[Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over

[Chuqii]

I have a few other plastic cards, but I only collect the KEMs, and mostly pre-WWII KEMs.

Here's a close up of the Steamboat back. I see the resemblance with the ones you posted.

[dazzleguts]

Thank you for the close-up.

I asked about the other plastic brands because of the Dale deck you showed a while back. The history of the plastic cards is interesting. Plastic was such an exotic substance when it was still new. Even Fournier was making plastic cards early on.

Understand totally wanting to limit the scope of a collection - for cost and space reasons.

[Chuqii]

It's about time I posted some more KEMs, though, in this case, it is the KEM gift box circa 1936. Ad is from 1936. Glad to finally have this one in the collection, but I am missing the scorepads and pencils.

[Chuqii]

A few more decks for the collection

Two deck set of NYCCC Mascotte No. 69 cards

and a two deck set of Dougherty Climax playing cards (cool backs)

[dazzleguts]

Just read up on Ely Culbertson in wikipedia, after seeing his name in that ad you showed. Very colourful character. He actually advocated for world peace and an end to the rivalry with Russia.

Beautiful box set. Perhaps some score cards will show up. I've seen ones that look like that at my thrift store. They often say "we" and "they" at the tops of the score columns. Can you see what the ones in the ad have printed there? I can't tell from the picture. If I ever came across some I'd be happy to mail them to you.

Do you think that's Hercules on the Dougherty ace?

[Chuqii]

Colorful is one way to describe Ely Culbertson. Shameless, self-promoter is another, but very interesting.

Here's a Picket deck to follow up on my Canteen deck above. Same number (515), but Picket was issued for WWI. Extra card shows this back design is named "Fort".

[Chuqii]

And now back to the KEMs ... (This may be more exciting for me than for most, so just but bear with me)

This just came in. In my KEM research I read that the very first KEM plastic cases (which were made of Neillite, not Bakelite) came in a wood grain pattern, but I've never even seen one, or even a picture of one other than the in the black and white ads. So when this came up, I had to get it. And now, so no one else will have to wonder what they look like, here it is with the black cases for comparison and with the Gamecock cards. And the ad announcing the new case and new design of cards. Enjoy.

[Chuqii]

A few more additions: My first Sportsman's and Parker Brothers' decks

[Chuqii]

Very early Blue Ribbon Urn back

[Chuqii]

and my first Dondorf deck, a gorgeous Baronesse deck with no pips

[Mike Ratledge]

and my first Dondorf deck, a gorgeous Baronesse deck with no pips

Great deck! I am a bit fond of the Dondorf decks, as I suppose you have noticed. Check the seven of clubs (usually) for actual issue date. Sometimes it is on the 4 of clubs, sometimes they don't tell, but there were a few reprints sans pips. "Baronesse" AKA Whist #160 was issued in 1912.

By the way, those Neillite cases are a tough get. As I recall I have two. I had seen one before I bought either of mine, but the embedded round disk was missing.

Before you started this thread, I had never seen another example. I don't recall seeing a wood-grained one, another great find!

[Chuqii]

Mike,

Thanks for the info on dating Dondorf decks. Good to know whom to go to if I have questions. I checked my deck, and there are no dates on the 4 or 7 of clubs. The Jack of Clubs has "Frankfurt a/m" on one side, and "B. Dondorf" on the other. Does that help with dating these?

[Bruno]

Frankfurt am Main .... 'on the (River) Main' ....

[Mike Ratledge]

Well, sometimes it is helpful, but you need to find the code (which I have found isn't always there). The big thing with that era is that you can find four (or more) versions of specific cards, like Whist #180 has four different distinct "B"(J) of Clubs. Clearly different, but nobody can hook them up with the original time / year printed.

[Chuqii]

These Bicycle decks came in this week

[Chuqii]

A few more for the collection:

Two decks National Card Co. Whist size, a Hart's French Whist, 3 Dougherty Bridge No. 45 and a USPC Trophy Whist deck all showing the Spade courts for comparison. The Hart's French Whist are some good looking courts. Anyone know if they were used on other decks?

[Chuqii]

Two more - my first American Bank Note deck (201 Liberty) and a Dougherty Indicator No. 50 deck

[Jock1971]

WWWooowww... another great selection of antique American decks

The Bicycle decks are awesome, i love the back of the middle deck
Thanks for showing the court cards for comparison, The Hart`s French whist courts are fantastic ,have you thought about adding some decks to the American section of the worldwide time machine. It would be a great resource for all us non Americans to see all the different court variations from the different manufacturers. just a thought.

