Chicago Playing Card Collectors will hold its first "Playing Card Market" Saturday, August 31st as part of the CPCC annual convention. It's billed as a sale of "all things playing cards," including decks, unusual singles and other playing card-related items. I'll be one of the se...

On the Ramblers: Is there a code at the bottom of the ace? The blue filigree back was a common one for Ramblers and other National brands (eventually to become part of USPC). The very thin pip and the old-style art on the king place this deck in the 1910-1930 range. Older National decks that still l...

Several bits for you: 1. Hoyle Studs: you should be able to recognize the standard Hoyle court cards (even on jumbo index) on those blue Studs. That should be another way to identify the maker, besides the different filigree back. 2. Morrison cards: these are Brown & Bigelow "Remembrance&qu...

STUDS ANSWER: That jumbo index, blue Stud deck is from the late 80s, when Walgreens contracted with Hoyle to make its store brand cards. Hoyle produced a similar, but different back to its version of the Studs. The company reverted to USPC after 1990. Note the Hoyle pips, especially on the joker. Ho...

No need to get overly excited. Those are part of a "fashion" series of colorful backs from USPC about ten years ago. The series used the Bicycle brand; the cards are standard and may have a "plain" ace of spaces, IIRC. USPC also sold the brightly colored Hoyle shellbacks and a si...

It's an Arrco Streamline jumbo index deck. Arrco made these for decades... and USPC continued the Streamline brand in standard and jumbo index faces after the mid-1980s purchase. These are common. Older Arrco versions have stiffer card stock and various finishes. The jokers and ace of spades are dif...

52 + Joker has safeguards (and multiple officers) to ensure auctions are handled fairly. You would be wrong to assume one person has the final word on bids, etc. Those who run the auctions are bound by rules (again supervised by others in the club) that do not allow such shenanigans. The Dawsons wro...

One-pack tax stamp, used until 1965.

Western/Whitman's standard ace, used from the 1930s through the early 60s.

Your miniature deck is likely late 1950s-early 60s based on the box graphics and the ace.

Happy collecting.

Andrew

Look closely. No more gold ink on the new one. No gold ink = cheaper printing costs. And if the two sets of photos are exactly the same scale, it appears the Bicycle name and Spade symbol are slightly more prominent in the design.

Andrew