This came as a surprise! Yesterday, world-renowned playing card expert Tom Dawson announced that he has purchased the Discourse, the world’s largest playing card Internet forum from previous owner, Alexander Yusupov.
The inspiration for selling the Discourse recalled twenty-two year old Alexander Yusupov, original founder of the forum “Tom and Judy Dawson are THE experts,” Yusupov said. “It was time to pass the forum along to people that could take my work into unprecedented territory.”
As the author, with Judy, his wife, of the definitive work The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, as well the current president of the 52 Plus Joker Club, the preeminent North American card collecting organization, Mr. Dawson has lots to offer the large and growing roster of playing card collectors online.
The idea of hunting for vintage pasteboards has always intrigued Mr. Dawson since he began his obsession almost forty years ago. The kind of passion that drove him back then to seek out the beauty and history those decks of cards possess still leads him today to help other fellow collectors, no matter their age or experience. After updating the 52 Plus Joker’s Constitution and Mission Statement to expand the membership to include more modern custom playing card collectors and designers, Mr. Dawson saw the purchase of a sizable forum with over ten thousand members worldwide as a rare opportunity, one he couldn’t pass up.
“When the United States Playing Card Company needs their collection evaluated, they call Tom and Judy Dawson. Imagine the kind of rich history and fascinating information they are going to share with anyone interested,” said 52 Plus Joker’s Director of Publicity, Lee Asher.
Asher adds, “It looks like 2014 is going to be pretty spectacular for card enthusiasts. I can’t remember a time when everyone was so excited about playing card culture!”
According to Discourse statistics, the forum’s membership is already growing exponentially with a high rate of regular visitors and posters. With luck, and if Tom Dawson ‘plays his cards right,’ he will end up achieving his ultimate goal of inspiring a new generation of playing card aficionados.
Congratulations to Tom from all of us at here Kardify. 2014 is shaping up to be an exciting year.
