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Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:27 pm
by Bradius
Rather appropriate given the recent Oscars...wow.
And here we thought USPCC has registration issues.

Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:10 am
by Chuqii
Here's an interesting deck. 808 on the top, Broadway across the front, Rider back design with the USPCC jester joker, generic ace of spades, smooth finish, guarantee joker. Quite a mash-up. No idea where these come from, but I'd bet it is not USPCC.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 8:28 am
by Chuqii
Here's a bit of compare and contrast, old and new. Top row is a Standard Playing Card Co. Picnochle deck c1900. This deck's back design was the basis of the Legends Serpentine deck from 2014, as shown on the second row.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 2:47 pm
by Chuqii
Here's a batch of singles that showed up in a lot of cards that I bought once - c1906 Willis W. Russell Card Co Rustlers with one of the Baseball Boys backs. Someone had some fun with this deck and cut out some of the center pips.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 11:40 am
by Chuqii
Here's another Rambler #22 deck to add to the collection, c1905. On this Ace, Cincinnati replaced Indianapolis.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 4:55 pm
by Chuqii
The humble Maverick deck. Here are the first three versions of the tuck. Version one has the revolver and poker chips on both sides, version two has revolver and chips on one side and card back on the other, and version three has a horse head one one side and the back design on the other. This is also when they changed to the horsehead joker from the revolver jokers. All of these tucks are pretty scarce.
*** Also, I found some c1992 Jumbo 88 and Bee deck with the same purple coloring on the courts that I posted about on the previous page. I added those images to that post. ***
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:40 pm
by Chuqii
Here’s an extremely hard to find early KEM deck - the original Unicorn c1939. This deck also has the short-lived three level “KEM Plastic Playing Cards, Inc” layout.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:03 am
by Bradius
that unicorn deck is stunning. Thanks for sharing it.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:55 am
by Chuqii
Here's a bunch of c1920-30s random tucks without cards I've collected over the last few years. Always looking to reunite a deck with its tuck.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:34 am
by Chuqii
Here's a deck so nice New York Consolidated Card Co. put their name on it twice. Two decks c1901 Automobile No. 192
Update - And here's one of the old Bee No. 92 backs from New York Consolidated Card Co, c1900, with the original Ace of Spades and the same grumpy courts.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:57 pm
by Bradius
I love those backs. The royals don't seem to like the fumes belching from the iron carriage.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:18 pm
by Chuqii
Two more decks for my Willis W. Russell collection, c1905, that I picked up from a fellow collector. The original Blue Ribbon 323 playing cards.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 4:44 pm
by Chuqii
Here's a quick guide to dating your sealed Bicycle decks by bar code. All dates +/- a year since cards and boxes can be made at different times. If you have any other tips for dating sealed, bar coded Bicycle decks, feel free to share.
A few more variants I discovered.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 6:45 pm
by hsbc
I hope you resume posting soon, I love this thread

Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 10:49 am
by Chuqii
c1906 Willis W Russell Retrievers, gilded. Picked this one up at the 52 + Joker Auction to expand my Willis W Russell collection.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:31 am
by Chuqii
A little over 5 years ago I posted a pic of part of my collection in the hutch of a secretary desk. Thought I'd update that one and document the growth. Bit more full now.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:42 am
by Bradius
My apologies for the puddle of drool on the floor....
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 4:58 pm
by acetofive
Bradius wrote: ↑Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:42 am
My apologies for the puddle of drool on the floor....
You'll have to step over me. I passed out.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:16 pm
by Chuqii
And here's an update to my secretary desk drawer pic from 5 years ago. Lots of fun stuff here.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:33 pm
by Chuqii
c 1929 - Here's a great unopend Congress Bridge Set complete with Playing Cards (Diamond and Comet), Tally Cards, and a score pad, all in a convenient box. And an ad for Congress Bridge Sets from a 1929 publication.
Update - ad showing same set as I have
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 12:19 pm
by Chuqii
And another Pyramid PCC deck to add to the family - Blue Nile. Same back design as my Blue Star deck, but this one has a full tinted back.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 3:38 pm
by Chuqii
Here's an update to dating modern Bicycle decks by bar codes for you Bicycle fanatics out there. I found 3 variants in the bar code that I did not have listed before. I'm guessing each was short lived as they transitioned from one bar code to the other back around 1993 - 1994. The top and bottom decks are the same as my previous post. The three middle are new. This is my best guess as to the order in which they appeared, based upon other details on the on the tuck boxes and Ace code if the deck is open.
**** Update **** - I found another variant bar code so I updated the pic with variants 1-4 - Again just my best guess as to order, but a lot of variation over a small amount of time. V4 is the latest, and it has a completely different font for the numbers and a larger registered trademark symbol. I'm thinking it may be a transition deck around 2000, because the larger registered trademark symbol is like the ones in use on the 2001 - 2008 decks. I'll have to find some open decks so I can double check the date codes on the Aces of Spades.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2022 9:33 am
by Chuqii
Deck is heavily euchred (Ace - 9 show heavy wear, rest of deck still nice) but this is one of the rarer A. Dougherty brands, Fair Play c1910.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 5:06 pm
by Chuqii
AB10 - R. H. Macy & Co, Inc. (Macy's) - Great, pristine deck with Standard Playing Card Co tax stamps, c1926. Really nice joker, but the best part is the artwork. On the back of the drawing it says "Ok for Scale and design." Was this artwork the basis for the card, or just someone painting using the card as a model? We'll never know.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:52 pm
by Chuqii
c1920 - I think this was the first Ace in the Bicycle Bridge No. 86 series. Excellent, unused. Some of these earlier decks had backs that crossed over with the 808 decks. This Nautic back is one of those crossover backs.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2022 3:10 pm
by Chuqii
c1910 Canary Playing Cards from New York Consolidated Card Co. Not the most exciting back design.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2022 6:30 pm
by Bradius
True, the back may not be that exciting, but the Ace is stunning. I love the "Best Bower" card, and the court faces are just priceless.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 10:52 am
by Chuqii
Great advertising deck from General Electric Company's Edison Lamp Works, c1912. Deck by USPCC
*** Also, I updated by Bicycle bar code post above to include a new variant. Scroll up to see V4 ***
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 11:26 am
by Chuqii
Two of the Petty Pippins series of pin up decks c1940. WWPCM shows six different backs on their site.
Re: [Chuqii] KEM collection and lots of antique and vintage decks from all over
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:17 pm
by Chuqii
From the lovely ladies of the 1940s to the lovely ladies of the early 1900s, here's a selection of decks from USPCC, Kalamazoo PCC, Russell PCC and Standard PCC.