My Favorite Dominique Wilkins Cards

#1 93-94 Jam Session Game Breakers #8 This is my favorite card because it is the first basketball card that I ever owned. In the fifth grade a kid traded the card to me so that he could be hall monitor for the week. Back then I had never ever seen a basketball card and didn't even know who Nique was! Who knew that I would grow up, fall in love with Nique's game, and build the top card collection of his in the world!

#2 93-94 Elite Foods Manufacturing Sticker #79 (Israeli) I guess I am enchanted with this teeny weenie sticker because I have absolutely no idea why some food company in Israel would include it in their bars of chocolate. I have the only copy of this sticker that I know of.

#3 89-90 Chicle Gum NBA Metalicas (Spanish) These two flimsy foil cards were only available in packs of Chicle Gum in Spain and Israel. These metalicas are so rare that most collectors do not even know they exist. In my many years of collecting, I've only seen a few of these.

#4 83-84 Star XRC #263 This is Dominique's very first basketball card and I was fortunate enough to be able to find one bearing his signature. The Star Company went out of business a few years later as they were producing these cards without an NBA license and consequently got sued. Tisk, tisk!

#5 07-08 Topps Triple Threads Court Rivals Relics Autographs #7 Okay if I let this card speak for itself? In it's time, this was the highest selling card with Wilkins on it. Don't ask me how much I paid...

#6 06-07 Topps Triple Threads Relic Autographs #TTRA-41 (1/1) Platinum I'm really not too happy about Topps and Upper Deck mass producing all these 1/1's of retired players, but this card is simply too stunning to ignore.

#7 93-94 Upper Deck Kellogg's #11 (Portuguese) There are also French, Italian, and Spanish versions of this card, but the Portuguese is rarest. These cards were regionally inserted in two-card packs in boxes of Golden Grahams. I have the only Portuguese copy I've ever seen and I am still looking for the Italian version!

#8 91-92 Hoops Prototypes 00 #010 All-Star This card came out of a ten card set that was distributed to Hoops representatives on a regional basis. Hoops was a young company trying to get its feet off the ground and these reps would go around with some of these Prototype cards to try and convince dealers to carry their product. The Wilkins card appears to be by far the most short printed of the set and is the only card in the All-Star subset.

#9 97-98 Finest Embossed Refractors #155 Gold (18/74) I had the chance to pick up this card at a going out of business sale back in 1999 when I was fifteen years old and I passed on the opportunity because it seemed like so much money for a piece of cardboard. Talk about regrets! Fast forward to the next time I saw the card again in 2008 and ended up paying much more. The design and rarity of the cards in this set have made them very tough to come by.

#10 96-97 Metal Precious Metal #212 While one might not expect this card to be all that rare, it rarely surfaces. The parallel is pretty hard for the average collector to distinguish from the base card as the only thing that is different between the two is a subtlety in the background. This Precious Metal parallel has a background of solid silver while the base card has flecks of color in it.

#11 1992 Hoops 100 Superstars #2 This card came out of a one-hundred card set that was exclusively sold through a Sears catalog and is by far the toughest to find of the Hoops 100 Superstars sets issued between 1990 and 1992. Nique ripping off the rim from the backboard is a pretty nice bonus... and how 'bout them legs!

#12 93-94 Skybox Premium USA Tip-Off Gold #8 w/Drexler This is an pretty tough card to find came out of a thirteen card set. In order to get one of these sets, you had to turn in a special redemption card. I have never seen one of these redemption cards, nor do I know where they came from. All unredeemed sets were destroyed and for many years this set was believed to be non-existent until an article was written about them and a few sets surfaced. Rumor had it for while that only five of these sets were ever redeemed, but more sets have surfaced.

#13 91-92 Fleer Wheaties #55 This card was printed on nine-card sheets on the backs of Wheaties cereal boxes from February to April in 1992. This one has carefully been cut from one of those sheets and is hard to find.

#14 97-98 Fleer Decade Of Excellence Rare Traditions #12 This insert is a remake of the classy looking 87-88 Fleer cards. It took me a long time to track down this "Rare Traditions" foil parallel as this specific card was inserted in only one out of every 4,320 packs.

#15 96-97 E-X2000 Credentials #66 (441/499) This was the first serially numbered card of Dominique's to ever be released. I think the set design easily makes this one of Nique's most attractive cards.

#16 92-93 Fleer Perforation #NNO This card came from an NBA Scorers book produced by Golden Books featuring Nique and Chris Mullin. I have the only copy of the book that I have ever seen, which includes this no-numbered card that can also be found in an eight card panel in an NBA Giant Stars book.

#17 86-87 Fleer RC #121 No collection is complete without a rookie card, right? This card is in pretty great shape and I should probably get it graded, but then again I have a penchant against grading cards. This card was frequently off-center to the right making it the ninth toughest card to have graded from this classic set.

