Stancraft

Stancraft Playing Cards were a subsidiary of Brown & Bigelow / Hoyle and design features or plastic coating patents were shared between several brands such as “Stardust”, “Kent” or “Nu-Vue”. In the late 1960s Brown & Bigelow was acquired by Standard Packaging Corporation, which was in turn acquired by Saxon Industries in 1970. This information of often printed on the ace of spades and helps with dating.

Above: Stancraft “Split Deck”, 1979.

Above: standard patience size ‘miniature’ deck manufactured by Brown & Bigelow for Stancraft Products under the Hoyle brand (a division of Standard Packaging Corporation), c.1960s. Image courtesy Matt Probert.

Above: double Stancraft™ Bridge set featuring scientifically tinted Nu-Vue coating, St Paul, Minnesota, c.1960s. The courts are unturned. Image courtesy Matt Probert.

Above: from leaflet inside Bridge set, early 1960s. Courtesy Matt Probert.

Maverick

Above: Stancraft jumbo-index Maverick playing cards, c.1970. 52 cards + 2 jokers in box.

Above: Hoyle jumbo Maverick playing cards, after 2001.

Above: “Stardust” brand manufactured for Stancraft by Brown & Bigelow, c.1970. The Nu-Vue scientifically tinted plastic coating was reckoned to reduce eye fatigue by 35%. Images courtesy Matt Probert.

Kent

Above: double deck bridge set "By Hoyle", produced under the Kent brand by Stancraft Products "A Division of Standard Packaging Corp" according to the box, which also carries the prominent code number 3451.

Above: “Kent” brand manufactured by Brown & Bigelow, c.1970. Images courtesy Matt Probert.

Above: from leaflet inside Bridge set, early 1960s. Courtesy Matt Probert.