of bubble gum cards aimed largely at kids would have spawned from it.
1975 Topps Good Times is based on the show that ran for six seasons in the mid-1970s. Set in the Chicago projects, it's an unlikely setup for a sitcom that would have mass appeal. But it did. Jimmie Walker's "Dyn-o-mite!" became part of the pop culture vernacular.
The trading card set has 55 cards to go alongside 22 stickers.
Cards use stills from the show along with speech bubbles. This allows for lots of jokes and one-liners. Backs take on a couple of different forms. Some are puzzle pieces that have abbreviated write-ups. Other cards have a TV icon and more lengthy text talking about the show and its stars.
Stickers, which are inserted one per pack, take on a very familiar design. They're die-cut with a thick red border around the image. Unlike many of Topps' other stickers from the decade that had background designs, Good Times stickers are white. Stickers are not numbered.
1975 Topps Good Times trading cards are a good reflection of the show. They also show their time. Today, it's unlikely such a show would make it to air, at least as something targeting families. As a result, some may be taken aback by the humor. It might not be politically correct today, but times were different in the 1970s and these cards show that.
