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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Ask the Experts at 52 Plus Joker
« on: July 15, 2014, 05:05:44 PM »
Thank you!
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27
A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Tell me more
« on: July 15, 2014, 04:37:19 PM »
Nabbed these today but I need someone to look them up and give me info on them. I am packed for a move across country, and alas all my Hochman encyclopedias are boxed up. I grabbed them for the unique joker and ace which were both examples I don't currently own. The ace says Copyright 1900. I know they are Congress and they are titled spinning wheel, but are they particularly common or scarce? Either way, glad to be getting them because I don't yet have any wide Congress.
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The Source - Card Collecting 101 / Re: playing cards collector database of spreadsheet available?
« on: July 09, 2014, 08:47:59 PM »
This is just a side note for this thread, but it seems as good a place as any to mention it. There is a website for sports card collecting called Zistle (www.zistle.com) which I think sets a standard going forward for community driven, collection oriented databases. On the site, a collector can find sets, subsets, and photos of each individual card and add it to their collection online to eventually see analytics, variations, and reports of their entire collection. If the specific cards you are looking for aren't there, you can add them and their accompanying pictures yourself to be used by the community. Truly groundbreaking and free with only the advanced featured costing anything. If you have a sports card collection you are doing yourself a favor by checking it out. Just go check it out in general. Maybe it will inspire someone with more programming knowledge than me to adapt the system to playing card purposes.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Environmental Control for storing older cards
« on: July 08, 2014, 10:26:08 PM »
I'm sure I could throw together a how to. It'll have to be next week when I get back home though.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Environmental Control for storing older cards
« on: July 08, 2014, 06:28:59 PM »
I see something like this being very useful. This is just a mock-up I made from 2 mil Mylar. It is neither hard nor soft while being rigid enough to maintain its form. It is lightweight, crystal clear, and has all the benefits of long term storage inherent to Mylar. In essence it is a glorified Mylar tuckcase for storage.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Environmental Control for storing older cards
« on: July 08, 2014, 03:16:08 PM »
As a carryover from my collections of vintage and rare periodicals, I have often wondered about storing decks in form fitting Mylar bags. I use a 2 mil bag which is durable and can hold a crease very well. They are large in comparison to a deck of cards, but I may go home and whip out the scissors this afternoon to see what I can come up with.
- As a side note, I've also been curious as to the long term effects of the cellophane wrapping on cards that are never opened. I know that over time, even sealed magazines that are unopened can incur damage or at least some aging from the limitations of the plastics used to seal them at the factory.
- As a side note, I've also been curious as to the long term effects of the cellophane wrapping on cards that are never opened. I know that over time, even sealed magazines that are unopened can incur damage or at least some aging from the limitations of the plastics used to seal them at the factory.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Who wants to win a deck of cards.........actually 4 decks of cards?
« on: April 11, 2014, 01:03:23 PM »
3
♠
♠
♠
♠
♠
ε
THREE OF SPADES
Thanks a bunch
♠
♠
♠
♠
♠
ε
THREE OF SPADES
Thanks a bunch
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Introduce Yourself / Re: Brand New no Clue
« on: April 07, 2014, 01:21:45 PM »
Oh and nice to meet you !An0nym0u5
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Introduce Yourself / Re: Brand New no Clue
« on: April 07, 2014, 09:30:55 AM »
On these I just used auto levels in photoshop to bring them back to life a bit before posting, but what you see here isn't too far off from the original scans. I like the tone that has set in as these photos have aged.
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Introduce Yourself / The Bus
« on: March 29, 2014, 10:10:44 PM »
In the process of digitizing my grandmothers photo albums I came across a picture of the bus mentioned above. It was in a photo album long ago destroyed by silverfish, but I recovered what I could. This is a photo of a trip to White Sands New Mexico accompanied with a picture of my Grandparents.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Cards in Advertising
« on: March 24, 2014, 09:33:50 PM »
That is a pretty cool looking King on that bottle!
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Post Your Vintage Collection - Your Newest & Most Prized Acquisitions
« on: March 23, 2014, 10:34:10 PM »
Cool Decks! I wondered the same thing Don. I bet it is just a matter of time until someone revisits the slipcase style box in a custom or kickstarter project.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Unusual date coding on Bicycle Aircraft Spotter Cards
« on: March 21, 2014, 04:33:07 PM »
This is what is left of the tax stamp. It is distinguishable as a "1 pack" stamp.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Unusual date coding on Bicycle Aircraft Spotter Cards
« on: March 21, 2014, 12:14:47 AM »
The date code on this deck appears on the Joker and not the Ace of Spades. I assume other Spotter decks are the same, but I have not seen this before. Has anyone else ever noticed this? Are there other USPCC decks that utilize the joker for this purpose in lieu of the Ace of Spades.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: The Case for Congress
« on: March 19, 2014, 09:50:59 PM »
I like getting your take on things Don. You tend to think things through more thoroughly than I am able to. And then when Tom chimes in with 175° proof wisdom it just makes my day. This post has garnered way more of a response than I could foresee! In fact it has been a treat to read everyones responses here. That being said, does anyone have any photos of their own favorite congress decks to share? I'd love to see what catches the eye of someone other than myself. Thanks again!
