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Published June 23, 2014 Updated June 11, 2022

Fipps der Affe

“Fipps der Affe“ (Fipps the Ape) quartet game with cartoons by Wilhelm Busch published by Bielefelder Spielkarten GmbH, c.1960.

1960 Germany Bielefelder Busch Card Games Quartet Add to Collection

“Fipps der Affe”  c.1960

“Fipps der Affe“ (Fipps the Ape) quartet game with cartoons by Wilhelm Busch published by Bielefelder Spielkarten GmbH, c.1960. With the successful publication of Max und Moritz in 1865, Busch became synonymous with stand-alone picture stories marked by humorous caricatures and catchy verse. Fipps the Ape was one of Busch's more popular characters and the stories were first published in 1884 but have enjoyed enduring popularity ever since. Fipps was typically very restless, quickwitted and active, a bit like a naughty schoolboy who enjoys pranks. He enjoyed letting off steam and having many adventures in which power was shifted and roles reversed. Fipps, along with various other ‘funny monkey’ designs, is still popular today on t-shirts!

Above: “Fipps der Affe“ (Fipps the Ape) quartet game with cartoons by Wilhelm Busch published by Bielefelder Spielkarten GmbH, c.1960. 36 cards.

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.

His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.

Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.


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