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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Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Playing Cards email

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Bicycle Playing Cards 125th Anniversary Collector’s Set$152.50 Ends Thursday 13 bids 14 watchers
Super-rare "dante" Playing Cards, Piatnik For Italy$149.00 Ends in 12 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
53 Vargas Vanities Pin Up Girls Playing Cards 1st Ed.$61.00 Ends in 21 hours 9 bids 19 watchers
World's Fair Playing Cards-1893 Columbian Expo-chicago$51.00 Ends in 22 hours 9 bids 20 watchers
Vintage Vargas Pin-up Girls Playing Cards 1953 Complete$50.00 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
"hit The Deck" 1940's Sailor Girl Pin-up Playing Cards$49.99 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 1 watcher
53 Vintage Vargas Pin-up Girls Deck Playing Cards $49.99 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 14 watchers
Unusual Artist Designer Pin Up Playing Cards 4 Jokers$49.95 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Original Vintage Hawaiian Heritage Playing Cards All 52$49.95 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Gil Elvgren American Beauty Pin Up Playing Cards Mib $48.77 Ends in 12 hours 11 bids 27 watchers
Vintage Kem Playing Cards Bakelite Case, Tax Stamp Rare$41.00 Ends in 18 hours 7 bids 5 watchers
Judgment Dragon Tu01-en000 Ultimate Rare Mint$40.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 1 watcher
1894 Midwinter Fair & Pacific Coast Playing Cards$39.40 Ends in 22 hours 10 bids 16 watchers
Playing Cards No Numbers Kristiania Kort Stampel$33.00 Ends in 20 hours 13 bids 6 watchers
1896 Cincinnati Game Company Playing Cards White House$32.90 Ends Monday 5 bids 4 watchers
3 Deck Kem Plastic Playing Cards Unicorn Decor Vintage $32.59 Ends in 3 hours 14 bids 15 watchers
1884 Playing Cards / Card Tricks Magic Book By Heather$26.05 Ends Monday 3 bids 6 watchers
1906 Buster Brown And His Dog Tige Playing Cards$25.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 4 watchers
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Railroad 1900 Cnr Playing Cards, Case, Rocky Mountains$24.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 13 watchers
Maxfield Parrish Reveries Edison Mazda Playing Cards$24.99 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 14 watchers
Vintage Souvenir Of Cuba Playing Cards Orange Box $23.25 Ends in 21 hours 3 bids 7 watchers
Russian Maya Playing Cards Seventies$22.00 Ends Monday 1 bid
Vintage Signed Pin Up Girls Nude Deck Playing Cards $21.51 Ends Thursday 6 bids 18 watchers
Congress 606 Beautiful Victorian Woman Playing Cards$20.49 Ends in 20 hours 2 bids 11 watchers
Vintage 1972 Sheba Playing Cards African Pride Joker$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Three Vintage Decks Of Soviet Russian Playing Cards$19.99 Ends Friday 1 bid 1 watcher
Wide Railroad Playing Card - Monon Route - Indian$19.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 5 watchers
Old Dollar Steamship Lines San Francisco Playing Cards$19.99 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Lv Playing Cards-3 Deck Set$19.99 Ends Friday 1 bid 1 watcher
Old Dollar Steamship Lines San Francisco Playing Cards$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Boxed Dble Decks Gibson Diana Art Deco Playing Cards$19.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 9 watchers
Vintage Kem Plastic Playing Cards Original Case Unused$19.47 Ends in 21 hours 5 bids 19 watchers
Special French Playing Cards Chaumet Jewelry From Paris$17.50 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Jokers Set Of 2 Wide Vintage Playing Cards$16.72 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 14 watchers
Attractive Pin Up Playing Cards From Great Britain,1950$16.50 Ends in 13 hours 2 bids 9 watchers
Congress 606 Art Deco Playing Cards Demure$16.29 Ends Thursday 2 bids 3 watchers
Attractive "man From Uncle" Playing Cards ,1965$15.90 Ends in 13 hours 5 bids 7 watchers
Vintage 1940s Set Of B.p. Grimaud French Tarot Cards $15.51 Ends in 21 hours 6 bids 11 watchers
Destiny Fortune Telling Playing Cards.$15.50 Ends in 16 hours 4 bids 5 watchers
Carroll Whiskey Sf Advertising Playing Cards W Joker$15.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 6 watchers
Stanley Coveleskie American Carmel Card$15.00 Ends in 23 hours 2 bids 4 watchers
1947 Pin Up Playing Cards Two Complete Decks In Box$14.99 Ends in 9 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Switzerland Towns And Costumes Playing Cards-old$14.95 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Seldom Seen "gladiator" Playing Cards , Belgium 1920$14.90 Ends in 13 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
56 Joker Jokers Playing Cards$13.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 2 watchers
Double Deck Graphica Playing / Swap Cards Dog Cat Nr$13.08 Ends Monday 2 bids 1 watcher
Vintage Unopened Bicycle Rider Back 808 Playing Cards$13.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 9 watchers
Deck Gil Elvgren Pin Up Pinup Playing Cards Salem Ohio$12.95 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
Artistic Pin Up Girls Playing Cards & Jokers$12.50 Ends in 21 hours 4 bids 9 watchers

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Recent News: Playing Cards

Source: Google News

Beddor is his own wonderland
Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 7th

While in London for the premiere of "There's Something About Mary," he visited the British Museum and became fascinated with a partial set of playing cards...Read more

Take a step back in history
Annapolis Capital, November 4th

"He spent quite a bit of time dining and playing cards here, too." Abraham Lincoln also had ties to the building. A display case inside the hotel,...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

News briefs
Waynesville Smoky Mountain News, November 3rd

Christmas cards or letters are important, as are the following suggested items: jerky, paperbacks, lotion, protein bars, playing cards, eye drops,...Read more

Missing links? This artist can set you up with something unique
Shoreview Press, November 3rd

He made some from found objects such as playing cards, buttons and women's earrings. He began casting pewter and other metals, producing designs based on...Read more

Burnley v Hull City: Maverick Blake now playing his cards right
Yorkshire Post, October 31st

Two years on and it has proved to be a case of 'all things come to he who waits' for a player who, just like the 'Vintage Claret' tag so beloved of headline...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

Fairytale Fights The Elaborate Uboxening [Unboxing]
Zergwatch, October 28th

Instead, I got a box that looks like a book (handy for hiding stuff in), a mini art book, some bizarre playing cards with the main characters on them,...Read more

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