UC Featured Collector for Mar/April 2014 - Robert Lancaster

[Mike Ratledge]

Ah, Robert - after reading your previous post about those 4 decks I forgot to answer your question. It's true, that **** on eBay can mask any number of characters, it only shows the first and last one to you so it is purposefully obfuscating the length as well.

[RSLancastr]

Ah, Robert - after reading your previous post about those 4 decks I forgot to answer your question. It's true, that **** on eBay can mask any number of characters, it only shows the first and last one to you so it is purposefully obfuscating the length as well.

Makes sense - thanks for de-obfuscating that for me!

One of my favorite bumper stickers of all time read "ESCHEW OBFUSCATION" - a quote I used when training junior programmers on screen/report design and documentation.

ETA: Are we allowed to say "****" here?

[Mike Ratledge]

Sure, knock yourself out....

[RSLancastr]

TA: Are we allowed to say "****" here?

Sure, knock yourself out....

Well then, **** **** **** ****, ****mpty-**** ****!!

There once was a **** from Nantucket,
who **** with her guy in a bucket.
He **** **** **** ****, and she **** **** **** ****,
then they **** **** **** **** **** **** (KNOCK)
.
.
.
.
.
.
THUD.

[Mike Ratledge]

Good Lord! I've created a monster... LOL

[RSLancastr]

Good Lord! I've created a monster... LOL

****ing A!

And with that, I have reached my obfuscation quota.

-R****L

[RSLancastr]

In 1996 or 1997, I received a flyer via snailmail which had a blurb in it for custom decks of playing cards based on the comic books "Madman" and "Bone".

For those not familiar with those comics, here are the Wikipedia entries...

Madman:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_(comics)

Bone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_(comics)

I was not familiar with the comics, but the Madman deck had custom courts (apparently based on characters from the comic), so I mailed off an order for a double-deck set!

A week or so ago I stumbled upon that double-deck set when digging through my collection. I scanned in images from the box and some of the cards, and uploaded them to UC as one of my "grids":

[ucimg]http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u570/RSLancastr/Madman_zpsf7c54a8d.jpg[/ucimg]

After I posted it, shadowkat asked me where I had obtained it, as she (he?) is a fan of Madman comics.

I could not recall, other than I had bought it through that flyer, nearly twenty years ago.

Looking through the deck again, I noticed that the Title card said:

MADMAN

You can find the
Madman Comics
and books along with
a plethora of wacky
Madman stuff at local
comic shops everywhere.

If you can't get your hands on the
Madman comics, statues, card sets
or the ever-popular yo-yo, try calling

Dark Horse Comics (800) 862-00523

Looking for Madman t-shirts, signed hardcover
collections, pins, magnets, prints or beachtowels? Call:

Graphitti Designs (800) 699-0115

This has been a public
service announce announcement!!

The company name "Graphitti Designs" sounded familiar, so I searched for it on Google and found their web site cleverly named:

[url]http://www.graphittidesigns.com.

After some perusing there, I found:

Madman Playing Cards:
http://www.graphittidesigns.com/shop/MA ... CARDS.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Madman Playing Cards Uncut Sheet:
http://www.graphittidesigns.com/shop/MA ... T-SHT.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Bone Playing Cards:
http://www.graphittidesigns.com/shop/BO ... CARDS.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Bone Playing Cards Uncut Sheet:
http://www.graphittidesigns.com/shop/BO ... SHEET.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

I decided that the uncut sheets would make a colorful and fun break from the more staid uncut sheets I've gotten so far (such as the Bicycle Cigar one), and have ordered them. I hope to post some volantangelesque photos of them once they arrive, but don't expect much - the only camera I have is the one in my cheapo cell phone, which lacks a close-up lens.

[RSLancastr]

Well, my time as UC's Inaugural Featured Collector is at an end. My thanks again to Mike for bestowing the honor upon me, and my thanks to all who participated in the thread. I had intended on "going out with a bang", hoping to post pics of the Madman and Bone uncuts I got recently, but my phone camera is acting up, so I'll just wish my best to the next Featured Collector, and bow out.

-RSL

[Mike Ratledge]

Many, Many thanks to you, Robert! You showed us a world-class collection, and did it with style and grace! Frankly, it was a perfect first pick! All including myself had a wonderful time, and you set the standard for others to keep up with, without a doubt! As I've stated before: this is always your topic, you've owned it for two full months, feel free to keep it up as long as you please, and never leave us out in the dark when new things come to light in the "Robert S Lancaster Collection!". We all sincerely appreciate your time and dedication!

[RSLancastr]

As I've stated before: this is always your topic, you've owned it for two full months, feel free to keep it up as long as you please, and never leave us out in the dark when new things come to light in the "Robert S Lancaster Collection!". We all sincerely appreciate your time and dedication!

Recently, two pieces written by me have been included in blog entries of people I know, and, since my collection is mentioned in both, I thought I would link to them here:

The First:
I was corresponding with Ted Litvan of BCW Supplies (I have been using BCW's "Monster" boxes to store my large collection of decks of playing cards for decades now) about using BCW products to display parts of my collection.

During our correspondence, Ted asked me if I would be interested in contributing a piece about my collection to the BCW Supplies blog. I dug out something I had emailed to my friend Carol Guzman when she had asked me how in the world I had ever started my collection. Ted liked it, and here it is on the BCW Supplies blog:

http://blog.bcwsupplies.com/collecting-playing-cards/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The other:
I had been corresponding with friend and former co-worker Steven Humphrey when I brought up the topic of unusual (and often rude) ways in which some people react to someone who is in a wheelchair (I have been in one for nearly six years now, and Steven's wife has for as long as I have known them (twenty years or more). During that topic I related what is my absolute favorite reaction I've ever received while in my wheelchair. Steven replied that he thought the story was "beautiful on many levels" and asked my permission to quote it within an entry of "Parnassus Musings", his blog on parnassusanalytics.com. I was more than happy for him to do so, and this was the result:

http://parnassusanalytics.com/2014/07/01/ambassador/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My thanks to both Ted Litvan and Steven Humphrey for sharing some of my thoughts with their readers.

[Sher]

I really enjoyed reading that story, Robert.

[RSLancastr]

Okay, now this is interesting/weird:

I just found a copy of the "Palestine Play-card" deck listed on eBay, with a Starting Bid set at $1,200:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-c1920-P ... -Nouveau-/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
CLICK TO VIEW LISTING

While pricey, it's less than half the Minimum Bid (or maybe it was the Buy it Now Price) was the last time I saw it on eBay, which was $2,700! (I don't recall whether or not that one sold).

What's weird (even a bit surreal to me) is that I AM QUOTED IN THE LISTING!!

The seller quotes my comments about the deck from my "Interview" in the opening post of this thread!

[Eoghann]

weird indeed. Link is inactive now though so I couldn't see it. Says the listing has been removed.

[Mike Ratledge]

This almost has to be the same listing. Same quote of your UC "interview" from the OP.

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING

I have two Palestine decks from about the same time period, but have bison/buffalo backs. I will have to find them... I have seen them recently for about $100, made in Great Britain by Waddington.

[RSLancastr]

This almost has to be the same listing. Same quote of your UC "interview" from the OP.

Mike, I just noticed that in your sig, you say "Bonefide" when it should be "Bona Fide" (two words, with an "a", not an "e").