wackypackages.org
wackypacks.com
Wacky Packages Vintage Puzzles
1973 - 1976

Series
     Date     
Variation
Full Puzzle
Checklist
Notes
Topps
Cloth Series
1973
 
The first ever Wacky Pack checklist. Be on the lookout, many of these are lost in lots of 1st series checklists.

Jail-O Dessert is misspelled "Desert" and Mrs. Klean is misspelled "Mrs. Kleen".

1st Series
1973
 
The main difference with the Cloth Series checklist is the tagline at the bottom. "COMPLETE THE PUZZLE ON THE BACK OF CHECKLIST CARDS!" has been added.

The misspelling "Mrs. Kleen" was fixed, but the misspelling "Jail-O Desert" was not fixed.

2nd Series
1973
 
For a while Run Tony had been pulled and could not be found in packs, but it was never removed from the checklist.

This is one of only three Vintage series that maintained the black border on the puzzle (the others being 5th and 6th).

3rd Series
1973
 
This is the only checklist where they changed the front when released in Canada, changing the white border to black.

They changed the spelling of four titles: Bustedfinger, Sweathard and 1.A. are spelled with hyphens; and Rice A Phoni is spelled Rice A Phony

4th Series
1973
Bum Chex / Choke Wagon
This is the first checklist that was reprinted due to pulled titles and/or errors. Bum Chex and Choke Wagon were pulled early on. For a short while there were simply 28 different titles in the packs. Before long they replaced Bum and Choke with Windhex and Mess Clairoil and they reprinted the checklists.
Mess Clairoil / Windhex
This is the replacement checklist with Bum Chex and Choke Wagon replaced by Windhex and Mess Clairoil. In spite of how rare Bum and Choke are, neither this version, nor the Bum/Choke version, are tougher to find.
5th Series
1974
The blank space in the middle of the checklist was supposed to be Nastee Crush but it was pulled before production. Since it was replaced on the sheet with a duplicate of another title, it was not replaced on the checklist. They probably did not move the blank to the end of the checklist because typesetting was done by hand back then and so nothing was easy.

This is one of only three vintage series that maintained the black border on the puzzle and also one of three that had a colored background - it's the only one that had both.

6th Series
1974
Goodman's
This is the first checklist that was reprinted due to typos. "Goonman's" was misspelled "Goodman's" and "Spills Bros." was misspelled "Spills Bad." Those typos were fixed, but a third one "Super Cigar Crisp" is misspelled "Sugar Cigar Crisp," was not fixed.

These 6ths are the last of only three Vintage series that maintained the black border on the puzzle.

Goonman's
This is the replacement that has two of the three typos fixed. Super Cigar Crisp is still misspelled. Neither version is particularly harder to find.

These 6ths are the last of only three Vintage series that maintained the black border on the puzzle.

7th Series
1974
Once again "Dessert" is misspelled "Desert". This mistake also appeared on the 1st series checklist.

This is one of only three vintage series that had a colored background.

8th Series
1974
Dark
This is the so-called "dark" version of the checklist. This is the only series where they used both the dark and light versions of the checklist side. The only other series that used the light version is the 12th, but in the 12th they only used the light version.
Light
This is the "light" version. Nobody knows why they printed both dark and light versions in this series. The light version may be a bit tougher to find, but all in all the population is not that different between the two.
9th Series
1974
There's a typo on this checklist, "Spinach" is misspelled "Spinich". Also Easy Cough is hyphenated on the sticker, but not on the checklist.
10th Series
1974
With Pupsi
This is the first version of the checklist. It was reprinted after they pulled Pupsi.

This is one of only three vintage series that had a colored background.

Tic Toc is hyphenated on the checklist, but not on the sticker.

Without Pupsi
This is the second version with Pupsi removed. This version seems to be a bit tougher to find.

This is one of only three vintage series that had a colored background.

11th Series
1974
In this checklist they segmented off the magazine titles to the left.
12th Series
1975
This checklist is the only other one, besides the 8th, that used the bright glossy format. But unlike the 8th, which used both, the 12th only used this format.

Piece's is misspelled without the apostrophe.

13th Series
1975
As with the 11th, they segregated the magazine wackys together, but this time to the right column. Except for some reason Bum's Life is by itself in the 2nd column.

Bums' Life is spelled Bum's Life on the checklist (different apostrophe position). Shrunken' Donuts is spelled without the apostrophe on the checklist.

14th Series
1975
There's not much to say about this checklist, except that it's one of the hardest to find without wax stains on the checklist side.
15th Series
1975
Famous Mobsters is written with an apostrophe for some reason.

Hacks Cough Drops is spelled Hack's Cough Drops on the checklist.

16th Series
1976
This is by far the rarest and most valuable of the regular 1-16 puzzles (not including the Cloth). And they are particularly hard to find without wax stains on the checklist side.
UK
1st UK
1974
This checklist bears little resemblence to the 1st series Topps release. In fact only six 1st series titles are on this checklist. They fixed the "Jail-O Desert" typo by removing "Desert" altogether. There's a new typo however: "Head & Bolders".

It's a bit strange how they laid out this checklist. It has a full 29 titles, but instead of organizing them as 10-10-9 they organized them as 11-11-7.

Fibby's is on the checklist without the apostrophe (it has one on the sticker). Head & Boulders is misspelled Head & Bolders.

2nd UK
1974
This is the only vintage checklist that's alphabetized (except Skip is out of place).

Choke-Up is not hyphenated on the checklist (but it is on the sticker). Hiccups has apostrophe on the sticker, but not on the checklist.

It says CHECK LIST on it (two words), all other series say "CHECKLIST" (one word).

This is quite a difficult puzzle to find, and almost impossible to find without wax stains.

OPC
1st OPC
1974
Dark
The OPC puzzles are somewhat flimsy, and come with darker and lighter checklist side. This 1st series comes both ways, this is the dark version. This is a tough puzzle to find.
Light
This is the light version. Also very hard to find.
2nd OPC
1974
The 2nd OPC puzzle only comes in the light version. Like most of the OPC puzzles, this is a very tough puzzle to find.
3rd OPC
1974
Dark
This is a very unusual puzzle in that it has a black border. Like the 1st OPC series, the 3rd Series checklist also comes with both light and dark backs. This is a very difficult puzzle to find, particularly in high grade.
Light
This is the light version. Also very difficult to find.
4th OPC
1974
The 4th OPC puzzle only comes in the light version. This is the shortest of all checklists with only 19 titles. This is the the only vintage OPC puzzle that's not impossible to find.