Publications: “The Playing-Card” (combined journal/newsletter, 4 times a year)
Language: Publications are mostly in English, although some articles are written in the major European languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish).
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.
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. The Chicago Playing Card Collectors, Inc. (CPCC) has merged with 52+Joker.
French Association of Collectors of Playing-Cards and Tarots
Publications: “L’As de Trèfle” (from time to time)
Language: French
Aims: Focused on French playing-cards and tarots, founded 1978s.
Activities: Meets occasionally, generally in Paris, and offers visits to great public collections. Holds an annual Trading Fair, “La Bourse d’échange de l’As de Trèfle”, generally on the last Sunday of March
Contact: Pascal Pette (President), ACCART, 16 rue Auguste-Gervais, F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux, FRANCE
Aims: Talon is the Austro-Hungarian playing-card society whose aim is to promote knowledge of cards from these countries.
Activities: Publishes “Talon”. Holds annual meeting alternating between Austria and Hungary, with a programme of illustrated talks, displays of cards, and trading
Contact: Peter Blaas, ACCART, Larchetweg 20, A-6414 Mieming, AUSTRIA
Aims: The EPCS was formed in 1984 with the purpose of bringing together collectors, researchers, Museums, archivists, libraries, manufacturers and interested persons who wish to increase their knowledge and enjoyment of English playing-cards and card games, their makers and designers.
Activities: Produces a newsletter, Sales Lists and holds postal auctions for members.
Contact:Barney Townshend (Hon. Secretary), Little Paddock, Charlton Mackrell, Somerton, Somerset TA11 7BG, England
Aims: For members to choose to collect singles, combinations, themes, in fact whatever they like to for their own collections, the club encourages members to enjoy the hobby they have embraced, in whatever direction they so choose, and have fun. The club was formed in 1980 by Jill Sommers and Lois Stebbing. President: Loretta Jacobe, Vice President Jeanne Rackstraw.
Activities: We hold 8–10 meetings a year and 4 Card Fairs, which are well advertised and are open to the public. We have many thousands of single cards for sale in a wide price range with new cards available at each meeting.
Contact: APCCS, P.O. Box 76, Elsternwick 3185, AUSTRALIA
promotes the collection of playing cards and associated articles as a hobby.
promotes social contact between members for the greater enjoyment of their hobby.
engages in other activities designed to stimulate and maintain interest in the history and hobby of collecting playing cardsAims: Founded in 1971, it was originally formed as a chapter of the Chicago playing card club. This society
Activities: General meetings on the first weekend of each month (except January) on alternating Saturdays and Sundays. All general meetings are open to the public. Please check our website for further details.
Contact: Hilary Oates – President Melbourne Playing card Collectors Inc
Publications: “Kontaktblad Museum van de Speelkaart” (quarterly)
Language: Dutch (occasionally in French)
Aims: Its main interest is the playing-cards and manufacturers from Turnhout and the Low Countries. It publishes information for collectors and others and promotes the museum at Turnhout.
Activities: Annual convention, publications, sponsoring of the museum at Turnhout and its activities (exhibitions, etc.)..
Contact: Nationaal Museum van de Speelkaart, Druivenstraat 18, B-2300 Turnhout, BELGIUM
Tel: +32-(0)14-41-56-21
E-mail:
Cartophilia Helvetica
Publications: “Bulletin” (quarterly)
Language: French, German, some Italian
Aims: Acts as focus for researchers and collectors of Swiss cards.
Activities: Publishes bulletin. Holds annual meeting, usually with an exhibition or museum visit as a focus, holds talks on Swiss themes.
Aims: The purpose of Spilkammeret is to collect, preserve, register and document divinatory systems, particularly tarot and cartomantic decks of the 20th century and related literature. The owner’s attitude to the phenomenon is positive, critical, historical, psychological and artistic.
Activities: During the years 1989-96 a magazine, “Manteia” with articles on mantic themes and reviews of most new tarot- and cartomancy decks and books, was published. All issues are still available, as well as various catalogues and a bibliography. Ask for a leaflet.
Contact: SPILKAMMERET, K. Frank Jensen, Sankt Hansgade 20, DK-4000 Roskilde, DENMARK
Aims: The Club of Playing-Card Collectors has been working in the Czech Republic since 2011. The Club was not founded only to find a common place to trade collector pieces but it has many other ambitions. One of which is to raise awareness about the art of card making and playing cards as a form of graphic art, which is still evolving. Although the art is extinct it has a 500-year tradition.
Activities: It has many projects and publications on its account. The Club tries to save card games and maintains a database of Czech cards since the time they were first created to the present. Meetings of playing-card collectors and exchange of collector material, organizing various presentations and cultural events with the aim to promote playing cards as an interesting graphical art and cultural witness of its era, last but not least to track rare cards in the collections of the members – these are several examples of the activities, that brought the reputation Society has today. Besides discussions that happen during regular meetings, the Society organized several exhibitions, often accompanied by catalogues, and it has presented the card collecting hobby in various magazines, online, on radio and television. Highlight of the Club’s work is the Yearbook published for its members since 2012.
Contact: CLUB SBĚRATELŮ HRACÍCH KARET o.s., Pod Kavalírkou 304/44, 150 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic
Aims: The Russian Playing Card Society (RPCS) since 2015 joins collectors of playing cards in Russia and abroad.
Activities: Based solely on good intentions, the main purpose of the Society is the Union of all Collectors of playing cards in Russia and abroad, assistance to collectors in the collection and provision of necessary information on this theme. We invite everyone to join our community, we also invite you to mutually beneficial cooperation.
Contact:
Tel:
E-mail:
Chartophilia Sueciae, The Swedish Playing Card Society (Svenska spelkortssallskapet)
Publications: “Kartofilen” (“Kortleiken” by the Norwegian Society for playing-card collectors is included, three issues a year)
Language: Swedish (a summary in English is enclosed to foreign subscribers)
Aims: Chartophilia Sueciae wants to spread knowledge about chartophily, the activity of collecting playing-cards and studying the history connected to playing-cards and card-playing. The society further wants to encourage the collecting of playing-cards and to be a forum for Swedish collectors of playing-cards.
Activities: Publishes “Kartofilen” and a membership roster, holds meetings in autumn and spring.
Contact: Ali Jerremalm (Hon. Secretary), Brahusv 7, S-507 70 GÅNGHESTER, SWEDEN
