When Playing Cards Were Marketed to Gamblers, Magicians, and the General Store
Britannic Auctions sold this 1893 Ohio Calendar produced by the United States Playing Card Company for $950 in May 2023. Issued by the Russell & Morgan factories of Cincinnati, Ohio, the calendar is an great example of nineteenth-century advertising ephemera connected to the early history of playing cards.
Paper items like this were often meant to be used and discarded, which helps explain why surviving examples can be difficult to find more than a century later.
For collectors of playing cards, gambling history, and magic, pieces like this offer a look at how card manufacturers marketed their products during the late nineteenth century.
The Early Years of the United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company traces its roots to Russell, Morgan & Co., founded in Cincinnati in 1867. Over time, the company grew into one of the most influential playing card manufacturers in the world.
Many familiar names in playing cards—including Bicycle, Bee, and Tally-Ho—would eventually become part of the company's history.
For card men, magicians, and gambling enthusiasts, the history of playing cards often begins with the companies that manufactured them.
More Than a Calendar
Advertising calendars like this served as both decoration and marketing. Merchants displayed them in shops, where customers could view the latest products and card designs available for sale.
This example illustrates various playing card backs and advertisements for decks including the No. 89 "Treasury" and No. 505 "Extra Army and Navy" Steamboat cards.
Some areas of the calendar also show evidence of hand illumination, adding another layer of interest for collectors of nineteenth-century paper ephemera.
Why Collectors Love Playing Card Ephemera
Playing cards occupy a unique place in collecting. The same deck may interest historians, gamblers, magicians, cardists, and advertising collectors alike.
For magicians, playing cards have long been the preferred tools of close-up performers. For gambling historians, they document the culture of card games, saloons, and professional play. For collectors of ephemera, they offer a window into nineteenth-century printing and advertising.
Collectors often look for:
- Strong graphics and visual appeal
- Early playing card manufacturers
- Advertising content and card back designs
- Provenance and originality
- Condition and completeness
As with most paper collectibles, condition can have a significant effect on value.
Auction Records and Market Insights
This 1893 Ohio Calendar sold for $950 at Britannic Auctions in 2023 despite condition issues. Similar material has realized a wide range of prices over the years:
- 1890 Russell & Morgan / United States Playing Card Co. Advertising Calendar: Sold for $72 in 2017.
- 1883 Russell Morgan United States Playing Cards Calendar: Sold for $698 in 2013.
- Russell Morgan Calendar December 1881 United States Playing Cards: Sold for $99 in 2021.
Like many forms of ephemera, no two examples are exactly alike. Rarity, graphics, condition, and historical significance all influence collector demand.
Selling Playing Card Collectibles & Ephemera
Britannic Auctions handles antique playing cards, gambling collectibles, magic memorabilia, advertising ephemera, photographs, posters, and historically important paper collectibles. Collections assembled over decades often contain overlooked material that today's collectors actively seek.
Whether you have a single rarity or an entire collection of playing cards and gambling material, we invite you to request a free evaluation of magic collectibles or related material that may be suitable for auction.
