Top Donald Trump Card Collecting Guide and Checklist
Donald Trump has been in the news quite a bit and there is no sign of that exposure slowing as he was elected the 45th President of the United States. Of course, this means that the market for Donald Trump cards has surged dramatically.
The millionaire real estate developer has been in the public eye for decades and has spawned a number of books, a board game, a television show, a celebrity version of that television show, and a few trading cards along the way. This guide lists some of the key Donald Trump cards available on the marketplace today.
While it is unlikely that there are a number of people collecting real estate developer trading cards (although a William Levitt card would probably fetch a fair amount at auction), there are thousands of political and presidential collectors all over the world and demand for trading cards adorned by The Donald has never been higher. However, the supply of Donald Trump cards is relatively small and tracking down an autograph card is getting increasingly more expensive and difficult.
View the most popular Donald Trump card auctions currently on eBay.
Donald Trump is quite possibly the most visible man in America. Because of that, his trading card demand remains strong. Take a look at his key cardboard options below.
Top Donald Trump Trading Card List
Click on the images or listings to shop on eBay or check completed sales values.
1989 Eclipse Rotten to the Core Donald Trump #26
Probably the most important rookie card ever printed on a 2.5-inch by 3.5-inch piece of cardboard, the Rotten to the Core set is a series of cards devoted to the movers and shakers of New York politics. This 36-card set features original artwork of such notable men and women as Rudy Giuliani, Ray Cohn, Edward Koch, and our man of the hour, Donald Trump.
The reverse of each card has a laundry list of undesirable stats and ventures with Trump's card being particularly snarky about the business dealings that made him a household name in the 1980s.
This set is pretty easy to find on eBay and may be of particular interest to New York natives who will actually know some of the more obscure subjects.
1995 Playboy Chromium Cover Donald Trump #R-85
The Playboy Chromium series was issued by Sports Time Inc in 1995 and celebrates iconic covers from the magazine's, then, 42-year history. The all-chromium set includes 96 base cards as well as 18 illustrated chromium refractor cards and a 12-card chromium refractor celebrity subset available via redemption card.
Donald Trump appears on card number 85, a reproduction of his cover from Playboy Volume 37, Issue 3, alongside Brandi Brandt.
2004 Topps Garbage Pail Kids ANS3 #7
Following the wildly popular first season of Trump's reality series, The Apprentice, the boss of the boardroom was given the Garbage Pail Kids treatment in two different forms. Found in the 2004 All New Series 3 set of Garbage Pail Kids, a child ringer for Trump is shown sitting on a toilet. If that is not enough to spot the resemblance, the kid is reading a newspaper with the headline "You're Fired!!" The nameplate of the card either says "Trumped Trevor" or "Donald Dump" depending on which variation you pull. Of note, take a look at the toilet paper roll.
2005 Comic Images The Apprentice Trading Cards
2005 is where we start getting into some of the cards that will be of higher interest to collectors with Comic Images' set of cards devoted to The Apprentice. This release features headshots of the contestants and stills from the show itself. There are 100 cards in the base set, many of which include images of Trump, as well as memorabilia and autograph cards.
The memorabilia cards were typically collated to one per box and come in two forms: a swatch of a pink necktie or a swatch of a blue necktie. The autograph cards, found in every other box, cover many of the people involved with the show and, naturally, Trump's signature is the rarest of the set.
It is relatively easy to find a complete base set on eBay for fairly cheap but the autograph cards are a bit tougher to come by. Despite this, they typically sell for cheaper than his more current autographed cards.
2011 Leaf Fans of Ali Donald Trump Autograph
In 2011, Leaf produced a set of cards to honor Muhammad Ali. Each box contained eight cards, two of which being autographs. There were three subsets for autographs, including Opponents, Associates, and Fans of Ali. This is where Trump factors in as he is one of the Fans of Ali autographs (along with Nolan Ryan, Hulk Hogan, and Magic Johnson, among others).
As a very limited set of cards, the autographs can be hard to track down and a bit pricey. Given the unique combination of two very popular public figures, it could increase in value dramatically in the future.
There is also a similar "Fans of Ali" option from the 2011 Leaf Muhammad Ali Metal set.
2012 Leaf Pop Century Donald Trump Autograph
Probably the most popular of the Donald Trump cards are from the 2012 Leaf Pop Century set. Trump appears as a base set signer in this series and high-graded cards are selling for huge amounts. If you come across this card for a price you can afford, pick it up and hold onto it because, as of right now, it is a very hot product to have in your collection.
Decision 2016 Donald Trump Cut Signature Autographs
Part of the comprehensive 2016 election set split between Series 1 and Series 2, Decision 2016 offers cut signatures for Trump in both editions. He is also covered in great detail across several inserts.
While the signatures command the most value, collectors can also find many premium inserts like flag patches, stamp and quarter cards, sketches, and even shredded money cards.
Review the many Decision cards for Donald Trump on eBay.
2016 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Donald Trump
Easily offering the most variety, Trump was featured on multiple parody cards. The GPK stickers poke fun at the many controversial moments for Trump. Adding to the choices, limited online exclusives were also produced, most with a print run of just a few hundred cards. He was prominently featured in the lead-up 2016 GPK Presidential Election set as well as 2016 GPK Disg-Race to the White House.
If you're just starting to collect non-sports trading cards, Donald Trump might be a great gateway into the hobby and if you're a long-time collector you'll understand the value appeal of having these cards in your collection.
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