How Does the Source Work?

[Don Boyer]

Welcome, one and all, to The Source - Card Collecting 101.

You'll notice something a bit different about this board - unlike all the other boards here, you can't create new topics!  This was done intentionally, and you'll see why in a moment.

Every now and then, a REALLY good post pops up on the other boards, something that gets to the core of a particular subject and covers pretty much all the bases (or as close to it as we can get).  We're talking about "reference-quality" topics, the kind you want to be able to refer back to over and over, as useful as a dictionary to an English major or a flute to a flautist.  Information-wise, it's a topic that's the best of the best.

When we find a topic that's THAT good, we move it here.  In time, this board will become the one-stop resource for all the vital information dealing with card collecting - dating a deck, identifying a brand without a box, tracking a company's history, how to properly store your collection in a variety of climates, etc.; anything that's absolutely core material, whether you collect antique, vintage or modern cards.  If "Card Collecting 101" was a real university course, this would be the textbook Professors Asher and Dawson would make you buy!

We are open to accepting suggestions for topics that belong here in the Source.  Please reply to this message with your nominations - include the URL, please.  Also, please remember when replying to other Source topics, that we demand a high standard of post quality for this board - we ask that you keep the tangents and humorous commentary to a bare minimum.

Since new topics are listed chronologically based on when they were posted to last, we'll be creating a table of contents right here once there's enough topics here to organize.  So if you're researching a specific subject, check here first for where to find the relevant topics.

[Great Lakes Playing Card Co.]

I'm not sure where to post this so I'm going to start here and see where this goes.  I've had a deck of cards in my hands since I was young and always kinda "had decks around" but never really "collected" them.  I'm looking to learn more about cards and collecting in general.  I have a few decks left from over the years as well as 10/20 older (maybe 1950s??) decks that I got from a magic shop owner/performer that passed away. 

My question is this...Where do I start?  Should my first priority be to properly store the decks?  Would the next step be to go through them one by one and learn about the deck and it's value?  I'm more interested in learning that I am discovering that I have a "hidden gem" in my collection.  How did you get starting in learning about your decks etc?  Do I get a copy of Hochman's and start digging?...or...as far as researching my decks...would Hochman's not be helpful since it only goes up to the 1930s?...and...Does anyone prefer the printed edition over the digital edition? etc.

Thanks for your help in getting me started.

[Don Boyer]

I'm not sure where to post this so I'm going to start here and see where this goes.  I've had a deck of cards in my hands since I was young and always kinda "had decks around" but never really "collected" them.  I'm looking to learn more about cards and collecting in general.  I have a few decks left from over the years as well as 10/20 older (maybe 1950s??) decks that I got from a magic shop owner/performer that passed away. 

My question is this...Where do I start?  Should my first priority be to properly store the decks?  Would the next step be to go through them one by one and learn about the deck and it's value?  I'm more interested in learning that I am discovering that I have a "hidden gem" in my collection.  How did you get starting in learning about your decks etc?  Do I get a copy of Hochman's and start digging?...or...as far as researching my decks...would Hochman's not be helpful since it only goes up to the 1930s?...and...Does anyone prefer the printed edition over the digital edition? etc.

Thanks for your help in getting me started.

Hochman's will help only with older decks - there's a few decks younger than 1950, but not many.

The digital edition (2nd edition) is more recent than the printed edition (1st edition) - it's the better of the two resources, with more current and complete information.

Participating in a forum like this as well as joining a club like 52 Plus Joker go toward fueling your enthusiasm for collecting and gaining insight into what your present (and future) collection will be worth.  Many members take great pleasure in attending the annual convention, and this year it will include a factory tour of the US Playing Card Company!

How does one learn?  Ask questions.  Read topics in the forum.  Befriend people that seem interested in topics you share - perhaps there's a guy or girl out there who's wild about a particular kind of deck that you happen to have a few of.  I'd even go as far as saying participate in other forums as well - go where the information is.  Look for resources on playing cards, like Kardify.com.  Kardify will cover more new decks than vintage, but it's still worth a look.

You can even inquire among other magicians - there's a little overlap between magicians and card collectors, but less than I would have thought.  If you have "magically gimmicked" decks, you could have quite a few little gems in your collection - while some "magic decks" are plainly not normal upon inspection, decks such as marked decks, stripper decks, etc. aren't always obvious to the untrained eye.  A local magic shop might be able to help you there.  Do you have one?

