Playing Cards

About Vintage Playing Cards

Playing cards originated in ancient China, and were introduced into Europe sometime in the 14th century. There are a wide variety of collectible cards today, from highly ornamented early European cards to tarot cards to 20th century decks issued by railroads, casinos, and cruise lines, or reflecting contemporary themes like war, politics and sports.

The earliest playing cards were hand-painted, often gilded, and designed to be beautiful objects. Meant for gambling or playing games of skill, they were also often used as symbolism or mnemonics for representing knowledge ranging from botany to heraldry, cosmology to geography...

The earliest surviving playing cards date from the fifteenth century, with imagery of animals, plants, birds and flowers. By about 1500 three main suit systems had evolved: Latin (including Italian, Spanish and Portuguese); Germanic (German and Swiss) and French, which has become the most widely-used suit system around the world.

Playing card design as we know it today (double-ended court cards with crowns, etc.) became standardized in the 1800s by designers like Hunt, Reynolds, De La Rue, and Goodall.

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Interviews & Articles

Guest Column: Collecting Antique and Vintage Playing Cards

People are often surprised when we tell them we collect playing cards. They all know how to play games with c… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting Modern Facsimiles of Historical Playing Cards

Collecting facsimile playing cards can be an interesting window onto the world of historic and antique playin… [more]

Guest Column: The Evolution, History, and Imagery of Playing Cards

For over six centuries - apart from its functionality as a number game - the playing card has been chosen as… [more]

An Interview With Victorian Trade Card Collector Ben Crane

How did I start collecting Victorian trade cards? In the late 60s I was a bottle collector, early American bo… [more]

An Interview With Baseball Card Collector Dave Campbell

Dave Campbell contacted me after reading a post on The Baseball Card blog. He's been collecting baseball card… [more]

An Interview With Star Wars Card Collector Paul Holstein

I was 10 when the movie came out and I went to the store and bought a couple of packs of Star Wars cards. But… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Baseball Card Collector Ben Henry

I started collecting in 1986. If you’re in Boston and you’re a baseball fan, the Red Sox may take over yo… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

World of Playing Cards

World of Playing Cards

A full house of great images and reference information on vintage playing cards. Browse cards by country and subjec… [read review or visit site]

DXPO Playing Cards

DXPO Playing Cards

This Dutch site showcases a wonderful international collection of old playing cards, with themes as varied as the P… [read review or visit site]

Non Sports Cards: Tobacco, Gum and Candy

Non Sports Cards: Tobacco, Gum and Candy

Tom Boblitt moderates this extremely deep, collaborative site dedicated to non-sports cards (tobacco, gum and candy… [read review or visit site]