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: The Case for Congress
« on: March 16, 2014, 03:40:36 PM »Quote
That generic nature of the cards turns off many card collectors, who like to collect cards that can be dated and who's rarity is more easily determined. - Don Boyer
I agree that many collectors share the same viewpoint you just stated and it is a big part of the hobby to have the ability to determine rarity and age in a deck of cards. But I think in order to appreciate cards such as the Congress brand it is necessary to break through the stigmas that surround them. You can't hold them to the same standard and get a high satisfaction out of owning them. I'm sure many folks can't do that, but I also think that each persons collection is a reflection of themselves. For example, I collect railroad decks because my family has railroad history, bicycle decks because I think they are cool, and hunting dog themed decks because I grew up hunting birds. For the first two categories i would be more concerned about the dates of issue and rarity, but when it comes to the hunting dog cards, Congress helps fills that niche. The difference is that with Congress cards I wold not put forward as much money nor be as tolerant of a roughly used deck when making a purchase (unless it was an old wide or early Congress deck). In essence the standards and expectations I apply to my railroad and bicycle card collection are the exact inverse of the standards I would accept for the hunting dog decks. As a result I can now accept Congress as a viable component of my overall collection. I wasn't always able to do that. But I am relatively new to the hobby (a couple of years), and my collection will evolve as time passes.
Quote
I rarely find decks that I look at the back design and think "That is Congress!" - musical_racket
Without that tell-tale box there's no way I could recognize a Congress deck with just a glance. I think I go in with more of an expectation that most narrow, bridge sized, art back decks that I would find at a flea market or antique store are likely to be Congress by association, though many other companies made similar products.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: The Case for Congress
« on: March 15, 2014, 07:09:50 PM »You know, I've wondered the same thing, why this brand of the US Playing Card Co. was in such low demand in comparison to other vintage decks. Since I am assuming you've handled some Congress decks, do they feel like they are inferior in stock or print quality in comparison to other standard USPCC brands? If they are similar, I may buy a couple for my own collection.
From my understanding, Congress was originally intended to be, and at first was, the highest quality and most expensive brand of the USPCC. I don't know the retail price of some of these more recent decks, but I know that this brand was mass produced and marketed toward a demographic that played whist and bridge as they gained popularity through last century. I don't know if they got cheaper in quality as a result. This particular deck above is in really good condition. It has what is called a Cel-U-Tone finish. I don't know how that differs from an Air cushion or linen finish, but these cards handle well and have great print quality especially in the court cards (they even have a peach colored skin tone in this deck). The problem is that a lot of the Congress sets you may run across at garage sales or antique stores are very well played with being that they were a very popular card for ladies who played bridge. Older cards that have been well used tend to be a bit "stickier" when compared to a similarly well played deck of Bicycle cards in my own opinion. Overall it is a great handling card if you can find them in lightly used condition. It is still possible to find a lot of these unopened if you look hard enough.
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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / The Case for Congress
« on: March 15, 2014, 02:29:18 PM »
The Case for Congress
I have been wanting to start this post for some time and am glad to finally get around to it. All collectors refine and tweak the direction of their collections as they move forward in a hobby. Often times it is necessary to focus in on the specific pieces we are after instead of throwing such a wide net because face it, good decks don't come cheap. I would like to make a case for some of the more under appreciated decks in our hobby; the Congress brand. Sure, the vintage wide Congress decks get their fair share of attention as well as some of the older narrow ones, but interest falls off when you start talking about the not so vintage yet not so new decks that were mass produced more recently. You know the ones I am talking about; they come side by side in a velvety box, have a vast array of back designs and are generally not as valuable or sought after unless the collector is seeking a certain theme of back designs. Until recently even I; the guy who buys everything, avoided them until one day when I really sat down and examined a deck for what it was. The back of this particular deck had a bust of an English Springer Spaniel holding a pheasant in his mouth. The artwork was beautifully done by someone who, more than likely, was creating art for purposes other than playing cards. And then I realized; these mass produced, widely distributed cards were a crossroads between a wider world of art and the playing cards we all love. There are some real gems to be found in Congress and for the most part they are a bargain when compared to the Vintage or Modern limited decks most collectors seek out. These are the perfect niche collection to have on the side when the big scores in your main collection are few and far between. Pick a theme, any theme and Congress probably printed a back for it. Yes, there are other brands that did similar style cards throughout the years in an attempt to appeal to bridge players and the like, but Congress is the most identifiable. So with that being said I am asking you to share your favorite Congress deck backs. Lets limit it to this brand only. It doesn't have to be old, just your favorites. I will kick it off with this silver edged deck showing two setters and a man on a bird hunt.
