Around 2005, I started going to casinos around Indiana. While there, I would buy a deck or two from the gift shops and use them for poker, blackjack, etc.
In 2008, I started a family and friends poker club. I would always try to come up with something different and fun for everyone. Anything from pregame music, blackjack, let it ride, even a “grab bag” where I would put extra chips in a bag and let everyone take turns for extra chips. Then one day in early 2011, I decided to try to find an “old deck” of cards to use in an upcoming game.
I went on eBay and found a deck by B. P. Grimaud. When I got the deck, I opened it and was amazed that a 100+-year-old deck was in mint condition and it appeared to have never been used! Even the gold edges were 100% intact! I knew I couldn’t use these in a game so I went back to eBay and I found an interesting but well-used deck of Congress playing cards. I had never heard of that brand before, and the cards had an image of the Statue of Liberty surrounded by flags from several nations, including the US. Later I learned this deck had a name, “Liberty”, and dated from 1917. We used this deck a few times.
My dad, Dave (who is the authority on National Card Company and antique card historian in his own right) thought there could be something to these old decks. He started buying a few older decks here and there, at the same time I was slowly collecting them as well. I discovered Facebook groups for collectors sometime in 2016.
52 Plus Joker
I discovered 52 Plus Joker one day in 2017 and decided to join, after my fiancée encouraged me to do so. She thought it would help me meet other collectors and help build my collection. Little did we know what was to come.
Dad and I went to our first club convention, held in Erlanger, KY that same year, albeit just for the day on Saturday, the final day of that convention. We met a few new friends there and bought some nice antique decks. Dad signed up for the club that day and our journey officially began.
Unlocking A Cool Nickname
At the convention in Cleveland in 2018, I had pretty much narrowed my focus to only collecting Congress decks. The artwork featured on these decks were taken from popular artwork of the day. I still collected other antique decks as well, but during this convention I wanted to buy whatever congress decks I could get my hands on. It was during this time I got my first “lacquer back” deck, dated 1885. Lacquer backs are pre-1900 decks with gold or copper colored ink for the image and solid color backs. Very desirable decks and very hard to come by.
During the auction, I had already won a few congress decks and ephemera, and while I was bidding on yet another Congress deck, I heard a woman in the audience whisper “that’s the congress guy”, presumably to the person next to her. To this day, I have no idea who this woman is. I thought to myself “that’s a cool nickname”, and went about my business.
I was already on Instagram for a short time with no real direction on how to stand out. I thought back to the nickname I heard during that auction and it just clicked. That’s how I’m going to make my mark. I changed my Instagram handle and created a Facebook page with the same name. As of today I have over 400 followers on Facebook, over 1,100 on Instagram, and I even have a YouTube channel with over 150 subscribers.
Kevan Seaney
“The Congress Guy” 52 Plus Joker Member and Collector of Congress 606 Playing Cards
Forgotten people have interested me for many years. Looking back I realized it all started in 1968. That was when my Uncle Earl handed me a single sheet of paper with a hand-drawn family tree on it. At that time I didn’t even know who my great-grandparents were. Or even know anything about my family history. As my uncle slowly turned over the role of family historian to me, that tree grew into thousands of forgotten people and their stories. Without having that curiosity about my past, and learning how to research the information these stories would be lost forever.
This research experience came into play when my son, The Congress Guy, asked me to help find the location of the National Playing Card factory in Indianapolis where we live. So, using the address stated in the Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards I started the search using my genealogy skills. As it turned out the address listed was incorrect. After finding the correct location, I realized I had even passed by the old factory during my lifetime quite a few times. Unfortunately, it’s now gone and has been replaced with an apartment complex.
It was then that I went with my son to our first 52+Joker Convention to pass along my discovery to other playing card enthusiasts. At that 2017 convention in Erlanger, I became hooked on playing cards and joined.
But, it was the history that has come to fascinate me. Who were these people that made these interesting items? What was the story behind them and their cards?
My research ended up with me writing stories about these people for the 52+Joker club magazine and then creating websites to share the information with others.
Shuffled Ink had the pleasure of interviewing John August to help encourage others who are thinking about starting aKickstarter. There are many aspiring entrepreneurs who are thinking of crowdfunding their projects but may feel they lack certain resources. This blog is the perfect article to help those individuals gain more perspective on how to properly prepare themselves for a very intimidating platform. Keep reading to find out how John August was able to launch his own successful Kickstarter.
1. Tell us about yourself and how you arrived at where you are today.
I’m a screenwriter and novelist. I’m lucky to have had twelve movies produced, from GO to BIG FISH to ALADDIN, along with three novels (the ARLO FINCH trilogy). I also host a popular weekly podcast about film and television called Scriptnotes.
On the side, I run a small company that makes software and other things for writers, including the screenwriting app Highland and Writer Emergency Pack.
2. What inspired you to take action on creating the Writer Emergency Pack XL?
We launched the original Writer Emergency Pack in 2014. It became a phenomenon, one of the bigger Kickstarter projects of its time. In the years since we’ve shipped nearly 100,000 decks around the world.
As much as we love the original, we felt there were aspects we could improve upon. With a bigger card we could consolidate text that was split among multiple cards. That gave us room to double our illustrations and tips.
We also took a serious look at our box. The original Writer Emergency Pack comes in a standard tuck box, which can wear out from heavy use. Our new two-part box is made of heavy chipboard, designed to last for years.
Ryan Nelson designed the original Writer Emergency Pack, drawing inspiration from typography. Dustin Bocks refined the design for Writer Emergency Pack XL, bringing in our space theme.
3. Why did you choose & trust Kickstarter as a good platform? Why did you think it would be the right fit?
We had a great experience with our initial foray in Kickstarter back in 2014, but a lot has changed since then. We did our research and considered alternatives, including just launching XL on our own store.
What brought us back to Kickstarter was the chance to repeat our “get one, give one” campaign. For every deck we send to backers, we’ll be sending one to classrooms. Launching on Kickstarter allows us to scale up to a place where that’s affordable.
4. Did you run into any problems that made you question whether to keep pursuing this card deck?
We printed early prototypes of Writer Emergency Pack XL back in 2018. We knew we had the right basic idea, but as a company we got busy with other things.
