1987-88 Topps ALF trading cards capture one of the major television phenomenons of the 1980s. Sure, the wise-cracking alien’s time in the spotlight was somewhat limited (and maybe not as funny as you remember), but it was big. This set captures a lot of the weirdness that happens when you take E.T. and apply it to the family sitcom template. It also stands up well today and remains on of Topps’ better licensed entertainment trading card lines of the ’80s.
1987-88 Topps ALF Checklist Details
Split into two series, the full 1987-88 Topps ALF base set has 91 cards — 47 in Series 1 and 44 in Series 2. Not surprisingly, they feature lots of shenanigans by both the titular alien and the Tanner family who took him in. Mimicking the show’s sitcom format, cards tell a lot of jokes — often bad ones. But that’s both the point and the fun.
Some of the base cards are set up with traditional images and captions along the bottom. Others change it up a little with dialogue balloons, allowing multiple characters to banter back and forth.
Series 1 and 2 cards are easy to tell apart, even without the card number. The first release has yellow borders while Series 2 cards are anchored by red.
Stickers land one per pack. Series 1 has 18 different, however four have puzzle piece variations on the back making 22 total for a master set. The second set cuts it in half with just 11. The stickers might be the highlight of the 1987-88 Topps ALF checklist. ALF is featured in a variety of outfits and costumes including many holiday-themed ones. Like the rest of the release, they’re probably more fun than they are valuable.
The release does change things up from other Topps entertainment releases from the era, offering a second insert in each pack. Bouillabaseball cards poke fun at traditional baseball cards, showcasing athletes from ALF’s home planet of Melmac. Each series has 22 Bouillabaseball cards for a total of 44.
This isn’t the only American set of ALF trading cards from 1987. There’s also a small sticker card release from Zoot, 1987 US of ALF.
1987-88 Topps ALF Checklist
Click on the links to shop for cards on eBay or to check current market values.
Set size: 91 cards (Series 1 – 47 cards, Series 2 – 44 cards)
Cards per pack: 6
Packs per box: 48
Shop for 1987-88 Topps ALF boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set
91 cards.
