I've been a Pee-Wee Herman fan since I was a kid, with Pee-Wee's Playhouse being a favorite show of mine back then. Took me a while to finish this post (sparked now in tribute to the passing of Paul Reubens), but back in 2019, I decided to combine my love of Pee-Wee with my love of card collecting and build up a collection of Pee-Wee cards, chiefly the Pee-Wee's Playhouse cards that Topps put out in 1988. Wasn't easy, but I eventually completed a master set, and by the end had come close to a second master set, which I'm still working on.
1988 Topps Pee-Wee's Playhouse has just 33 base cards plus a few different insert sets, but with variations, a master set is 159 cards deep. That doesn't sound too bad, but man, it was a challenge! It's tough to find singles online so I figured my best bet was ripping unopened product. The collation is brutal with those packs, though, even sourced from different sellers. Some cards were very tricky for me to track down, while I ended up with tons of dupes of others.
It's kind of a confusing set. As a reference for anyone brave enough to go after it, here's the checklist I put together. I did my best identifying the different cards, but it's not always easy to tell the variations apart.
1988 Topps Pee-Wee's Playhouse (master set: 159 cards) | | |
| 1A | ant top left | 45 Neat Things to Do When It Rains! |
| 1B | yellow on right | 45 Neat Things to Do When It Rains! |
| 2A | yellow Conky right | "Time to put away my toys, would you like to help" |
| 2B | yellow Dinosaur right | "Time to put away my toys, would you like to help" |
| 3A | yellow top middle | "Hey, kids! Here's a letter from..." |
| 3B | ant low left | "Hey, kids! Here's a letter from..." |
| 4A | yellow top middle | Globey's Travel Tips: Staten Island, N.Y. |
| 4B | red top middle | Globey's Travel Tips: Staten Island, N.Y. |
| 5A | yellow at top | Playhouse Collectors Show & Tell |
| 5B | red on right | Playhouse Collectors Show & Tell |
| 6A | yellow low left | Potato Fun |
| 6B | yellow top right | Potato Fun |
| 7A | yellow low left | Dinosaur Family Dino Facts |
| 7B | ant on left | Dinosaur Family Dino Facts |
| 8A | ant on left | Playhouse Recipe File |
| 8B | yellow low left | Playhouse Recipe File |
| 9A | yellow on left | Dear Peewee, |
| 9B | yellow on bottom | Dear Peewee, |
| 10A | ant on right | "What's Pee Wee doing?" "Connect the dots..." |
| 10B | red on right | "What's Pee Wee doing?" "Connect the dots..." |
| 11A | yellow on right | "I'm looking for a swinging party!" |
| 11B | red on right | "I'm looking for a swinging party!" |
| 12A | ant on left | Pee Wee's Fun Facts |
| 12B | Dinosaur low left | Pee Wee's Fun Facts |
| 13A | yellow low left | "Mekka lekka hi, mekka hiney ho!" |
| 13B | red low left | "Mekka lekka hi, mekka hiney ho!" |
| 14A | yellow low right | Jambi's Fortunes |
| 14B | red low right | Jambi's Fortunes |
| 15A | ant top left | King of Cartoons Drawing Lesson |
| 15B | yellow low left | King of Cartoons Drawing Lesson |
| 16A | yellow top left | Weekly Playhouse Press |
| 16B | red mid left | Weekly Playhouse Press |
| 17A | yellow bottom | "Cool Cat's pounding out the beat -" |
| 17B | yellow low left | "Cool Cat's pounding out the beat -" |
| 18A | yellow low right | Bazooka Joe Meets Pee-Wee Herman |
| 18B | ants on left | Bazooka Joe Meets Pee-Wee Herman |
| 19A | ant on left and top | "R-r-ready t-to ass-ssist y-you P-P-PeeWee!" |
| 19B | yellow low left | "R-r-ready t-to ass-ssist y-you P-P-PeeWee!" |