The pandemic got us thinking more about our supply chain and the environmental costs of worldwide shipping. We were already printing in the US, but we researched better packaging and processes to minimize our carbon footprint. We committed to using certified and recycled paper for everything we can.
We ultimately made the tough decision to launch Writer Emergency Pack XL exclusively for the US and Canada. We’ll be shipping directly from the printing facility in Florida.
5. What are your thoughts on the outcome of not only reaching your goal, but passing it?
We’re really happy how the campaign turned out. We set our goal at $10,000, and achieved that the first day. Our final tally of $121,000 is just about what we expected.
Most importantly, we’re excited that this means we’ll be able to get Writer Emergency Packs into even more classrooms through our “get one, give one” model, and help inspire the next generation of creative writers. We are particularly excited because we think the larger pack will be even more accessible to younger writers.
6. What are your tips for setting a goal right for you?
Do your research and ask hard questions. We wanted to push ourselves with our goal but also make sure we were staying realistic. Our first campaign exceeded all of our expectations, but we knew we couldn’t expect the same performance. In the years since our initial launch, the landscape of Kickstarter campaigns has changed. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t create a goal modeled off the metrics of our first campaign, but instead we chose a goal that would meet our needs in the current moment in order to make this new pack feasible. We spoke with other creators, got quotes from printing facilities, and mapped out all of our costs before we set a target.
7. How has being a professional writer benefited your campaign?
I wrote weekly blog posts and updates on Kickstarter to let our backers know how we were doing. I’ve had a blog for decades so it’s normal for me to write to a large group of people on the internet. I think because we were communicating regularly with our supporters we were able to reach our stretch mode, like offering a dark mode version of the pack.
And in terms of our product, as a writer I can speak directly to the problems we’re solving with our packs. I’ve written a trilogy of novels and countless screenplays, but even I sometimes get stuck. I wish I had something like this growing up, but learning these lessons on my own allowed me to translate my writing experience into the prompts for these cards. The motivating principle behind this deck is to rescue writers from that feeling by giving them tools to approach their story problems.
8.What are some tips to share with aspiring entrepreneurs thinking about using Kickstarter?
One of the biggest draws to working with Kickstarter is the community. I’d recommend folks interested in launching their own Kickstarters, to first research, study, and support other campaigns. I became friends with Elan Lee through Kickstarter and have learned so much through watching his campaigns take off on the platform. We got great practical tips from other creators, like Aaron Reed who launched 50 Years of Text Games. Learning from other entrepreneurs helped us prepare for the launch but also set us up for success when it came time to actually make our product.
Also, your backers are a huge part of your community and your success depends on their support. My advice is to stay engaged and authentic with them. They’ll appreciate honesty over plans you’re unable to deliver.
9. What is the most effective way to get a Kickstarter out to the public? What networking efforts helped you promote the campaign?
Our company makes a lot of products aimed at helping writers. Luckily we had a loyal base of customers who championed the new XL version of the pack.
We’re also lucky that the original Writer Emergency Pack was beloved by schools and writing organizations. Through our get one, give one, model we’ve become a fixture in many classrooms and creative writing workshops so word of mouth also helped promote our campaign.
10. What is the most challenging growth phase for you?
After we came up with the idea for the Writer Emergency Pack XL, our team brainstormed ways to improve the original pack. We wanted to add more cards, tools, illustrations, basically more fun to the original. Once we had mock-ups of our designs it was challenging to figure out (and wait until) the best moment to launch because we were eager to bring our packs to the public ASAP. But I’m glad we waited because we found great partnerships in the US and had more time to create the perfect box for our new deck.
11. How has working with Shuffled Ink helped throughout the Kickstarter campaign process?
Shuffled Ink has produced our standard Writer Emergency Packs for the past few years, so we felt confident they could do this bigger deck. We’ve enjoyed the process of working with Matt and his team to figure out what’s possible, from sizes to finishes to little esoteric details. For example, we want to avoid any plastic while still protecting the decks during shipping. We’ve come up with some good solutions together.
We thank John August for taking the time to share his personal experience with Kickstarter along with his amazing tips on how to properly prepare for a successful launch. Hopefully this article has helped share some insight and give readers the motivation they need to take action on their next project with Kickstarter!
Important Tips For The Readers To Consider When Launching A Kickstarter:
Are you setting a realistic goal?
When do you feel is the right time to launch your Kickstarter?
Do you plan on networking with others who use the platform?
Will you promote your campaign? Will you keep your audience updated? Do you know what socials will work best for promoting your product on Kickstarter?
Shuffled Ink had the pleasure of interviewing Holly Holton for the story behind The Decision Umbrella Deck. The Decision Umbrella Deck contains “52 Powerful Possibility Practices to help you create a life that lights you up!” The deck was created to help improve people’s decision-making process while assisting them on a journey of self-discovery. “The concept behind the title is that all change starts with a decision. Not a try. Not a hope. Not a wish. A decision.”
“LIFE CHANGES WHEN YOU CHANGE”
It all started with an Instagram account called @thedecisionumbrella! Holly shared that she always loved personal development and created the Instagram account as a way to organize her thoughts. She began brainstorming ways to bring her idea to the next level, something that you can physically hold. That’s when she got the idea to create her own card deck, “Something that was portable and could go anywhere.”
“WE ARE MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN WE KNOW”
Inspired by her dream to be a published author, Holly partnered with an artist to create a one-of-a-kind card deck with calming colors. “When I present this card deck to my customers I always feel extremely hopeful for the future. These cards contain complex issues such as mindset shifts, brain science concepts, and subconscious programming. And I feel very proud that through this deck, I have been able to explain these powerful concepts in an easy-to-understand, bite-sized approach.” We are happy to hear about her positive feedback as she stated, “people have said that they appreciate the ‘travel size’ wisdom and that they are extremely motivational and inspirational.” She discussed that “self-discovery” and “a passion to share her knowledge” are what kept her motivated to bring this project to life. The advice she would like to pass down to newbie creators is “Settle on the size of your cards before you finalize your artwork/content! I changed my cards to the 4 x 6 size late in the process because I decided I had more to add!”
