Known Hoi Polloi editions (seeking information)

DustyWhite

Hey guys,

I am finishing up a post for the history project on the HPT and while I thought I had all of the decks covered I found this thread (which is blisteringly funny IMHO and represents some of the best of the AT forums) http://www.tarotforum.net/library/15/2004-12/hoi-polloi-how-many-different-editions-20041220.shtml

This made me think . . .

There has to be one or more editions that are hard to find evidence of.

From everything I have gathered the deck was drawn in 1971 or 1972 (probably by Jason Peterson—more on that in a moment) and copyrighted in 1972 by Hoi Polloi, Inc. of NY, NY. The box came in a brown "treasure chest" box. I am calling this (most likely first) edition the "treasure chest" edition.

Next we have at least two printings in the long purple box, one with the fakey parchment paper oversized LWB an one with the full color oversized LWB that looks more professionally printed. More details on these are found on the AT forums and also I have compiled a sizable list of facts for the waitesmith.org project, but for the moment my focus is two things:

1) A square box I found in an eBay listing that sold. No real information is available about this (sadly), and . . .

2) Someone here said they had a "1981 edition." It appears halfway down the thread I posted above. Well, that would be a game-changer.

So, my question is whether anyone has an HPT in a square box or anything with a date post 1973. This deck proved fairly popular due to the several print runs and slight alterations of marketing and packaging. I am just looking to present the most accurate information possible for future generations.

Thanks in advance for any help on this :)
 

MistyCheckers

My Hoi Polloi:

Rectangular purple box (1973)
Parchment LWB (1972)
Cards (1972)

So no help here, sorry ��
 

DustyWhite

(new discovery) 1981 Hoi Polloi

Thanks Misty!

It turns out I found a "copyright 1981" HP tarot LWB with some cards (cards dated 1972 - sadly no box) on eBay by "Paragon-Reiss."

I wonder if this is the year of the square box (1981 edition). Still looking around. It annoys me that there are these holes in history :-(
 

G6

Reiss Games Inc

Reiss and Associates of New York marketed or published 2 editions for the Hoi Polloi company deck in 1972 and 1973. The 1st edition has a brown box that says The Tarot and the 2nd edition is a smaller purple box that says The Tarot and includes pictures of some cards.
 

G6

Thanks Misty!

It turns out I found a "copyright 1981" HP tarot LWB with some cards (cards dated 1972 - sadly no box) on eBay by "Paragon-Reiss."

I wonder if this is the year of the square box (1981 edition). Still looking around. It annoys me that there are these holes in history :-(

I think sometimes they print future copyright dates?
 

MistyCheckers

You might want to check out the alchemywebsite.com database. They have a 1983 Paragon-Reiss tarot that looks like the Hoi Polloi. You could perhaps send a question to the database administrator?
 

Lisa Myobun

Hey guys,

I am finishing up a post for the history project on the HPT and while I thought I had all of the decks covered I found this thread (which is blisteringly funny IMHO and represents some of the best of the AT forums) http://www.tarotforum.net/library/15/2004-12/hoi-polloi-how-many-different-editions-20041220.shtml

This made me think . . .

There has to be one or more editions that are hard to find evidence of.

From everything I have gathered the deck was drawn in 1971 or 1972 (probably by Jason Peterson—more on that in a moment) and copyrighted in 1972 by Hoi Polloi, Inc. of NY, NY. The box came in a brown "treasure chest" box. I am calling this (most likely first) edition the "treasure chest" edition.

Next we have at least two printings in the long purple box, one with the fakey parchment paper oversized LWB an one with the full color oversized LWB that looks more professionally printed. More details on these are found on the AT forums and also I have compiled a sizable list of facts for the waitesmith.org project, but for the moment my focus is two things:

1) A square box I found in an eBay listing that sold. No real information is available about this (sadly), and . . .

2) Someone here said they had a "1981 edition." It appears halfway down the thread I posted above. Well, that would be a game-changer.

So, my question is whether anyone has an HPT in a square box or anything with a date post 1973. This deck proved fairly popular due to the several print runs and slight alterations of marketing and packaging. I am just looking to present the most accurate information possible for future generations.

Thanks in advance for any help on this :)

Hello DustyWhite! I'm wondering whether you've gotten any further on this project? I have a posting about a box-less edition I recently snagged on eBay: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=274436

To me it looks as if this was never released with one of those larger boxes, either the treasure chest or the pink Reiss Games. I'm wondering if anyone has any info about it...

Thanks!
- Lisa
 

DustyWhite

Hello DustyWhite! I'm wondering whether you've gotten any further on this project? I have a posting about a box-less edition I recently snagged on eBay: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=274436

To me it looks as if this was never released with one of those larger boxes, either the treasure chest or the pink Reiss Games. I'm wondering if anyone has any info about it...

Thanks!
- Lisa

Hi Lisa :)

Thanks for asking.

The deck you have images of seems to be a one of a kind (yaay!)

So, until they start popping up on eBay their box will remain a mystery BUT it is almost certainly the same size as the deck, box, and extra (blank) card.

* * * * * * * *
I just snapped pics of what we have here to help ascertain the most-likely scenario. My research of HP and Reiss has turned up limited findings but what I know has been posted over at waitesmith.org, except for the newest deck I got a month ago (the square box I have been looking for).

So, the decks were published in 1972 and reprinted for it looks like ten years.

The first was the brown "treasure box" where they claimed trademark of the phrase "The Tarot." As they used the term TM and not (R) this is a dubious claim that was most likely not filed with the US Government.

What followed were reprints of the deck in the long purple rectangular boxes with their first LWB (well Large Parchment Book, or LPB) and then a smaller glossy LWB. The latter of these has an outer box that whose colors are a bit muted.

I am guessing here, but only based on a solid understanding of how card companies work, and in fact how business works:

The post 1973 decks were sold in square boxes with a square LWB on cheaper paper and in grayscale. I believe that your deck came after this, but as it is the first one recorded (to my knowledge) it os unique.

At first HP made the decks and Reiss distributed them. Then Reiss made the cards. Later it seems the company that made your deck printed and sold the cards. This may be a matter of companies being bought and sold or the company changing names (an expensive practice and one almost always used only when there are no other options since it kills the brand name and implied credibility of longevity.

I don't think I can post pics directly so I need to upload them and link to them here. I will save this and add the links when I have the images below. Anyway, I hope this helps :)

Okay, here they are all together in Dropbox. If you can't click on each of them please let me know:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7gxiz2tlq581yqx/AAASAtZFWa1Z_bDuDTMQnhqha?dl=0

.
 

DustyWhite

Lisa, can I use those images over at Waitesmith.org?

Lisa, as you have great pics of the only HP deck LWB of your kind, can I add that to our collective knowledge over at www.waitesmith.org? I would like to add your pics to flesh out the information and invite others to come forwards with any information they may have.

Thanks either way :)

Dusty
 

Belinda2

key backs

I had this deck years ago ( it was my first deck). Someone is selling a first addition on EBay but the back of the cards looks different than the one that I own had keys on the back of it. maybe mine was a later addition anybody know ?