| 20A | yellow low left | Puppetland Poetry |
| 20B | yellow top right | Puppetland Poetry |
| 21A | yellow low left | "Let's see how big my rubber band ball is today!" |
| 21B | red low left | "Let's see how big my rubber band ball is today!" |
| 22A | yellow low left | "It's Dance Time!" |
| 22B | ants on top | "It's Dance Time!" |
| 23A | yellow on bottom | "Why don't we stroll over to my toybox?" |
| 23B | yellow on left | "Why don't we stroll over to my toybox?" |
| 24A | ant on left | "Dia I say the secret word PeeWee?" |
| 24B | red top right | "Dia I say the secret word PeeWee?" |
| 25A | Clocky low right | "What's the secret word today Conky?" |
| 25B | Pterri low right | "What's the secret word today Conky?" |
| 26A | yellow top | "Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, Let the cartoon begin" |
| 26B | red top right | "Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, Let the cartoon begin" |
| 27A | ants on top | "A cartoon a day keeps the Dr. away!" |
| 27B | Chairry on right | "A cartoon a day keeps the Dr. away!" |
| 28A | yellow on right | "Can you tell me what time is is Clocky?" |
| 28B | red on right | "Can you tell me what time is is Clocky?" |
| 29A | yellow low left | "What does 'cha-cha' mean PeeWee?" |
| 29B | red low left | "What does 'cha-cha' mean PeeWee?" |
| 30A | ant on right | "Snack time's my favorite time, except for lunch |
| 30B | yellow low left | "Snack time's my favorite time, except for lunch |
| 31A | yellow low left | "This seed is going to grow up to be a redwood!" |
| 31B | yellow top right | "This seed is going to grow up to be a redwood!" |
| 32A | yellow on right | "Why don't you read me a story?" |
| 32B | red on right | "Why don't you read me a story?" |
| 33A | yellow on bottom | "Breakfast is the most important meal" |
| 33B | red on bottom | "Breakfast is the most important meal" |
| 1 | sticker/flipbook | So funny I forgot to laugh/chickie baby/yehaw/pee-wee |
| 2 | sticker/flipbook | So funny I forgot to laugh/chickie baby/yehaw/pee-wee |
| 3 | sticker/flipbook | Cool/why not/arg/egg roll/baloney/pee we |
| 4 | sticker/flipbook | Cool/why not/arg/egg roll/baloney/pee we |
| 5 | sticker/flipbook | Flower power/get lost/hello/connect the dots/pee wee |
| 6 | sticker/flipbook | Flower power/get lost/hello/connect the dots/pee wee |
| 7 | sticker/flipbook | Ants/today's secret word is fun/hi/arf/pee wee |
| 8 | sticker/flipbook | Ants/today's secret word is fun/hi/arf/pee wee |
| 9 | sticker/flipbook | Miss Yvonne |
| 10 | sticker/flipbook | Miss Yvonne |
| 11 | sticker/flipbook | Pee-Wee |
| 12 | sticker/flipbook | Pee-Wee |
| 13 | sticker/flipbook | Dirty Dog |
| 14 | sticker/flipbook | Dirty Dog |
| 15 | sticker/flipbook | A/O/W/? |
| 16 | sticker/flipbook | A/O/W/? |
| 17 | sticker/flipbook | M/C/O/J |
| 18 | sticker/flipbook | M/C/O/J |
| 19 | sticker/flipbook | U/!/H/E |
| 20 | sticker/flipbook | U/!/H/E |
| 21 | sticker/flipbook | A/X/D/G |
| 22 | sticker/flipbook | A/X/D/G |
| 23 | sticker/flipbook | Give me air/made you look/i know you are but what am i |
| 24 | sticker/flipbook | Give me air/made you look/i know you are but what am i |
| 25 | sticker/flipbook | I love that Story!/Moo!/Sit on Me! |
| 26 | sticker/flipbook | I love that Story!/Moo!/Sit on Me! |
| 27 | sticker/flipbook | Like cool/Hi/fishy/P-man/Wish you were here |
| 28 | sticker/flipbook | Like cool/Hi/fishy/P-man/Wish you were here |
| 29 | sticker/flipbook | Let the cartoon begin/Hi/Globey/I'm board/It's a Pee-Wee World |