Series 1 – #1-47, Series 2 – #48-91
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Series 1
1 Title Card
2 Whaddya Mean This Isn’t a Piano?
3 I Can See It’s a Cat…But Where’s the Soy Sauce?
4 I Think I’ll Order the Cat of the Day
5 I Use it for Scanning Hi-Frequency Interplanetary Modulations…
6 Hey, How Come My Bowtie Doesn’t Spin?
7 I Think I’ll Take a Little Catting Practice
8 What Do You Mean, “Willie Is the Fairest of Them All?”
9 Hey, I’m Supposed to Be the One With the Silly Hair.
10 Hi, Honey, I’m Home.
11 You’re Right! Tv Is a Lot Better When It’s Plugged In!
12 Smile When You Call Me Repulsive!
13 Now Smile and Say “Cheese Cat!”
14 Don’t Look Now, but There’s an Alien Behind the Couch
15 Don’t Come in Yet. the Kitchen Needs a Second Coat of Spaghetti Sauce
16 Cheer Up. We’ll Stop Falling of the Couch Eventually
17 Wash the Laundry? I Thought You Said Toss the Laundry!
18 Would You Buy a Used Car from This Family?
19 Are We Having Fun Yet?
20 ALF, You Can’t Dry Dishes by Putting Them in the Toaster
21 My Earth Family Doesn’t Understand Me, Doctor.
22 Tastes a Lot Like Calcoquill-St. Jacques.
23 I Told You, I Didn’t Eat Lucky. Do You See a Tail Down There?
24 TV Dinner? Isn’t the Picture Tube a Little Tough to Get Down?
25 Siamese on Rye, Stella. Tuck in the Tail
26 Hi There. Do You Come Here Often?
27 Who Needs a Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow. I’ve Got a Refrigerator
28 I’m Taking This to Remember You By!
29 Operator I’d Like to Place a Collect Call to the Man in the Moon
30 I Wonder If I Can Deduct Flea Powder as a Business Expense?
31 Get My Lawyer! Nobody Calls Me a Litterbug
32 C’mon, Let’s Build Something Fun…Like a Blonde.
33 This Isn’t Your Shirt, Willie. I Borrowed it from a Neighbor’s Clothesline
34 What a Shame. Nothing Left to Eat…
35 Who Ordered the Grilled Brocolli and Tuna-flavored Soda
36 I’m a Melmac Doodle Dandy!
37 ALF, Do You Ever Stop Eating?
38 So the Cat’s Missing. Why Is Everybody Looking at Me?
39 Siamese & Mayo. Oh! I Thought You Said Cinco De Mayo.
40 Whaddya Mean You’re Trying to Get Cable? There’s Tons of it Lyin’ Around.
41 I Wanted a New Car for My Birthday…but This Is Ridiculous!
42 I Don’t Mind If You Go Steady. Just Not With Each Other!
43 Want Some Anchovies?…No, but I’ll Eat the Can!
44 Hey, Did You Stop Using Hair Spray and Switch to Jell-o?
45 O.K. Who’s the Wise Guy Who Made Off With My Persian on Rye?
46 I Can’t See the Future, but I Am Getting a Rerun of “Diff’rent Strokes”
47 Checklist
Series 2
48 Checklist
49 It’s Tough Being a Living Legend!
50 You Know, Mummies Were the First Ones to Sing “Wrap” Music!
51 Whatsa Matter? Cat Got Your Tongue! Har Har!
52 You Know What They Say: “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!”
53 I Think I Left the Cat in the Dryer!
54 As the Karate Experts Say: “Ouuuuuuch!!!”
55 I Knew I Had Fans…But Not These Kinds of Fans!
56 It’s Important to Eat All Your Food…Otherwise I Will!
57 He’s Not Sick. He Just Needs to Chase the Cat for Awhile!
58 Brother, Can You Spare a Cat?
59 I Ate the Phone? Well, That Explains This Ringing Sensation in My Head!
60 I Was Too Small to Play Quarterback, So They Made Me a One-Eighth Back! Har Har!
61 No More Coffee for Me! I Had Too Much Yesterday…And I Thought We Were Having an Earthquake!
62 Wait! Dinner Isn’t Over! I Think I Smell Cat!
63 If We’re Gonna Play Hide-and Seek, You Have to Cover Your Eyes!
64 Karate Is All Mind Over Matter.
65 Let’s Play Cards! Everything’s Wild for Guys from Melmac!
66 We’ll Throw ALF a Surprise Party! Better Yet, Let’s Just Throw ALF!
67 I Never Met a Cat I Didn’t Like…For Dinner!
68 Did You Get Shorter, or Is Your Son Growing Very, Very Fast?
69 Did You Know I Wear a Size 44 Suit, Extra Squat?
70 Say, Don’t I Know You from Another Planet?
71 What Bowling Ball? I’m Not Letting My Cat Out of the Bag!
72 Trust Me! I’ll Be More Than Happy to Babysit for Your Cat!
73 I’ve Got a Pair of Aces and This Replica of My Birth Certificate!
74 I Only Dress Like This So I Can Carry a Briefcase. It’s Perfect for Big Lunches!
75 Are You Sure I Can’t Order a Fudge Ripple Sundae Here?
76 If You Can’t Eat it Forget It
77 Who Would Eat All the Canned Food Without Opening the Can?
78 Hey, I Told You to Be Careful With Those Velcro Eyebrows!
79 What Can I Tell You? the Girl Who Sold Me This Shirt Was Very Cute!
80 The Winner! You Actually Finished Your Meal Before ALF Could Finish it for You!
81 Is This a Bowtie or Am I Being Choked by a Snake in Formal Wear?
82 Vote for Me! I’m for a Cat in Every Pot and Two Aliens in Every Garage!
83 Who Says You’re Not Supposed to Eat the Bag After You Dunk It?
84 Is There Such a Thing as Being “Too Cool”?
85 There’s No Worse Feeling Than When the Meal Is Over!
86 Watch Out, Spuds! the Real Party Animal Has Arrived!
87 If I Get Any Better Looking, We May Have to Sell Tickets!
88 What Happened? No More Ring Around the Collar?
89 I Was So Hungry, I Ate the First Chapters of This Book!
90 When You’re Like Me, Finding Hair in Your Food Is an Occupational Hazard!
91 A Hair Dryer? I Thought it Was a Bagpipe That Went Berserk!
Bouillabaseball Checklist
44 cards.
