So, I posted a week ago about two nice purchases I made in December. The first was an NCV chip from the Alhambra Casino in Aruba with an unknown color. The second arrived today.

Around 2006, I saw a playing card deck from the King International Casino in Aruba for the first time. At that time, I bought decks of cards from Aruba Casinos for $3-5. I don't think I ever paid more. I also generally bought decks without any other bidder, but from time to time faced one other bidder. When the King International deck came up, there were two other bidders and the deck went for $12, more than I was willing to pay. Another will come along, I thought. Well, another did, sold by someone who went by the name SandsLV. His deck was in rough shape and had no jokers and he listed it for $96. I contacted him a few times, explaining that the most expensive deck I ever saw was $12 and all others sold for $5 or less. He responded, but was not impressed. And, he kept resisting the deck, over and over. For awhile, he changed the price to $69, but then put it back at $96. Every few years, I would write him, but he would not budge. The deck is still listed and it's now all the way down to $40. Of course, the international banking crisis happened and brought the values of all Caribbean casino collectibles crashing, so it might as well still be $96. In the meantime, I won an auction for 4 of the same deck (minus 1 Ace of Spades), in perfect condition, with jokers (but no boxes) for...$12. Those decks were red, with rectangular windows around the Casino logos. I have also managed to get a blue deck for $4. Both have the same code on the Ace of Spades, a blue B, meaning they were made in 1976. The Casino was open from 1972 to 1985, so that makes perfect sense.

Sometime in 2007, I also saw an auction for a red King International deck with oval windows. The logo was solid. I forgot to bid and lost it. I think the deck went for $8. In December, I found a buy it now auction for two decks, one red and one blue of the deck with oval windows. I jumped on it and they just arrived. And guess what? These are sealed.

Sealed decks are more valuable, so I will not be opening them. Unfortunately, that means I can't see the Ace of Spades. So I can't date them. And, I can't put a card in my binder where I can look at them. Oh, well. I got not one, but two decks I have been looking for for 14 years.

Yes, December was very nice to me.

Michael Siskin