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The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!

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The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« on: December 17, 2013, 09:23:19 AM »
 

52plusjoker

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GREETINGS TO ALL DISCOURSE MEMBERS AND GUESTS

Hi, my name is Tom Dawson, and I'm the new owner of the Discourse Forum. Together with my wife Judy, we are longtime collectors of old and unusual decks and officers of 52 Plus Joker - the premier American Playing Card Collectors Club. Judy and I are also the authors of the definitive work on early American cards – The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards.

Like all of you, we live and breathe playing cards!

WHY DID I PURCHASE THE DISCOURSE?

My primary purposes are to provide an environment for The Discourse to continue to grow and flourish,  as well as to venture with 52+ Joker in providing Discourse membership access to a different dimension of playing card collecting and at the same time, allowing the 52+ Joker membership to learn about and understand modern card design and the modern card collector.

Simply put, we all love the same thing – Playing Cards. There’s a lifetime of information to learn from each other, so let’s get started.

Judy and I filmed an interview early last year with local magicians Ben Train and Chris Mayhew for their project Series of Unfortunate Effects. While this video is planned to launch early next year, we would love to let you watch it now. We show you a little bit of our Playing Card collection, and share a few essential tips to help you with yours.


Tom and Judy Dawson on Playing Cards - click image above to watch

Like the clip above, our plan is to introduce new content on unusual, antique, and vintage playing cards from the vast knowledge base of 52+ Joker members' collections and experience as well as from articles published in our quarterly publication, Clear The Decks.

WHAT IS THIS 52 PLUS JOKER ORGANIZATION?

For  those of you who don’t know about 52+ Joker, it  was founded about 30 years ago to enable collectors to share information and buy and sell unusual, vintage and antique American playing cards. Sound slightly familiar?

Judy and I, and many other members of the 52+J, are also knowledgeable about playing cards from other continents of the world. For those who want more information about this great club, please visit the official 52 Plus Joker website and have a look around.

Maybe even purchase yourself a membership as an early gift this holiday season? The club would love to have you!

THANK YOUs

Before I sign-off and let the forums start chatting to a feverish pitch, I want to thank a few people who helped make all this possible:

The Discourse Staff - I'm glad to have you here, and look forward to a bright future together, etc.

Alex Yusupov – You have worked hard to make the Discourse a terrific source for playing card aficionados, and we thank you. You can rest well knowing this forum remains in good hands and will continue to have the benefit of your involvement.

Don Boyer –  Your enthusiasm for playing cards is infectious. It’s an honor to have you continue running The Discourse. Thank you for all your help.

And finally …

Lee Asher – I couldn’t have done any of this without you, and I am excited that you will continue to be my consigliere on this journey. Thank you!

NOW WHAT?

Now it’s time we celebrate in the hobby [avocation!!!] of collecting playing cards. I look forward to meeting many of you on this Forum and hearing your comments, views, and opinions about this exciting collectible we all love and treasure.

Let’s talk playing cards!
« Last Edit: December 17, 2013, 11:48:34 AM by Lee Asher »
Tom Dawson
52 Plus Joker Playing Card Collectors Club
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2013, 09:26:57 AM »
 

Paul.Middleton

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Tom,

Congratulations on your purchase, I'm sure you're going to get many comments wishing you well, but it's great news to have someone with such a rich knowledge in the history of card design and collecting on board. I look forward to seeing the forum go from strength to strength.
~Paul Middleton,
JP Playing Cards
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Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2013, 09:28:02 AM »
 

JacksonRobinson

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ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS!

There is no way that I can express my enthusiasm about this new update. Tom & Judy will, without a doubt bring an incredible new perspective to this forum. Also having Lee Asher hear too is equally awesome. Can't wait to see what the future has.

AWESOME!
Jackson Robinson
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Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2013, 09:29:00 AM »
 

Lee Asher

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ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS! Also having Lee Asher hear too is equally awesome. Can't wait to see what the future has. AWESOME!

You make me blush! Thanks Mr. Robinson.

