There is Only One:

The Most Iconic Trading Cards Ever

Being able to view the recreation of these masterpieces in person, at 22 x 30 and in watercolor, is what makes this traveling exhibition and sale so unique.

Trading cards are now considered by many to be miniature masterpieces in their own right, and we are proud to be able to highlight the sports-art side of collecting on a fine art level.

Learn more…

The Honus Wagner T206 card

Easily the most recognized card inside and outside of our hobby. The ” WAGNER” stands alone at the G.O.A.T. of all vintage trading cards.

Every time this card is offered up and sold, it shatters the record price that it already owned. The latest record-shattering sale was for an SGC graded VG-3 version that hammered at an astounding $6.6 million dollars!

The Fiorentino version has already been claimed by an astute collector prior to James’s brush ever touching the paper. This majestic 20 x 32 one-of-a-kind portrait was an absolute must for this project.

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“The Honus Wagner T206 card is arguably the most recognized card in the world, and the most sought after. I was very excited to paint this card as it was the first T206 recreation that I have ever done, and because the card is so iconic. I made a concerted effort to stay very true to the card while still showcasing my style in watercolor.

Older cards from this era are always a challenge to paint at this scale. This is the first card in the series on which I used guache with the background, which took a lot of color experimentation to get the background color solid but also accurate. That background is so important because it is what catches your eye and immediately lets the viewer know its the Wagner card.

This happens to be on of my favorite cards in the series so far. “

James Fiorentino, Artist

1951 Bowman Mays

“The ‘Say Hey Kids’ Rookie Card. A PSA NM-MT 8 example sold in May of 2021 for $234,000.00! The original 1951 photo was shot prior to Willie’s 1951 Major League debut. It was owned by Bowman Gum Company and was only 3.75 x 4.75 inched in size. This masterpiece stands tall at 22 x 30 inches, and I never quite realized that there was a green building in the background until James handed me the finished and framed work of art! There’s Only one…The Most Iconic Trading Card ever ! “

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“I have had the privilege of meeting both Mays and Mantle many times, but I can’t help thinking to myself that this particular card is representative of the greatest all-around baseball player ever. This card is one of the most simple, yet attractive cards ever crafted. The yellow ochre background color and the subtle hint of green to the corner of the card make Mays pop right off the paper.”

James Fiorentino, Artist

1951 Bowman Mantle

“A truly Iconic Image of ‘The Mick,’ this image was taken from an original 1951 news photo, and in the trading card world it’s always been a slight underdog to his 1952 Topps Card #311. Auction sales on high grade examples have continued to climb steadily, and no examples have sold above the grade of NM-MT 8 in the past 3+ years ! James did an incredible job on this beauty! There’s Only one…The Most Iconic Trading Card ever ! “

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“This Mantle card is also one of my favorites. Its very simple and classic has, yet has always been one of the greatest Mantle cards ever. With this design, I had to match more of a loss; an almost cartoonish-style illustration. It’s hard for me not to be too detailed on works, but in this case I matched the card’s original design with my own signature look.”

James Fiorentino, Artist

1989 Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookie card

While the 1980’s certainly produced an amazing amount of Baseball Hall of Fame Rookie cards such as but not limited to: Raines,Baines, Ripken, Gwynn, Boggs, Sandberg, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Alomar, Biggio and more… it would be hard pressed to find a more Iconic card that not only represents one of the greatest hitter’s and all-around players ever to play the game.

But this card is also symbolic of the change in trading cards as we know them today. Upper Deck premiered in 1989 and introduced ultra-high end premium photography into the card collecting world. The up-close photo of Griffey Jr. is Iconic and James’s interpretation is visually astounding , what an amazing piece!

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“The 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookie card undoubtedly defines my generation as it was the first card by Upper Deck to hit the hobby. I was 12 years old, my high school was hosting a local card show, and I remember vividly seeing the packs and cards for the first time. I was struck by how different these amazing elite-style cards were; holograms and larger price tags setting them apart and energizing the hobby.

The Griffey card soon became the ‘chase’ card. Our local card shop would buy them back instantly from you if you pulled one, so as a kid, it became one of the coolest things you could do at the card shop. This card tales me back to the days of riding my bike almost daily to the comic and baseball cards stores. Even at 12, I found it one of the more beautiful looking cards with the dominating, oversized portrait. And to think that ‘The Kid’ would become of the greatest all-around players in baseball history, with one of the smoothest swing in the game.“

James Fiorentino, Artist

1933 Goudey card of Babe Ruth

Collector’s Universe/PSA’s CEO Joe Orlando has ranked this card #7 All-Time on the Most Important card list.

I’ll let his words speak for themselves about this amazing treasure.

“This legendary card represents arguably the most important component to the ultra-popular 1933 Goudey set and it features the most destructive hitter who ever played the game.”

