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Historical novelties / curiosities -=- scoring gadgets and calculators -=- Glass and ceramics -=- ashtrays and pin trays -=- cigarette lighters -=- trump indicators -=- Playing card boxes -=- drinks coasters -=- collectable playing cards -=- miscellaneous - scoring pads, clocks, trays, autographs, etc.
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Historical novelties / curiosities. Please note all
prices on this page include delivery.
I'm not sure what to make of this battered old pewter
jug. Just over 5" tall, it's marked GENUINE PEWTER
on the base. Applied decoration reads: "Winfield
Liggett Jr Contract Bridge Studio" inside a ship's
wheel with an anchor motif. The 1931 Culbertson-Lenz
match was “The Bridge Battle of the Century"
and consisted of 150 rubbers, and was held in 20 evening
sessions from December 7, 1931 to January 8, 1932.
Culbertson wagered $5000 to Lenz’s $1000 with all
moneys going to charity regardless of who won. Sidney
Lenz played the first 103 rubbers with Oswald Jacoby, who
then resigned. For the remaining 47 rubbers, Commander
Winfield Liggett Jr. took Jacoby’s place. Was this
his personal mug or did he own a studio that churned them
out? I have no idea but it must be a piece of bridge
history. £25
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Scoring gadgets and calculators |
| This is the ARGUNOT bridge scorer. You slide the grey
pointer marked 'tricks' over what you scored and read off
the result. Copyrighted 1932, so scores are different
from today's. E.g. 1 NT = 30, not 40. It has a pleasant
moulded art deco design, 4" x 7½". It's quite heavy and
metallic but looks a bit like Bakelite and bears the
trademark Harvite. £35. Ref HCHW. |
American brass pocket scorechart with silk case.
2¼" x 1¾".
Close-up of reverse shows no-trumps worth 35.
£35. Ref HHLC  |
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"Carfax" calculator. 2¾" high. Plastic - Made
in England. £15. |
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Glass and ceramics |
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Cruet set. Nice quality, seems unused. One has a
raised L on the base. My ref ohn. £10 |
| Two continental curved white glass dishes, depicting
a (naughty) Rex of Hearts and Dame of Diamonds in gold.
Each 4" x 6½". You can see a tiny
nick on the bottom left side of the D. £25 each, £40
the pair. |
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| Here is a curved white dish 3½" x 5". Some minor
nicks to right edge at back. £6 
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Two American curved smoked-glass dishes, each 5"
x 7". One shows scores (extra undertricks not
increasing in value as now), the other shows point count
values (suggests opening 3NT with 25-27). Ref. NWR. £9.50
each, £17.50 pair.
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Sascha Brastoff made decorative
accessories, ceramics, enamels on copper, and plastics of
his own design. He headed a factory, Sascha Brastoff of
California, Inc., in West Los Angeles, from 1953 until
about 1973. He died in 1993.
Here is a very rare and unusual 1965 "ACBL Fall
Nationals" Souvenir Bowl. White pottery in Free-Form
style with San Francisco Street Car scene in gold and
black. These were a custom order by the ACBL and had a
limited run. No damage, gold slightly worn in centre from
use. 8" x 6". Ref aooc.
Book price £55. My price £45
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Set of 4 old ceramic buttons about ½" x ¾". £12 |
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"Cut for Coffee" set of fine bone china cup
and saucer. I have 14 cups, approx 2½" high; 15 saucers
approx 5" diameter; 1 saucer 5¾" diam; & 5 plates 6½" diam. So grab as many
as you like at £7.50 each. These are marked "not
dishwasher safe" - presumably because of the gold
trim. |
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Brandy bottle. Not sure whether it's ceramic or white
glass. This one is approx 4" tall, and the plastic
top has a crack. £4 I also have one 8" high with
no top - makes a good vase - @ £7
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Ashtrays and pin trays |
| Set of four white glass ashtrays with hand-painted
rose design. £35 |
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Set of four perfect Wedgwood ashtrays - never used.
About 5" long. My ref hohc. £39 |
| Royal Worcester pin dish with box. Just under 3½" diameter. £6 |
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Set of 4 heavy onxy ashtrays. 4 to 5½" in length. My ref cnw.
£14 |
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Limoges Porcelain Ashtray. The item has gold
trim, a blue border, and a Queen of Hearts design in the
centre. approx. 2" wide x 3¼" deep. Backstamp reads
SA Porcelaine LIMOGES France. My ref ann. £5 |
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5½" ashtray with ace of
spades, or queen or jack of hearts. New, boxed, unused.
