Clothing
+ Fashion		Jewelry +
Watches		Home +
Furniture		 Pottery 
+ Glass		Art +
 Photos 		Paper +
  Books  		Music +
Movies		Toys +
Games		Sports +
Outdoors		Ads +
  Signs  		Eras +
Themes

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 o...

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.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Show & Tell - Share Your Stuff!

» See all playing cards Show & Tells

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 cards and have all hel… [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 playing card decks. In a re… [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 a medium for artistry… [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 bottles and flasks. I s… [more]

Antique Mahjong Sets: An Antidote to Our Antisocial Internet Society

The first time I saw a mahjong set was around 25 or 30 years ago. It was at a garage sale. The intricate and colorful designs on t… [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 cards non-stop since 1981… [more]

The Force of Collecting Star Wars Cards

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 I ended up trashing … [more]

Hitting a Home Run with Baseball Cards

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

▼ Expand this section

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]

Museum of Talking Boards

Museum of Talking Boards

Prepare to enter the strange world of Ouija, the Wonderful Talking Board game, which captured imaginations en masse… [read review or visit site]

Elliot Avedon Games Museum

Elliot Avedon Games Museum

This in-depth University of Waterloo virtual exhibit showcases vintage games in a variety of categories, from class… [read review or visit site]

Museum of Childhood

Museum of Childhood

Embrace your inner child on this website from the Victoria and Albert Museum, filled with high-quality images and i… [read review or visit site]

Handhelden.com

Handhelden.com

From Tomy to Coleco to Mattel and Nintendo, check out this collection of over 660 handheld and tabletop videogames … [read review or visit site]

Pong Story

Pong Story

David Winter's tribute to early video games, and to Ralph H. Baer, 'inventor of the video game.' Offers a detailed … [read review or visit site]

Museum of Yo-Yo History

Museum of Yo-Yo History

This museum of vintage Yo-Yos, originally based on David Hall’s collection, offers dozens of pages of vintage… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Cards

Other Great Reference Sites: Cards

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 670 by  highest bid • most watched • completed
Theory 11 White Centurion, Black Ghost 1st Edition & Ellusionist Gold Arcane!Cards Used For Playing And Then Tarot... AncientC1895 Vanity Fair Transformation Playing Cards+ Joker By Uspc AntiqueFriars Club Playing Cards (rare Like Jerry Nuggets)Shakespearean Playing Cards By Swan Sonnenschein & Co Rare 1904Smoke And Mirror V1 Playing Cards And V3 Rare SealedOriginal Jerry's Nugget Playing CardsC1901 Hawaiian Souvenir Playing Cards By Wall Nichols Co. + Joker Antique(9) Dan And Dave Smoke & Mirrors V6 Playing Cards Decks Brand New And Sealed2 Brand New Packs Of Asprey Playing Cards - Wrapped And BoxedDunes Vintage Las Vegas Hotel Casino Playing Cards NevadaMisdirection's Mystery Moth Myth Playing Cards (only 800 Were Produced) + BonusDan And Dave Playing Cards Smoke And Mirror 3rdDan And Dave Mirror Playing Cards 2nd EditionNew Gold Arcane DeckBicycle Black And White Fan Back Decks - Zenneth Kok - New, Unopened, Rare1925 Poker Playing Cards Russell Torpedo 327 Box Stamp Vtg Old Complete + Joker Minneapolis Moline Vintage Set Playing Cards, CompleteSuicide Girls Pin-up Playing Card Deck In Original Box - Near MintColumbian Exposition 1893 Full Deck Souvenir Playing Cards/box Chicago Souvenir12 Decks Of Fantastique Playing Cards By Dan And DaveVintage 40's Pin-up Playing Card Deck Mint Sealed - Miss Sylvania Earl Moran?Antique "poems" Playing Cards - Cincinnati Game Co. - No. 1123 - C. 1898Dan And Dave Tungstene Playing Cards DeckLot Of 4 Rare Playing Cards Original Aladdin 1001 Blue Brand New Mint!!!C1898 Montana And Yellowstone Souvenir Playing Cards + Joker Antique1930 Rare Historic Bee Playing Cards Club No92 Vtg Stamp Old Box Poker Deck Nr Antique Pan-american Exposition Souvenir Playing Card Deck, 1901 Buffalo NyEllusionist Ltd Deck - New, Unopened - Rare, Collectible Playing Card DeckAdv. Tobacco 6 Diff. Full Decks Of Playing Cards # 183 Rare 6 Fs Virginia SlimsWide Named - Molly O - 1 Single Playing Card --New Coach Leather Red Case & 2 Decks Of Playing Cards In Still In Plastic WrapFournier / Congress 100% Plastic 6 Double Set Decks Of Playing CardsC1893 Columbian Exposition Souvenir Playing Cards + Joker, AntiqueVintage Louis Vuitton Monogramed Playing Card SetRare 1994 Danny Elfman Oingo Boingo Giant Records Playing Cards Sealed PromoC1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition Souvenir Playing Cards + Joker AntiqueC1900 Along The C.m&st.paul- Lake Michigan To Puget Sound Railroad Playing CardsWynn Logo Playing Cards Red,blue,brownVintage 1960's Nintendo Playing Cards - Vintage Cars 1900-1930 - Sealed Nos Deck32 Vintage German Playing Cards W/original BoxVintage Foreign Playing Cards 52 Cards Plus Joker And Blank Nice Look!Vintage Blank Back Swap Cards X 2 Cute Wedding CoupleAntique Ww I Playing Cards - Learn French - 1918 Levis & CookVintage Playing Cards - Sheraton Coach Double Decks Both Unopened ( Sealed )Antique 1916 Congress 606w Playing Cards - Entitled "moonlight"C1926 Park Lane Hotel Advertising Playing Cards + Joker, Black MemorabiliaVintage Owls Congress Double Deck Playing Cards Cel-u-tone Finish Never Opened Vintage Souvenir Of Canada Playing Cards Ocean To Ocean Chas GoodallGreat Old Vtg Winchester Store Adv Playing Cards Complete Deck In Orig Box Willis Russell Regulars Military Sabre Back Playing Cards C 1906Congress Vintage Playing Cards 2 Decks Still Sealed In Original Package Leather1950's Pin Up Girl Advertising Playing Cards Complete Deck Latex Glove Mfg CoGolden Nugget Playing CardsNew Vivid Hard Action Nude 54 Playing Cards Full DeckRare Mt. Clemens Old Wide Railroad Us Single Playing Card Vintage Sealed Deck Bee No. 92 Club Special Playing Cards 1940 €Coles Swap Card "lady With Two Horses, V.g.c.. 1950's.Old Soo Railroad Advertising Us Single Playing Card Antique Early 1900s Us Playing Card Co Steamboat 999 Playing Cards Nice!
»» Get our weekly Playing Cards email
Right now on eBay