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Original C. 1862 Civil War Playing Cards - Special Box$400.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 15 watchers
14 Gorgeous 1806 Cotta Playing Cards Excellent$299.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 8 watchers
Vtg Philibert Casanova Playing Cards French Nude Becat$108.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 30 watchers
Yugioh Egyptian Gods And Sacred Beast$102.50 Ends in 22 hours 11 bids 6 watchers
C. 1885 One-way Courts Original Faro Playing Cards $95.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 4 watchers
C.1872 Rubies & Barrels Czech Playing Cards $85.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 12 watchers
C. 1970 Salvadore Dali Double Deck Of Playing Cards $65.00 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 19 watchers
Lot Of Duplicate Bridge Playing Cards Equipment Plus$55.32 Ends Monday 4 bids 6 watchers
Bicycle Santa Back Playing Cards 2 Deck Set Rare!!!!!!!$50.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 16 watchers
Tarot Dell'orror Tarot Fortune Telling Playing Cards$49.95 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers
C. 1971 Mythological Zoo Unique Playing Cards $42.72 Ends in 21 hours 4 bids 7 watchers
Antique Set Vargas Anything Goes Pin Up Playing Cards$41.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 9 watchers
Box Of Vargas Playing Cards, 2 Decks, Sealed$40.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 8 watchers
Dante Fedeli Amore Tarot Fortune Telling Playing Cards$39.95 Ends in 22 hours 2 bids 12 watchers
Bellini Tarot Fortune Telling Playing Cards$39.95 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 9 watchers
St Hubert Bridge Playing Cards-philibert$37.66 Ends in 22 hours 2 bids 9 watchers
Vintage Milwaukee Chicago St Paul Railroad Playing Card$36.77 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 14 watchers
Sealed Pin Up Girls Playing Cards 1945 Joyce Ballantyne$36.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 16 watchers
Hats Off By Gil Elvgren Sealed Pin Up Playing Cards $35.33 Ends Sunday 11 bids 20 watchers
Vintage~duplicate Contract Bridge Boards Aluminum Cards$34.33 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 7 watchers
Antique Set Vargas Anything Goes Pin Up Playing Cards$32.50 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 10 watchers
The Paris Tarot Fortune Telling Playing Cards$30.95 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 10 watchers
Lenormand Fortune Telling Playing Cards$29.95 Ends Sunday 1 bid 3 watchers
China/vietnam-complete Deck 120 Tom Playing Cards#1$29.50 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 2 watchers
China/vietnam-complete Deck 120 Tom Playing Cards#2$29.50 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Historical Icelandic Playing Cards$28.50 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Collection Of 90+ Vintage And New Jokers Playing Cards $28.39 Ends in 21 hours 4 bids 12 watchers
Slightly Used Russian Playing Cards $27.50 Ends Saturday 1 bid 1 watcher
Slightly Used Danish Whist & Bridge Playing Cards $27.50 Ends Saturday 1 bid 1 watcher
Rare Hard To Find Alberto Vargas Ww2 Cards L@@k Nr$26.95 Ends Sunday 2 bids 4 watchers
Tarot Fortune Telling Playing Cards-new Tarot-alpine$26.53 Ends in 15 mins 4 bids 3 watchers
Old Wide Joker Playing Card$26.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 9 watchers
Sealed Esquire Pin Up Girls Playing Cards Vargas$26.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 17 watchers
Vintage Playing Cards - Yosemite National Park $26.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 4 watchers
Vintage Schmidt Beer Les Kouba Deck Playing Cards$26.00 Ends Saturday 4 bids 5 watchers
C. 1930 Art Deco Swimmer In The Spotlight Playing Cards$25.25 Ends in 20 hours 4 bids 11 watchers
Kem Plastic Playing Cards..4 Double Decks W/cases$24.50 Ends Sunday 11 bids 14 watchers
C.1930 Russian Anti-religious Playing Cards$24.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 2 watchers
Emmanuelle Transformation/erotic Playing Cards 1986$23.68 Ends Sunday 5 bids 12 watchers
The Hermetic Tarot- Fortune Telling Playing Cards$22.95 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
C. 1930 Miss Betty Light Pinup Playing Cards $22.72 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 5 watchers
Vintage Canasta Playing Cards Holder Tray Usa$22.00 Ends in 15 hours 7 bids 3 watchers
"spotlighters" By Gil Elvgren Pin Up Playing Cards Mint$22.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 22 watchers
1936 7-up Playing Cards Booklet Promo 7up Soda Vintage$21.50 Ends Monday 3 bids 9 watchers
Edward D'ancona Pin Up Playing Cards Sealed Very Rare !$21.50 Ends Sunday 7 bids 20 watchers
Early Bicycle Playing Cards With Blue Reversible Woman$21.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 11 watchers
Fact & Fancy Unusual Playing Cards$20.84 Ends Sunday 2 bids 6 watchers
1890's German Stralsunder Playing Cards$20.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 2 watchers
C. 1920 "masqueraders" Nn Art Deco Playing Cards$20.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Antique 1900 Oregon State Souvenir Whist Playing Cards$19.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 20 watchers
Copag 100% Plastic Cards & Wooden Box Epoc Bridge Jumbo$19.99 Ends in 20 hours 2 bids 1 watcher
Early Famous Men Card Game Parker Bros Salem,mass. Usa$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Early Vignette Authors Card Game E,g. Selchow & Co 1874$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 4 watchers
Gavitt's Stock Exchange - Gse Card Game - Orig. 1904$19.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 3 watchers
Old Dollar Steamship Lines San Francisco Playing Cards$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher

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Recent News: Playing Cards

Source: Google News

Conversation, competition mark bridge club meetings
Auburn Citizen, November 14th

By Sarah Gantz / The Citizen AUBURN - The only sound that filled the cramped meeting room was the fwip, fwip, fwip of playing cards snapping against vinyl...Read more

"Alice In Wonderland" Inspires Bestselling Trilogy "The Looking Glass Wars ...
Huffington Post (blog), November 13th

In this Good Morning America interview, Beddor wows an audience of kids with his story and the beautiful antique "Alice in Wonderland" playing cards that...Read more

The Cobbs Auctioneers
Antiques and the Arts Online, November 12th

Saturday 10AM- A listed sale Antique Furniture-numerous 18th/19thC 1 & 2 drawer blanket chests & sea chest; Mass QA hiboy which was separated;...Read more

Fashion Flash: Paper & Chocolate, Stack the Decks for Vets, Art Institute of ...
Dallas Morning News, November 12th

For $20, you get a set of playing cards featuring KD models wearing lingerie too delicate to be shown here. You get 52 cards, a soldier gets a set and $15...Read more

Daughter of the Civil War: A lifetime touched by war
DesMoinesRegister.com, November 11th

She has thought little of her distinction as the last surviving Civil War child and has no war diaries, photographs or memorabilia, although her brother's...Read more

Success of 'murderabilia' suggests crime does pay
KVUE, November 9th

He's also got serial killer playing cards, board games and action figures. "It's a way for you to get close to that particular serial killer or high-profile...Read more

Obits: Miles, Bender, Eye, Elsen, Stevens
Marshall County Journal, November 4th

By the time he sold them in 2002, Jim had amassed quite a collection of unique and interesting antique and vintage vehicles. Bonnie passed away on June 14,...Read more

tour home features antiques
AZ Central.com, October 28th

Marcie said she isn't a collector of antiques, simply a steward of heirlooms. But there is one antique she bought: an 8-foot-tall John Purden London...Read more

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