#18 91-92 Fleer Limited Edition Autograph #1 This was the first Certified Autograph of Dominique's to ever be released and there are twelve different autos of Nique in this set. These cards have the Fleer Stamp of Authenticity embossed on the front, but you have to look closely! Along with the Dikembe Mutombo set, these cards were the first ever pack inserted autographs!

#19 03-04 SP Game Used Legendary Fabrics Autographs #DW-AL (094/100) What's not to love about this card? It's got a swatch of game-used jersey, it's got a clean auto, it's rare, the set design is sleek, and you got Nique going up for a monster jam. Pretty tough to top all that. I gotta thank my brother-in-law Matto for scoring this one for me.

#20 02-03 SP Authentic Dual Excellence Signatures #JEDW (18/25) Now I'm not a big fan of graded cards, but when I saw this one I knew I had to have it. Pretty rare to find a dual on-card autographed card that has been handled by both players coming back graded as a perfect 10 by BGS. Isn't the name of the set fitting for this card? Dual Excellence! This was Nique's first dual autographed card and I really like the pairing. Not only are both players two of the greatest slam dunk artists of all-time, but Nique has stated many times that Dr. J was his role model when he was younger.

#21 07-08 UD Black Triple Autographs #TAU-ECW (1/1) White Absolutely unbelievable triple auto'd card of the three guys who, in my humble opinion, really stand alone as the three greatest dunkers of all-time!

#22 07-08 Upper Deck Chronology Legend Autographs #191 (02/99) Inscriptions (Limited to 10 of Print Run) Of the many autographed Nique cards that came out of 07-08 Chronology, this one has to be the best. There's just so much this card has going for it . The card is actually signed on a canvas which is pretty neat, the artwork is beautiful, and Nique signed his inscription (which he rarely does). I also really love the way the silver ink just jumps off of the card.

#23 07-08 Press Pass Autographs Red Inscriptions #NNO (Print run to 23) To date, this is only one of three cards that Wilkins signed his nickname on. If you don't believe that this guy truly was a human highlight film then you have never really watched him play!

#24 07-08 UD Black All-Star Autographs #ASAU-DW (Base #d/25) / (Gold #d/15) Manufactured patch, yes. Still, there is no denying the beauty of this card. I don't usually collect duplications, but Nique was a 9-time All-Star!

#25 1994 Skybox USA On The Court #OTC12 It seems that only a few people know just how rare these 1990s redemption sets are! Despite the fact that this card books for $6.00 in Beckett, you just NEVER can seem to find these cards anywhere anymore. Along with a lot of other early redemption cards, very few of these sets were actually redeemed.

#26 1994 Upper Deck USA Follow Your Dreams Redeemed #14 Scoring Here's another prime example of one of those impossible 1990s redemptions. I had no idea this card even existed until a full decade after it was made and I happened to see it on eBay. Equally tough are the Assists and Rebounding variations of this card.

#27 95-96 Collectors Choice Crash the Game Scoring Gold vs Raptors #C18 For all the talk about rare redemption sets, here's a real rarity from an unredeemed set. The odds of pulling this specific card from a pack are 1:4050. What makes this card even harder to find is the fact that Wilkins actually "crashed the game" against Toronto and a bunch of these actually did get redeemed! Almost every other Wilkins collector I know of still has this card on their wantlist.

#28 89-90 CAO Muflon #44 (Yugoslavian) From what I've gathered, very little is known about this card. It is believed to have been produced by a company in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and to have come in two-card packs. And yes, Nique is seriously dunking two balls at once.

#29 86-87 Campeonato de Liga #170 (Spanish) I don't really know a whole lot about this card, but I believe it might be Dominique's first international release. However, rumor has it that there may be a 1985 release of this set with many of the same players as the 1986 release. I love the little red and blue stars going around the photo... pretty catchy and entirely cheesy.

#30 91-92 Panini Stickers #101 (Spanish) These stickers were made in Italy and came in an album. The idea was that you were supposed to peel the stickers and place them in the album. Panini stickers were made from 1988 all the way up until 2000, though Nique's last one was produced in 94-95. Some of the earlier Panini issues came in Spanish and this 91-92 version is by far the toughest to come across.

#31 94-95 Jam Session Player Card #NNO (Australian) This card was only produced in Australia and was a part of a 60 card set that was used in a board game. Pretty neat, huh?

#32 06-07 Topps Luxury Box Relics Eight #LB8R-5 (26/79) This card pretty much speaks for itself, doesn't it? I do wish the multi-colored patch was of Wilkins instead of Malone... but I won't be too picky. There are a number of parallels to this card as well.

#33 06-07 Topps Triple Threads Relic Combos #TTRC-45 (08/18) Emerald Despite the bizillion parallels, I think Topps really got it right in its inaugral release of Triple Threads. However, the one-of-one parallel nightmare introduced by the following season's offering left much to be desired.

#34 02-03 UD Glass Auto Focus #DW This is one THICK card. It's made out of plexi glass! How cool is that??? In order to get this sweet autographed card you had to send in a redemption.