As far as proper storage, treat them as you would any rare and precious ephemera.  Store them away from light and excessive heat or humidity (but not too little humidity, either, as that can make paper dry out - it needs to "breathe").  If you place them in plastic containers, be sure they're of "archival" quality and free of chemicals that can degrade the paper, such as acids.  Often the kinds of storage used by sports card collectors will do the trick if you don't have something propose-built for playing cards - check out a local or online sports memorabilia collecting shop.

[EndersGame]

Don, here are a few articles I've posted in the last few months that are possible nominations to consider including and moving to The Source part of the forum:

How Playing Cards are Made
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12297

What To Look For In a Quality Deck of Playing Cards
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12369

The Bicycle Brand: Is it Really Worth the Money to Get a Bicycle Deck?
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12398

Why So Many Custom Decks? A Dozen Contributing Factors
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12263

Asked & Answered: What Is Cardistry?
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12320

Alternative Uses for Playing Cards
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12225

[Don Boyer]

Don, here are a few articles I've posted in the last few months that are possible nominations to consider including and moving to The Source part of the forum:

How Playing Cards are Made
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12297

What To Look For In a Quality Deck of Playing Cards
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12369

The Bicycle Brand: Is it Really Worth the Money to Get a Bicycle Deck?
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12398

Why So Many Custom Decks? A Dozen Contributing Factors
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12263

Asked & Answered: What Is Cardistry?
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12320

Alternative Uses for Playing Cards
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=12225

I agreed with most of the articles you mentioned as being worthwhile of the Source board.  Congratulations!

[EndersGame]

Here's a couple of more links to recommend for The Source:

How to Publish Your Own Custom Deck: A Complete Guide for First-time Creators (PCF thread)

https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/how-to-create-your-own-deck-of-playing-cards

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Collecting Playing Cards: An Essential Guide For New Collectors (PCF thread)

https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/im-new-to-collecting-playing-cards-so-where-should-i-start

[Don Boyer]

Here's a couple of more links to recommend for The Source:

How to Publish Your Own Custom Deck: A Complete Guide for First-time Creators (PCF thread)

https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/how-to-create-your-own-deck-of-playing-cards

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Collecting Playing Cards: An Essential Guide For New Collectors (PCF thread)

https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/im-new-to-collecting-playing-cards-so-where-should-i-start

I'm in agreement in principle on both articles - they're excellent work.  But in order for me to agree in practice, the topic would need to have the relevant information posted within, rather than linked in from elsewhere.

I had an excellent discussion thread here a number of years ago, with a contribution that was fantastic on the topic of playing card design.  It was so well though-out, it could practically have been used as a college dissertation.  The reason this topic isn't on the Source is that all of the images of the article were added with links rather than uploaded.  Over a relatively short time, most of these links wound up broken - the original image got removed completely or relocated to a new address at the hosting site and was no longer accessible by the old links.  It was akin to seeing the original draft of the US Constitution or a famous painting from an artist like DaVinci riddled with holes from the ravages of time, exposure and insects.

So, topic subject matter alone isn't enough to make a topic a good candidate for the Source.  When the "meat" of the discussion is actually in the topic, then it's a perfect addition to the Source.  But when the bulk of what's important about the topic is an article that's accessed by a link to a third-party site, I can't count on the link remaining functional over time.  Such topics I really can't include wholeheartedly, as much as I'd like to.  If, in the future, you should decide to add those articles to the topics instead of relying only on links to other sites, please let me know and I would gladly include them in the Source.  I know it's a nuisance to upload relevant images as well, but that helps, too - see my example given above for why.

TL:DR - for any topic to be considered for the Source, the bulk (preferably all) of its most relevant content needs to be on-site rather than linked content, due to the increasing likelihood of links becoming broken over time.

[EndersGame]

That's fair enough Don.  I misunderstood "other boards" as a reference to other sites, rather than threads elsewhere on PCF.

[Worldvision620]

Thank you Gentleman for all your heart felt hard work and knowledge. I have a guestion or two or maybe three of some cards that I have picked up over the years, where would I ask someone for help with this ?  Thank you once again for your hospitality!!!

[Don Boyer]

Thank you Gentleman for all your heart felt hard work and knowledge. I have a guestion or two or maybe three of some cards that I have picked up over the years, where would I ask someone for help with this ?  Thank you once again for your hospitality!!!

That would largely depend on the nature of the question.  Often, the question might be fine as a new topic.  But perform a quick search before you ask, because there may already be a topic on that very subject - and if you're lucky, your question might have already been answered.

No one expects you to be perfect - don't worry about getting something wrong.  We'll correct you, perhaps, but we won't make fun of you for it.  Go ahead, search your topic, and if it's not already out there, just ask away.