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

[Chuqii]

Here is an interesting deck. I posted a version of this previously as a Bicycle 86 deck with the same Rugby back design. viewtopic.php?p=211513&hilit=rugby#p211513 (scroll down). This is the same back design, also made in Canada, with same Ace of Spades, but this one is now part of the Bicycle Multi-Color Series 888.

[Chuqii]

Mailman came in ritzy for today's Mailman Monday. This is a 1928 deck from the Westchester Biltmore Country Club in Rye, New York (now just the Westchester Country Club). According to the club's website, the country club opened in 1922 and had "facilities unequaled in the world" ( https://www.westchestercc.org/about-us/history ).

Deck was printed by Andrew Dougherty (though at this time Dougherty was a part of USPCC as noted by the date code on the Ace of Spades).

[Honeybee]

Hey Chuqii, if you decide to sell these - it might have to bee to Honeybee (my father was born in '28)

[Chuqii]

Holidays delayed Mailman Monday! Here is a two deck set of Western Mercury Playing Cards from the late 1920s (has the square 10 cent tax stamp which was in use from 1924 - 1929). The sides of the box state "Perfect Slip" and "Super Glaze". Great Art Deco design on the tuck.

[Honeybee]

A very nice back Chuqii and the court colors look good too

[Chuqii]

Happy New Year, everyone. We are going to start the new year off right by doing something I never thought I would do: break the seal on a 100 year-old deck of cards. But there was a good reason.

I received 3 sealed decks of Bee Smooth Finish playing cards with the square 10 cent tax stamp which dates them to between 1924 and 1929. All three tuck boxes have a slit in them for a demo card which is an Auction Bridge Card, and two of the demo cards are present. Removing the demo card and peeking through the slot, I received a surprise. There is a red back card visible in the tuck, and the card back is not an angel back. But this is a blue angel back tuck box, so what is going on? I surmised that maybe the visible card was another extra card and the blue deck was still wrapped in there, but I couldn't see anything. I gently squeezed the tuck on both sides to see if I could hear the glassine paper crinkle or something, but could not hear anything definitive. Only course of action left was to open the deck.

Results to follow ...

[Chuqii]

Results of the deck opening.

Just as I hoped. The red back card was an ad card and the Angel back deck is still pristine and sealed.

If anyone is interested, I just listed my still sealed deck on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/167246804928

[Chuqii]

Here is an earlier version (NY52a) of a deck I previously posted - NYCCC Gem No. 53. The original post is here: viewtopic.php?p=109114&hilit=gem#p109114 and it shows NY52b.

The earliest of these decks referred to NYCCC and "N.Y. Consolidated Card Company", but after a few years they started referring to themselves as "The New York Consolidated Card Company" on these Aces of Spades.

[Chuqii]

Post office closed today, but mailman came by last week to prepare for today's Mailman Monday.

To add to my lovely ladies collection, here is a Parker Brothers Bellevue deck c1900. Decks for Parker Brothers were made by the Standard Playing Card Co. I have one other Parker Brothers deck that I posted previously: viewtopic.php?p=116396&hilit=parker#p116396

Prior lovely ladies found here: viewtopic.php?p=222033#p222033

[Chuqii]

From a 1924 book on architecture and building, here is a pic of the NYCCC plant on at 4th Street and Webster, Long Island City, New York. NYCCC moved their factory there around 1918.

[Chuqii]

Let's add some more factories to go with the one above:

USPCC

Willis W. Russel (misidentified at Russel Playing Card Co - you'll note the image caption on the photo is "Russell's Playing Card Factory"). Willis W. Russel's plant was in Milltown, NJ in that time frame. Russell Playing Card Co. did not take over the plant until around 1911. (and it was converted into condos in 1991)

[Chuqii]

Back to the ladies today, thanks to the mailman this Monday. Thought this was going to be a Congress deck based on the tuck, but no! 1928 deck.

[Chuqii]

Took this pic for a different purpose, but decided to post it here, too. Some of my rarest antique Bicycle decks - My only two green decks, my US Printing Co. deck, my Blue Margin Star No.1, and my four Extra Bicycle decks.

[Chuqii]

Ephemera Friday. Here are two ad pages from a 1926 Easy Lessons in Auction Bridge book from USPCC, and an example of the seldom seen two deck bridge pack.

