Antique PIT Card Game – Bull & Bear Edition – c.1919
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Complete Early 20th Century Parker Brothers Trading Game in Original Box
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A wonderful and increasingly hard-to-find early 20th-century complete set of the iconic trading card game PIT, issued as the sought-after Bull and Bear Edition, and presented here with its original box, full card complement, and original printed instruction sheets.
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PIT was one of the most popular and energetic social games of its time – loud, fast, chaotic, and hugely entertaining – designed to recreate the drama of the American commodities exchange. Unlike turn-based games, everyone trades at once, shouting bids and offers in a glorious whirl of excitement.
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This example dates to circa 1919, firmly within the golden age of Parker Brothers’ early card games.
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📜 A Brief History of PIT
First introduced in the early 1900s, PIT was inspired by the real-life trading floors of the Chicago and New York commodity exchanges – often referred to as “the pit.” Players trade cards representing agricultural commodities in a frantic attempt to “corner the market.”
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The game became an instant success, particularly at Edwardian and early 20th-century social gatherings, and was marketed as:
“The jolliest game ever invented for an informal good time”
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This Bull and Bear Edition adds an extra theatrical twist, introducing the symbolic forces of the market:
🐂 The Bull – opportunity, risk, and advantage
🐻 The Bear – danger, penalty, and dramatic reversal
These special cards increase the tension and strategy, reflecting real financial speculation long before modern stock-market games existed.
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📦 What Makes This Set Special
This is not a partial or mixed set – it is fully complete and correct, which is increasingly rare.
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✔ Complete Contents:
63 original cards in total
All seven commodity suits present:
Wheat
Corn
Oats
Barley
Rye
Hay
Flax
🐂 Bull card – present
🐻 Bear card – present
Original instruction sheets, including Bull & Bear Edition rules
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Original divided box, retaining its rich faux-leather finish and period typography
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Importantly, the cards are undamaged, which significantly enhances collectability.
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🕰️ Date & Origin
Date: Circa 1919
Maker: Parker Brothers
Publisher: Rook Card Co., Incorporated
Place: Salem, Massachusetts, USA
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The instruction sheets carry a 1919 copyright, firmly anchoring this set in the early post-WWI period.
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🎨 Condition
Cards: Excellent antique condition, no damage noted
Box: Honest age-related wear, with rubbing to edges and corners consistent with age
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Paperwork: Original, with expected toning, creasing, and wear from use
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Overall, this is a well-preserved, authentic antique game set, with all the charm and patina collectors expect.
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💡 Why We Love It
A genuine piece of early 20th-century social history
A complete Bull & Bear Edition – increasingly hard to find
Wonderful graphic design and typography
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Appeals to game collectors, Parker Brothers collectors, and finance-history enthusiasts
Perfect as a display piece or a conversation-starting collectible
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📐 Practical Details
Original period box with internal divider
Full card complement (63 cards)
Original printed rules included
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A rare opportunity to acquire a complete, early Bull & Bear Edition of PIT, exactly as it would have been enjoyed over a century ago – noisy, competitive, and utterly charming.