Look! Brand new Greenie! Still sealed!

Long time before they started putting them on decks, though, weren't it?

Oh - I'm just looking at the address at the moment ! No bar code on the book in question !

We can't really tell much from Cerulean's list except the publication year since no print numbers are given. The print numbers are the key to the whole thing. I would bet that the LWB(1985) and book(1984) she listed are not first printings. I have the same Hanson Roberts booklet published 1985, first printing and the address is New York which is what I'd expect. The whole system is a little tricky at first, but it's actually very scientific and I've made tons of accurate predictions using it.

Good point. But - scientific is only as good as the people who administer it though. ISBNs are dead scientific but a catastrophic error in database entry two years ago means my SO's first poetry collection (which has a perfectly valid one) never made it on to amazon or any other major distributor.... Human error has strange (and BLOODY ANNOYING) results.

First Edition Visconti booklet Copyright 1975 By Stuart Kaplan is New York 10016.

The box printed in gold and the three red-on-gray printed cards and the paper instructions with 1-10 numerals printed on them show this is a first edition, copyright 1975 by Stuart Kaplan.

The address of U.S. Games Systems, Inc. is 468 Park Avenue South New York, N.Y. 10016. But that doesn't help you date your 1980's decks--I may have more information Saturday....still, perhaps the New York address is useful for dating your 70's decks.

I am afraid I do not have a first edition 1980's deck by U.S. Games that I know of right now. I will check a Swiss-printed IJJ Swiss, but I think that also has a 1970's printing. I think the Ukiyoe Tarot is copyright 1982, but don't have a first edition yet.

The postman today left an orange circular card that might be my Weiser Thoth, this also had an address listing by the bookseller that the zip code was 10016---which makes me suspect it is a Weiser-U.S. Games deck. I'll let you guys know if it clears up the mystery and if it's a light blue or greenie.

Best,

Cerulean

Abrac said:

Cerulean, if your Tarot Unveiled book is a first printing that would indeed be a great clue. The publication date alone doesn't really help for this purpose. The reprint number is the key. I also have a Hanson Roberts LWB that's copyrighted 1985, but it's a first printing and the address is New York. I also have Vol.1 of Kaplan's Encyclopedia published 1978. If it was a first printing the address would indeed be New York but it's an eighth printing 2001 so the address is Stamford, CT.


I was thinking over Lillie's phone book idea and got the idea to look up the Stamford, CT Chamber of Commerce on the Web. US Games doesn't seem to be registered but they had some contact links so I shot off an email to ask if they might know anything. Hopefully I'll hear back with good news.

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Why not just write or call to US Games and ask them in what years they were at what addresses?

I did call them many moons ago. The person who answered referred me to Kaplan. I sent him an e-mail but I never got a reply. It might be worth another try, he may have just been too busy at the time, or I may not have communicated my question very effectively. Today I sent an e-mail to the Stamford, CT public library. If they have phone directories on hand and don't mind checking them it could be solved very easily.

I also did some digging into public records that are available online and found one from the Stamford archives showing a deed transfer of the property to US Games in 1991, but there's also one for 1995 to US Games and another one to someone else in 1998. US Games may just be renting now. The records only went back to 1991 though so there could be something else before that, it's hard to say.

There are also records with the CT State Attorney General's office showing US Games' incorporation records. They don't make a lot of sense to me though. From my limited understanding it looks like the earliest date might be around 1993.

The website is here: http://www.concord-sots.ct.gov. I was just there and it looks like they're down for maintenance till tomorrow morning.

Debra said:

Why not just write or call to US Games and ask them in what years they were at what addresses?

Click to expand...

Many have tried - I did that too - wrote - about 10 years ago, as I recall - partly as I was thinking of dropping by again. No response of any kind !

Lillie said:

And do you know what, this is the deck I have been looking for!
This is the deck that sits in my mind and my memory.
This is the deck that I had and used for a decade and then destroyed.


I can stop looking now.

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This is Wonderful news!! I'm such a newb and don't get the whole "greenie" thing, but I'm pleased for you!!

Évil' white card.

Hey Lillie, taken the cellophane off? Did Raiders of the Lost Ark type spirit/demons swirl arounfd the room? No presence of evil?

That blank white card - here's what its for;

Write "Queen of the World" along the bottom and stick your picture on it.
Thats what I did with mine. Ummm ... King of the World that is.