Featured Bavarian Royal Bayreuth Devil and Cards

Hi everyone! Just thought I’d share my newest obsession, something I recently discovered by chance at an antique store, and then proceeded to start my collection instantly! Curious to know if anyone else has some more info about these guys. From what I can gather, they were originally produced in the early 1900s, and then reproduced in the 40s (blue mark for the earlier pieces, green mark for the later). And they are just absolutely WILD. I was completely shocked when learning how old these pieces are, because to me it’s hard to believe they predate the 1960s with such an insane design. The best I can gather is that it’s a moral statement on gambling? Not sure exactly what else the connection between playing cards and the devil could be. There’s all kinds of pieces online, and they seem to have a cult following, pun intended, with some insane prices to match. Anyways, chime in if you know any fun facts about em!

 

You're not kidding. This auction is in progress for a more robust set and it's at $1000 USD currently (with a 27% buyer's premium):

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/99817749_an-antique-set-of-royal-bayreuth-porcelain-4-pcs

 

Royal Bayreuth did a lot of clever novelty stuff, and they did it well.

 

Those are fabulous !

 

What johnny said -- fabulous big time.

 

THOSE look Wonderful, adorable, beautiful, colorful, fun and any other adjective you want to throw at them!!!!! The site kept locking up the iPad though! SO GLAD I’m NOT in the buying phase anymore!!!!! LOVE THEM TO PIECES!!!

 

Royal Bayreuth prices are not as strong as they used to be. Keep your eye out for bargains. You'll note on eBay that asking prices for the same pieces are radically different and many pieces are on best offer. That's a sign the market is a bit unstable at the moment.

 

Absolutely! I’ve acquired all of these pieces by, frankly, kind of sending low ball offers and being surprised at it being accepted! Never understand fluctuating antique prices. I’m too new to collecting these pieces to know much about what they used to go for, but people certainly still ask a fortune for them.

 

I LOVE these. So great. I read cards. Playing Cards are also referred to as 'The Devil's Picture Book' when used as a medium for divination.