| 30 | sticker/flipbook | Let the cartoon begin/Hi/Globey/I'm board/It's a Pee-Wee World |
| 31 | sticker/flipbook | Randy |
| 32 | sticker/flipbook | Randy |
| 33 | sticker/flipbook | Pterri |
| 34 | sticker/flipbook | Pterri |
| 35 | sticker/flipbook | Jambi |
| 36 | sticker/flipbook | Jambi |
| 37 | sticker/flipbook | S/E/O/T |
| 38 | sticker/flipbook | S/E/O/T |
| 39 | sticker/flipbook | Y/P/&/N |
| 40 | sticker/flipbook | Y/P/&/N |
| (41) | sticker/checklist | CL #1 Cards/Photo Stickers (I/F/B/Z on front) |
| (42) | sticker/checklist | CL #2 Playhouse Tattoos/Wiggle Pictures (I/F/B/Z on front) |
| (43) | sticker/checklist | CL #3 Alphabet stickers/playhouse foldies/flying things (V/L/K/R) |
| (44) | sticker/checklist | CL #4 Finger-Nose Cards/Mini-stickers/Disguise Cards (V/L/K/R) |
| 1 of 12 | tattoo sheet | skull (I'm labeling these by top-left image) |
| 2 of 12 | tattoo sheet | heart eye |
| 3 of 12 | tattoo sheet | Reba |
| 4 of 12 | tattoo sheet | Cowntess |
| 5 of 12 | tattoo sheet | big head pee-wee |
| 6 of 12 | tattoo sheet | octopus |
| 7 of 12 | tattoo sheet | jumping pee-wee |
| 8 of 12 | tattoo sheet | Pterri |
| 9 of 12 | tattoo sheet | Dog Chair |
| 10 of 12 | tattoo sheet | mom heart |
| 11 of 12 | tattoo sheet | pee-wee caterpillar |
| 12 of 12 | tattoo sheet | Randy |
| 1 | wiggle toy | Miss Yvonne/Cowboy Curtis |
| 2 | wiggle toy | Pee-Wee/Ms. Rene |
| 3 | wiggle toy | Conky/Reba |
| 4 | wiggle toy | Pterri/Randy |
| 5 | wiggle toy | Pop Eye/Pee Wee & Miss Yvonne |
| 6 | wiggle toy | Cool Cat/Pee-Wee with bicycle |
| 7 | wiggle toy | Jambi/cartoon Pee-Wee |
| 8 | wiggle toy | Randy/Miss Yvonne |
| 9 | wiggle toy | Penny/Pee-Wee |
| 10 | wiggle toy | Chairry/Globey |
| 11 | wiggle toy | Jambi/Chairry |
| 12 | wiggle toy | Pee-Wee/Cowntess |
| 1 | puppet card | Pee-Wee/Mr. Kite |
| 2 | puppet card | Miss Yvonne/Pee-Wee |
| 3 | puppet card | Chairry/Conky |
| 4 | puppet card | Roger/Randy |
| 5 | puppet card | Jambi/Pee-Wee |
| 1 | opening door | Fridge |
| 2 | opening door | Randy |
| 3 | opening door | Playhouse Door |
| 4 | opening door | Floory |
| 5 | opening door | Dirty Dog |
| 1 | flying things | Flying Pterri |
| 2 | flying things | Flyin' Randy |
| 3 | flying things | Flying Pee-Wee |
| 4 | flying things | Pee-Wee Copter |
| 1A | disguise card | skull mask (flatter top crack on left) |
| 1B | disguise card | skull mask (flatter top crack on right) |
| 2A | disguise card | green mask (shading on left fang) |
| 2B | disguise card | green mask (shading on right fang) |
| 3A | disguise card | 3 eyes mask (green eye on left) |
| 3B | disguise card | 3 eyes mask (green eye on right) |
| 1 | foldies | Penny |
| 2 | foldies | Conky |
| 3 | foldies | Randy |
| 4 | foldies | Pee-Wee |
| 5 | foldies | Jambi |
I wanted to go more in depth with the set, hence this post languishing in my drafts for over 3 years, plus I've been meaning to create some supplemental customs to go with the set (--There's tragically little from the first season of the show represented in the cards). But I'm not sure when I'll get to that, so for now I'll just give an overview.
The base cards look like this. Each has a background variation, with an analogous baseball card situation being like with 1990 Donruss how there are "paint splatter variations" with the factory set versions of the cards. I don't believe there was any short-printing going on in the set, so I don't think any variation has a premium on it.