Let the fun begin!
« Last Edit: December 17, 2013, 09:30:13 AM by Lee Asher »
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2013, 09:31:35 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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Whew!  The cat is finally out of the bag!  :))

Tom, Lee, I'm the one who feels honored, just as I felt when my wife and I met you last year.  It really is a very exciting time to be a card collector and I couldn't be happier that you want me to be a part of it!

Now, who's deal is it?  :))
Card Illusionist, NYC Area
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Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2013, 09:32:51 AM »
 

ivan

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Tom,

Congratulations!

Wow...!  Discourse will benefit from your wealth of knowledge and experience.


... and Lee Asher...  IMMA BIG FAN!
« Last Edit: December 17, 2013, 09:49:17 AM by ivan »


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Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2013, 09:33:09 AM »
 

Paul.Middleton

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ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS! Also having Lee Asher hear too is equally awesome. Can't wait to see what the future has. AWESOME!

You make me blush! Thanks Mr. Robinson.

Let the fun begin!

Great to see you here also Lee!
~Paul Middleton,
JP Playing Cards
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FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY (UK over £30, EU over £70 and Rest Of World over £80)

www.jpplayingcards.co.uk
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2013, 09:51:17 AM »
 

CBJ

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I'm glad that the cat is finally out of the bag!
It was a hard secret to keep.

I think it's amazing news, and I think everyone will benefit from this.

It was great great meeting you, Judy and Lee a couple of weeks back.
And I look forward to going to my first 52 Plus Joker convention!


Jason
  I was the featured collector on UC for May/June, check it out: http://bit.ly/UC_MyCollection

Also, follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BicyclePlayingCards
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2013, 09:59:01 AM »
 

Firdawesome

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This is such great news. What an amazing time to be immersed in the world of playing cards!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2013, 10:01:18 AM »
 

see_squared

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This is fantastic news!  Tom & Judy congrats and thank you!  Great to see Don and Lee still on board!  Excited to see what the future brings here at The Discourse. 
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2013, 10:15:30 AM »
 

BiggerDee

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Congratulations!!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2013, 10:17:49 AM »
 

Sher143

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Awesome! I just recently started collecting and can't wait to learn and build my knowledge from such wonderful people.  :) Very excited about this new development. 
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2013, 10:39:17 AM »
 

Paul Carpenter

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Great news, and both Tom and Judy's VAST knowledge (and I do mean that in the vast-est vastness of the word) will be an incredible asset to this forum. It was amazing talking with them earlier this year and 52PlusJokers is very interested in both sharing what they know, and learning from the new collectors.

This will be a great thing for sure. Welcome!
Paul Carpenter
Designer - http://encarded.com

Tendril Ascendant & Nightfall  /  Standards /  Chancellor, Zenith, Deco, Aurum, Tendril: Sold Out
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2013, 10:58:26 AM »
 

Mike Ratledge

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ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS! Also having Lee Asher hear too is equally awesome. Can't wait to see what the future has. AWESOME!

You make me blush! Thanks Mr. Robinson.

Let the fun begin!
Such a great thing! Congrats to all, and good to see everyone on board as well.

Tom, Judy, Don, Lee - I look forward to working with you and of course look forward to seeing everyone here in Charleston for the 2014 52+J convention!

Charleston is a fabulous place. I have lived here all my life and Donna & I look forward to hosting the group here. If you have never been to Charleston plan to spend a few extra days, there is simply way too many highlights to fit into a few days

Tom, I look forward to your advance visit coming up here in a few months. Maybe we can put together a group of like-minded people at the same time? I'm up for it!

Congratulations again to all. I see it as the start of a new age in card collecting.
> Mike <

Opinions are my own, your mileage WILL vary...

Announcing a new age of cooperation: PCF & UnitedCardists.com are now both owned by 52+Joker members!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2013, 11:10:13 AM »
 

volantangel

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This is brilliant news, cant wait to see what new content the old guys can bring to the new XD
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #15 on: December 17, 2013, 12:24:49 PM »
 

jmrock

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A warm welcome to the Dawson family… It will be nice having you here connecting the vintage playing card world to the modern world… All the best!!! -J.Rock
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #16 on: December 17, 2013, 12:28:44 PM »
 

Nurul

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I feel like a star struck teen amongst playing card celebrities  ;D I can already feel the knowledge growing.