[Chuqii]

Mailman Monday!

Today we have a Traveler's Companion poker set with chips and cards from Union Playing Card Co. c1886. Great court cards.

Here are some links back to my other previously posted Union Playing Card Co. decks: viewtopic.php?p=223172&hilit=union+playing+card#p223172 and viewtopic.php?p=181854&hilit=union+playing+card#p181854

[Chuqii]

For today's Ephemera Friday, here are four more ad pages from the 1926 Easy Lessons in Auction Bridge book from USPCC.

[Chuqii]

I went back to the Archives for today's edition of Mailman Monday (holiday Tuesday edition). Presented today we have two sealed decks of Player's Bear Back Playing Cards made by TDC. I know nothing about TDC, but luckily we have the World of Playing Cards website to educate us: https://www.wopc.co.uk/usa/tdc/

Since these decks have a registered trademark symbol, I would guess they are from the late-1980s.

[Chuqii]

For today's Ephemera Friday, we move to the 1928 Easy Lessons in Auction Bridge publication from USPCC. Has some great Congress ads with full size representations of some narrow Congress cards of the time, complete with the reflective metallic inks. I especially like the categories of card backs they advertise on the Petite page. Below are Dolores, The Belle, Rita, and Petite.

[Chuqii]

Better late than never for my Mailman Monday.

Today we have two sealed decks of Walgreens Stud Playing Cards. The red deck is by Hoyle, and the blue deck by USPCC. There were a few years in the mid-1980s when USPCC workers were on strike, so ARRCO stepped in, and then Hoyle printed the Stud playing cards. USPCC took back over in 1989. There is a great thread over at Playing Card Forum that traces the history of Studs. Be sure to check it out if you want to learn more. https://www.playingcardforum.com/index. ... ic=13807.0

[Chuqii]

We will continue with the 1928 Easy Lessons in Auction Bridge ads on today's Ephemera Friday.

Wilma and Dolf, New Index 87, US Duplicate Bridge Sets, and Bridge by Radio

And here is a link back to some prior Bridge By Radio items previously posted: viewtopic.php?p=241157&hilit=bridge+by+radio#p241157

[Chuqii]

Here are 2 pages from the Marshall Field & Co.'s Illustrated Catalogue of Holiday Goods, Druggist's Sundries, Stationary, Etc., c1886, for Russell & Morgan Ptg. Co. Shows the original Bicycle Ace of Spades and the original Best Bower joker, along with Congress, Army & Navy, Sportsman's and Capitol Aces and backs.

[Honeybee]

I know that it isn't but when you look at that rider back it looks more detailed - it must be the black and sepia

[Chuqii]

The mailman outdid himself on this Mailman Monday. So, the c1886 page I last posted was a bit of a tease for this deck. If you note the description of 808 brand on the price list, it mentions "Bicycle and assorted fancy backs". This deck is one of those fancy backs with no bicycle imagery at all. Super psyched to have found this deck tucked away in an unrelated tuck box. c1886, US8a 808x Bicycle Bird back with Best Bower.

[Honeybee]

Wow Joseph Pierson says this is an extremely rare and valuable deck (especially in red) that is pre 1891 and probably discontinued after a couple of years

He says that a single blue joker/bower sold for $338 ten years ago

https://bicyclecards.org/cards_post/bird/

[Chuqii]

Going back to the advertisement and price list a few posts up, I think the Army & Navy Ace of Spades from the catalogue is not in Hochman. New Ace of Spades! Now we have to find one in the wild.

And here are some links back to my previously posted Army & Navy decks:

viewtopic.php?p=235538&hilit=army#p235538
viewtopic.php?p=248835&hilit=army#p248835
viewtopic.php?p=197371&hilit=army#p197371

[Honeybee]

It is close to Hochman's US5b as far as pictures but with very different typography
I suppose we cannot be 100% certain that what was in the catalogue was produced exactly as that

[Chuqii]

For today's Ephemera Friday, I'll stick to the Army & Navy brand. Below are two pages from US Printing Co.'s 1891 booklet that describe the Army & Navy brand. I never knew that line had almost two dozens back designs at one point. Must have been very popular.

[Honeybee]

It would be great if Bicycle reproduced this deck like they did the Squeezers Angel Back in 2010