Hee Trading Co
Ooi Yan Hee trading as Hee Trading Co., 4 & 6 Medan Mak Mandin, Taman Sukaria, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang, 13400, Malaysia, manufactures board games (Monopoly, Millionaire, Billionaire), jig-saw puzzles, chess sets, games compendiums as well as card games such as ‘Happy Families’, ‘Old Maid’, ‘Donkey’ and ‘Snap’. They are also listed in Malayan Business directories under "Wood Processing Equipment Suppliers" and under "Wood, Bamboo, Rattan & Straw Product". These cards have also been used in Singapore for about 50 years and have become naturalised there.
“Happy Family”
There are 9 families, the families surnames are: Stone, Tack, Dauber, Bun, Bone, Weeder, Plod, Fillet and Dose. We can see that Dickie Dose is studying to become a Doctor, like his father, whilst Daisy Dose is giving her teddy bear an injection.
Above: Happy Families designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, 1984. The family names are in the correct tradition where the first names of the family members commence with the same letter as the surnames, e.g. Freddy Fillet, Wendy Weeder, etc. Images kindly supplied by Anthony Lee.
“Old Maid”
Above: “Old Maid” children's card game designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, 1984. There are 18 subjects, 17 pairs of cartoon cards and a pair of old maids. (I presume that the user is to throw out one of the old maids). The card titles and images appear to have been inspired by Old Maid, no. 5862 published by Tower Press in the late 1950s. Images kindly supplied by Anthony Lee.
“Donkey”
Above: “Donkey” children's card game designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, 1984. The game is exactly the same as old maid, save how the loser is insulted. The structure of the deck is exactly as in old maid, save the whimsical scenes are replaced by more bucolic ones. There are 2 donkeys in the deck. I think the maker expected the player to throw one out before play. Images kindly supplied by Anthony Lee.
“Snap”
Above: “Snap” children's card game designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, 1984. 36 cards, 9 characters repeated 4 times. The images appear to have been inspired by Old Maid, no. 5732 published by Tower Press in the 1950s. Images kindly supplied by Anthony Lee.
