User Lists

Rather than a collection of every card in a set, a type card collection is comprised of one example card from many sets. This WBB collection includes players and coaches from nearly 200 different sets, including not just basketball sets, but also multi-sport, non-sport, baseball, football, and softball.

Presented chronologically (but with the latest addition first), it provides insight into how card designs, teams, and players have changed over the years.

I'd be glad to trade for any card from any set that isn't already represented in my collection.

From the beginning of his career, casting has been Wes Anderson’s greatest strength. He’s had an incredible trajectory, graduating from his roots of simply using the performers available to him within a three block radius of the flop house on Throckmorton Street in Dallas he was sharing with similarly broke friends (including Owen Wilson, and occasionally his little brother Luke) when he made a short film about two Texas s***heels suffering from terminal ennui who half-heartedly take up a life of crime.

Anderson is a filmmaker who historically seems most comfortable around familiar faces, returning to the same actors over and over again, occasionally indoctrinating new faces into the fold and making them a part of the team. For the criticisms he’s faced as an icy and impersonal writer, he clearly has forged loyalty and enduring love among a community of actors.

The most notable omission from this set, of course, is Jason Schwartzman, who has a long list of film and television credits (including eight Anderson films) but somehow has never appeared on a trading card.

(The first two paragraphs above, and most of the notes are from the August 2023 GQ article The Definitive Ranking of Wes Anderson’s Players at https://www.gq.com/story/wes-anderson-movies-actors-ranked-asteroid-city.)

A League of Their Own featured a fantastic cast, including many Hollywood veterans, bit players, and some former AAGPBL players in cameo roles. Here's the unofficial set, checklisted in the order in which the actors were credited (per IMDB).

People playing tubas, tubas, and tuba players.

The 1979-80 Topps Hockey set was notable for several reasons. The Wayne Gretzky rookie, of course; and the final cards for Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Ken Dryden. The first cards from the four former WHA teams and the final cards of the Canadiens dynasty (and the Atlanta Flames futility).

The set included many great action shots and some bizarre portraits (see Terry Ruskowski). And I never get tired of the distinctive look, which has been reused a few times over the years.

I don't fly all that often, but when I do I sometimes see a recognizable face.

A few years ago I thought it would be interesting to put together a Frankenset of all US Presidents, each card from a different set, by trading only, and with some emphasis on oddballery.

It's been fun, but not that much fun, so I am stopping the project and putting all the cards up for trade. Looking forward to some offers!

My ten most wanted cards... and maybe a few additional

Founded in 1952, the Washington Generals exist primarily as an opponent for the Harlem Globetrotters. Despite their long history, albeit without success (they've beaten the Globies fewer than seven times), they've never had a trading card set, while the Globetrotters have had at least five. Here, a set that perhaps only Charlie Brown would collect.

Content from https://washingtongeneralsfan.blogspot.com and Wikipedia.

Athletes Unlimited is a player-centric women's sports organization operating an offseason pro basketball league that includes WNBA players, prospects, and vets playing a five-week schedule. Uniquely, the four team captains redraft their teams each week and players compete individually for win points, stat points, and MVP points.

It's not too late for some company to step up and create a full set for 2023, but until that happens, here's the next best thing.

TPB never had a card set and most of those who appeared on the show never had cards but what if you were given a stack of trading cards instead of actor headshots and had to cast the show over again? Here's what you would get...

American Basketball Association players; in ABA uniforms; on certified autos. Not my cards, but a collection that I think would be fun to build.

In this 1988 take on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Frank Cross is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life,

This set is missing a few key characters (Johnny Gasperini, Badger Meyer, Rocko, Roy Stalin) but still offers enough to be released, maybe as a food issue or mail-in offer. It would fill out a nine-pocket sheet quite nicely.

Gummy Arts got this set started with a Johnny Lawrence card, so I'll take it the rest of the way. Unfortunately most of the young actors are not on cards (yet).

The 1979 film The Muppet Movie occasioned a 12 card set, which appeared in subsets of three on the back panels of Cheerios boxes. The Cheerios set, however, included only the Muppets who appeared in the film, and none of the human characters. Here, the long-overdue Series 2.

Persons who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Newly-added listed first, then alphabetically after that.

Battle of the Network Stars was a series of competitions pitting television stars from ABC, CBS, and NBC against one another various sporting events, which in 1976 included Swimming Relay, Tennis, Golf, Baseball Dunk, Bicycle Relay, Obstacle Course, Volleyball, Running Relay, and Tug-of-War.

Stars missing from this set, regrettably, include Pat Harrington, Jr. (Schneider on One Day at a Time) and Demond Wilson (Lamont on Sanford and Son).

One of the greatest contemporary Christmas classics, this film certainly deserves a set of its own.

The 1977 Fleer Gong Show set didn't name the contestants and left out some of the best ones. Here they are, in a set of their own. All facts courtesy of Wikipedia.

Jazz pianist, singer, and composer Dave Frishberg passed away on November 17, 2021. Perhaps best known for his "Schoolhouse Rock" compositions, Frishberg released more than 20 albums and was nominated for four Grammy awards. His song "Van Lingle Mungo", released in 1969, is in the National Baseball Library in Cooperstown. Following, the lyrics:

Jake and Elwood can be found on a few cards in other sets, but the outstanding cast of The Blues Brothers really deserves its own set. Many great musicians appeared in the film but don't appear on cards. But there are enough here to make a nice set.

The 1998 film The Big Lebowski, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, featured a terrific ensemble cast. With some notable omissions (Flea, Dom Irrera, and Ben Gazzara, to name a few), the unofficial Big Lebowski trading card set.

The 1981 action comedy film The Cannonball Run featured one of the great ensemble casts of all time. Presented here, the unofficial Cannonball Run card set, checklisted in the order that the actors were credited (h/t IMDB).

The DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame was started in 1952. Members are listed by year of induction.

Current and former members of the Society for American Baseball Research, which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. Its 6,000+ members come from all walks of life and include many writers, researchers, and fans. Baseball players, managers, and executives are greatly overrepresented in this list.

The Pittsburgh Spirit played in Major League Soccer from 1978 to 1986. The league didn't have a major card release during this period, but many Spirit players appeared on cards before and after their time with the Spirit.

Grambling State players who went on to professional baseball careers.