Recent News: Playing Cards

Source: Google News

Sexy retro glamour for Valentine's Day
Salt Lake City Weekly, February 7th

I really love to embrace the authenticity of the true vintage pinups, and it was very much the age of innocence. A lot of times it's all about what you don't show, and it's sexy because it's cute, not because it's sleazy. It's all about women who are...Read more

John Valerian Tauro: The Genius who has made his 'Budget Mane' into a Mini Museum
Bellevision, February 7th

Even on the wall, he has displayed the pictures of vintage and modern cars. On another table one can see different types of locks and keys, cigarette lighters and playing cards. On another wall there are different posters with intelligent and witty...Read more

Modern-day mixed tapes make Valentine's Day gift more personal
Northwest Herald, February 7th

ThinkGeek has a thumb drive that looks like an old cassette tape; add some meaningful tunes, don a handmade label and, depending on your vintage, it'll be an amusingly evocative nod to high school or college romance. Check out Howto.cnet.com for...Read more

Carry on regardless
Yorkshire Post, February 5th

Ian Wallace holds a pair of saucy cushions with the Artwork made from his collection of saucy postcards, from the Bamforth vintage card collection. PA Bamforth was the company which for a century cornered the market in nudge-nudge, wink-wink postcards...Read more

RICHARD D. FITCH
Times Herald-Record, February 4th

Richard was happiest hunting and playing cards with all his camp buddies, and always looked forward to the annual camp picnic. He will miss them all very much. Richard's other passion was his love for antique cars which he collected; he would always...Read more

A&S to auction extraordinary 65-year Roy Gay collection of railroad antiques
Art Daily, February 3rd

A&S Antique Auction Co., specialists in Western Americana, will conduct the sale of the approximately 2000-piece single-owner collection at its Waco, Texas gallery, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. “Mr. Gay, who passed away on...Read more

Rosenberg Library Presents February 2012 Treasure of the Month
Galveston.com & Company (press release) (blog), February 1st

By Galveston.com on February 1, 2012 The Rosenberg Library presents a souvenir plate, a deck of souvenir playing cards, and vintage brochures from Galveston's Sea-Arama Marineworld amusement park as its February Treasure of the Month...Read more

Player association biggest hit with baseball glove collectors
Chicago Tribune, January 20th

The company has made gloves from the 1880s to today, and there are many, many vintage Spalding gloves out there. Glove collectors rank desirability by Hall of Fame status (is the player a HOFer?) and whether the glove is pre- or post-WW II...Read more

Cards

Games

suggest a category

See also

Share