The Case for Congress

[Josh Blackmon]

The Case for Congress
               I have been wanting to start this post for some time and am glad to finally get around to it. All collectors refine and tweak the direction of their collections as they move forward in a hobby. Often times it is necessary to focus in on the specific pieces we are after instead of throwing such a wide net because face it, good decks don't come cheap. I would like to make a case for some of the more under appreciated decks in our hobby; the Congress brand. Sure, the vintage wide Congress decks get their fair share of attention as well as some of the older narrow ones, but interest falls off when you start talking about the not so vintage yet not so new decks that were mass produced more recently. You know the ones I am talking about; they come side by side in a velvety box, have a vast array of back designs and are generally not as valuable or sought after unless the collector is seeking a certain theme of back designs. Until recently even I; the guy who buys everything, avoided them until one day when I really sat down and examined a deck for what it was. The back of this particular deck had a bust of an English Springer Spaniel holding a pheasant in his mouth. The artwork was beautifully done by someone who, more than likely, was creating art for purposes other than playing cards. And then I realized; these mass produced, widely distributed cards were a crossroads between a wider world of art and the playing cards we all love. There are some real gems to be found in Congress and for the most part they are a bargain when compared to the Vintage or Modern limited decks most collectors seek out. These are the perfect niche collection to have on the side when the big scores in your main collection are few and far between. Pick a theme, any theme and Congress probably printed a back for it. Yes, there are other brands that did similar style cards throughout the years in an attempt to appeal to bridge players and the like, but Congress is the most identifiable. So with that being said I am asking you to share your favorite Congress deck backs. Lets limit it to this brand only. It doesn't have to be old, just your favorites. I will kick it off with this silver edged deck showing two setters and a man on a bird hunt.

[Aptombstone]

You know, I've wondered the same thing, why this brand of the US Playing Card Co. was in such low demand in comparison to other vintage decks. Since I am assuming you've handled some Congress decks, do they feel like they are inferior in stock or print quality in comparison to other standard USPCC brands? If they are similar, I may buy a couple for my own collection.

[Josh Blackmon]

You know, I've wondered the same thing, why this brand of the US Playing Card Co. was in such low demand in comparison to other vintage decks. Since I am assuming you've handled some Congress decks, do they feel like they are inferior in stock or print quality in comparison to other standard USPCC brands? If they are similar, I may buy a couple for my own collection.

               From my understanding, Congress was originally intended to be, and at first was, the highest quality and most expensive brand of the USPCC. I don't know the retail price of some of these more recent decks, but I know that this brand was mass produced and marketed toward a demographic that played whist and bridge as they gained popularity through last century. I don't know if they got cheaper in quality as a result. This particular deck above is in really good condition. It has what is called a Cel-U-Tone finish. I don't know how that differs from an Air cushion or linen finish, but these cards handle well and have great print quality especially in the court cards (they even have a peach colored skin tone in this deck). The problem is that a lot of the Congress sets you may run across at garage sales or antique stores are very well played with being that they were a very popular card for ladies who played bridge. Older cards that have been well used tend to be a bit "stickier" when compared to a similarly well played deck of Bicycle cards in my own opinion. Overall it is a great handling card if you can find them in lightly used condition. It is still possible to find a lot of these unopened if you look hard enough.

[Don Boyer]

One of the factors that would impede collectibility for some would be the generic nature of the later models.  While older examples come in wide and narrow widths and are every bit as sophisticated a deck in terms of manufacture and design as any of USPC's other well-known brands, at one point USPC simplified the manufacturing process for Congress cards.  For one, it's rare to see a non-vintage or late-model vintage deck that isn't narrow width (bridge sized) - for some odd reason, most collectors stay away from narrow decks and they're not anywhere near as popular.  (Having shuffled a few decks in my past, I can understand why a man with average-sized hands would find narrow cards a little harder to work with.)

Another issue is that, in order to simplify the printing of Congress decks, USPC often printed large quantities of uncut sheets with just the faces of the cards in the Congress design.  They would sit on a shelf, waiting for a back design to be decided upon and created before going to press.  These pre-faced sheets were printed without an Ace of Spades code on them, as it was impossible to know in advance exactly when a particular sheet would get its back printed and become a finished deck.  As a result, it can be very difficult to date a deck's age, especially in the years following the abolition of the Federal tax on playing cards. As you noted, these late-model Congress decks were frequently sold in pairs without the use of a deck seal - each deck was plastic-wrapped, put in place, then the whole box was plastic-wrapped, meaning no deck seal, stamp or sticker to be found.

