The game has 60 cards in total. Fifty-two have different amounts of money printed on them. Eight are called 'sum cards' and have a total sum printed on them. The rules are similar to Happy Families, but the object of the game is to gain seven cards which total one of the amounts on a sum card. This version uses the old pre-decimal currency system of pounds, shillings and pence. Later versions used decimal currency or a mixture of the two.
Physical description
Design: printed card; the reverse sides printed in blue and white to show the name, two biplanes and 2 mountain peaks
chromolithographs
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (published)
Date
1930s (published)
Artist/maker
Sum-It Card Games Ltd (publisher)
Materials and Techniques
Printed card
Dimensions
Height: 8.4 cm, Width: 5.4 cm, Height: 8.5 cm box, Width: 6.3 cm box, Depth: 2.7 cm box
Object history note
The rules are similar to Happy Families, however, the object of the game is to gain 7 cards which total one of the 8 `sum' cards.
The game is devised to teach calculation using the complex British monetary system of L S D which was replaced in the early 1970s by the current decimal system.
Historical context note
Rewards: n/a
Forfeits: n/a
No. of Players: any
Equipment required: 52 cards with the reverse sides edged in white; face sides various prices in old LSD money (pounds, shillings and pence)
8 similar cards with the reverse sides edged in blue - SUM CARDS
rules booklet bound in blue
card case, black and gold, with title and illustration stamped in gold on one side and a card (blue side up) pasted to the other.
Rules:
GENERAL HAPPY FAMILIES RULES
Three or more can play and special cards are normally used, each showing four members of a family, mother, father, son and daughter, However, variations have been developed to use groups of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to a set. Also subject variations occur and some are educational, for example The Counties of England.
The object of the game is for each player to collect as many complete `families' as possible.
One of the players deals out all the cards. If more than one round is played, the players take it in turn to deal. It does not matter if some players have one card more than others.
Each player looks at his cards and sorts them into families.
It is important that players keep their cards hidden from each other. With young children it is a good idea if they can lay their cards out of view of the other players.
When all the players are ready, the person to the dealer's left asks any player, by name, for a particular card (eg Master Baker). He must already possess at least one of member of the same family, ie Mrs. Baker. If the person asked has the card, he must give it to the first player, who may again ask anybody for a card of any family as long as he already has one card belonging to that family.
He continues to do this until he fails to obtain a card. If the person asked does not have the card requested, it is his turn to ask for cards.
When a player collects all the cards of the same family, he puts them into a pile face down in front of him.
Play continues until all the families have been completed
The winner is the person who collects the most families.
Descriptive line
Boxed card game, Sum-It, published in England by Sum-It Card games Ltd in the 1930s
Categories
Games; Playing cards & Tarot cards
Production Type
Mass produced
Collection code
BGM
