Hello Kitty
“Hello Kitty” playing cards published by Sanrio, manufactured in China, 2013.
“Hello Kitty” is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, created by Yuko Shimizu and launched in 1974. The character is currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi. By clever marketing the brand has achieved worldwide success. By 2008 there were over 50,000 different “Hello Kitty” branded products in more than 60 countries. By 2014, when Hello Kitty was 40 years old, she was worth about $7 billion a year, all without any advertising Wikipedia→
Above: “Hello Kitty” playing cards published by Sanrio, manufactured in China, 2013. Images courtesy Matt Probert.
Hello Kitty has spawned a multibillion-dollar industry since Sanrio introduced it in 1974, adorning everything from pencil cases and pyjamas to double-decker buses and airliners more →
By Matt Probert
Member since March 02, 2012
I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.
Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.
Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.
I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.
Related Articles
Kids Fun Box playing cards
Colourful cards for children with four non-standard suits connected with the natural world.
ViVa Bourg
A distinctive deck of cards for a specific promotion.
Sumo Wrestling
Traditional Japanese Sumo Wrestling playing cards with photograph of different wrestler on each card...
Dancing
“Dancing” playing cards manufactured by Nintendo for Torii Dance School, Osaka.
Tactics Design
Late modernist Japanese playing cards designed by Masayoshi Nakajo for Tactics Design.
Dragon Quest
Card game based on the Japanese video game series with character illustrations by Akira Toriyama
Morinaga Hakuho playing cards
Artistic playing cards attributed to Morinaga Hakuho and printed by Nintendo, c.1985.
Shin-Tōmei Expressway Opening Commemoration
Promotional playing cards for the Shin-Tōmei Expressway, a major Japanese expressway that opened in ...
Hana-Trump トランプ
Hana-Trump cards from Japan are Hana-Fuda flower cards with miniature international playing cards in...
Mahjong-Trump playing cards
Mahjong tiles integrated with international playing cards.
Danao Tiāngōng Puke
Children’s playing cards based on the 1961 Chinese animated feature film 大闹天宫 (Havoc in Heaven).
Japanese Beauties
An elegant fusion of Western and Japanese traditions modelled after ukiyo-e.
Sunday Night / Nichiyoubi no Yoru
An irreverent, avant-garde deck unofficially titled "Nichiyoubi no Yoru" (Sunday Night), designed by...
Angel 52 Secrets
Vintage “52 Secret” art deco-inspired playing cards from Japan.
Banjo Cards
Images of the peg heads from 4-string banjos from Akira Tsumura’s renowned collection.
Batman® playing cards
Batman playing cards published by InterCol of London 1989.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
