1985 Wonder Bread Rock Stars has one of the strongest checklists of any set of 1980s music trading cards. Granted, it’s not a big one and the overall sample size isn’t huge, but there are more hits than misses.
Distributed with loaves of Wonder Bread products, the checklist is limited to just 15 cards. Bon Jovi, R.E.M. and Bryan Adams are among the acts with early trading card appearances in the set. Showing its depth, Culture Club, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, New Edition, Kool & the Gang, and Hall and Oates are also in the lineup.
Duran Duran also appears. The new wave group were the focal point of their own set put out by Topps in 1985.
The Wonder Bread Rock Stars set is a product of its era with lots of colorful shapes anchoring the card fronts. Fashions and hairstyles also display styles distinct for the over-the-top and evolving trends at the time.
Backs have band and singer bios with many also including Fan Club information.
Cards originally came packaged in plastic, protecting them from the oils of the bread they were packaged with. This has helped keep it relatively easy to find cards in decent shape today.
The bigger challenge is simply finding them. While not impossible to find, they’re rare to find in any sort of quantity. And when they do surface, singles are more common than lots or sets. Factor in the fact that many of the bands don’t have a lot of trading cards, especially at this point in their careers, and the significance of 1985 Wonder Bread Rock Stars becomes more clear.
1985 Wonder Bread Rock Stars Checklist
15 cards.
Buy on eBay:
Bryan Adams
Bon Jovi
Culture Club
Deep Purple
Duran Duran
Sheena Easton
Daryl Hall / John Oates
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Howard Jones
Kool & the Gang
New Edition
Night Ranger
R.E.M.
til tuesday
Triumph
