Christmas 1980 playing cards
Festive courts on a Waddingtons pack designed to celebrate Christmas 1980.
Recognisable figures associated with the festive season feature on the courts in this pack – Father Christmas or Santa Claus on the Kings, the Good Fairy on the Queens, Jack Frost on the Jacks, and snowmen on the Jokers. A partridge in a pear tree is shown in black and white on the Ace of Spades and in colour on the backs, against either a blue or a yellow background. Waddingtons probably did not want it to be known that these cards were actually printed by A.S.S. in West Germany. They gave packs as Christmas presents to their best customers (see scan of gift card) and later sold packs into the collectors’ market.
Above: Christmas 1980 playing cards printed by A.S.S., Leinfelden, Germany, for Waddingtons Playing Card Co., Ltd, Leeds & London, UK, 1980. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 bridge score card in clear plastic box. Size: 57 x 89 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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