Thanks for showing your cards and keep `em coming

[dazzleguts]

Don't know if those courts were used outside of that deck, but the ones you have have a much higher quality of printing then some of the Hart's French Whist decks that have turned up. The World Wide Playing Card Museum has the same courts for that deck, but printed poorly. The better printing seems to be the earlier decks, from 1905 on, with the 1922 edition seeing a lower quality (judging from the jokers WWPCM shows).

I'm with Jase - these would be a great addition to the North America section of the Worldwide.

[Chuqii]

When I get a chance to scan more of the court cards, I'll get some of these posted to the time machine.

[Mike Ratledge]

When I get a chance to scan more of the court cards, I'll get some of these posted to the time machine.

True, I agree. Chuqui, I finally put my hands on the oldest KEM decks pair (the one in a double Neillite box) and it sis a FAWN back, as I rememberef. One thing though - instead of the cold r disc, mine is all silver reflective. I will post a pix shortly.

[Chuqii]

And a few more antique deck sets, two from National Card Co., Columbia Whist and Apollo(Music, Panel, and Clover back designs) and my first De la Rue deck which has interesting indices. Enjoy.

[Jock1971]

my first De la Rue deck which has interesting indices. Enjoy.

Very cool. is this your first British Deck ?....you better watch out you`ll be getting a Waddingtons deck next

A Little info. The court cards are the D.6 variant ,these were introduced by De La Rue in 1870 and ran till 1915 this variant was the first to have all the courts turned.
The indexes are known as "Dexter" indexes and was introduced in 1878 but did not prove popular with the public so was discontinued around 1882-1883. There are at least three different variations of the dexter indexes, the differences are the aces can have either "Ace" or "1", the jacks can have either "J" or "Kn" and there are different pip arrangements for the lower number cards (e.g your 3 has the pips running vertical ,where some variants has the pips running diagonal from corner to corner)
Hope that little bit helps

[Chuqii]

Ah, but I already have a Waddingtons deck, but that's just because I have a penchant for 5 suit bridge decks. II was surprised that the Crowns suit used completely different courts than the other 4 suits. Really just seemed tacked on. So far I've been able to stop at that one deck .....

And thanks for all of the great info on the De La Rue deck.

Updated 5/11 - Turns out I have two Waddingtons, I also have a Cir-Q-Lar deck. Here are photos of both my Waddingtons

[dazzleguts]

Cool that the date can be narrowed down so much, thanks to our expert Jase.
I'm glad you've widened the field of your collecting Chuqii. It's great seeing these fine old decks here, and feeling the vicarious thrill of their discovery.

[Chuqii]

And now back to my KEMs. It took me a long time to track down these decks that were designed by Raymond Loewy, "the father of industrial design." KEM only made these particular decks for about 2 years starting in 1939. Raymond Lowey was a big deal, star designer at that time. from Wikipedia:

Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949.[3]

He spent most of his professional career in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1938. Among his designs were the Shell, Exxon, TWA and the former BP logos, the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, Coca-Cola vending machines, the Lucky Strike package, Coldspot refrigerators, the Studebaker Avanti and Champion, and the Air Force One livery. He was involved with numerous railroad designs, including the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 and S-1 locomotives, the color scheme and Eagle motif for the first streamliners of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and a number of lesser known color scheme and car interior designs for other railroads. His career spanned seven decades.

The press referred to Raymond Loewy as The Man Who Shaped America, The Father of Streamlining and The Father of Industrial Design.

The print image is from a 1940 catalog.

[Chuqii]

Just a quick group shot of some mostly lower end or generic type decks from around 1920s to 1940s. These never get any love, so here they are

[Bruno]

They're lucky to live in that neat dresser drawer Chuqii !

[dazzleguts]

I would love to see the Discus cards Chuqii. There were some good backs for those, and they make a nice spread with all those repeating suit signs around the edges of the faces.
I wonder, is it possible to fan round cards?

Some interesting boxes there. I've bought some decks based on the boxes, only to find the cards themselves boring.

[Chuqii]

Ask, and ye shall receive. Here's the Discus deck with more detail. I'm not much of a fanner, even for regular cards, so here's a mini-fan of these round cards. A fan with the card backs was no good since the cards can all be rotated differently, so just a mess. If anybody else wants a closer look at a deck or a box, just let me know.