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Altenburg-Stralsunder-Customers have all the Cards
Lets Play!
18, 20, Null, Pass! When Skat is played in Germany,
cards from Altenburg-Stralsunder are the ones most often used.
It doesnt matter if its children playing Old
Maid, professionals playing Bridge at the club, or even
underwater Skat for the Guinness Book of World Records,
Altenburg-Stralsunder is the brand of choice; equally at home
with casual pick-up games or professionals. Quality and tradition
are the hallmarks of Altenburg-Stralsunder cards.
Frequent management changes and shareholder disaffection, led
in 1996 to the bankruptcy of Altenburg-Stralsunder, AG, one of
the oldest public companies in Germany. The name and trademarks
of the firm were taken over by the firm, ITP Ton- und Bildträger
GmbH, owned by the entrepreneur Karl Blatz. With a new management
team and time-tested card-making skills, the new firm, ASS
Spielkarten Verlag GmbH, has climbed back to the top of the
field. Compared to 1998, the subsidiary of ITP has seen revenue
growth of 28.4%.
Specialty Business again handled directly
Since the beginning of 1997, Card production and management has
been handled in house with an experienced team from
a new location in Steinenbronn. Until this year, however, the
Specialty business continued to be a part of the sister firm,
Schmid Spiel + Freizeit GmbH. This changed on January 1, 1999
when this side of the business was once again taken over by ASS
Spielkarten Verlag GmbH.
The construction of a new business organization specifically concerned
with the wholesale and self-service areas has just about been
completed. Peter Müller has been in place as Key Account
Executive (Northern District) since January 1, 1999. On April
1, 1999 a second Key Account Executive with substantial card background
was named for the Southern area. Richard Halasz took over
on December 1, 1998 as Product Development and Marketing Manager
solely responsible for Altenburg-Stralsunder products. Office
Services have been strengthened by Iris Beuttler, who is
responsible for contract fulfillment. The firm, Gebr. Hohaus,
OHG serves the self-service area, while retail sales are handled
by the firm Busch GmbH & Co. KG.
CEO Volker Haselwarter expects that the activities initiated
during the last two years will result in a stronger presence in
the Specialty areas following the successful construction of the
advertising and commercial businesses. In particular, he wants
to return the familiar Heart Ace symbol to its previous
prominent position using his 12-years of experience in the toy
and game industry with the ITP Group.
An important element in fulfilling this goal is an attractive
assortment of traditional cards and a comprehensive program for
children, complemented with a new line of products for family
card games by familiar authors. The name Altenburg-Stralsunder
is synonymous for high quality. This reputation is built on clear
markings, magnificent colors of the card faces, beauty and elegance
which captivate the refined player at first glance.
Playing Cards as an excellent adversiting medium.
The advertising sector is a substantial revenue-generating
branch as never before. This is because playing cards are without
doubt one of the most interesting advertising media. Cards are
flexible, useful, environmentally friendly, and attractively priced.
They function much better as an advertising medium than other
similarly-priced alternatives. Except when used by professionals,
they are especially long lived. Quality cards will last and serve
their advertising function each time they are used, whether when
held in ones own hand or viewed in the hand of an opponent
or partner. Imagination is the only limitation to how they can
be used: both sides can be used in promotions and they can be
laid out however you wish. The Club Jack can hold a beer in his
hand and a current politician can be depicted as an historical
figure. The minimum order is 300 packs which can be printed in
one to five colors. Especially prized are specialties such as
classical card packs in leather or wood with a special advertising
message.
Traditional Art of the Card Maker.
The firm uses time-tested production methods and traditional card-making
skills. Modern machinery assures that Altenburg-Stralsunder cards
can hold their own in the competitive playing card market for
cards of similar cost. Quality packaging, careful production,
and a special card coating technology make genuine Altenburg-Stralsunder
cards particularly nice to hold and smooth in play. And hands,
moist with the excitement of play, will not be left with the color
of the trump suit on them. Durability tests have shown that players
using Altenburg-Stralsunder cards have nothing to fear.
It is estimated that approximately 100 million card packs are
produced in Germany each year. The majority are the classic Skat
packs. About 80% of card players play with three players and regularly.
Rummy and the regional games such as Tarot, Sheepshead, Pinochle,
and Doppelkopf also have their following, especially in southern
Germany. About 2/3 of the total production is in standard cards
and 1/3 is specialty cards. At the present time, Altenburg-Stralsunder
cards are primarily sold in the German-speaking areas of Europe.
Scandinavia is also a significant sales area. Expansion is being
considered especially in the southern areas of Europe where card
playing is even more common than in Germany. The Steinenbronner
Factory produces 12 million pieces per year and an expansion to
18 million is anticipated. A variety of political, social, and
economic organizations are important customers in addition to
the traditional specialty customers such as toy and department
stores. Altenburg-Stralsunder is not worried about the future
of playing cards. Card playing is forever because it facilitates
communication, friendship, and good entertainment.
The History of Altenburg-Stralsunder Playing Cards
1765 The engraver Johann Caspar Kern receives permission to
found a playing card factory in Stralsund. The first products
offered were Fine Playing for Hombre. 1832
the brothers Otto and Bernhard Bechstein found the Altenburger
Playing Card Factory under a special grant from the Saxon Duke
of Altenburg. Offerings included cards for Whist, Tarot, and childrens
cards among others. These two firms formed the pillars of the
United Altenburger and Stralsunder Playing Card Company
which was formed in 1931. The unification of these two
firms also generated a new logo, the Heart Ace which remains unchanged
since that time. After the Second World War, the firm moved its
headquarters to Mannheim and then in 1956 to Leinfelden
near Stuttgart. Numerous management changes and shareholder disaffection
followed by substantial losses drained the company so that it
was forced to sell its playing card museum to the state of Baden-Würtemberg
and the city of Leinfelden-Echterdingen. Under the name German
Playing Card Museum, it displays today the largest playing
card display in Germany. 1996 Altenburger AG declares bankruptcy.
On January 11, 1996, the name and trademarks of the firm
were taken over by the firm, ITP Ton- und Bildträger GmbH,
owned by the entrepreneur Karl Blatz. With a new management team
and time-tested card-making skills, the new firm, ASS Spielkarten
Verlag GmbH with its headquarters in Steinenbronn has secured
35 jobs. Under the leadership of Eberhard Wecker and Volker Haselwarter,
a new competitive firms has been established.