Playing Cards

I started a Playing Card collection also.

The deck at the top left is a 1960s Stancraft set which is a valuable collectible in that it features a Dave Boss design.  I will go into more of my Dave Boss stuff later and who he was, and why his art is highly sought.  The Gale Sayers (#40) cards are unopened and I believe are from a football board game that was put out in the 1960s.  I have seen a few of those games on Ebay, but have yet to aquire one. 

I have all 3 sets of the Ditka's Picks cards from 1993, 1994 and 1995

The Bears' Fan Convention in 1998 and 1999 handed out decks of thin playing cards with historical players and Coaches.  I have both sets, and of course, as is most of my collection of cards, NIB....new is box, usually shrink wrapped.

1963 Stancraft playing cards were released in conjunction with the opening of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 48 of the 54 cards in the deck–-all but the aces and jokers–-picture star players and coaches. Oddly, though there were 17 inductees in the Hall of Fame’s class of 1963, only 9 of the 17 appear in the Stancraft deck. Of the 48 players and coaches in the deck, 37 eventually made it into the Hall. The Stancraft playing cards were issued as a two-deck bridge set: one deck with red backs and one deck with green backs. Both decks picture the same players and coaches.

Individual cards from this rare deck can sell (ungraded) anywhere from $5.00 to $35.  The entire two deck set of of both colors is seldom available for sale but the value would be in the $300.00 range.  Most sets have been broken up and cards marketed individually.  I have all four Bear players in both red and green backs:  George Halas, Sid Luckman, Bulldog Turner and Mike Ditka.  I recently acquired PSA Gem Mint versions of three of them, as well.

 I was missing Ditka, but NOT ANY MORE!   lol

Stancraft later became famous for producing sets of playing cards using the artwork of a man by the name of Dave Boss.

Just picked up this deck.  I thought I already had it.  Hmmmm.

and another, known as the "Diamond Plate" cards

and below is an interesting set called 2008 Draft Day playing cards.  They are unique in the fact that they are transparent.

  I finally bought a set of the Super Bowl XX playing cards.  I have only seen one other set and the guy wanted $75.00, so I decided to be patient and I finally found another one.