I have been wanting to start this post for some time and am glad to finally get around to it. All collectors refine and tweak the direction of their collections as they move forward in a hobby. Often times it is necessary to focus in on the specific pieces we are after instead of throwing such a wide net because face it, good decks don't come cheap. I would like to make a case for some of the more under appreciated decks in our hobby; the Congress brand. Sure, the vintage wide Congress decks get their fair share of attention as well as some of the older narrow ones, but interest falls off when you start talking about the not so vintage yet not so new decks that were mass produced more recently. You know the ones I am talking about; they come side by side in a velvety box, have a vast array of back designs and are generally not as valuable or sought after unless the collector is seeking a certain theme of back designs. Until recently even I; the guy who buys everything, avoided them until one day when I really sat down and examined a deck for what it was. The back of this particular deck had a bust of an English Springer Spaniel holding a pheasant in his mouth. The artwork was beautifully done by someone who, more than likely, was creating art for purposes other than playing cards. And then I realized; these mass produced, widely distributed cards were a crossroads between a wider world of art and the playing cards we all love. There are some real gems to be found in Congress and for the most part they are a bargain when compared to the Vintage or Modern limited decks most collectors seek out. These are the perfect niche collection to have on the side when the big scores in your main collection are few and far between. Pick a theme, any theme and Congress probably printed a back for it. Yes, there are other brands that did similar style cards throughout the years in an attempt to appeal to bridge players and the like, but Congress is the most identifiable. So with that being said I am asking you to share your favorite Congress deck backs. Lets limit it to this brand only. It doesn't have to be old, just your favorites. I will kick it off with this silver edged deck showing two setters and a man on a bird hunt.
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Design & Development / Re: "Hard Angle"
« on: March 11, 2014, 03:42:19 PM »
I think it looks like an argyle pattern at first glance. Cool how you incorporated all the suits into the design. Neat.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Confusion about Santa Backs
« on: March 10, 2014, 04:26:43 PM »Josh
The Merz decks are the ones with the christmas trees on the front
Yeah, and I like those well enough, just won't be buying any.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Confusion about Santa Backs
« on: March 10, 2014, 04:08:47 PM »
Well, I finally landed a set of these. I had been a bit confused on which ones were the legitimate decks and which were the knockoffs, but thanks to all the help, I wound up nabbing the correct ones in the end. I scanned auction sites over the past year waiting on a good deal to slip through and it finally did. I got an opened, but otherwise perfect tin with the two full decks inside. I'm not going to say the price I paid, but it was ridiculously low... Low enough to make a collectors jaw drop, and I couldn't be happier!
Now on to the next question. Can anyone tell me how many of these decks were printed?
Thanks Guys!
Now on to the next question. Can anyone tell me how many of these decks were printed?
Thanks Guys!
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Tolkien deck
« on: March 05, 2014, 05:06:21 PM »I love Tolkien and the entire world. I've looked into doing a LOTR deck but the Tolkien estate requires anybody that is applying for a license to have been producing in that specific field for a minimum of three years before even considering an application. So I just started the clock.
I would love to see your take on Tolkiens world! There Is so much great artwork associated with Tolkien in general. I am sure you know about Alan Lee , John Howe and Ted Naismith. I am in awe of those guys. I'm also glad to hear you are a fan. Too bad you aren't in Texas or I would invite you to smoke pipes and tell some tales. Anyway I think I wept a little bit upon seeing your response earlier. I think you could do such a deck justice.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Tolkien deck
« on: March 05, 2014, 09:38:13 AM »
Several actually exist. Most are tied with the films in some way with recycled production images, movie scenes etc. I guess what I am saying is that nothing exists that brings a Tolkien theme together in an original, attractive, or unique way this franchise deserves; at least in my own opinion; but I am more than just a LOTR movie geek. Anyway, heres to the future. Eventually something may come along.
That Tolkien deck - a Lord of the Rings deck already exists...
http://www.playingcardforum.com/playing-card-plethora/post-your-collection-your-newest-acquisitions/msg93686/#msg93686
It's in the photo.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Tolkien deck
« on: March 02, 2014, 01:35:23 PM »
Yeah the tarot deck is printed by the same company that printed the Hochman encyclopedia. As a big fan of that franchise I just wish there were something better. The potential for a killer deck in general is there, regardless if it were one like this or not. I'm thinking a collaboration like what Jackson Robinson did with the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate would be cool. 