Question for you Tom (and lee) ever considered a 52 plus joker for the Uk? :)
SHOGUN Playing Cards coming soon to Kickstarter
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Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #17 on: December 17, 2013, 12:38:25 PM »
 

Anthony

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Well Welcome, Gratz and I'm really looking forward to what ever comes along! I've only been collecting a few months and on he forums for just as long, I can't begin to explain how much I enjoy this place. Great information, guidence and friendship. Now with this new wrinckle it just seems like the best place to be for a Playing Card collector! I'm sure there are quite a few of us who have wanted to delve into Vintage cards and now we have the best of both workds right here.

Very excited to be part of this ever growing community and Kudos to everyone who helped this come along!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #18 on: December 17, 2013, 12:44:01 PM »
 

Loop Cuts

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Very excited to see this come to fruition!  We can all finally relax and enjoy a community that we have always wanted! 

I cannot wait to meet up with many of you this next year in Charleston!  Great times ahead!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #19 on: December 17, 2013, 12:47:02 PM »
 

Lee Asher

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Again, thank you guys for making us feel so welcome. It means a lot.

Question for you Tom (and lee) ever considered a 52 plus joker for the Uk? :)

Great question. While the 52+ Joker is the American club, you can join the English Playing Card Society as well as the International Playing Card Society. Both are based in the UK.  Pretty much all the playing card orgs. are friendly, and work together on events & projects.

Now that you have me thinking out loud... Maybe I can woo Christian de Ryck and/or John Sings (exec. board members of the IPCS) to come over here and talk with everyone about the UK orgs.? I'm putting it on my to-do list.

Thanks again for asking your question. Hope that helps!
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #20 on: December 17, 2013, 12:53:17 PM »
 

badpete69

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Great news..  Now i need to get my long overdue subscription to 52plusjoker   :)
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #21 on: December 17, 2013, 12:54:18 PM »
 

jmrock

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Well, who would have thought I'd be in the midst of something so great… That is if you collect cards… Great video and thanks for the information Tom & Judy… Should I be that excited that I have some of the decks / cards you had shown on the table???
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #22 on: December 17, 2013, 01:01:12 PM »
 

chach

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Don't know what sentiments I can say as they've already all been shared.  Congratulations on the purchase, only great things can happen because of this and I'm looking forward to it all.
-El Guapo

ISO - Vietnam vintage Bicycle Secret Weapon Aces of Spades deck.
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #23 on: December 17, 2013, 01:02:26 PM »
 

MagikFingerz

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Again, thank you guys for making us feel so welcome. It means a lot.

Question for you Tom (and lee) ever considered a 52 plus joker for the Uk? :)

Great question. While the 52+ Joker is the American club, you can join the English Playing Card Society as well as the International Playing Card Society. Both are based in the UK.  Pretty much all the playing card orgs. are friendly, and work together on events & projects.

Now that you have me thinking out loud... Maybe I can woo Christian de Ryck and/or John Sings (exec. board members of the IPCS) to come over here and talk with everyone about the UK orgs.? I'm putting it on my to-do list.

Thanks again for asking your question. Hope that helps!

No no, the idea was for YOU GUYS to come to us, not for you to STEAL away OUR experts  :(

Damn you americans and your meeting up and having fun and not living thousands of miles away...

Seriously though, this is great news for everyone! I always felt the card community was a bit divided between vintage and new deck collectors. I think this change will be very unifying for the community as a whole  :)
- Tom
 

Re: The Discourse has a new owner, and you’re going to LOVE it!
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2013, 01:20:41 PM »
 

52plusjoker

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Hi everyone who has posted a great welcome note. They are much appreciated. Like most people probably would have, I entered into this with some trepidation and concern that it wouldn't be seen positively. Can see that that fear was completely misplaced!

While Lee commented a few posts back that 52+J is an American Club, that is not completely so. It did start in the USA but has spread over the years and we have at least 20% of our members who are in Canada, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Australia, etc., etc.

So wherever you are, we are not far away!!
Tom Dawson
52 Plus Joker Playing Card Collectors Club