The Infamous Nugget

photo courtesy of Arts of Play

If you are a card rookie, then you might not have heard about the infamous Jerry’s Nuggets. Jerry Nuggets is a discontinued card deck; however, you may buy some off of EBay for $350-500 per deck depending on if they are sealed or second hand.

A recent Ebay auction on the Jerry's Nugget

You might ask why someone would spend a cold 300 dollars on a deck of cards?

Well… Story Time!

Once upon a time, in 1964, Jerry Lodge and Jerry Stamis founded the Jerry’s Nugget Casino. Around 1970, the Jerry’s Nugget playing cards was then printed specifically for the casino. Originally manufactured by the United States Playing Card Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Jerry’s Nugget was printed on the highest quality casino grade paper. However, after the Jerry’s Nugget decks were printed, Lodge and Stamis realized the cards could easily be marked because of the white boarder around the deck (which is uncommon for casinos to use white boarder cards). The truckloads of Jerry’s Nugget then disappeared into a storage unit for many years.

Jerry's Nugget on the bottom

After years the Jerry’s Nugget decks stayed it storage, they later resurfaced in gift shops. The infamous cards only costed 50 cents per deck. Magicians throughout the 80s used it, but it wasn’t until the late 90s that it starts to gain popularity.

However, in 1999, a man name Dominique Duvivier (a magician), bought the last remaining stock of Jerry’s Nugget consisting of 40,000 decks. Since this magician bought the last remaining stock of the Jerry’s Nugget cards, they are now considered to be rare and a true treasure in the world of cardistry.  

The End!

I was fortunate enough to play with a deck a few years ago. One of my friends, was a card enthusiast, was lucky enough to purchase a deck of Jerry’s Nugget. What stood out about the Jerry’s Nugget was the stiffness of it; the stiffness makes it easier to perform tricks, which is why professional cardists prefer them. The card deck also smelled horrid (my little pug nose hated them); it was rumored that the Nuggets used a toxic chemical finish, which some people speculate that, that is why it gives them such durability. While others speculate that due to the years of the cards being stored in the storage unit caused the element of the paper to change; and some say it’s the colors use on the paper that provides the durability. However, the creators of the Jerry’s Nuggets are no longer around today, so this question will be left unknown.

Although it is a one-of-a-kind deck, it is unlikely that the original Jerry’s Nugget will be reprinted. If you happen to have some money and not know where to spend it, or if you have a time machine, Jerry’s Nugget would be a great investment!