The Sultan of Swat is card # 53 in the 1933 Goudey Baseball Card Set. The “Yellow Ruth ” as it is often referred to, is considered to be the toughest of the four Babe Ruth cards in the set and is arguably his most important and eye appealing card ever made. The James Fiorentino rendition explodes with vibrant color and feels almost life like when you see it!

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“The 1933 Goudey card of Babe Ruth has been one of the most fun to paint, taking me out of my comfort zone as a very high-realistic painter in watercolor. The colors and portrait of the Babe have always made this piece popular; it just screams ‘classic.’

I loved painting this card. It illustrates the nostalgia of the game and this piece will really add to the mix of the series. I also have a great connection to Babe, not just as a die-hard Yankee fan, but because Babe’s granddaugher, Linda Ruth Tossetti, is a dear friend. I never tire of painting the greatest baseball player in history, and to recreate one of his most iconic cards was pure pleasure. “

James Fiorentino, Artist

2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady

The Ultimate rookie card of Tom Brady, a.k.a The G.O.A.T. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it! At 44 years of age, sporting 7 Super Bowl rings and 5 Super Bowl MVP’s, he is pretty much superhuman and his cards are among the most desirable in the hobby today! In June of 2021 a Beckett graded MINT 9 version of this card sold at auction for over 3 million dollars!

One of my favorite things when James brings each iconic 2.5 x 3.5 inch treasure to life is how absolutely amazing they look when they are enlarged to movie poster size; the smallest details of this card jump out at you when you see it in person. What an amazing card and an even more amazing one of a kind water color treasure!

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“I loved painting this card, for one because Tom Brady is my age, so I am always thinking of how amazing his career has been and how much I admire that work ethic and talent. Painting this card was both fun and challenging because of the ticket within the card. The idea once again of painting these cards in watercolor brings out some unique challenges that you don’t encounter with other mediums.

My favorite part of the painting is the background behind Tom and the bending of the image. This card just pops right off the paper and has become one of the most iconic football cards of all time.”

James Fiorentino, Artist

1915/16 Sporting News Babe Ruth

To put it simply, I would love it if James would paint every Ruth card ever made. Babe is the greatest player of all-time…In my humble opinion of course.

This is the first Black and white of the series and I am very impressed with the way James captured the essence of Ruth, I love this card because it shows a young Ruth pitching ( yes pitching) for the Boston Red Sox.

The M101-4 is the true “rookie card” of the great Bambino, and the Fiorentino interpretation is a beautiful rendition!

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“Black and white watercolor holds a special element that I love to incorporate into my work when I have the opportunity. There is something so classic about this card and image. The challenge in this piece lies in it’s simplicity; I had to ultimately create what the card looks like while staying true to the card.

It’s become the holy grail of Ruth cards, evoking the humble beginnings of this giant as a pitcher. There is no one in baseball like the Babe!“

James Fiorentino, Artist

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan

“The entire set of 1986 Fleer Basketball will likely be known as the Pinnacle of Basketball Card sets for decades to come. And the most Iconic Basketball trading card of all- time is easy, it’s card #57 Michael ‘Air ‘ Jordan ! In February 2021 This Trading card in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition sold for a Whopping $738,000 ! This mezmorizing 22 x 30 life like James Fiorentino water color truly captures the essence of ‘His Airness’ in all his glory, slam dunking ! There’s Only one…The Most Iconic Trading Card ever !”

Joe Drelich, East Coast Sports Marketing

“The Jordan rookie is now one of the most all-time iconic sports cards, and it was out when I was just starting to collect cards. That famous red , white and blue design of the outside of the card paired with the Fleer yellow trim makes this card so eye-catching and fun to paint. It was certainly a challenge to capture in watercolor, but the iconic shot of Jordan dunking lands perfect on the card, and the abstract colors of the crowd lend themselves to making this such a beautiful card to paint.”

James Fiorentino, Artist

T206 Ty Cobb Bat on Shoulder

“Painting the T206 cards, especially the Cobb collection, is fun because of the amazing history from a card collectors point of view. Also, this series really works well with my medium of watercolor.

The vintage feel of these pieces is a nod to what these paintings would have looked like had they been painted over one hundred years ago.

The bat on shoulder was something that I really wanted to capture. There is something that is so quintessential Cobb in this portrait.

Like many of the T206 cards, the yellow background just pops with the green grass bringing you right to that field.”

James Fiorentino, Artist

T206 Ty Cobb Batt off Shoulder

Of the four Cobb cards, this one is my favorite from a visual standpoint. I love the position of Cobb with the bat held away from him, and the sideview of his face.

The colors on this card are so amazing with the blues and pinks enhancing the yellow to set the mood for this piece. The entire series of cards really works well with my medium of watercolor.

I enjoy studying these cards and trying to match the colors as I paint while capturing the details like the flag looking image in the background, for example.

Taking in the card in this large format really gives you an appreciation for the design as a classic painting.

James Fiorentino, Artist