Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em ... and when to call Sal


This dandy Tucked Away Inside specimen comes courtesy of Wendyvee of Roadside Wonders. It's a standard playing card, the 2 of spades.1 The vintage design on the front (shown at right) features the only colors that I believe were available for interior decorating during the 1970s. (Imagine your grandmother's plush rugs, wallpaper, tabletop tchotchkes and matching bathroom soaps.)

Written on the card in pencil is:

Call Sal
BReenan 44-1


The second part might be an old-style telephone number, though it seems like there should be at least one more digit.

Here's the background from Wendyvee, penned on lovely lavender notepaper:
Chris—
Found this in an old library copy of "The Great American Road Trip" by Peter Genovese. This copy is from 1999. I would imagine that this card pre-dates the book by several decades based on the style of artwork and what I assume is an old telephone #. Are we supposed to call Sal as in Salvatore ... or Sal as in Sally? (Although I think most people spell that "Sall.")
Or maybe it was Sally "The Salmon" Salvatore, and you only called if you needed someone with a very particular set of skills.

Footnote
1. According to The Cards of Life, "Whether in work or friendship, the Two of Spades has a unique ability to harmonize and balance relationships." Latin Cards adds: "The two of spades evokes hesitation through the difficulty to choose. In cartomancy, it represents the duality of vice and virtue. It can push the consultant to feel lost, far from the path he/she deserves."

1 comment:

  1. 5-digit phone numbers were used into the '60's, particularly in rural areas.

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