The sticker/flipbook cards might be the toughest to complete. And the backs...
The funky letter stickers were recycled from an older Topps release but they fit right in.
The oversized interactive cards are fun but can make storage more of a pain. The three mask cards have mirror image variations that can be tricky to pair up. I pulled so many of the "blue eye on the left" of the 3-eyed mask card (yet the "green eye on left" variation was super tough to track down, go figure) that I even popped one out of the card to play with it as intended.
I've been saying the master set is 159 cards, but if you really want to be OCD about it, you can bump that number up to 171 cards thanks to the "wiggle toys" that rotate between two images. The above photo appears to be 24 minis, but it technically includes just 12 different cards despite what your eyes tell you. Yep: Lentrical variations! Maybe you've encountered this phenomenon when you get a couple Sportflics dupes together and notice that the images are reversed from the same vantage point. Similar with these "wiggle toy" inserts. They are one-per-pack, so you get a lot of them in a box. And when you lay a bunch of one of these out together, it's striking when they're all one certain image except for one dupe that shows the other image. "Is it a dupe?" Depends on how you look at it. Literally! If I can see two clearly different images when looking at the cards side-by-side, I reserve the right to count them as variations in my collection, not a duplicate. Is that weird?
Anyways, there's 1988 Topps Pee-Wee's Playhouse in a nutshell. I have lots of dupes to trade, so if you're building the set, feel free to get in touch. I'd like to trade my dupes with other Pee-wee setbuilders, and then once I've got a second set done, I suppose I'd look to trade it for something cool (preferably Pee-Wee related) or sell it.
Anywoo, I'm fifteen cards away from a 2nd master set. My needs as of 7/31/23:
sticker/flipbook #7 Ants/today's secret word is fun/hi/arf/pee wee
sticker/flipbook #8 Ants/today's secret word is fun/hi/arf/pee wee
sticker/flipbook #14 Dirty Dog
sticker/flipbook #24 Give me air/made you look/i know you are but what am i
sticker/flipbook #25 I love that Story!/Moo!/Sit on Me!
sticker/flipbook #28 Like cool/Hi/fishy/P-man/Wish you were here
sticker/flipbook #33 Pterri
sticker/flipbook #40 Y/P/&/N
sticker/checklist CL #3 Alphabet stickers/playhouse foldies/flying things (V/L/K/R)
puppet card #3 Chairry/Conky
puppet card #5 Jambi/Pee-Wee
opening door #5 Dirty Dog
flying things #1 Flying Pterri
disguise card #1B skull mask (flatter top crack on right)
As long as I'm showing off Pee-Wee cards, here are some others that came out after that Topps set from '88.
Topps reprinted one of the cards in its 75th Anniversary set (2013) that featured non-sports Topps sets of the past. I've got the base, a foil parallel, and a pair of sparkle parallels (/75). Then there was an online-only set of cards featuring wrapper art that included the '88 Pee-Wee cards, so I grabbed one of those.
Here's some Pee-wee stuff that doesn't feature Pee-wee. The Conky toy is mine from childhood-- glad I hung onto it and wish I hadn't gotten rid of my Pee-wee figure. I'm not looking to really go down the "toy collector" route until I win the lottery or something, but I made an exception and scored myself the Captain Carl figure a few years ago. Love Phil Hartman. Plus Captain Carl didn't get a figure released back in the day (neglected 1st season!), so this is a toy-that-should-have-been, as opposed to, say, the revamped Conky figure they put out in that same line of toys marketed towards adults.
I've been meaning to make a custom cut-auto using that signed index card of E.G. Daily (who played Dottie in Big Adventure). ...one of these days.
Pee-wee or Paul sadly never got a Ginter card or nod in Archives or anything, but he at least got certified autographs thanks to a Star Wars animated guest spot. This is an "inner circle" card in my collection right up there in my eyes with autographs of baseball greats I never dreamt of owning as a kid, not to be too over-the-top about it.
But the big boy in my PW collection is this record..
It's signed by Pee-wee and Paul separately,
and Danny Elfman. I've been meaning to hang this up on the wall in the cardroom since I got it a couple years ago. Bummed it took me till today to get around to it, but it's up now.
Thanks for everything, Pee-wee!
