Anyone know the manufacturer of this box?

[Slim34]

Hi. I bought a deck of Dougherty Triplicates a few weeks ago and it came in a unusual box that doesn?t have a company name on it as far as I can see. Unfortunately, the lid is missing. Does anyone know the name of the manufacture of this box? The tax stamp says 1894.

[skinny]

I'm really hoping someone will jump in, because I want to know also.

There's a deck in Hochman's (NY88) called Star Playing Cards which is assumed to be printed by New York Playing Card Company around 1900. The star theme is similar to your box. I wish you had that flap!

The stamp on your deck (RF1) was issued for a single year (1894). Others like it say "Act of" instead of "On Hand" (and they're variations on blue).

I also can't (at the moment) reconcile the G. A. & C. cancellation.

I'm just here to say we're not ignoring you.

[Slim34]

Thanks! I wish it had the flap as well!
My Hochman book doesn?t have a NY88, it only goes up to NY87. My edition is from 2000. Is there a newer edition?

[skinny]

My digital copy is 2014. The last NY entry is NY88. I went to grab my physical copy and it's not in its place. Must have been reading it somewhere.

[Slim34]

Awesome!  Thanks so much for the screen shot!  I just found the Hochman 2nd Edition supplement for sale on Amazon.

I think you?re correct that the Star Playing Cards box is NY88 like you said. I?m not sure why the tax stamp says G.A. & C., though. Could they have been produced by a smaller company that was purchased by the USPC?

[NCC1888]

That color stamp was used on decks that were "On Hand" at a business or card company when the tax went into effect. Could be the initials of a department store.

[Slim34]

Department store initials makes sense!!  Thanks!

[tobyedwards]

This box is definitely a product of Perfection PCC as the wording and typeface on the sides and bottom of this box exactly match those found on the sides and bottom of the OB for Perfection's Leader No. 325 brand. The word "Enamelled" on the bottom of the box also exactly matches the typeface found on Perfection's other brands such as Tip-Top No. 350, Champion No. 400 and Imperial No. 720 (which was used to advertise a store in Philadelphia). I cannot say, however, that this box originally housed the Star Playing Cards currently listed as NY88. I also do not know how to identify the G.A. & C. initials from the tax stamp on this box but I do not see any relationship between them and Winkley, Dresser & Co. whose name appears on the AS of NY88. I thought "Hub" might refer to one of the department stores sprinkled around the nation at that time but, again, I could find no connection although better internet researchers might be able to establish one.

As for the Star Playing Cards currently listed as NY88 in the latest version of the Dawson/Hochman encyclopedia with a c1900 date, I believe both to be incorrect. Winkley, Dresser & Co. were Boston stationers located at 12 Milk Street. I found listings for them from 1887-1895 and so I think the circa date for this deck should be moved up by at least 5 years, if not 10. When this deck was offered for sale in the last on-line Club auction, it was proven to have been made by Perfection PCC as the back design of dancing cherubs is also found on their Leader No. 325 brand and, perhaps, others. Comparison of the court cards shows them to be nearly identical to court cards found among Perfection's many brands and so I believe this deck should be relisted as PU21 with the NY88 listing to be deleted or reserved for the next new NYCC discovery.

[Slim34]

Thank you!!  I think you are correct about the Star Playing Cards being made by Perfection.
It?s amazing that new discoveries are still being made today.!
Is there another update of the Hochman Encyclopedia being planned? I?m sure there has been a lot of discoveries like this since the last update in 2004.

[Chuqii]

Be sure to post any new discoveries in the Hochman Updates section of A Cellar of Fine Vintages.  That way, if there is an update, we have the info ready to go.

[Don Boyer]

Thank you!!  I think you are correct about the Star Playing Cards being made by Perfection.
It?s amazing that new discoveries are still being made today.!
Is there another update of the Hochman Encyclopedia being planned? I?m sure there has been a lot of discoveries like this since the last update in 2004.

You're right in that there's still room for improvement and that there's new information being discovered all the time.

Up to now, the Hochman Encyclopedia went from Gene Hochman to Tom and Judy Dawson.  Tom passed away a few years back, and like the rest of us, Judy isn't getting younger.  Where the rights to reproduce will go from there, I do not know.  To my knowledge, Judy isn't working on a new version - the most recent and complete one in existence is the electronic one that was produced in conjunction with the Conjuring Arts Research Center.

You may well be looking at the only existing addendum to that volume of research, at least for now.  I'd wager the next version will wind up being some kind of online wiki-database.