Eames Giant House Of Cards, Eames Giant Cards

Quick Intro

What is the Eames ‘Giant House of Cards’?

Literally a larger version of the famous ‘House of Cards’, the ‘Giant House of Cards’ featured larger cards but in less quantity. Produced to be stronger than the original and smaller ‘House of Cards’, this version was constructed from 8-ply cardboard.

Standing at seven by eleven inches there were only twenty included in the box but their size meant larger environments could be created.

The Eames Giant Cards, much like the smaller variant, used a combination of drawings and photographs with the inclusion of historical engravings. The back of the cards featured squares of brilliant color on a white background.

Much like the original version, these cards were manufactured by Tigrett Enterprises and were in production from 1953 until they ceased in 1961 when the company went out of business.

Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg later produced their own variant after being granted the licence for the ‘House of Cards’ and 'Giant House Of Cards' to be sold within Europe, and was slightly smaller than the US version.

Packs of original Eames Giant House Of Cards are getting more and more difficult to find, especially in excellent condition. They are becoming more and more collectible and as such, more and more valuable.

Marketplace

Go to Marketplace

Specification

What are the original sizes of the Eames ‘Giant House of Cards’?

	Cards	Box
Height	11" (8.90 cm)	12" (30.48
Width	7" (6.35 cm)	8.75" (22.23 cm)
Depth	0.01" (0.03 cm)	2" (5.08 cm)

Otto Maier produced a version in Europe which measured 4 ½ by 6, 7/8 inches. The Giant House Of Cards was made with 8-ply cardboard and cellophane.

Generations

Giant House Of Cards - First Edition Box (Black Side) 1953

First Edition Giant House Of Cards

The original and vintage first edition of Giant House Of Cards, released in 1953.

The box side will indicate the manufacturer as Tigrett Enterprises

One main side of the box is Black and the other side of the box is White

There should be printed instructions included in the set

1960 European First Version of Giant House Of Cards by Otto Maier

Second Edition Giant House Of Cards (1st European Edition)

The second generation of Giant House of Cards was that released for Europe by German company Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg in 1960

The sizes of the cards were actually a little smaller than those produced for the US version.

This edition contained 20 cards, same as the US original

This rarely found first version is difficult to find

3rd Edition Giant House Of Cards released since 2006 by Eames Office

Third Edition Giant House Of Cards (2nd European Edition)

The third generation of Giant House of Cards was that released for Europe by German company Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg in 1967

The sizes of the cards were actually a little smaller than those produced for the US version.

This edition actually contained 32 cards as opposed to 20 in the original.

The plastic re-enforced box is much sturdier than the original Tigrett US edition and are generally found in much better condition.

Later 4th Edition Eames Office Giant House Of Cards

Fourth Edition Giant House Of Cards

The Fourth edition of the Giant House Of Cards was released in 2006 and is still in production today.

The box design is the same as the original but you can note the manufacturer by the bottom corner on the side, where the star and Eames Office replaces the original Tigrett Enterprises text.

The box and cards are more durable than the original version.

Buying Tips and Authenticity

All original boxes should be marked with the manufacturer - Tigrett Enterprises, Otto Maier for European version or Eames Office for re-issue.
The value is greatly affected by the packaging as a whole. The better the outside box the higher the value.
Check the sides of the packaging for tears, scuffs or rips
Check that all 20 (32 in Otto Maier version) cards are present in the box and check each one for rips or tears through previous use.
The first Tigrett version has a very high collectible value with the Otto Maier version relatively smaller value and the later Eames Office re-issue a nominal value.