Magnin size Kem playing cards

[Chuqii]

Anybody know the story behind the KEM magnin size playing cards?  I just picked these up.  They are 3.5 x 2 inches, so narrower than a bridge deck.  My deck is dated October, 1941.  Just wondering if these had any special use or purpose.

[52plusjoker]

Anybody know the story behind the KEM magnin size playing cards?  I just picked these up.  They are 3.5 x 2 inches, so narrower than a bridge deck.  My deck is dated October, 1941.  Just wondering if these had any special use or purpose.

Interesting! - Never seen these before and I've seen lots of Kem cards. Don't know the term "magnin" either. Sry can't help.

[Don Boyer]

Anybody know the story behind the KEM magnin size playing cards?  I just picked these up.  They are 3.5 x 2 inches, so narrower than a bridge deck.  My deck is dated October, 1941.  Just wondering if these had any special use or purpose.

Interesting! - Never seen these before and I've seen lots of Kem cards. Don't know the term "magnin" either. Sry can't help.

Best guess I can make - and it's strictly a guess - is that the cellulose acetate used in the cards was in short supply during World War II because it was needed in the war effort, so someone at Kem came up with the idea of using less of it by making a super-narrow card size.  Alternately, it could simply have been an experiment at making a new format for bridge decks, something that makes it even easier to hold thirteen cards in a hand, no matter how tiny that hand is.  If that was the case, it would appear that the idea didn't take off.

See this web page: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-40s-kem-magnin-size-narrow-238356772

Someone there posits the idea that the "Magnin" size was a cross-promotional effort with a department store called I. Magnin.  It further suggests that this especially narrow size was used as a deck for traveling - takes up less space, can be used on narrow tray tables, etc.  I noticed a photo or two on other pages where the deck had the two-deck narrow Bakelite box - the decks are placed front-to-back instead of side-by-side so it becomes nearly pocket-sized.

I can see where you got the deck - the below-listed eBay page uses the same exact photo!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vinage-KEM-Plastic-Streamline-Playing-Cards-Magnin-Size-2-Decks-Cork-Box-/251560213181

[Chuqii]

You got me.  Haven't taken any photos of my own yet, so I used the Ebay one.    Thanks for the Worthpoint link.  Some interesting speculation there.

[Don Boyer]

You got me.  Haven't taken any photos of my own yet, so I used the Ebay one.    Thanks for the Worthpoint link.  Some interesting speculation there.

Poke around in the right corners of the Internet, you'd be surprised at what you may find! 

[Chuqii]

Looks like it was good speculation on the I. Magnin & Co. connection.  Here's an I. Magnin & Co. ad showing the Magnin-sized cards.

[Don Boyer]

Looks like it was good speculation on the I. Magnin & Co. connection.  Here's an I. Magnin & Co. ad showing the Magnin-sized cards.

Excellent find!  Those Worthpoint people were right.