Cards (Arcade) | Beatles memorabilia

Were the images on regular bubble gum cards too small to really take in the dreamy Beatles? Did you have to squint through your black cat eyeglasses? Then grab The Beatles on arcade cards to see the lads in greater focus!

The 1964 arcade cards were available individually or in sets of five and were printed on various thick, heavy cardstocks, measuring 3⅜" x 5⅜". The postcard-sized jewels were printed in black and white (no color) and featured each Beatle's biography on the back. The card images feature group photos and individual snapshots of the Beatles.

These cards appeared in amusement park and arcade machines (you dropped a coin into an Exhibit card vendor machine) and at tourist locations (maybe even alongside movie star cards).

The best part was studying, analyzing, and memorizing the lads' profiles! The flip side of one card read: "Left to Right: Paul (The Bouncy Beatle) McCartney; Ringo (The Quiet Beatle) Starr; George (Just a Beatle-Beatle) Harrison; and John (The Sexy Beatle) Lennon. Never before in the musical history of England has there been such a mania over a group of singers such as The Beatles. Another read: "The 'Beatlemania' of the Beatles took this country by storm as well as the other countries they had visited."

John's card read: "NICKNAME: "The Sexy Beatle." BIRTHDAY: Born October 9, 1940, in Liverpool. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Rhythm guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5'11" tall with brown eyes and brown hair. EDUCATION: Attended Liverpool High School and Liverpool College of Art. GENERAL INFORMATION: John plays the drums, piano, guitar, and banjo. Since he organized the group and gave it its name, he was adopted as their leader. John is the only Beatles member who's married and has a small son. Also, included in his many musical talents is composing."

Paul's card read: "NICKNAME: "The Bouncy Beatle." BIRTHDAY: Born June 18, 1942. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Bass guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5' 11" tall with hazel eyes and dark brown hair. EDUCATION: received a diploma in art. GENERAL INFORMATION: Paul writes all of the music for the group and has written over 100 tunes since the group started. He is fond of art and enjoys go-karting. His home then is Allerton, a suburban area of Liverpool."

George's card read: "NICKNAME: "Just a Beatle-Beatle." BIRTHDAY: Born February 25, 1943, in Liverpool. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Lead guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 6' tall with brown eyes and brown hair. EDUCATION: He left school to become an apprentice electrician, but as he had said, "I had to stop trying to be an electrician because I kept blowing everything up." GENERAL INFORMATION: Being interested in song-writing, he had once written a tune which the group had liked and used for a short time. Also, he enjoys parties as well as a moment of relaxation."

Ringo's card read: "NICKNAME: "The Quiet Beatle." BIRTHDAY: Born July 7, 1940. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Drums. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5' 8" tall with blue eyes and brown hair. GENERAL INFORMATION: Ringo is considered as the quiet one of the group. His name, Ringo was given to him due to his passion for wearing many rings at one time. Since he enjoys working with his hands, he has always loved basketwork and pottery."

Note that they left off Ringo's 'EDUCATION' information. The cards also read, "Printed in the U.S.A." on the back.

Reproductions of these cards usually lack the printed information on the back. Collectors may also find the photos on reproduction copies fuzzy, grainy, and less detailed. Because of age, the originals usually have a yellow tint, and the replicas can still be blank on the flip side.

Exhibit Card Company of Chicago, Illinois, manufactured these cards. They featured a wide variety of celebrities, including football and baseball stars, movie stars, wrestlers, pinup girls, and others. Vendors mainly sold them at carnivals, circuses, amusement parks, fairs, seaside arcades, and stores. 

"I remembered seeing these as a kid," Jeff Augsburger said. "The circus rolled into town and had a flatbed truck that had all of these coin-operated machines, gumball-machine style with big cranks, on the flatbed. You could step up on the platform and buy cards from these machines. I think they cost a penny or a nickel."

J. (John) Frank Meyer (owner) started his card business in 1901 and had a plant at 4222 W. Lake Street in Chicago, but over time the lure of the cards began to wane. As George Vrechek wrote in the Sports Collector Digest, "The cards changed to suit the times, but eventually time ran out for the arcade card vending machines." The Beatles cards were one of the company's last lines from 1921-66.

Exhibit Card Company (Chicago, Illinois)

The Exhibit Card Company was located at 4222 W. Lake Street in Chicago

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