Cards Anyone? Duff Tweed's Poker Players - Wood Carved Figures

This was a pleasant surprise  .  .  .

Yes, another wonderful Ebay find!  Luckily for me the item and seller were located in Southern California, so this wood carving was not damaged in shipping.  I picked it up less than an hour after paying for it. 

One of the aspects I appreciate about collecting Duff Tweed wood carvings is meeting and getting to know the people selling and collecting these obscure items.  I say obscure because very few people are aware of Duff Tweed or his carvings, today.  We're a pretty select group of people who happen to love this man's work. 

I watched two of  Duff Tweed's carvings sell on Ebay this year and I still regret having not aggressively bid on them.  Both can be found in this blog under previous posts.  One was "Sue the Bastards" and the other was "The Low Bidder", so I am thrilled to share this latest Duff Tweed acquisition with you.  I love how 3D they appear.  They look much better and larger in person.

I picked this one up from Ed in Anaheim, California.  A cool, nice guy and a real guy!  We're calling it "Poker Players" since it is not titled, but is signed by Duff with his signature "Pasadena" written below. I had read about this carved set of three card players in a Disneyana forum and had written to the owner.  When I purchased it this week, we figured out that Ed was the same person to whom I had written. 

Ed shared with me that he received several questions on the piece and that each Duff Tweed collector believed it to be a one-of-a-kind.  The only real issues with the piece are some water staining to the linen and some poker chips appear to be missing.  The carvings are in perfect condition.  Each time I purchase one of Duff's wood carved figures, I am amazed at how well they hold up over time. 

Below I have taken close-up pictures so you can see and appreciate the expression on each carved figure's face.

Well that's the show for today folks . . .  Have a wonderful remainder of July 2010 and hopefully I'll have something new to share in August!  Be happy, healthy and safe!
All the best!
-Joe