That generic nature of the cards turns off many card collectors, who like to collect cards that can be dated and who's rarity is more easily determined.  As mentioned, practically every theme under the sun has appeared on the back of a Congress deck at one point or another.  A completist collector would go crazy trying to get all the varieties - just getting all the decks made in a given particular year could be challenge enough!  It's easier today, as USPC under the Jarden Corporation seems to have streamlined the entire brand - of the most recent catalogs available online from the bicyclecards.com website, the domestic 2013 catalog lists only seven back varieties, all sold as two-deck bridge-sized sets with either standard or jumbo indices, and the 2009 international catalog lists only three of the seven.

I think the one thing that would give Congress collecting a shot in the arm would be the cancellation of the brand!  Suddenly, they'd be out of print and thus more scarce over time, especially in new or lightly used condition.  Eventually, some Congress decks would rival some of the most scarce Bicycle decks in terms of rarity and collectors' price.

Well, that's my two cents' worth of rambling - anyone else? 

[musical_racket]

Congress is a strange brand. I really like and enjoy the cards, but the backs are not designs. They are artwork in a sense, but not the same reason that other brands are. Take Bicycle brand as a prime example. Their backs are a universal back that it 2 way and uses only one plate plate because it is monochrome. These were made for mass production. Same with Bee brand and many others. Normally one design and one easy print.

Congress decks are not that simple. They have entire artworks on the back. This is a great thing if you like the subject matter! I bought a few decks of cards that had M.C. Escher just because it had his art on it. They were not made by Congress. But other than us card collectors who would be able to tell the difference?

Lets say that you had a picture of the Mona Lisa on the back of cards. And USPCC made a line of Congress cards with that image, and another company like Hallmark printed the same back design as well. Would an average consumer be able to tell the difference at first glance? Probably not. They would think, There's the Mona Lisa! I rarely find decks that I look at the back design and think "That is Congress!" I normally have to go looking for the Aces, Jokers, Case, etc. I think that this aspect is what makes Congress not recognized as well as other Brands.

With that being said, I still love my congress decks and I would probably never trade them, but I'm curious if other members agree with my thoughts.

[jupiter3]

I have a good number of vintage Congress decks in my collection.  While I appreciate the various photos and drawings used to create the backs, I have never thought of them as a better quality than other USPCC decks.  Congress decks also happen to make a large majority of my "garbage" decks.  These are decks that have been "over used" by those that don't wash their hands.      I was very surprised to find out a couple of years ago that Congress decks used to be the higher quality decks.  I just don't see them that way.

[Josh Blackmon]

That generic nature of the cards turns off many card collectors, who like to collect cards that can be dated and who's rarity is more easily determined.  -  Don Boyer

               I agree that many collectors share the same viewpoint you just stated and it is a big part of the hobby to have the ability to determine rarity and age in a deck of cards. But I think in order to appreciate cards such as the Congress brand it is necessary to break through the stigmas that surround them. You can't hold them to the same standard and get a high satisfaction out of owning them. I'm sure many folks can't do that, but I also think that each persons collection is a reflection of themselves. For example, I collect railroad decks because my family has railroad history, bicycle decks because I think they are cool, and hunting dog themed decks because I grew up hunting birds. For the first two categories i would be more concerned about the dates of issue and rarity, but when it comes to the hunting dog cards, Congress helps fills that niche. The difference is that with Congress cards I wold not put forward as much money nor be as tolerant of a roughly used deck when making a purchase (unless it was an old wide or early Congress deck). In essence the standards and expectations I apply to my railroad and bicycle card collection are the exact inverse of the standards I would accept for the hunting dog decks. As a result I can now accept Congress as a viable component of my overall collection. I wasn't always able to do that. But I am relatively new to the hobby (a couple of years), and my collection will evolve as time passes.

I rarely find decks that I look at the back design and think "That is Congress!" -  musical_racket

               Without that tell-tale box there's no way I could recognize a Congress deck with just a glance. I think I go in with more of an expectation that most narrow, bridge sized, art back decks that I would find at a flea market or antique store are likely to be Congress by association, though many other companies made similar products.

[52plusjoker]

The first Congress decks were high quality, plain edged Congress #404 wide with fancy pattern and monotone scene backs. Then came the wide #606 with gold edges - their best cards. The wides, with named backs continued until the early 1920's. Meanwhile, as bridge became more popular in the early years of the 19th century, they started producing named narrow editions. Still a top brand.
By the 1930's most USPC cards in the regular array were wide Bicycle and narrow Congress. Still true today for the original USPC brands [not including NYCC Bee's for example or AD's Tally Ho.]. 30 years ago, Judy predicted that the narrow Congress 606 would become much more collectible - right! I think the same will be true over the next 30 years for the double Congress sets from the 1930's to 1970's - there are many great designs and it is still a high quality product.

