There are a few quartetts with the name "Easy Rider" by different manufacturers, and this one is among the rarest ones. I have found just one reference of "Star", the card manufacturer, but this reference does not include any relevant information about the origin of this brand.
It seems to be a rare deck, and Star a very small manufacturer, or maybe a "white brand" for another larger Company. I think it is actually the second: this deck was probably made by Piatnik from Vienna, because it is almost identical to the homonimous Piatnik deck, reference 4222 from 1977. Only 8 cards are different. Earlier versions of this Piatnik deck have more differences, so my guess is that the Star quartett must be slightly newer than the Piatnik 4222.
Sorry that I cannot say anything else about this deck, if you know something about it, please don´t hesitate to leave a comment to this entry. Thanks.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Name: TECHNIK-QUARTETT - EASY RIDER (Nr. 3246)
- Year: Around 1983
- Company: Star (Probably Austria?)
There are more than 1 versions of Piatnik Easy Rider with the number 4222. You refer to the 1977 version. But there's a version every single year from ~1973-1984, each of them titled Easy Rider and each of them with the number 4222, and each of them has about 4 different cards in every release.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that this deck is 100% identical (apart from the card backs) to one of those. I have about 6 of them so I'd have to check if I got it.
Wow, many thanks.
DeleteI was aware that there are different versions for each Piatnik game, changing a few cards each time to make a different release every year or every couple of years. I was comparing my deck to others I found on the internet, because I do not have any of the original Piatnik sets.
Many thanks for your comment, I would like to hear more about which version/year is this deck based on, so I could date the Star deck more accurately.
Hey, no problem! I found the correct Piatnik game now - I own it myself luckiely. Every card front is identic - the card back is different.
DeleteIt's the 1982/1983 version. The title card design has RED/BLUE beams and the picture is card 1a) Harley Davidson. I don't know if I can link you a picture or how I can send you one. Let me know.
Hi,
DeleteCool that you spent some time checking your decks and looking for the exact date, many thanks! Do you have any catalogue that you could recommend? I have seen some in quartettblog, but being rather exclusive editions, the books are, I think, very expensive.
With the new data, I would date this deck 1985 or 1986.
Sending a link is always possible, otherwise, there is a "contact" box at the top of the page with my picture, if you click there and scroll down, you´ll also find an email address.
Why would you date it 1985 or 1986? By 1984 they already had an altered set of cards, and in 1985 it was altered again. I'd rather date it at 1983 +/- 1 year.
DeleteWell, I consider that Piatnik would not sell under a second brand decks that are identical to the latest in the catalogue, that is, they would use an old set... although I might be completely wrong about this. I will change the date to "Around 1983". Many thanks for your inputs!
DeletePiatnik sold their 'Piatnik' games in chosen toy stores and shopping centres. Back then, brands like STAR or TIGER were basically identical decks that were sold in discounters, gas stations, gift shops etc. They were cheaper versions the official Piatnik decks.
ReplyDeleteHi, yes. I wrote about this in one of my TIGER entries: http://toysfromthepast.blogspot.co.at/search/label/Tiger%20%28Cards%29
DeleteHowever, you are the first person who confirms that Star is also a discounter brand. I could find nothing pointing in this direction, but it is also my guess.
It could also be some limited release for promotional or give-away purposes, but most likely a white brand.
Hey,
ReplyDeletethere are some more Star Quartetts: Cross Country, Exotische Tiere and Formel 1 WM, all of them with Piatnik-Cards. I think, they were made for a discounter (like Tiger).
Regards Chris (quartettblog)
Hi Chris! Thanks for the comment! I forgot to add that, but yes, I have seen pictures of a couple of those you mention.
DeleteAbout the same time period and sort of related
ReplyDeletehttp://tinypic.com/r/ih5lzq/9
Looks cool! But it is more a promotional deck of french cards, not a quartett!
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