Introduction to collecting Playing Cards.

Swap cards are mostly from a deck of normal playing cards. Collectors take one of each design or pattern from the deck for their collection. Usually there are a pair, but sometimes there may be four decks in a box, with different colours or pictures in each deck. Sometimes there is no 'pair' for a card, if just one pack was produced by the manufacturer, using the same pattern for the entire deck of cards. (Swap cards were also produced by Coles and Woolworths in the 1950's. These are now rare, and highly valued among collectors.)

A matching pair of cards can be the same design with variations in colour, or different pictures with the same kind of border to show they are a pair. There may even be four varieties of the one pattern in different colours. The subjects on the front of cards are endless. Some collectors only save a certain topic, such as animals, or just one kind of animal. Old fashioned or vintage-style pictures such as crinoline ladies and Old Masters paintings are popular. Other collectors specialise in Jokers or Aces.

In 1956, Coles Stores produced four separate sets of cards to commemorate the Olympic Games in Melbourne. There are 28 cards in each set, with flags of the competing nations, flora, fauna, industry, and sporting events pictured on them.

Sunday 31 March 2013

What category would you like to see?

So.....below I've just posted an update on my cats cards, and all the horse cards I've got.
I've just flipped through my albums and am wondering if I will ever get all my cards on here?  Perhaps a blog wasn't such a good idea - they do have limits, and I'm a bit surprised that I haven't well and truly exceeded them over the 10 years I've been blogging!  But this blog might be the proverbial straw....

I have many more vintage (well, all my cards are vintage!) cards that come under the category of 'People',  including royalty, artists/paintings, dancers, Asian, and so on.  If I still do have anyone reading this, you might like to leave a comment saying which categories you would like to see.  I've just about 'done' the animals, but there is also ships and boats, flowers, places, objects....take your pick!  It would make it a lot easier for me to focus if I knew what readers wanted to see.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

the old fashion ladies and the siloetts ones are the best .i do have all sorts off cards

Anonymous said...

you have great cards

Gina E. said...

Hi Anonymous, I like the old fashioned ladies too! I am going to post photos of the Coles cards first, but after that I'll concentrate on the ladies (and gents).