Antique PIT Card Game – Bull & Bear Edition – c.1919

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.