Cartoon stick figure in a top hat riding a bicycle and pointing to the back design of a Squeezer Trip playing card — representing a blog post about the Squeezer Trip playing card configuration mark trademark registration.

Trademark: Squeezer Trip Playing Card

First Used: 1877

First Registered: 1906

Current Owner: THE UNITED STATES PLAYING CARD COMPANY (CARTAMUNDI GROUP) [1]

Trademark Type: non-traditional trademark; trade dress; configuration mark

Primarily Associated With: playing cards [2]

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:

The Squeezer Trip Playing Card is both an important part of trademark history and an important part of playing card history. On the trademark side, the Squeezer Trip Playing Card configuration mark is one of the oldest, still active configuration mark registrations in the US. On the playing card side of things, the Squeezer Trip Playing Card was designed and released to commemorate a pivotal 1877 agreement between two titans of the American playing card industry: the New York Consolidated Card Company and the A. Dougherty Company.

The New York Consolidated Card Company, founded in the mid-19th century, was known for its technical innovations. Most notably, the company introduced "Squeezer" cards, a revolutionary change in playing cards that made gameplay faster and more intuitive by including corner indices on each card (instead of a lone center image), making it easier for players to hold and read their hands.

The A. Dougherty Company, established in 1848, was equally influential and widely respected for its high-quality printing and creative designs, including the “Triplicate” or “Trip” cards, which featured both central artwork and miniature pips in the corners. These two companies were fierce competitors, each pushing the boundaries of card design, but in 1877, they struck an unusual truce.

Rather than continue undercutting each other in the marketplace, the companies agreed to divide up sales territories, with each sticking to its own “turf” in a gentleman’s agreement to avoid direct competition. This arrangement was immortalized in the Squeezer Trip Playing Card configuration mark, which features two bulldogs (“Squeezer” and “Trip”) chained to their respective doghouses. The symbolism is obvious and deliberate: the dogs are facing each other with both going after the same bone, suggesting tension, but their chains prevent any actual clash. It's a visual metaphor for mutual restraint and a wink at the behind-the-scenes deal that allowed both companies to thrive.

Eventually, New York Consolidated and A. Dougherty merged into a single entity which was later acquired by the United States Playing Card Company, the dominant force in American card manufacturing. Today, the United States Playing Card Company is the owner of several timeless and historically significant trademark registrations, including the Bicycle® Playing Card configuration mark (one of the earliest, still active US trade dress and configuration mark registrations!).

Interested in learning more about other unique playing card trademarks? Did you know that long before video games Nintendo thrived as a playing card manufacturer? Check out our post on the Nintendo brand for more information!