Wilmington-shot show 'One Tree Hill' lives on in new trading card line

John Staton, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
A trading card company is making cards with a popular character from Wilmington-shot One Tree Hill.
A trading card company is making cards with a popular character from Wilmington-shot One Tree Hill.
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Fans of the long-running Wilmington-shot TV drama "One Tree Hill" will soon be able to own a limited-edition memento of the show.

On April 20, Dallas-based pop culture trading card company Leaf Trading Cards announced the release of a new card featuring James Lafferty, who played the leading role of high school basketball player Nathan Scott on "One Tree Hill."

CJ Breen, marketing manager with Leaf Trading Cards, said they were having a brainstorming meeting trying to answer the question, "What would be a great, beloved TV show we can bring to fans and collectors?"

They settled on "One Tree Hill," and soon had a deal with Lafferty, who will sign each card sold. Cards will be on sale through May 1 and go for about $30 each.

"This card celebrates 'Nathan Scott' as you remember him from 'One Tree Hill,'" reads a note on the Leaf Trading Cards site next to an image of the card, which features Lafferty in his No. 23 "Tree Hill" basketball jersey.

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James Lafferty, who played Nathan Scott on "One Tree Hill," now has a trading card.
James Lafferty, who played Nathan Scott on "One Tree Hill," now has a trading card.

Breen said Lafferty is "super nice to work with and is always about giving back to the fans."

According to the site, cards are printed to order and should ship in mid-May.

Breen said Leaf hopes to sign agreements soon for trading cards with "One Tree Hill" actors Chad Michael Murray and Paul Johansson.

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The card release is just the latest sign of the continued popularity of "One Tree Hill," remarkable considering the show hasn't aired in more than 10 years. In 2021, OTH actresses Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush launched a podcast, "Drama Queens," on which they rewatch and comment on different episodes, occasionally sparking headlines with allegations of sexual assault and what the actresses have called a toxic work environment on the show.

"One Tree Hill" shot in Wilmington for a decade and aired from 2003 to 2012 on The CW. It can currently be streamed on Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Hulu.

Three "Return to Tree Hill" conventions have been held in Wilmington, most recently in 2019, with countless fans making trips to Wilmington over the years to see "One Tree Hill" locations in person.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: One Tree Hill trading card featuring James Lafferty as Nathan Scott