#35 06-07 Press Pass Legends Press Plate Yellow Front Autographed (1/1) Along with the three other plates in the set, this is the first autographed one-of-one card of Dominique to ever be produced. Of course, now there are quite a few more and I probably paid too much for this one... but who can blame me? After all, there's only one... right? This is definitely one of the best Valentine's Day presents Shirley was ever given me.

#36 00-01 Upper Deck Century Legends Legendary Jerseys #DW-J The first jersey card of Wilkins ever made... and still, in my opinion, the best looking. Most of the swatches of Wilkins in this set are white, but I was able to find a red one. Back in the day, colored patches commanded quite a premium over the plain white ones.

#37 97-98 Skybox Premium Autographics Century Marks #NNO (094/100) A beautiful card from a beautiful set. Coincidentally, I paid about a "Century Mark" to get this card. Watch out for fakes... there are a lot of them out there.

#38 07-08 Upper Deck Chronology Through the Years Autographs #TE-DW (21/50) The main thing I like about this card is that it, along with its gold parallel, is the only officially licensed card to ever be produced with Wilkins in an Orlando Magic uniform. He probably shouldn't have come back... it was painful to watch. Nique and his brother Gerald both got cut within weeks of each other. Notice the serial numbering on this card? Yep, that's right, Nique's jersey number. Big thanks to SHAWNSSPORTSCARDS on HobbyKings for giving this card away to me after I won a contest he ran!

#39 07-08 Topps Letterman Game Used Letterman Autographs #ALA-DW (1/1) Superfractor You would think that these cards might be higher up on my list given the fact that the letterman used in this set were the only only game worn letterman ever included in a product. While that's actually a pretty big deal, the fact remains these cards are simply flat out ugly...

#40 84-85 Star All-Star Game Denver Police #33 The cards in this set were made specifically to be distributed by the Denver Police prior to the public prior to the 1984 All-Star Game in Denver. On the back of the card, the police give some advice: "Don't accept money, candy, gifts, or rides from strangers." Way to spell Nique's last name wrong. Dummies.

#41 92-93 Fleer Tony's Pizza #NNO Tony's Pizza cards were inserted into three-card packs of frozen Tony's Pizzas and have different numbering then the regular Fleer cards. There were also 91-92 Fleer Tony's Pizza cards, but they are not nearly as rare as these.

#42 91-92 Little Basketball Big Leaguers #41 This card came out of a 45-card set that was included in a book titled "Little Basketball Big Leaguers: Amazing Boyhood Stories of Today's Basketball Stars." According to the back of this card, Dominique's nickname as a kid was "Dink"... you know, short for Dominique?

#43 92-93 Fleer Drake's #1 These cards are very similar to the Tony's Pizza cards, except they came in four-card packs and were placed in Drake's bakery products.

#44 97-98 Topps Bound For Glory #BG11 I really, really, really like the design of this set. Sometimes I wonder how it came to be that Nique card was actually included in this set though. Sure, Nique was bound for glory... but he always seemed to get the shaft. He was left off of the original dream team, he was left off of the fifty greatest players list, and he was denied as a first ballot hall of famer. All this despite being top ten ALL-TIME in scoring. Seriously, what gives???

#45 85-86 Star Slam Dunk Supers #10 (5" x 7") Here's another one of those illegally produced Star Company cards again. This one is oversized and comes from a ten card set made for the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest that Wilkins won.

#46 07-08 Exquisite Collection Enshrinements Dual Autographs w/Spud (10/10) I can't help but feel a little bitter as I put this card up on my list. Back in 1986, Spud and Dominique both made the final of the dunk contest. Nique's dunks were awesome, and Spud's dunks were all right I guess... but let's be honest here... he only won because he was a short dude. Nique would get jobbed again in an even more controversial contest in 1988 by Jordan. The contest happend to be in Chicago, Jordan need a perfect 50 on his last dunk, and he got it... how convenient!

#47 07-08 Exquisite Collection Enshrinements Dual Autographs w/Spud (10/10) Atlanta sure has a proud tradition of having some of the top dunkers in the league. Wilkins, Webb, and Smith are all some of the greatest for sure. While I've got Nique and J-Smooth together on some triple autographs, this is the only dual that I have of the two.

#48 93-94 Ultra #7 (Perforation) This card is perforated because it came out of a nine-card sheet that was included in a $10 souvenir magazine sold at the 1994 NBA All-Star Game in Minnesota. The main thing I like about this card is seeing Patrick Ewing's jaw drop as Nique throws one down.

#49 90-91 Star Court Kings #17 Personal Info (One of 2000) Looks like The Star Company decided to pony up and pay for that NBA license after all! Good thing they did, otherwise we wouldn't have this great shot of Nique after he won the 1990 Slam Dunk competition.

#50 93-94 Ultra #371 USA Basketball What can I say, Nique looks great draped in the flag. I still can't get over them leaving Nique off of the first Dream Team though...