Series 1 – #1B-22B, Series 2 – #23B-44B
1 per pack.
Series 1
1B Gordon “No Problem” Shumway
2B Sally “Queenie” Shankwipple
3B Arnold “P.U.” Garlic
4B G. Hamilton Chickpea III
5B Bob Lundquist
6B Ester “The Tomato” Dink
7B Hap Frizzbain
8B Howard “Slap” Happer
9B Brad “Hippity” Hopper
10B Reginald “Hoots” Fang
11B Mickey Mackerel
12B Thor “The Tank” Tankersly
13B Lyle “The Finger” Huck
14B Tyrone “The Shoe” Horner
15B Simus “Goobers” Wadsworth
16B Stanley “Mousebreath” Yikes
17B Ben “Choo-Choo” Tramer
18B Erno “What’s It To Ya” Sludge
19B Ron Oyster
20B Wilbur “Scooter” Pyz
21B Egbert “Tiny” Cartwheeler
22B Skippy “The Terror” Meltzer
Series 2
23B Dirk “That Swell Guy” Twink
24B Biff “Lucky” DeIrish
25B Abner “The Big Hucker” Knarp
26B Artie “The Sponge” Fern
27B Nina “Dropsies” Zynk
28B Fafner “That Goofy Guy” Pelt
29B Wilky “The Salad Bar” Wartlap
30B Sid “The Mad Bunny” Tenny
31B Heather “Leather” Labat
32B Benny “the Ball” Baldelli
33B Homer “The Gooch” Twang
34B Timmy “The Fist” Shrapknuckle
35B Chuck “The Chucker” Stang
36B Earl “Rat-Lips” Flick
37B Sondra “The Wank” Proudfoot
38B Marty “Dandy” Torpedos
39B Seymore “The Stick” Faz
40B Spilvey “The Rock” Glik
41B Chester “Spunky” Thread
42B Bart “The Swollen Egg” Lobb
43B Barbie “The Lobster Bib” Coals
44B Sean “The Munchkin” Splat
Stickers Checklist
29 cards.
33 cards including puzzle back variations.
Series 1 – #1-18, Series 2 – #19-29
1 per pack.
Series 1
1 How About a Hug for Old ALFer? – arm puzzle piece
1 How About a Hug for Old ALFer? – foot puzzle piece
2 I’m Only 229. I Haven’t Hit My Prime!
3 You’re Out of This World!
4 Let’s Have a Snack. You Got a Cat?
5 Gimme Four!
6 Be There or Be Square
7 Have a Seat…Let’s Have a Chili Cat!
8 Willie’s Okay…For Someone Without Fur.
9 I’m a People Alien!
10 A Whisker for Your Thoughts. – book puzzle piece
10 A Whisker for Your Thoughts. – floor puzzle piece
11 You Remind Me of Someone I Knew Back on Melmac
12 Happy Light Year! – leg puzzle piece
12 Happy Light Year! – mouth puzzle piece
13 Hey, No Problem!
14 Don’t Be Repulsed…It’s a Turkey!
15 Season’s Greetings from ALF
16 ALF – A Girl’s Best Friend – door stop puzzle piece
16 ALF – A Girl’s Best Friend – edge of book, arm puzzle piece
17 What Can I Say? the Kid Adores Me!
18 ALF
Series 2
19 ALF – Chest Up
20 ALF- Praying
21 ALF – Wearing Football Uniform
22 ALF- Wearing Bowling Shirt
23 ALF – Hawaiian Shirt
24 ALF – Hand Out
25 ALF – Black and White Shirt, Holding Cup
26 ALF – Wearing Suit, Holding Briefcase
27 ALF – Wearing Suit, Pointing
28 ALF – Standing with Hand on Stomach
29 ALF – Logo