[Don Boyer]

The first Congress decks were high quality, plain edged Congress #404 wide with fancy pattern and monotone scene backs. Then came the wide #606 with gold edges - their best cards. The wides, with named backs continued until the early 1920's. Meanwhile, as bridge became more popular in the early years of the 19th century, they started producing named narrow editions. Still a top brand.
By the 1930's most USPC cards in the regular array were wide Bicycle and narrow Congress. Still true today for the original USPC brands [not including NYCC Bee's for example or AD's Tally Ho.]. 30 years ago, Judy predicted that the narrow Congress 606 would become much more collectible - right! I think the same will be true over the next 30 years for the double Congress sets from the 1930's to 1970's - there are many great designs and it is still a high quality product.

There's a lot to be said for this prediction.  As a child in the 1970s, I used to see Congress decks and similar all over the place.  These days, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw a new Congress deck at retail other than online.  They're not the casual, in-store purchase they once were, and the popularity of bridge isn't what it used to be.  Poker players on the pro level prefer narrow decks, but never anything with the kinds of backs typically found in modern Congress decks.  For someone like me, who didn't think much of them when he was younger, they don't hold a lot of interest, especially since the only examples I'd be likely to find today would be well-used and in less-than-ideal shape.  Go a generation younger, you've got guys in their late teens and early twenties who've never actually seen a Congress deck before.  For them, these will be rare and difficult to find - that's the generation that would kick off collector interest in the Congress brand among the larger body of collectors.  It would also be something that might hold a nostalgia appeal for someone such as myself, particularly if I spotted a deck that I actually recognized from my youth.

The market is ripe for Congress decks to become hot items.  With the variety of themes, it's also the kind of thing that garners attention from collectors with little interest in cards but great interest in the assorted themes that Congress has covered over the years.  It's not an after-market segment that would be using the same collecting criteria as many of the modern deck collectors today - but they're a fussy bunch to start with!    Seriously, as USPC has trimmed down the variety and availability of Congress decks, they in turn may have kickstarted collector interest in the brand.  If they cancel the brand altogether, as there are many competitors out there somewhere, I'm sure, probably in Asia, that's when things will really spike with people suddenly hunting for good-condition or new-in-box Congress packs.

[Josh Blackmon]

               I like getting your take on things Don. You tend to think things through more thoroughly than I am able to. And then when Tom chimes in with 175° proof wisdom it just makes my day. This post has garnered way more of a response than I could foresee! In fact it has been a treat to read everyones responses here. That being said, does anyone have any photos of their own favorite congress decks to share? I'd love to see what catches the eye of someone other than myself. Thanks again!

[Don Boyer]

               I like getting your take on things Don. You tend to think things through more thoroughly than I am able to. And then when Tom chimes in with 175° proof wisdom it just makes my day. This post has garnered way more of a response than I could foresee! In fact it has been a treat to read everyones responses here. That being said, does anyone have any photos of their own favorite congress decks to share? I'd love to see what catches the eye of someone other than myself. Thanks again!

I wish I did have some to show you.  I possess none.  Closest thing to it would be a beat-up Florida tourist set from Arrco and a bunch of airline decks.  Bridge-sized decks as a category are scarce in my collection.

[HeartQ]

I am delighted to see this topic being explored as I am a fan of the early wide Congress decks of which there are over 250 designs. For years, as collectors, we ignored these cards while seeking out other fields but suddenly they swam into our view and from then on they became collectible.  They were not popular then and we could buy them starting as low as $5 in good shape. However everything changes and so have their prices.  Recently the two decks below were sold. The first, near mint, for over $300 and second, mint in the wrapper, for $85.

Why this difference?

In this case it’s the category.  Any early Congress deck which features women is highly desirable.  Dogs and Native American subjects run a close second. Also condition and completeness are definitely a big factor in collecting these cards. In our years of collecting they have increased many times in value.

I think the later cards from the 40’s on have been overlooked. They are beautiful and quality decks and have a huge range of designs.
Kudos to Josh, for seeking them out - clearly they can only go up in value!

[52plusjoker]

               I like getting your take on things Don. You tend to think things through more thoroughly than I am able to. And then when Tom chimes in with 175° proof wisdom it just makes my day. This post has garnered way more of a response than I could foresee! In fact it has been a treat to read everyones responses here. That being said, does anyone have any photos of their own favorite congress decks to share? I'd love to see what catches the eye of someone other than myself. Thanks again!

I wish I did have some to show you.  I possess none.  Closest thing to it would be a beat-up Florida tourist set from Arrco and a bunch of airline decks.  Bridge-sized decks as a category are scarce in my collection.

Of the post WWII Congress decks, these are my favorites - a gift from USPC Museum staff when we were helping with the collection organization.

[Don Boyer]

Of the post WWII Congress decks, these are my favorites - a gift from USPC Museum staff when we were helping with the collection organization.

That - is - AWESOME!  Very nice!