Player with best card representation
 

Okay here's a toughie: I was pondering which player has the broadest representation amongst types of cards. I don't mean players with the most cards, or multiple cards within the same set. I mean which player appears on the most, different types of cards, so if one were to collect his card, one would have the broadest representation of the different types of cards being made?

The one that came to mind first was Warren Spahn:

In addition to appearing in every Topps years from '51 to 65, he appears on every Bowman card except for 54 and 55, as well as the 48 Leaf, 51 Berk Ross, 52-55 Red Man, 53-55 Johnston Cookie, and a fistful of other one off cards.

So if you collected just Spahn cards, you'd wind up with a helluva type set, representing nearly every major cardboard issue of the period.

Can anyone think of another player who has better representation?

Back when I was interested in that very question, I chose to collect Spahn. Alas, almost all of mine are gone now, but you picked a winner there. I would think Berra is up there too. In fact, here' one of my few remaining Spahnny's, with guess who:
http://photos.imageevent.com/imoverh...SpahnBerra.jpg

Actually the more I think about it the more I would say Duke Snider. Not only do you get nearly all of the same issues as Spahn, you get the New York regionals in the early to mid-50s and the same for the LA sets in the late 50's to early 60's. So no Johnston cookies but those are more than made up for by Bell Brand Potato Chips and Morrell Meats. Plus Duke was included in some cool 50's sets that had few players, namely Hires, Home Run Derby and 1959 Bazooka. I think I passed on him just because of cost, but he's a great representative of 50's and early 60's cards (a couple of late 40's too).

All the big stars who spanned the late 50's and into the early to mid 70's have lots of cards.

If you count all the Topps peripheral stuff, plus all the food and ad pieces from the mid 60's into the late 70's, some players could be on 10 or more different cards in the same year.

Lou Brock alone is on at least 7 different readily available "cards" from 1970 alone, Nabisco, Globe, Dayton daily news, Kelloggs, Chemtoy super ball, Transogram, plus Topps and OPC issues.

In the mid 70's the MSA discs just explode the equation, with those stars perhaps being on 12 or more different issues counting MSA in a given year. You've got Kelloggs, Hostess, Topps/OPC, and on and on.

If I were to guess, I would say Hank Aaron is on the most issues, as he makes it into the first round of the MSA discs, plus is in Hostess.

After thinking a bit more about this, Yaz may be on the most, he makes it into the early 80's so gets Topps, Fleer, and Donruss issues as well.

Don't forget that Snider is also in the 1953-54 Briggs Meats set, a tough Washington, DC, regional issue.

Hank Aaron seems to show up in every set ! Kahn's , bazooka, all the topps inserts and test issues ... I don't think he is in any Kellogg's sets.. That's weird !

Yogi?
http://www.psacard.com/psasetregistr...t.aspx?s=91315

Bob Feller
 

I think Bob Feller has a really diverse group of cards that covers his career, from 1937 O-Pee-Chee to the 1956 Topps issue, with numerous regular issues, regional issues, premiums, and cutouts inbetween.

Aaron 1954-1976 Topps.

How about pete rose. Career spanning 63-86.

Nolan Ryan would deserve consideration but I think the desirability is diminished by his career going a bit longer into the junk wax era.

Say hey !
 

Willie mays was on a ton off crap milk duds , jello , cookies , topps , bowman , decals , fleer , I call willie mays Maybellin because he's got it all covered :cool: