Topps published the first Star Wars trading cards in 1977.
The cards were released during the original film’s breakthrough year and used film stills, character images, artwork, and promotional information. Like other Topps trading-card products, the packs were inexpensive collectibles that encouraged fans to assemble a complete set.
The first series helped turn Star Wars imagery into a widely distributed form of merchandise. Cards were sold in packs and also became collectible individually, especially when condition, centering, and rarity affected their value.
Topps continued producing Star Wars card sets across later films, television series, and expanded parts of the franchise. Collectors sometimes confuse the earliest cards with later premium or specialty releases, but Topps is the company associated with the original 1977 trading-card issue. The set is an important example of how film licensing expanded beyond toys into inexpensive paper collectibles.