The just released Star Wars Galactic Files Series II features 24 cards that were essentially previously released. They are the first 24 cards in the set, numbered 351 through 374.

Those two dozen cards were released last year as a special bonus set with the Complete sets of printing plates that were sold as deluxe editions. There were only 350 sets of the plates made, so likewise there were 350 of the accompanying expansion sets of the 24 cards.

Those numbers seemingly swelled earlier this month with the release of Galactic Files II which featured re-issues of those cards within the regular base set. However, these new pack issued versions of the cards, while basically the same cards, do have distinct differences that will allow "in the know" collectors to be able to distinguish between the two versions.

Let's compare and contrast. The expansion cards are all on the right in the photo pairs below. The differences are noted in the text above each set of photos.

Luke Expansion card front. Italicized FALCON and photo cropped differently


Luke Expansion card reverse differences. All-new text


Pons Limbic card reverse different text and "Explore Destinies" boxes (most if not all 24 have differences in these)


Elan Sleazebaggano different card front (Spice Dealer Vs. Corsucant nightlife) and differently cropped photo


Han Solo differently cropped photo


Han Solo rewritten card reverse


Ephant Mon differently tinted photo


Princess Leia rewritten card reverse


Kabe different photo from the same scene


Tessek completely different photo


There are differences on most of the other cards and all have different copyright dates between the two versions, 2012 for the limited Expansion edition or 2013 for the new Galactic Files II versions.

Thanks to these differences, the expansion set is still a must for those who collect Topps Star Wars cards and want one of each.

Fortunately, they are slightly different.
I would have preferred entirely different though!

You are correct, sir.

First off, they should have not been re-issued in the new set, but what could Topps do having foolishly numbered the cards in the expansion set 351-374, continuing where the first series ended?

They should've instead numbered (lettered) the 24 expansion cards "A" through "X". Short of that, they could've began series II at 375 and had it go up to 725, but then, those who made the two pack issued sets would've had a 24 number gap in their collection.

Instead, they have repeated these cards issued all out of sequence mucking up the otherwise clean organization of the set into neatly defined categories, and worst of all, there are now two #1 cards and no #700 (the set ends at #699), ostensibly because they didn't want the title card this time around to be the last card in the set, since the first card in series II was already taken by the reissue of the expansion card #351.

If I were Disney, I'd definitely take Topps license to make Star Wars cards away as a result of this numbering blunder coupled with their having issued hundreds (if not thousands) of absolute trash sketch cards in the packs this time around and give it to, oh, I don't know, let's say Breygent.

I'm kidding as Topps is usually much more on the ball than this (although Breygent would make some great Star Wars cards!), but Topps should not ever let something like this happen again. Someone involved in the logistics of this set should certainly be reprimanded, although not fired since it is another overall excellent set, the numbering snafus and low sketch card standards notwithstanding.

I'm not trying to collect Galactic Files so it doesn't matter very much to me that the expansion cards have reappeared in a slightly altered fashion as the beginning of set 2. The whole numbering system was not very well thought out, but that's hardly surprising, the whole expansion set was a tease. The press plate sets had such a high price that the 24 expansion cards were thrown in to boost the value and induce people to buy the package deal.

On these very forums Star Wars collectors were calculating how much those added cards might be worth with only 350 copies made. Some were suggesting re-selling the plates so that you could keep the expansion set and get money back.

Now here comes Topps putting out the same 24 card fronts (or 22 out of 24 as I now read), same numbering, with a slightly altered croping and a new text. To be sure you can tell the difference, but doesn't it still undermine the reason why people bought the expansion set? I think Topps is going back on the implied contract that the expansion cards will not appear in the set. Technically speaking they don't, but Topps should have skipped those card numbers and printed brand new photos on every card in series 2. No one is getting fired over this, its not a mistake. This is how it was planned and collectors shouldn't be surprised when it happens.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,

I think the selling point of the plate sets were the plates. It was a good idea, and beautifully realized, just too expensive at the initial $500 offering price, bonus cards or no.

I do see how they arrived at the price, though The original Star Wars pack inserted printing plates (in Star Wars Galaxy) often sold at around $100, and here you were getting all 4 for the same card at once, tough to do when they were pack issued, so there's $400 right there in Topps' mind just for the plates. Then the packaging really is deluxe on those sets and certainly wasn't cheap to make, so count that as another $25 for the packaging and the Expansion set as another $25 in design and production costs and there's $450.

Hopefully, anyone who bought a set from Topps when they were $500 at least waited until they got one of those 20% coupons Topps makes available send out once in a while. I did (and in fact would not have bought one of the sets without that discount) and got my first set for $400 with free shipping. Luckily it held plates for a Padme card and I got around $360 for that, so I got my expansion set which I didn't include with the plates I sold pretty cheap and I still think it to be worth the $40, even after they were reissued.

I then bought two more Plate sets at a huge discount once Topps liquidated them, and while I haven't sold those plates yet, at the price I got them at, I don't mind keeping them. There were also multiple sets of plates I would've definitely kept for my collection had I received those ones, so the chance at one of those sets was worth something, certainly.

I doubt Topps planned any of this business with the expansion, I think it just wasn't very well considered at the time. When the bonus expansion cards were made, they may not have even known for sure they were even going to issue a second set of Galactic Files.