Card Identification Forum

Any idea what set this card belongs to or is it just a regular playing card?

No set. Not listable here. Only playing cards with different players on the faces are listable. 

It's part of the 1977-78 Sports Deck Playing Cards Landsman Multi Sport set. 

Interesting. Thank you!

Interesting. Thank you!

I don't doubt you, but that really confuses me.  Did they really make a set of playing cards where the BACKS of the cards are different?  That'd make the deck useless for most card games since you could simply learn which card or cards each player corresponds to. Basically a marked deck at that point...

I had just assumed from the picture that all of the cards in the deck would have Joe Namath and not be a "multi-sport" set.

Glenn, the issue is then with the FRONTS - as they are a straight-forward playing card face. Decks that have regular faces and singular backs are not eligible for inclusion here - because if that was the case, every deck of cards ever made could be included as someone may deem a set from Caesar's and the Tropicana (or any other casino) as "collectible". Cards with a bird or a flower on the back wpould them be eligoble. That's how Admin has addressed the issue to avoid the site going down that path.

Most of the "collectible" playing card decks feature the different "entities" (players, people, things) on the face side. That's the distinction.

Oh, I get why it's not listable Dan if it's a set that just has Joe Namath on the back of the card.  The way avbruins described it as a set of multi-sport cards, he made it seem like the card fronts are normal playing cards while the card BACKS have a variety of players/sports.  That would make no sense to me because, as I said, it would basically be a marked deck.  I was curious so I checked out COMC, and they have cards with Babe Ruth, Gordie Howe, Arnold Palmer, and Joe Namath (among others) listed as part of the same set.  I assume that there isn't a single set that included all of these card backs, but rather a Babe Ruth set and a Joe Namath set, etc. and that card sites like COMC have simply lumped them all together for simplicity. 

Doing some basic research, each player had a complete deck. 

In 1978 the Sports Deck Division-Cubic Corporation of San Diego, CA, produced Sports Star playing cards featuring superstar athletes of football, basketball, hockey, tennis, golf and baseball. Each deck of playing cards featured one illustration of famous sports personalities drawn by noted artist Allen Landsman. Baseball player sets include: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Pete Rose Joe Morgan, Frank Tanana, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Jim 'Catfish' Hunter, and Randy Jones. Limited sets were also produced for Cincinnati Reds players, through a Pepsi-Cola premium offer.

 The deck of 52 standard bridge size playing cards also includes 2 jokers, and an Allen Landsman biography card. The rounded corner cards feature a bordered "original drawing" by Allen Landsman, and the facsimile autograph of the player depicted.

Some of the players listed on COMC. I've seen complete decks for sale so who knows. 

•  Mickey Mantle (7)
•  Pete Rose (6)
•  Babe Ruth (5)
•  Lou Gehrig (4)
•  Tom Seaver (3)
•  Catfish Hunter (3)
•  Stan Musial (2)
•  Jackie Robinson (2)
•  Arnold Palmer (2)
•  Johnny Bench (1)
•  Randy Jones (1)
•  Joe Morgan HOF 2B (1)
•  Oscar Robertson (1)
•  Gordie Howe (1)
•  Fran Tarkenton (1)
•  Gale Sayers (1)
•  Ken Stabler (1)
•  Joe Namath (1)
•  Bart Starr (1)
•  Arthur Ashe (1)
•  Lee Trevino (1)
•  Billie Jean King (1)
•  Bob Clarke (1)
•  Sandra Palmer (1)