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Published February 22, 2023 Updated February 22, 2023

Buses playing cards

Playing cards for bus lovers produced by Collectable Cards Limited & Ian Allan Publishing Ltd.

United Kingdom Allan Publishing Collectable Cards Transport Add to Collection

For afficionados of buses and Buses magazine, this pack of cards provides different high quality photographs of buses from the four major bus groups. The diamonds suit shows buses from the FirstGroup; spades show buses from the Go-Ahead Group; hearts – the Stagecoach Group, and clubs – the Arriva Group. The pack is undated, but was produced by Collectable Cards Limited in association with Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. In addition to the two jokers there are two extra cards: the first lists other packs produced by Collectable Cards, while the second provides subscription information for the magazine Buses. See the box

Buses playing cards produced by Collectable Cards Limited in association with Ian Allan Publishing Ltd Buses playing cards produced by Collectable Cards Limited in association with Ian Allan Publishing Ltd Buses playing cards produced by Collectable Cards Limited in association with Ian Allan Publishing Ltd

Above: Buses playing cards produced by Collectable Cards Limited in association with Ian Allan Publishing Ltd.

For more information on the major UK bus companies see here

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By Peter Burnett

Member since July 27, 2022

I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.

Russian Playing Cards

Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.

Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.

1 comments

Adam Wintle's Avatar'

While these "Buses Playing Cards" may appear to be an oddity, the hobby of bus and train spotting is a fascinating pastime for many transportation enthusiasts. These hobbyists have an appreciation for the engineering and design that goes into creating these vehicles, as well as a keen interest in the history of the routes and the role they have played in shaping society. In addition to being a rewarding solo activity, train and bus spotting can also be a social one, with many enthusiasts joining clubs and magazines to share their experiences and knowledge. For those who enjoy setting goals and achieving them, spotting and documenting different types of trains and buses can provide a sense of achievement similar to that of card collecting.


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