{"product_id":"vintage-congress-gardens-thomas-kinkade-playing-cards-2004","title":"Vintage 2004 Congress Gardens Thomas Kinkade Playing Cards – Bridge Size Traditional Index","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThomas Kinkade Art Meets Classic Congress Playing Cards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCongress Gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e Playing Cards bring together two distinctly American names from the early 2000s: the historic Congress playing-card brand and the luminous landscape artwork of Thomas Kinkade. Dating to the 2004 period, this vintage bridge-size deck features a richly colored garden scene on its one-way pictorial back and traditional Congress faces for a classic card-table presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Gardens back captures the floral paths, glowing light, water and peaceful landscape imagery closely associated with Kinkade's garden paintings. Rather than using an ordinary geometric pattern, Congress turned the card back into a miniature work of licensed scenic art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe deck comes from the Cincinnati\/Norwood era of The United States Playing Card Company, before card production moved across the Ohio River to Kentucky. Its narrow bridge-size format and traditional indices reflect Congress's long association with bridge and social card play, while the Thomas Kinkade artwork adds strong appeal for collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage Congress Gardens Playing Cards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLicensed Thomas Kinkade garden artwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtwork copyright 2004\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by The United States Playing Card Company\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCincinnati\/Norwood, Ohio production era\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBridge size \/ narrow format: approximately 2.25 × 3.5 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTraditional-size indices\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStandard Congress playing-card faces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne-way full-color pictorial garden back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCongress Joker artwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal Congress cello wrapped\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInformational card included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in the USA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy This Vintage Congress Deck Stands Out\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThomas Kinkade artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e A full-color garden landscape transforms the card back into a small piece of scenic art.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNamed Congress design:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gardens continues the brand's long tradition of decorative and pictorial back designs with individual names.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLate Cincinnati-era production:\u003c\/strong\u003e This deck dates from near the end of Congress's traditional mass-market period under The United States Playing Card Company in Ohio.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClassic bridge format:\u003c\/strong\u003e Narrow bridge-size cards and traditional indices preserve the elegant table presence long associated with Congress.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollector crossover:\u003c\/strong\u003e An appealing piece for Congress, USPCC and Thomas Kinkade collectors alike.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVintage Condition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an opened vintage deck dating to approximately 2004. The cards appear clean and well preserved. Please review the photographs carefully for the exact condition of the item offered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExplore More Congress Playing Cards\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover the history and current collection on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/congress\"\u003eCongress Playing Cards Brand Hub\u003c\/a\u003e, browse \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/congress-traditional-index\"\u003eCongress Traditional Index Playing Cards\u003c\/a\u003e, or explore more \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bridge\"\u003eBridge Size Playing Cards\u003c\/a\u003e. For more about the brand's history, visit our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/congress-guide\"\u003eCongress Playing Cards Collector's Guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhen were Congress Gardens Thomas Kinkade Playing Cards made?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Thomas Kinkade artwork on this deck carries a 2004 copyright, placing this Congress release in the mid-2000s period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat size are the cards?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGardens uses the traditional Congress bridge-size format, approximately 2.25 × 3.5 inches. Bridge cards are slightly narrower than standard poker-size cards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat index does the deck use?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis deck uses traditional-size indices rather than the larger jumbo indices found on many later Congress bridge decks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs the Thomas Kinkade artwork on every card?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Thomas Kinkade garden artwork appears as the pictorial card-back design. The faces use traditional Congress playing-card artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs the card back one-way or two-way?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Gardens scenic back is a one-way pictorial design, allowing the Thomas Kinkade landscape to be displayed in its natural orientation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhere was this Congress deck made?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis deck dates from The United States Playing Card Company's Cincinnati\/Norwood production era and carries the company's Cincinnati identification.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs this a current Congress deck?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. This is a vintage early-2000s Congress deck featuring licensed Thomas Kinkade artwork and is distinct from current Congress bridge-card production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan the cards still be used for bridge and other games?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Gardens is a standard bridge-size playing-card deck suitable for bridge, canasta, rummy and other games that use conventional playing cards, although collectors may prefer to preserve the vintage deck and packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"US Playing Card Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48782856159422,"sku":null,"price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/8443\/1806\/files\/CongressThomasKincadeGardensfrontincellowrap.heic?v=1787615386","url":"https:\/\/classicdecks.com\/products\/vintage-congress-gardens-thomas-kinkade-playing-cards-2004","provider":"ClassicDecks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}