Collecting Playing Cards

Collecting playing cards is a hobby that is growing in popularity. It's fun, doesn't have to be expensive, and if you tell everyone you're a collector of playing cards you'll always get nice decks of cards for gifts.

Playing Card Collectors' Organizations

For Americans, there are two main organizations located in the USA: 52 Plus Joker, and the Chicago Playing Card Collectors. Most serious playing card collectors also belong to the International Playing Card Society, in Britain.

52 Plus Joker

Publication:: "Clear the Decks"
Society aims:: 52 Plus Joker was formed to cater to the interests of American antique deck collectors. Its purpose is sharing information and stimulating interest in the collecting of playing cards and related items. As many of our members have playing card interests which go far beyond this narrow range, we hope to appeal to all interests by not restricting the activities of the Club to American decks.
Activities:: Publishes bulletin, publishes membership roster, holds annual convention, holds postal auctions.
Contact:: Janice Miller (Secretary/Treasurer)
52 PLUS JOKER
670 Carlton Drive
Elgin, IL 60120-4008
U.S.A.
Phone:: +1-(847) 697 - 5819

Chicago Playing Card Collectors, Inc.

Publication:: C.P.C.C. Bulletin
Society aims:: Chicago Playing Card Collectors, Inc. was founded in 1951 as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Illinois. The club has 3 objectives:
1. to encourage and promote the hobby of playing card collecting
2. to acquire and disperse knowledge on the subject
3. to foster an interest in this fascinating and educational theme.
Activities:: We publish a Membership Directory yearly. This directory extends the privilege of trading with members all over the world. In addition, we publish a quarterly CPCC Bulletin (Lib. of Congress # 67-30326). We also have decks, books and catalogs available through the Bulletin and mail auctions which feature cards, decks and literature on the subject of playing cards. General meetings are held in Chicago on the third Sunday of each month (not January, June, July, August or September). Our big card convention is held in September, alternating between Chicago and other cities around the USA. Club meeting and convention activities include card-trading, auctions, talks and exhibits of cards and card-lore.
Contact:: C.P.C.C. Inc.
c/o Barbara Lunaburg (Bulletin Editor)
1826 Mallard Lake Drive
Marietta, GA 30068-1644
U.S.A.
Phone:: +1-(770)-992-7478

The International Playing-Card Society

Publications:: "The Playing-Card"
Society aims:: Founded in 1972 to promote the study and collection of playing-cards and card games worldwide.
Activities:: Publishes journal/newsletter, membership list, occasional monographs and pattern sheets of standard cards. Holds annual convention (generally in a European city and in association with another playing-card society) and quarterly meetings in London at which talks are given and the trading/exchange of playing-cards takes place. Awards annual Modiano Prize for a recently-published article or monograph which has contributed to the knowledge of some aspect of the origins and history of playing-cards or card games and their rules.
Contact:: For more information, click here.