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A Cellar of Fine Vintages / Re: Congress Wrapper Transition Question
« on: January 16, 2020, 11:32:14 PM »Some fantastic decks in this post!
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The Standard Playing Card Company
I'm doing research for an article and it includes needing to know who organized The Standard Playing Card Company of Chicago. This would be between when they started (ca 1890) and until they were taken over by USPC (1893/94). The Hochman, and other main references, make no mention of who the organizers were. They do not appear in the Chicago City Directory during that time or in the main trade magazine "The American Stationer". Seems strange that this company that was producing cards is so hard to find.
I'm also looking for a gentleman, apparently well known to the trade at that time, named Charles M Stevens that may be connected.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I have a few of that ace, and it took me a long time to track down. I got some in a set of other decks which dated to 1920s and 1930s. Here is the link to the page from WWPCM. http://a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks08/d06454/d06454.htm
Hope it helps.
I found this deck and picked it up super cheap because I thought I knew what it was but I don't. I can't seem to figure out what this deck is and I'm not sure why, so I'm asking for help.
There's not a lot I know about it - but I can tell you this.
It was a USPC-made deck. There's a production code on the Ace of Spades.
That particular code's letter, P, was in use for the years 1911, 1931, 1951, 1971 and 1991. It was skipped in 2011, when N was used instead.
Judging from the artwork and size of the indices, my guess would be that this can't be older than 1951. The fact that the code appears to have been separately stamped into the surface of the card would make me tend to believe that it's not newer than 1951, either. Newer decks had the code printed in much the same manner as the rest of the card's design elements, as if from the same printing plates, while older decks had them stamped in, as if on another machine used just for that purpose. I can't tell you the exact year that changed, but I do remember as a kid that they weren't common and I was born in 1967.
These are just educated guesses. Other experts might have more authoritative information on this deck for you. On the plus side, if you own a Hochman's Encyclopedia, there's a chance you might find it there. I tried Jim Knapp's page on non-Bicycle USPC decks but it didn't turn up any hits. It does remind me a little of some of the Russell decks in that many of them used more generic-looking Aces of Spades, making the deck identifiable only through their boxes and their jokers.
I love the lacquer backs from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
Here is an interesting find. I'd always seen the SPCC Aviator decks, but I'd never seen one from Western. Based on the tax stamp (10 cents, 1924-1929), I'd guess this deck came out about the same time as the SPCC deck, so maybe SPCC put the kibosh on this deck. Anyone know any details about these Aviators? Which were first?
Interesting Facts About Playing Cards
The Conjuring Arts Research Center has a project underway to catalog backs from the early USA makers. Also Jackson Robinson is working on a major project called the Card Guild which is attempting to build a database of old USPC decks including the backs for each brand.
These are huge undertakings and Judy and I have agreed to add whatever knowledge and information we have to these projects. It would be a great idea Cryptocard if you could contact Bill Kalush at CARC and Jackson and offer to add your knowledge and information to their efforts.
Here's some current stats, as of the halfway mark of 2019.
Unfortunately the downward trend seems to be continuing. Over the past 6 months, we're slightly at only one third of the 2018 figures for the year, when we should be at least half to maintain the same level of activity.
The frequency of posts so far this year is only about 5% of the level that it was at five years ago.