£8 each. |
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| Here is a set of 4 silver ashtrays. The
diamond is 4" long. Each hallmarked in
Birmingham 1972. Some small dents. £39 |
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Spode fine bone china joker ashtray 4½" diam. New in Spode box
(marked where sticker removed). My ref fcs. £9 or £8
without the box.¼ |
| Spode fine bone china boxed trinket dishes approx 4"
wide. £9 each. |
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Cigarette lighters |
| Brand new gas cigarette lighters £5 each. The
decoration is just a transfer so wears off quickly with
use. Lighter operates by sliding front over like a card
to reveal card behind. I also have a Jack of spades with
a small scratch through his hair @ £2.50. |
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| Bottle-shaped cigarette lighter about 2.6" long.
4 aces printed round base which pulls off for use. No
flint. Made by KEM. £25. Ref HSLC. |
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Trump Indicators |
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(Left) Wooden barrel
pencil holder. Well-made of
probably fruitwood, it is complete with 4
original (used) pencils. Set with brass pointer
each side, it revolves on its base. About 4"
high. £39 (Right) Trump indicator on pencil
Small (just
1" across) trump indicator which is mounted
on the end of a pencil (which has never been
sharpened) so that you can keep your score. The
celluloid wheel turns to show the trumps through
a small window - all four trumps and "no
trumps". Nice floral design. Ref aox.
£33
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(left) Heart-shaped
trump indicator
Standing
nearly 4" high this chrome-plated trump
indicator is missing at least one celluloid tab (no
spade) but looks nice. My ref hcx. £20(right) Silver plated
wishbone trump indicator.
This trump
indicator is silver plated (nearly all worn off)
and is in the shape of a wishbone. It is heavily
made and stands on a round base which measures 1½" across. Bottom
marked 'EPNS Made in England'. The piece stands
nearly 3" high. My ref asx £25
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(left)
Die trump indicator. Just a simple plastic 1"
die for personal use. Suit symbols on 4 sides,
others as shown. £10 (right) Little brass globe.
I think this little chap is for whist as it doesn't
have a 'NOTRUMP' option. Copper on brass base (I
think), 3¾" high.
£16
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(left) faux
tortoiseshell open-top card holder
for 2 decks with indicator hands to show suit and
level. Somewhat faded now. £22. (right). Old
wooden whist trump indicator. Made in 2 pieces -
suits simply slot into top. Ref cos. £19
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(left) Log post trump
indicator. A varnished natural log with a hole
drilled in the top to make it into a spill or
match holder. Standing 3" tall this trump
indicator has the tabs for all four trumps and
"no trumps" showing to both sides and
hanging from a post. My ref lfx. £39
(right) Modern brass barrel.
2-sided. 2¼" high. Shows
level of contract as well as denomination.
£9
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This charming 1930's
trump indicator features a bird that swivels on a wooden
base. The bird consists of two coquilla nuts with
long plastic 'beak and tail'. The beak points to the four
suits + 'no' on the wooden base. It measures about 3"
high and is in good condition. My ref ax. £29
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Plastic trump indicator just over 3" wide with
three wheels to alter the Points, Games and Trumps 'windows'.
Points & games go up to 9. There is not a notrumps
option. Produced for 'Red Star' and 'Viper' Binder Twine
company. The other side shows the face of a bullog whose
eyes & mouth change, as the wheels are turned, from
docile to savage. The indicator is in very good condition
but has a small piece missing from the bottom corner. My
ref hosh. £22 |
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These "bid" pencils were made by Eberhard
Farber and are designed with a sliding metal trump
indicator on each. Each is 4 inches long and they
were never used. They are in their original box,
and date to the 1940s or 50s. My ref nwa. £18 |
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Vintage celluloid trump indicator with the four suits
and no trump with a floral design on one side only. The
base measures just over 1 3/8" in diameter by just
over 2" high and is in good condition. My ref hcx.
£19 |
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Wooden card box
A wooden trump
indicator in the form of a card box with a sliding top to
allow a pack of cards to be stored. The trumps and "no
trumps" are inset into the lid with celluloid discs.
There is a pointer to indicate the trump. Seems to be
carved from solid wood and unused. Measures 5" by 3".
Ref lsx.
£39 |
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Card boxes |
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New wooden card box to hold 2 packs. Made in Poland.
Two available £9 each. |
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Very nice old box for single pack. Wooden carcass
with hand-hammered pewter cover decorated with a heart on
one side and a club on the other. Lift-off lid. £19 |
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c. 1930 Art Deco Byrrh tin in the shape of a book.