GOALS FOR 2023!
Holly’s major goal is to finish her book! She is excited to expand on the ideas in the deck and further share her creativity and insights with the world! Holly hints at another deck that may be in the works. Right now she is offering FREE shipping anywhere in the US through the end of 2022. Enter code SHUFFLEDINK at checkout. The decks are available for purchase online here.
WORKING WITH SHUFFLED INK
We asked Holly about her experience working with Shuffled ink and here is what she had to say:
“From day one they have been fantastic to work with. I got personalized attention, they always answer the phone which is amazing. I feel like I was important and the company truly cared about me and my project. Just a truly remarkable experience all around and I cannot recommend Shuffled Ink highly enough! The quality of the paper is phenomenal. They are sturdy enough to be shuffled, but not too thick. Really nice matte finish and just really well done.”
Because we are all familiar with the modern deck of playing cards, a standard deck of Bicycle rider back playing cards seems very “normal” and “traditional” to most of us. But to people of the past, a deck like this is anything but normal! The reality is that playing cards have undergone a radical transformation since their first beginnings several centuries ago. Our modern playing cards evolved into a deck of 52 cards with four suits in red and black and with two Jokers by making a journey that took hundreds of years and involved travelling through many countries. In fact, the most significant elements that shaped today’s deck were produced by the different cultures and countries that playing cards traveled through in order to get to the present day.
In this article, we will survey of the history of playing cards, emphasizing in particular the geographic influences that have determined what modern playing cards look like today. Our whirlwind historical tour will begin in the East, under a cloud of uncertainty about the precise origin of playing cards. But from there we will make our way to Europe, first to Italy and Spain, then east to Germany, back west to France, and across the channel to England. Finally, we will travel over the ocean to the United States, which is where most of our decks are produced today by USPCC in the form that we know them.
The East
The precise origin of playing cards continues to be the subject of debate among scholars, and even the best theories rely more on speculation than proof. There is clear historical evidence that playing cards began to appear in Europe in the late 1300s and early 1400s, but how did they get there? They seem to have come from somewhere in the East, and may have been imported to Europe by gypsies, crusaders, or traders. The common consensus appears to be that an early form of playing cards originated somewhere in Asia, but to be completely honest, we cannot be entirely sure. Paper is fragile and typically does not survive well across the ages, so solid historical evidence is lacking.
Educated guesses have made links to the cards, suits, and icons of 12th century and even older cards in China, India, Korea, Persia, or Egypt, which may have been introduced to Europe by Arabs. Some scholars believe that playing cards were invented in China during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century AD. There does seem to be evidence of some kinds of games involving playing cards (and drinking!) from this time onward, including cards with icons representing coins, which also appear as icons on playing cards later in Western Europe. If correct, it would place the origins of playing cards before 1000AD, and it would see them as originating alongside or even from tile games like dominoes and mahjong. Some have suggested that the playing cards first functioned as “play money” and represented the stakes used for other gambling games, and later became part of the games themselves. Others have proposed connections between playing cards and chess or dice games, but this is again speculative. It is very possible that playing cards made their way from China to Europe via Egypt in the Mamluk period, with decks from that era having goblets (cups), gold coins, swords, and polo-sticks, which represent the main interests of the Mamluk aristocracy, and bear parallels to the four suits seen in Italian playing cards from the 14th century.
But we cannot even be totally sure that playing cards did first appear in the East; and it may even be that the first ancestors of the modern deck of playing cards were first created in Europe after all, as an independent development. So let’s head to Europe, to the earliest confirmed reference to playing cards there, which we find in a Latin manuscript written by a German monk in a Swiss monastery.
Italy and Spain
In the manuscript dated 1377, our German monk friend Johannes from Switzerland mentions the appearance of playing cards and several different card games that could be played with them. In the 1400s playing cards often appear along with dice games in religious sermons as examples of gambling activities that are denounced, and there is clear evidence that a 52 card deck existed and was used in this time. The suit signs in the first European decks of the 14th century were swords, clubs, cups, and coins, and very likely had their origin in Italy, although some connect these with the cups, coins, swords, and polo-sticks found on Egyptian playing cards from the Mamluk period. At any rate these are still the four suits still found in Italian and Spanish playing cards today, and are sometimes referred to as the Latin suits.
The court cards from the late 14th century decks in Italy typically included a mounted king, a seated and crowned queen, plus a knave. The knave is a royal servant, although the character could also represent a “prince”, and would later be called a Jack to avoid confusion with the King. Spanish cards developed somewhat differently, the court cards being a king, knight, and knave, with no queens. The Spanish packs also didn’t have a 10, and with the absence of 8s and 9s in the national Spanish game of ombre, it resulted in a 40 card deck.
The first playing cards in European Italy were hand-painted and beautiful luxury items found only among the upper classes. But as card playing became more popular, and methods were developed to produce them more cheaply, playing cards became more widely available. It was only natural that this new product eventually spread west and north, and the next major development occurred as a result of their reception in Germany, and one historian has described their rapid spread as “an invasion of playing cards”, with soldiers also assisting their movement.
Germany
To establish themselves as a card-manufacturing nation in their own right, the Germans introduced their own suits to replace the Italian ones, and these new suits reflected their interest in rural life: acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells; the latter being hawk-bells and a reference to the popular rural pursuit of falconry. The queen was also eliminated from the Italian courts, and these instead consisted of a King and two knaves, an obermann (upper) and untermann (under). Meanwhile the Two replaced the Ace as the highest card, to create a 48 card deck.
Custom decks abounded, and suit symbols used in the novelty playing cards from this era include animals, kitchen utensils, and appliances, from frying pans to printers’ inkpads! The standard German suits of acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells were predominant, however, although in nearby Switzerland it was common to see a variation using flowers instead of leaves, and shields instead of hearts. The Germanic suits are still used in parts of Europe today, and are indebted to this period of history.
But the real contribution of Germany was their methods of printing playing cards. Using techniques of wood-cutting and engraving in wood and copper that were developed as a result of the demand for holy pictures and icons, printers were able to produce playing cards in larger quantities. This led to Germany gaining a dominant role in the playing card trade, even exporting decks to Western Europe, which had produced them in the first place! Eventually the new suit symbols adopted by Germany became even more common throughout Europe than the original Italian ones.
