Harry Potter trading cards make up one of the most comprehensive lines in hobby history. Not only is every film featured in at least one standalone set (most have two), but there are several offshoot sets that look at the franchise as a whole.
Wizards of the Coast, a company known for their trading card games, started with the license with the first film. But they didn’t find much success with their over-sized set. By the time The Prisoner of Azkaban rolled around, Artbox acquired the license for Harry Potter trading cards. They produced sets for the third movie onward and also went back to make sets for the two they missed.
Artbox’s Harry Potter card sets are known for their premium inserts. They mixed autographs, costume and prop cards into almost all their full releases. Autographs ended up capturing virtually every notable actor in the eight films. Although there are a couple of exceptions, the extensive checklist includes all three of the leads — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint — signing for several sets.
Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, John Cleese, David Tennant and Maggie Smith are among the other autographs included during the line’s run.
Harry Potter cards continue to be popular today. The lasting nature of the series and the quality of the sets are both contributing factors. This also makes some of the top cards among the most valuable cards of the ’00s, both sports and entertainment.