Help with a Japanese Issue

[rdwyer]

Never done Japanese. Clueless. What is it? What is it worth? Thanks for the help.

[baseball tourist]

Menko (めんこ, 面子), also known as Bettan or Patchin, is a Japanese card game played by two or more players. It is also the name of the type of cards used to play this game. Each player uses Menko cards made from thick paper or cardboard, printed on one or both sides with images from anime, manga, and other works. A player's card is placed on the hardwood or concrete floor and the other player throws down his card, trying to flip the other player's card with a gust of wind or by striking his card against the other card. If he succeeds, he takes both cards. The player who takes all the cards, or the one with the most cards at the game's end, wins the game.[1][2]

[Cozumeleno]

Originally Posted by rdwyer

Never done Japanese. Clueless. What is it? What is it worth? Thanks for the help.

Value is hard to say. I'm sure there are some rarer, valuable ones out there but the commons aren't usually too expensive. Some 1930s ones were just listed on eBay recently at $15-$20 and drew no bids. I bought one at $15.

[rdwyer]

Thanks for the help!

[nat]

The last two symbols mean "pitcher". I'm not sure what the hiragana (those first four symbols) are supposed to mean. Google says that "kui kui" means "a stubborn", but "A stubborn pitcher" doesn't really compute.


Anyhow, if you're interested we've got a thread on Japanese cards (including menko) over on the post-war side.

[rdwyer]

Thanks Nat

[commishbob]

I'm looking at Gary Engel's guidebook and don't see anything that resembles it at first glance. What does the reverse look like?