France
Meanwhile early in the 15th century, the French developed the icons for the four suits that we commonly use today, namely hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs, although they were called coeurs, piques, carreaux, and trefles respectively. It is possible that the clubs (trefles) derive from the acorns and the spades (pikes) from the leaves of the German playing cards, but they may also have been developed independently. The French also preferred a king, queen, and knave as their court cards.
But the real stroke of genius that the French came up with was to divide the four suits into two red and two black, with simplified and clearer symbols. This meant that playing cards could be produced with stencils, a hundred times more quickly than using the traditional techniques of wood-cutting and engraving. With improved processes in manufacturing paper, and the development of better printing processes, including Gutenberg’s printing press (1440), the slower and more costly traditional woodcut techniques previously done by hand were replaced with a much more efficient production. For sheer practical reasons, the Germans lost their earlier dominance in the playing card market, as the French decks and their suits spread all over Europe, giving us the designs as we know them today.
One interesting feature of the French dominance of playing cards in this time is the attention given to court cards. In the late 1500s French manufacturers began giving the court cards names from famous literary epics such as the Bible and other classics. It is from this era that the custom developed of associating specific court cards with famous names, the more well-known and commonly accepted ones for the Kings being King David (Spades), Alexander the Great (Clubs), Charlemagne (Hearts), and Julius Caesar (Diamonds), representing the four empires of Jews, Greeks, Franks, and Romans. Notable characters ascribed to the Queens include the Greek goddess Pallas Athena (Spades), Judith (Hearts), Jacob’s wife Rachel (Diamonds), and Argine (Clubs). The Knaves were commonly designated as La Hire (Hearts), Charlemagne’s knight Ogier (Spades), Hector the hero of Troy (Diamonds), and King Arthur’s knight Lancelot (Clubs).
The common postures, clothing, and accessories that we expect in a modern deck of playing cards today find their roots in characters like these, but we cannot be certain how these details originated, since there was much diversity of clothing, weapons, and accessories depicted in the French decks of this time. But eventually standardization began to happen, and this was accelerated in the 1700s when taxing on playing cards was introduced. With France divided into nine regions for this purpose, manufacturers within each region were ordered to use a standardized design unique to their region. But it was only when playing cards emigrated to England that a common design really began to dominate the playing card industry.
England
Our journey across the channel actually begins in Belgium, from where massive quantities of cards began to be exported to England, although soldiers from France may also have helped introduce playing cards to England. Due to heavy taxes in France, some influential card makers emigrated to Belgium, and several card factories and workshops began to appear there. Rouen in particular was an important center of the printing trade. Thousands of decks of Belgian made playing cards were exported to countries throughout Europe, including England. In view of this, it is no surprise that English card players have virtually always been using the French designs.
But playing cards did not pass through Europe without the English leaving their stamp on them. To begin with, they opted to use the names hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs to refer to the suits that the French had designated as coeurs, piques, carreaux, and trefles. We do not know why, but they based two of the suit names (spades and clubs) on the names of the Italian deck rather than directly translate the French terms piques (pikes) and trefles (clovers); one possible explanation is the Spanish suits were exported to England before French ones. The word diamond is also somewhat unexpected, given that the English word for carreau (wax-painted tiles used in churches) at the time was lozenge. Whatever the reasons, it is to usage in England that we owe the names that we use for the suits today.
It is also to the English that we owe the place of honour given to the Ace of Spades, which has its roots in taxation laws. The English government passed an Act that cards could not leave the factory until they had proof that the required tax on playing cards had been paid. This initially involved hand stamping the Ace of Spades – probably because it was the top card. But to prevent tax evasion, in 1828 it was decided that from now on the Ace of Spades had to be purchased from the Commissioners for Stamp Duties, and that it had to be specially printed along with the manufacturer’s name and the amount of duty paid. As a result, the Ace of Spades tended to have elaborate designs along with the manufacturer’s name. Only in 1862 were approved manufacturers finally allowed to print their own Ace of Spades, but the fate of the signature Ace of Spades had been decided, and the practice of an ornate Ace with the manufacturer’s name was often continued. As a result, to this day it is the one card in a deck that typically gets special treatment and elaborate designs.
The artwork on English court cards appears to have been largely influenced by designs produced in Rouen, Belgium, which produced large amounts of playing cards for export. They include details such as kings with crowns, flowing robes, beards, and longish hair; queens holding flowers and sceptres; and knaves that are clean-shaven, wearing caps, and holding arrows, feathers or pikes. But whatever variety was present, slowly disappeared as a result of the industrious efforts of Briton Thomas de la Rue, who was able to reduce the prices of playing cards due to increased output and productivity. This mass production he accomplished in the 1860s gave him a position of dominance in the industry, and the smaller manufacturers with their independent designs eventually were swallowed up, leading to the more standardized designs as we know them today. De la Rue’s designs were first modernized by Reynolds in 1840, and then again by Charles Goodall in 1860, and it is this design that effectively still used today. It was also around this time that double-ended court cards became common (to avoid the need to turn the cards, thereby revealing to your opponent that you had court cards in your hand) and the existing full-length designs were adapted to make them double-ended.
United States
The Americans are late companions to our historical journey, because for a long time they simply relied on imports from England to meet the demand for playing cards. Due to the general public’s preference for goods of English origin, some American makers even printed the word “London” on their Ace of Spades, to ensure commercial success! From the earliest days of colonization there are even examples of native Americans making their own decks with original suit symbols and designs, evidently having learned card games from the new inhabitants.
Among American manufacturers, a leading name from the early 1800s is Lewis I. Cohen, who even spent four years in England, and began publishing playing cards in 1832. In 1835 he invented a machine for printing all four colours of the card faces at once, and his successful business eventually became a public company in 1871, under the name the New York Consolidated Card Company. This company was responsible for introducing and popularizing corner indices to the English pack, to make it easier for players to hold and recognize a poker hand by only fanning the cards slightly. Another printing company had already printed decks with indices in 1864 (Saladee’s Patent, printed by Samuel Hart), but it was the Consolidated Card Company that patented this design in 1875. First known as “squeezers”, decks with these indices were not immediately well received. A competing firm, Andrew Dougherty and Company initially began producing “triplicates”, offering an alternative that used miniature card faces on the opposite corners of the cards. But new territory had been won, and indices eventually became standard, and today it is hard to imagine playing cards without them.
