52 Plus Joker

Friday, September 03, 2010

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Announcements

New Orleans Convention

We are looking forward to our first convention in New Orleans and the organizing committee has found an excellent hotel, at a great rate and in a terrific location to enjoy New Orlean's many attractions. Clicking this link will take you to a Microsite especially developed for our attendees. It is loaded with information that will help make your stay more memorable. We hope to see many of you there.

Clear the Decks

The September issue of CTD will be mailed about August 15th as it will include a registration form for the New Orleans convention.

Roster Update

The Roster as at January 17, 2010 is posted as a pdf file in the member section and can be downloaded as a pdf file or viewed on the site.

Welcome To 52 Plus Joker

Originally formed to cater to the interests of collectors of American antique playing card decks, 52 Plus Joker has long since broadened the scope of the club to include the collecting of playing cards and related items of all sorts, and from around the world! Our recently revised Mission Statement is as follows:

52 Plus Joker was formed to facilitate:

The collection and trading of antique and collectible playing cards and related items,
The advancement of knowledge about the history, manufacture and artistic aspect of playing cards,
The promotion of fellowship among members with similar interests

Benefits of membership are many [see box lower down on page] and the cost is very low for a well-established collectors' club.

A Letter from our Director of Publicity

Hello playing card enthusiasts

My name is Lee Asher. I'm a sleight of hand artist. I'm especially known amongst magicians for my card handling -- playing cards are my passion.

Last October, I was lucky enough to attend the 52 Plus Joker / International Playing Card Society joint convention, held in Toronto, Canada. Did you know, the internet had a major role in me even knowing about this convention?

The event was simply amazing to this 33 year old playing card collector. I really enjoyed meeting Tom and Judy Dawson, Wally Mach, Dawn and Jim Faller, Harry Wastrack, and many others. All offered their gracious help, making me feel truly welcome.

The one thing Judy kept asking was, "Lee, are there more of you?"

While I'm one-of-a-kind Mrs. Dawson, there are a plethora of young collectors out there who have no idea about an actual society that promulgates their hobby. Until this past October, I was part of that uninformed group.

As the newly appointed head of publicity for 52 Plus Joker, I promise to use the tools of today, to teach the youth of tomorrow why the playing cards of yesterday are worth collecting.

Just like in the Magic industry, leaving 'quality breadcrumbs' for future generations is one of the best ways to make others care. It's my job, as an ambassador of the playing card collecting culture, to build digital bridges to anyone who cares enough to look.

Truth be told, I've already started.

Cheers,

Lee Asher

Benefits of Membership

Membership provides a wide variety of benefits, including our annual convention, auctions and our quarterly magazine, Clear The Decks. The club is always looking for new members and welcomes them whether they be experienced collectors or newcomers to the world of playing card collecting! Specific benefits include:

Clear The Decks - a quarterly publication with articles, new discoveries, and general information about playing cards and related material.
Auctions of collectible, unusual and rare decks throughout the year.
Membership roster showing names, addresses, telephone numbers and interests of our members.
Interactive 'members only' area of our website.
National conventions held annually.
Regional meetings held throughout the USA.
Low-Cost advertising in Clear The Decks.
Appraisals by experts at no cost.
Research, advice and direction.

If you are interested in joining 52 Plus Joker, click the Join the Club link in the top right corner. Annual membership dues are now only US $25/45/60 for 1/2/3 years in the USA & Canada and US $35/65/90 for 1/2/3 years for all other countries. If you prefer, clicking the link below will take you to a pdf file of our Application Form which can be downloaded, printed, completed and mailed to our Secretary Treasurer.

Application Form

For additional information and a free copy of the Club quarterly bulletin, contact Clarence Peterson at: denverpete@comcast.net