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One prominent collector, Stuart Kaplan, suggests following the auctions held by 52 Plus Joker ( www.52plusjoker.org ), “very serious collectors” who deal in the “absolutely authentic.” Another group, the Chicago Playing Card Collectors ( www.cpccinc.org ), specializes in single cards but also sells some full decks.

No serious collector of antique and vintage cards from the United States can do without The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards . Its more than 300 pages classify and illustrate hundreds of different decks, and cognoscenti use Hochman catalogue numbers as shorthand when referring to them. A softbound version costs $45 plus shipping, and a companion price guide is available for $15 more ( www.usgamesinc.com ).