One final innovation that we owe to the United States is the addition of the Jokers. The Joker was initially referred to as “the best bower”, which is terminology that originates in the popular trick-taking game of euchre, which was popular in the mid-19th century, and refers to the highest trump card. It is an innovation from around 1860 that designated a trump card that beat both the otherwise highest ranking right bower and left bower. The word euchre may even be an early ancestor of the word “Joker”. A variation of poker around 1875 is the first recorded instance of the Joker being used as a wild card.
Besides these changes, America has not contributed any permanent changes to the standard deck of cards, which by this time already enjoyed a long and storied history, and had become more and more standardized. However the United States has become important in producing playing cards. Besides the above mentioned companies, other well-known names of printers from the late 19th century include Samuel Hart and Co, and Russell and Morgan, the latter eventually becoming today’s industry giant: the United States Playing Card Company. American manufacturers have been printing special purpose packs and highly customized decks of playing cards throughout their history, but the USPCC’s Bicycle, Bee, and Tally Ho brands have become playing card icons of their own. The USPCC has absorbed many other playing card producers over more than a century of dominance, and they are considered an industry leader and printer of choice for many custom decks produced today.
The true history of playing cards is a long and fascinating journey, one that has been enmeshed with many romantic interpretations over time, not all of which have a historical basis. What will the future hold for the fate of the humble playing card, and what will be the lasting contribution of our own era be to the shape and content of a “standard” deck? Only time will tell, but meanwhile you can enjoy a modern deck today, knowing that it has striking similarities with the playing cards of 15th century Europe, and that playing cards have been an integral part of life and leisure across the globe for more than 600 years!
Where to get them:Do you want to pick up some historic looking cards? Start by looking at this contemporary 40 card Spanish deck. Some wonderful and accurate replicas of American decks from the late 19th century have been produced by Home Run Games with USPCC quality cards, and are all available here, including these: Hart’s Saladee’s Patent (1864), Triplicate No. 18 (1876), Mauger Centennial (1876), Murphy Varnish (1883), Tally Ho No 9 (1885). Alternatively, check out the entire range of vintage playing cards.
About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com here.
Survive Now, Cry Later: Christopher Chartier Card’s Story
Shuffled Ink had the pleasure of interviewing Christopher Chartier to discuss the details behind the creation of “Survive” the card game. A four-year-long team project that “started on cut up pieces of note cards, laminated, and then colored with crayon.” The creators of “Survive” wanted to separate themselves from the mainstream design of card games. They worked with an artist to create multiple variations of card boxes that would stand out from the rest for customers to choose from.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
When asked if there were any issues they faced during the creation of the “Survive”, Christopher responded, “The hardest part is growing a following. The constant questioning of “did I do enough, am I doing the right things, and are we headed in the right direction”. A common feeling many creators struggle with when releasing their product to the public for the first time. Christopher’s advice for seasoned and newbie card designers is, “Post post post. Get in front of the camera. Develop a posting schedule. Learning from my mistakes.”
Working With Shuffled Ink
When asked why he chose to work with Shuffled Ink, he explained “I chose Shuffled Ink because I wanted to manufacture in the US, not overseas. After narrowing that process down, Lisa was the first to respond. She took the time to go over the process of everything and represented the company really well, and actually seemed interested in our product.” Christopher continues, “You can instantly see how dedicated Shuffled Ink is to delivering the best product possible. We have been so delighted and beyond pleased with how good the quality is when it arrives. The tuck boxes are excellent quality and very durable and the cards have that professional feel you are looking for.”
We are so thankful to hear such kind feedback as we strive for meeting our client’s expectations and want to make sure they feel taken care of every step of the way! If you are looking to create a custom card game click here to get started.
If you are interested in purchasing the “Survive” card game, Visit their website here. They have early bird specials available for a limited time! They also launched a Kickstarter which is currently live and can be viewed here.
Learn how this businesswoman’s morning routine inspired her to create custom affirmation cards designed to help motivate other like-minded female entrepreneurs.
A morning stretch, an early jog, eating a hearty breakfast, pouring a giant cup of black coffee: quintessential tasks to start your day right and prepare for a successful day in the office. For Alison Hartrum, her favorite morning activity of shuffling through a deck of custom affirmation cards which inspired her to do the opposite – leave the corporate world for good in the search for something more fulfilling.
Alison Hartrum was climbing the corporate ladder with ease it would seem. Winning several awards recognizing her achievements and hard work, outwardly she appeared to be an exemplary businesswoman, but looming behind her many accolades was the imminent burnout corporate employees have come to know all too well.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Louisville, Alison spent 8 years working for a Fortune 75 company and was awarded Partner of the Year locally and Top 20 Partner Nationally. While she was reaching new heights in her career, she secretly longed to search for inspiration left behind by stressful corporate culture.
Seeing How The Cards Play Out
Taking a step away from corporate life, Alison found a way to inspire other female entrepreneurs: “I left the accolades and success of my lucrative corporate career in coaching sales professionals to pursue my true passion: travel,” Alison says. It was while she took a step away from her career to see the world that she realized her mentorship was in need. “I started being approached by female entrepreneurs requesting help with their businesses. My drive to assist others in achieving their own success in the business world is what inspired me to start Abambyh Business Coaching.”
Always focusing on positivity, Alison is a firm believer in the law of attraction. Once Alison’s business coaching started taking off, she was trying to figure out a creative and efficient way to convey the importance of keeping a positive mindset to her clients. While Looking through a deck of activity-inspiring cards as part of her morning routine, Alison was struck with the idea that there must be such a deck for business owners. This is how the affirmation cards came to be!
