Who is behind AHPC?

UK-based A. Haines Playing Cards is a Husband & Wife team (Alex & Charlotte) living and working in the North West of England and was born out of a life-long passion for playing cards combined with an eye for timeless, beautiful design.

We believe in great quality products and friendly customer service, and have a love for tradition and elegance - boutique quality vintage playing cards are our thing! For those who know their playing card history, we are inspired by the giant manufacturers of old: the likes of Hart, Dougherty, Goodall and De La Rue - names from a golden age. Lovingly crafted, high quality products are prioritised over efficiency and mass market appeal.

How do you create your playing cards?

We design and illustrate all our own work in-house, handling every stage of the creative process ourselves - and only ever use premium quality materials for our products - and world-leading playing card printers for our cards. We never use A.I. opting to hand-illustrate almost all of the artwork you see on our decks of playing cards: from the shape of the pips to the court cards through to the backs and the tuckboxes, everything is painstakingly drawn by hand by us.

For those who are interested in seeing behind the scenes of our illustration and design process, we recommend joining our Patreon subscription platform, where members have access to work-in-progress artwork, first looks at finished projects and access to exclusive collector's decks not available anywhere else. We regularly post videos of our illustration process, bringing a deck to life from the drawing board to the games room.

Once our decks are fully illustrated and set on print templates they are sent to the best printers in the world to be manufactured to our exacting specifications, ready for sale on our store.

What is your story?

Our story began with our first deck of playing cards, Imported Playing Cards, which we self-produced and released in 2023, after almost a year of work. It was a hit with collectors and magicians alike, was award-nominated, and set the stage for many more decks of playing cards to come, including our much-loved Opsrey and Goshawk vintage playing cards, Albatross Nautical Playing Cards, and Golden Eagle Vintage Playing Cards.

What is your inspiration?

Our premium and luxury vintage playing cards are inspired by the golden era of playing card design and manufacture: the late 1800s through to the mid 20th Century, when names like Goodall & Sons and De La Rue were producing millions of decks of playing cards from their factories right here in England, an era of home-grown manufacturing that was never to be replicated. The designs themselves were fun, beautiful, timeless and classic - just as a deck of playing cards should be!

Do you take on custom commissions?

Sometimes - yes - but on a limited and case-by-case basis. If you are interested please fill out our contact form and let us know what you have in mind!

How can I buy your playing cards?

Right here! Simply browse our selection and add your favourite decks of vintage playing cards and bespoke giftware to your cart. We also have a presence on Kickstarter, where we fund new and exciting projects and engage with a wide audience of supporters across the world. For our rarest and most exclusive decks, joining our Patreon unlocks access to items not available anywhere else.

Do you attend live events?

Yes! We are regular attendees at playing card events here in the UK such as the Blackpool Magic Convention and The Card Convention in London, both as guests and as vendors. Make sure to subscribe to our email or follow us on instagram for all the latest information, and be sure to come over and say hi if you see us :)