Sparx
‘Sparx’ card game, or ‘Listening In’, published by Chad Valley Games, c.1925.
‘Sparx’ or ‘Listening In’
‘Sparx’ card game, or ‘Listening In’, published by Chad Valley Games, Harborne, c.1925. The images show what would have been the very cutting edge of modern technology at that time. The object of the game is to obtain one complete set of cards representing a broadcasting station. The two special cards - ‘Oscillator’ & ‘K.D.K.A.’ - add extra interest to the game. See the complete rules here→


Above: ‘Sparx’ card game, or ‘Listening In’, published by Chad Valley Games, c.1925.
See the box→
NOTE: the stations featured in the game tie it down to between July 27th 1925 and August 20th 1927 (or shortly afterwards, due to the design/manufacturing delay). 5XX wasn't from Daventry until the former date; and 5IT Birmingham closed on the latter. Thanks to Steve Phillips.

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
View ArticlesRex'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.