Affirming What’s Possible: Business Prompts for the Motivated Entrepreneur
The card deck boasts six categories: Action, Business, Feel Good, Prospecting, Reflection, and Visionary. The user can shuffle the deck and choose a card at random, choose at random in a category that feels right for them at that time, or they can look through the cards and choose one with a prompt that inspires them. Alternatively, the manager of a sales or customer retention force could assign the cards as needed. There’s no wrong way to use the cards; it all depends on the user’s needs.
Alison hopes to catch people who are down on their luck, out pursuing their passions, and in search of inspiration. Alison envisions her cards sold in retailers everywhere: offices, airports, bookstores, and coffee shops. While the main purpose of creating these cards was to inspire female entrepreneurs, Alison hopes that they will also help lead change in corporate environments. After all, optimistic mindfulness matched with taking breaks increases levels of productivity. Are you an entrepreneur looking for inspiration? Purchase your own deck of Business Prompts for the Motivated Entrepreneur here!!
On Working With Shuffled Ink
An expert in her field, Alison trusted Shuffled Ink to create high-quality card decks for her business. When asked why she chose to work with Shuffled Ink, she explained: “[Shuffled Ink] communicated with promptness, patience, and thoroughness. They accommodated changes and answered questions at a level of customer service that left me feeling absolutely confident in their professionalism and knowledge.”
Shuffled Ink loves collaborating with visionaries like Alison. Our goal is to deliver a high-quality product, customizable to your specifications. “Shuffled Ink had the most friendly and prompt responses to her initial inquiries, which made a very favorable impression on someone who was embarking on an entirely new venture in creating this deck.”
For a long time I had the mistaken impression that customized playing cards were a relatively modern innovation. Ignoring for a moment all those cheap souvenir decks of bridge sized playing cards, most of us associate the traditional deck of playing cards with a Bicycle ride-back deck with a standardized set of court cards. Perhaps we’ve seen some minor variations, but this is what we thought a deck of cards has always looked like.
But then at some point, we discovered customized playing cards. And we found ourselves getting excited about the possibilities this opened up. I suspect that many of us also see these creative decks as a new development in playing cards. Certainly it’s true that for much of the 20th century, a very fixed and standard deck was dominant in the world of professional magic and gambling, with its immediately recognizable set of court cards and other face cards.
It’s also true that recent decades have seen an explosion of sorts in the playing card industry, with the emergence of customized playing cards as an established and rapidly-growing branch of its own. This has been accelerated with the arrival of crowdfunding about ten years ago. Platforms like Kickstarter have enabled creative individuals with good design ideas to get access to the financial backing needed for them to make their projects a reality. Other factors contributing to this growth include improved technology in digital design and manufacturing, and easy access to all these resources in a global community connected by the Internet. The rise of cardistry as an emerging art-form in the last half a dozen years has been a further catalyst to this process. With social media playing a lending hand, there is not only an increasing demand for highly customized playing cards, but also an increasing range of published decks available to meet this need.
If you’ve been a spectator to these exciting developments that have a radically changed the landscape of the playing card industry in the last 5 to 10 years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the customized deck of playing cards is something not seen before. But it would be a mistake to think that customized playing cards are a new phenomenon. Nothing could be further from the truth, and when researching something of the history of playing cards in the 1800s, I discovered that in fact there have been previous times in history where customized playing cards were very common.
So over the course of two articles, I invite you to join me in a time machine, and let’s travel back to the 1800s and learn what role customized decks from yesteryear had in the culture of their time. They may not have had Kickstarter back then, but creative designers and publishers certainly did exist, and so did their customized playing cards. So let’s take a look at how playing cards were used in previous eras.
For Card Games
From the very beginning, the primary use of playing cards has been for playing card games. Adding gambling and alcohol to card games only served to accelerate their popularity. Some historians have observed that until the 18th century, hardly any games were played without gambling. Given that card playing was so closely linked with gambling, and almost inevitably resulted in drunkenness and fighting, it is not surprising that the church strongly condemned all card playing. Among the most important historical documents about the history of playing cards are countless sermons which deride cards as a tool of the devil and as an evil influence upon humanity. Edicts were passed that forbade playing cards, and fines were imposed on those who violated such laws. In the 15th century, card playing was forbidden in England except on the 12 days of Christmas. There is even one recorded instance in 1423 where playing cards were burned in a public bonfire.
But playing cards weren’t inherently the cause of moral decline, however, despite the many prohibitions against them across time by religious preachers, starting as early as the 14th century. Like so many created things, playing cards are not in themselves evil, and can be used for well or for woe. It is the fallen human condition that accounts for the many unsavoury contexts in which playing cards have played a role. But in themselves, playing cards are intrinsically a tool that can also be used for good ends. Card games can be attached to virtues just as much as they can to vices. Mankind has long enjoyed recreation and play, and playing games of cards is simply a way to give structure and rules to such activities of leisure.
In fact, in Europe card games were originally a respected activity of the aristocracy. Initially, due to the high costs in making playing cards, each card was hand painted and made individually. That meant that they could only be afforded by the nobility, who typically used them for playing games that required skill. For the upper class, playing cards were primarily used to demonstrate real abilities to memorize cards and clever play in games of skill. One recorded example dates from 1643, when Cardinal Mazarin proposed a series of card games to help stimulate the royal mind of the eight year old Louis XIV, with a published explanation of these games as prepared by Jean Desmarets following in 1644.
It was the advent of the printing press around 1440 that made mass production of playing cards a real possibility. Their popularity for card games is what made playing cards spread rapidly and led to them being widely used throughout Europe. But for the lower classes, playing cards were often closely associated with and used for gambling – hence the previously mentioned religious prohibitions that often accompanied their spread. They also became a concern for military leaders, who found that playing cards would easily distract soldiers from their duty. In the 16th century, King Henry VIII complained that his bowmen were being distracted from their practice by too much card playing.
Today we witness a similar challenges as a consequence of technological advances. The invention of computers, the internet, and smart phones has facilitated new uses for games, both for well and for woe, and for purposes both noble and ignoble. This includes potential pitfalls, such as online casinos and addictive gambling. But the rise of online gambling doesn’t negate the fact that technology has also opened up wonderful new possibilities for impacting the playing card industry positively. These positive developments include the ability to exchange and share information about playing cards with fellow collectors; the rapid rise of cardistry as a separate art-form largely with the help of social media and modern videography; and opportunities to use crowd-funding platforms to create a myriad of custom decks by connecting playing card designers with quality printers and with financial backers. If you enjoy playing card games, whether it is a game like Hearts or Poker, there are many wonderful websites and apps that allow you to enjoy these games with people across the world via your internet connection. Playing card games has always been a primary use of playing cards, and clearly this is still the case, even in our digital age.