Holds 1 pack. My ref lnf. £9 |
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Brand new silver-plated gift
set. A sumptuous velour lined presentation case coming
complete with two full sets of playing cards and score
pad in a gift box. My ref rnc. £10 |
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Box covered in mother-of-pearl. Hand made in India. 4¾" x 6¼" x 1" high. Holds
2 packs. The club is silver but doesn't look it in my
scan. The piece of mother-of-pearl just above the left 'leaf'
has a small hole. Click the pic to see a larger image. £10 |
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Box made of attractively-figured wood. Decoration on
front consisting of crossed lines (I thonk they're
painted, not inlaid). Covered in deep polish. There is a
natural crack in one side panel. Click a pic to see a
larger image. £10 |
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Wooden box, similar to above but with a decoration of
suit symbols, which seem to have been painted beneath the
varnish. Slight wear marks, but somebody has drilled 2
small holes into the base, which don't actually affect it.
£8 |
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An attractive box viewed from the front, with
decoration of flowers and suit symbols. It is plywood
construction, and has a sliding Bakelite cover for the
box which holds 2 packs - there are ribbons for removal.
Seems largely unused as there is very little wear, but
aging is evident from some rust to the tops of nails used
in construction. £19. |
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Box 9" x 5½" X 1½". Lid has decoration of
joker with suit symbols & dice. Outlines are
impressed, resembling poker-work. Inside are compartments
for 3 packs, pencils, & dice. New, but with a tiny
chip out of base (does not show in use). My ref ffn. £9 |
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Fairly old oak box holds 2 pack. Top a little faded
& spotted. Secured by a catch which has broken but
just saves you having to press it to open. £9 |
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Modern (new) oriental box. Ply construction, stained
dark with red design all around. £6 |
Coasters |
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A set of six circular coasters denoting playing cards.
The set, produced by John Waddington Ltd., is in
excellent condition within its original box (although
the box itself has some staining and a small tear).
The mats are c. 10 cms in diameter and have green
circular borders and gold rims; all have good cork
bottoms. The playing cards depicted are: Ace of Spades,
King of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, the Joker, Jack of
Clubs and Nine of Diamonds. A leaflet is included which
details the meaning of the cards depicted. My ref flc. £8 |
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I have
been told they are made from bandalasta, Beatl, Bakelite,
or they could even be anodised aluminium. There are 4
separate pieces which all sit together on the stand with
feet. Each mat has a suit symbol and the joker is on the
piece with feet. Approx 9 cm in diameter and in really
good condition with no chips or cracks, but show slight
signs of wear - mostly a few white marks. My ref cwo. £10 |
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6 metal coasters, 1950s? 5 are in very good condition,
the sixth has some wear to the top. They are in the shape
of a flower with playing cards and suit symbols on them.
They measure 3 inches across. The underside is deep red.
My ref als. £5 |
Advertising playing cards |
Mostly from the 70s and 80s. They are all
unused, but a few have had one joker removed (for my collection).
Some of the foreign advertisers have foreign symbols on their
cards eg R for K!
Packs marked 'skat' are for a German game, and don't have 52
cards (2-5 often missing), but they tend to be decorative.
Don't ask the prices - they are £2.50 for single packs, £5 for
doubles. Post free.
Damart |
Damart (pic Bowling Green Mills, W Yorks) |
Eaton (USA truck axles co double pack) |
Hellenic Mythology (no jokers) |
Moulin Neuf/Matran (skat) |
Schlumberger double pack |
Shanklin Old Village IOW |
Wella shampoo |
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Miscellaneous |
| 4 Pewter place-setting holders. 1¾" high. Base reads: Fine
Pewter 1999. Great for a bridge party. £25 |
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Gold brocade holder for Auction Bridge Pad. The pad
has instructions for play on inside of cover, one sheet
filled in, remainder are blank and have New Count scoring
table. The cover is tape-reinforced. Holder
is very decorative, trimmed with decorative edging,
measures 10" x 5 1/4". Probably home made.
The finish has rubbed along the "spine"as
it has seen some use, otherwise very good condition, with
only minimal wear. Original pencil Made in Bavaria, 1715
Faber, yellow, white & black, 5¼" long. Ref fos. £7 |
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| 4 enamelled
charms with 'playing card suit' theme. Pack contains 1
red heart, 1 red diamond, 1 black spade and 1 black club.
Each easures approx 15mm. £3.50 |
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| Goren's Bridge for Two game. Consists of two plastic
card holders, cards, instructions & score pad. The
box is a little kncked-about, but the game seems unused (the
cards are not plastic coated so don't handle well and
they are slim to fit the holders). My ref chf. £9 |
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| Chas H Goren's Rolomatic Bridge Machine set II for
experienced players ©
1969. Play solo bridge. It is a plastic box with windows
that show the hands which are printed on a paper roll (starts
at hand number 41). Turning the knobs advances the play
card by card. No instructions (you don't really need any)
or commentary booklet (deal 41 is so simple I can't
imagine what commentary you need), box lid split down
sides. My ref chs. £9 |
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| The Goren Point Count Bidding Wheel (red) in sleeve.
