National Playing Card Collection Day
Share photos of your playing card collection online, get a game going with friends, or start your very own collection of portable, mutli-use mini-works of art.
Celebrate niche card collectors and enthusiasts by showcasing rare decks, limited editions, and the artistry behind playing cards to drive engagement and sales in the collector community.
- Share your rarest deck: user-generated content campaign featuring collector spotlights
- The art of cards: behind-the-scenes content on card design, printing, and historical significance
- Start your collection: beginner's guide to playing card collecting with curated product recommendations
- Portfolio52 partnership: co-branded content celebrating the online database and community
The day was first observed in 2016, coinciding with the launch of Portfolio52, a significant online playing card database.
Alex Chin, a prominent figure in the playing card community, spearheaded the initiative. He sought to merge the celebration of playing card collecting with supporting Portfolio52.
The day encourages collectors to share their unique playing card collections with the public, showcasing the intricate art and historical value these cards hold. Playing cards, dating back to the 1200s, are considered one of the older forms of movable art.
Collectors put significant effort into gathering these pieces, creating personal galleries that reflect various moments in history and artistry.
Alex Chin played a crucial role in establishing National Playing Card Collection Day as an official event. He aimed to popularize card collecting beyond the niche community and shift the perception of playing cards from mere gaming tools to valuable art mediums.
To celebrate, special limited edition decks are released annually, with proceeds supporting Portfolio52. These decks are collectibles and serve as a fundraiser for the database, making them a win-win for collectors and the platform.
Over the years, the celebration featured unique deck designs by Chin, such as the “pluck tuck” package of the 2017 edition and an Escher-illusion-themed deck in 2018, both of which received acclaim for their innovative design and contribution to the playing card community.