For Art
Playing cards especially enjoyed a place of honour at the tables and in the parlours of the wealthy upper class so they could be used for games of skill. But the truly rich could also afford very luxurious decks that were decorated with highly ornate illustrations, and even adorned with precious metals like gold.
The usage of playing cards as works of art is closely connected to the way in which they were made. Prior to playing cards being produced by printing on paper, they were typically made by woodcuts or engraving. While the faces were usually blank, the designs of the faces were typically very ornate and varied. Medieval artists were fascinated with colourful and elaborate images, and so playing cards in many instances became their own art form. They were usually produced by card makers who were considered artists and tradesmen. Playing card artwork was considered to be a wonderful exercise of the miniature artwork. As a result, highly imaginative cards were produced, sometimes as a result of commissions.
This attention to detail and luxury continued with the production of playing cards via the printing press. While the vast majority of playing cards from then on were produced for the masses to use for card games, high end playing cards continued to be produced as works of art for the rich and famous.
These artistic influences also lie behind the trend that produced transformation cards, which are sometimes also denoted as harlequin cards. With these ingenious cards, which are still popular today, the pips have been cleverly incorporated into a larger artwork or picture. Transformation playing cards primarily have artistic merit or are intended for amusement. They were especially common throughout the 1800s, and some delightful examples of transformation decks from this period have been reproduced in quality editions today.
Slightly less lavish – but still artistic – are the playing cards that pictured the rich variety in the clothing worn by the court card figures. In the 19th century there was a period in which there was a real fascination with costumes, and this is reflected by some of the splendid playing cards produced in that era. Royals and nobles are depicted dressed in elaborate robes, tunics, or tights; dresses with collars and frills; various shoe styles; and a range of accessories including hand held fans. As such, playing cards were not only works of art in themselves, but they also have become their own record of the art and fashions of previous eras.
Today playing cards still have an important role as works of art, and it is an important reason for the success of the modern playing card industry with its many customized decks. Popular creators like Steve Minty, Jody Eklund, and Uusi, are highly respected for their artistic creations, and enthusiastic collectors who appreciate their style of art quickly snap up each and every new project they produce. Such collectors would never dream of using these decks for game play, but purchase them simply to appreciate them as miniature art galleries with 54 individual works of art. Something similar can be said of many modern cardistry decks, many of which feature designs and colours that are intentionally geared to produce an aesthetic beauty when used for card flourishing. With the growing popularity of such custom playing cards, the time-honoured tradition of appreciating playing cards as works of art is set to continue in future years.
For Education
Mankind has always wanted to make a record of the information he learns, in order to preserve it for the future, or even in order to pass it on to the next generation through instruction. So it is no surprise that already in the 1400s and 1500s, there are many examples of decks of playing cards that were created specifically for the purpose of serving as teaching tools. After all, why not use this new canvas now available in the form of a playing card, to a good and noble end?
Already from an early time in the known history of the playing card, instructive playing cards were created. One of the first known examples is a deck produced in 1507 by Dr Thomas Murner, who created a customized deck of playing cards as a new method of teaching. Educational cards were only more generally accepted much later, but it was only a natural development that playing cards would be produced to record basic tenets of botany and heraldry, and to summarize the important facts of astronomy and chemistry, history and geography. A series of self-study courses on a range of subjects was even created, with attention being given to subject areas like the alphabet, arithmetic, astronomy, proverbs, natural history, music, and much more.
Here are some examples of early decks of playing cards that fit into this category:
Heraldry: Due to the importance of heraldry as a branch of education in this era, in 1655 a deck produced by M. Claude Orence Fine appeared which displayed the rules for painting heraldic devices and coats of arms. Several heraldic decks appeared in subsequent decades, some of which showed reigning families in parts of Europe. M. Daumont similarly created decks intended to teach military science, each card having different scenes that illustrated a particular military operation.
Geography: From 1665 onwards, a whole series of decks was printed in England that taught geography. For example, one deck featured different cities of foreign countries on each card. Another deck had a map of an English county, complete with chief towns, rivers, a compass, and details about the county. A deck published in 1799 by J. Wallis illustrated the geography of England and Wales, including boundaries, products, and more of each county.
History: Several decks were created which pictured famous historical personages, or renowned members of royalty from the past, as a way of educating young nobles. Decks exist from the 17th and 18th century with titles like “The Events of the Reign of Queen Anne”.
Often the imagery on these educational playing cards had a moral or instructional content. But there were also instances where the artist took the liberty to express his own political or religious views, in the form of satirical artwork that functioned as a political or social commentary, or reflected elements of the popular culture of the day. That was especially the case with playing cards depicting historical personages, and some artists were rather unkind to their subject material, and used these as opportunity for political satire or even propaganda. Many of these playing cards give us an insightful glimpse into how the past and the present were viewed by the people of the time, and so these playing cards continue to be an important resource for historians.
Today there are still creators producing playing cards with an educational element, with Jody Eklund being one of the best examples from our modern era, having produced decks on themes such as important inventors, influential businessmen, famous airmen, or railroad tycoons. In most cases these modern decks don’t have the primary purpose of being educational, however, but are collectors pieces and works of art that portray important and interesting historical information at the same time. But in the large range of modern decks that are readily available, you will find many wonderful examples of decks that depict birds, animals, cars, and much more.
About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com here.
Sealed in a handmade, travel-sized pouch, Game Night Kit adds a refreshing twist to the classic card games you know and love.
Game night is back! Are you ready to play?
Game Night Kit Founder, Christina Wilkerson.
Time Together is Magic
Playing cards have a magical way of bringing us together and prompting halcyon days of the past. During the pandemic, Game Night Kit creator, Christina Wilkerson, found comfort and connection in playing cards.