With Goren's newest changes. Move the pointer to your
partner's opening bid, & it tells you what to respond.
£5 |
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| A used double pack of Goren Bridgepoint playing cards.
In case you're too thick to remember, it has the point-count
printed beneath the indices. With a sheet of hints etc. |
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| This was sold to me as a holder for playing cards.
The decoration on the lids is an ashtray with smoking
cigarettes and fans of playing cards. It was made by
Golden Age Black & Gold Giftware and according to
their brochure (right) is really a cigarette box. It
actually holds 2 packs of cards nicely, but I'm not sure
it would hold today's king-size cigs. It's mint condition
in its original (damaged) box with brochure which says
the hard-lacquered gold finish should not be cleaned with
abrasives. Overall length 7". £9 |
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| White metal propelling pencil. No lead, I'm not 100%
sure if it can be refilled (the one I tried wasn't large
enough diameter to be gripped). My ref ohc. £12 |
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Decorate any room in your home or office with my10
inch wall clock. Black plastic case. Made for me in the
USA. Requires 1 AA battery (included). I can personalise
it with your or your club's name. Contact me to
arrange. £12. |
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(left) Art Nouveau style glass cake
plate with playing card decoration -7½" diameter has metal rim
with bun feet and metal handles -good order -the glass is
NOT scratched -the card motifs are very good. My ref ahhn.
£29 (right) 4 nice EPNS coffee spoons topped
with plastic suit symbols. Each 3½" long, I think they're
1930s. My ref hccs. £24
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| Here are two erasers from the 70s, I understand.
Unused. The Queen of spades is 1" wide, £3. The
suits nearly 2" wide, the 4 individual suit shapes
can be pushed out. £5. |
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| This was sold to me by an antique dealer as an
unmarked silver (possibly plated) match holder. Looks
more like chrome plated to me. 2" deep. Same pub
scene of card players each side. £20. |
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| Set of 8 Bridge table cover pins. In original
box, they're basically drawing pins with added
plastic top (I've reduced the size in the scan).
Great if you want to stick pins in your table.
There is a patch on the box where a price sticker
has been removed. £7.50 |
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Left - Metal enamel brooch of a king. Pin clasp with
swivel safety catch. Ref ann. £6 Right - Ace of Hearts
pendant. 1" tall. There is a mark on the back of the
link (which is spring-loaded), but I can't read it (I
think it says 925 - which would be sterling silver). £9
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Here is a playing card signed by Henry Winkler (a.k.a.
The Fonz) for Jays Black
Dragons Judo Club in Dagenham. They auctioned it to raise
funds. £5. |
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(Left) 1½" high pink plastic
pencil sharpener marked FOREIGN. I think it's from the
1950s but not sure. My ref fsc. £7 (Right) Beermat for
Captain Morgan rum. £1.
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Metal tray 13½"
diameter with cartoons by Joe Carpenter. Scoring table in
centre (undertricks not as now). Small scratches on
reverse. Ref hnha. £29. |
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Attractive 1930's bakelite(?) scoring pad or tally
holder in the form of a chinaman. The back of his 'coat'
lifts up to reveal a score pad with the usual columns for
We/They and sections for Points & Honors (spelling
indicates US provenance). The word 'Bridge' is
engraved on the cover and a little pencil on a string
attaches to the pad; the pencil holder is just starting a
slight crack. Pencil is in good condition and not
much used; there are about six pages of the score pad
left and a little pencil writing on the cardboard backing
of the pad. The back is plain. From the tip of his
pointed hat to the soles of his shoes this item is about
7 inches high, and the score pad itself is 3½ inches high. This item is in
good condition for its age. My ref fcl. £9
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(left) Unusual novelty bottle opener in the form of a
playing card - the Ace of Spades. Dating from the 1950s
it has a stainless steel front and hardwood back. It is
stamped 'Stainless steel' and 'Foreign'. Opener is in
good working order - some tarnish to steel which has been
wirebrushed, and measures 2½
inches by 1½ by 3/10ths deep. My ref cns.
£9 |
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(left) Set of sandwich cutters to brighten up your
next party. Box is a bit tatty. My ref ffn. £9 (right)
4 horse brasses, approx 4"+ height. Collected
separately, so not 100% matching (shape of loop at top
etc). Makes a nice display. My ref hann. £19
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This little fellow is just marked "Foreign".
2¾" tall £4