She and her kids made the most out of these unprecedented times with the help of games like Onze, Gin and Rummikub. It reminded her of vacations spent by the seaside, where her grandmother hosted some of the best game nights.
Gameplay protocol hasn’t changed much over the years. Just like her grandmother, Christina searches for complete card decks, enough score pads, sharpened pencils, and official game rules. But this was one tradition Christina couldn’t pass on. Instead, she scrapped such tedious tasks and created an all-in-one pack of game night necessities.
Each kit includes:
A standard deck of playing cards bound by a GNK rubber band and complemented with custom card back artwork by artist Michele Bell
Instructions & game history
Score pad and pencil
Zippered, handmade canvas pouch
Delicious snack and drink recipes
Christina and friends sharing an evening with Play ONze!
During the 1980s, Onze was a very popular card game in France. Onze translates to the number 11 in French. Eleven is an angel number … notice the wings on the cards? According to numerology, an angel number is a thumbs up from a guardian angel telling you that you are seen and heard.
When your hearts are at play, you can get hurt or you can win big if you shoot for the moon, but you’ll never know unless you play the game.
While Hearts was founded in America during the 1880s, it actually dates back to 18th century Spain, where it evolved from another card game called “Reverse.” In the 1990s, Hearts soared in popularity as an app on most personal computers.
Christina launched Hearts At Play on January 31st to honor her dear friend who lost a courageous battle with breast cancer. In February 2022, a portion of this kit’s sales was donated to Wig Out, an organization that helps women undergoing chemo reclaim their feminine identity, confidence and dignity with items like wigs, headscarves and hats.
First introduced in the Midwest during WWII, Spades’ attractiveness during wartime stems from its simplicity. After the war, veterans brought the game back home to the U.S. where, due to the GI Bill, it became popular on college campuses. It remains widely popular in countries where U.S. troops were stationed during the Second World War and later deployments.
Elwood Thomas Baker (reporter and cartoonist for a Brooklyn newspaper) and his son, Charles Graham Baker, (writer and producer of movies in Hollywood) invented the game of Gin Rummy in 1909 at the illustrious Knickerbocker Whist Club in NYC.
Its title is rumored to be inspired by the Baker’s go-to liquors to drink while playing cards, as well as a not-so-subtle jab at the Anti-Saloon League (an organization that lobbied for prohibition in the early 20th century). Can you picture this campaign being advertised by Don Draper and the Sterling Cooper team?
Make Game Night ~Extra~
Pair game night with show-stopping snacks or serve it on the rocks – that is the GNK way. Each kit comes with a recipe for any type of player to enjoy. There are easy-to-make apps, bubbly cocktails and even kid-focused mocktails. And, for the wonderful hostess who certainly does the mostess … GNK offers pre-made Spotify playlists to kick the party into full gear!
Game On, Play On!
Family traditions and weekend getaways often revolve around a pack of 54. Christina hopes these kits will further inspire quality time with loved ones, long-lasting friendships, and perhaps, creativity to invent a game or two of your own.
So, what are you waiting for? Snag a kit and let the games begin!
Dedicated to the sixth Major Arcana, #ShuffledInkLovers spotlights talented client creators’ custom tarot deck designs, specifically their Lovers Cards.
These artists carry on the classic Rider-Waite Tarot legacy. How? By adding to it. Read on to explore each Lovers Card through the lens of its creator.
An Embodiment of the Modern Day Woman
The Lovers card in the Moonroot Tarot deck represents love in all forms. It asks us to focus on the pure essence of love and to lead with our hearts. New relationships or opportunities in love are abundant when we choose to be vulnerable and keep both an open heart and an open mind.Alexandra Anthony, creator of the Moonroot Tarot Deck
Personalities of the Wild West
The Lovers card of the Desert Illuminations Tarot portrays the unusual relationship between outlaws Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. Love is intense, mystical, and one of the most complex emotions. To love someone is to release all fears so one can share intimacy with others in their own unique way. Love can also drive us to do unimaginable things, create art, drive our desires and dreams. The power of this feeling, energy, and emotion is beyond the self, and that is what makes it so powerful.Lindsay D. Williams, creator of Desert Illuminations Tarot
Love as it Prevails
The Lovers card as it relates to tarot, not only encompasses romantic relationships, but also important and strong friendships and familial bonds. It also speaks to open and honest communication, which is a value that I try to apply to my everyday life. The whole deck was made to depict different characters from a game that I play. In this card, we see one of the most prominent couples in the game. They fell in love rather quickly and they had a bit of a rocky start, but they are the longest-running couple in the game and a fan-favorite pairing to be sure. The characters depicted belong to my sister, so they are close to my heart.Melanie Vanderford, creator of the First Blood Tarot Deck
To Love Oneself
When the Lovers comes up in a reading, I see it as an invitation to check in with the relationship you have with yourself. I’ve found that when we are able to honor and accept ourselves fully in all of our darkness and our light, we are then able to show up and pour more love into our relationships with others. The Lovers is a card that asks us to find our own sacred balance and feelings of home within ourselves before searching for it in someone else.Alexa Villanueva, creator of The Future Ancestors Tarot Deck
Rooted in Relevance to the 21st-Century Reader
My interpretation of The Lovers card is the concept of choice in relationships; whether it’s choosing to maintain relationships in your life or leave them behind. The ability to discern what continues to support you and what is no longer serving you. I believe this card is about love in all its aspects: friendship, family, and romance. Self-love is another huge component. Through relationships we learn and grow, even when it’s messy and toxic. It can be extremely painful, but continuing to love yourself will save you, fight to be authentically you, know yourself better than anyone, and create a home with peace in your mind and body. Love takes on many forms and teaches us many lessons, but it’s up to you to choose what is best.Delilah Miske, creator of Adapt Tarot
Tarot Mythology
My deck loosely depicts the story of Persephone and her journey from maiden to queen. The Lovers represents her growing connection to the Underworld and its King, Hades, through which she starts to find her true self.Ivy Kwan, creator of Asphodelon Tarot
Looking to share insight into your tarot psyche? Our team at Shuffled Ink offers complete personalization in the palm of your hand. Let us make your custom tarot vision a reality!
