To think he was wrong to think you can't sell playing cards to a child?

[wineoclockthanks]

We're away on holiday (in UK) and forgot to bring playing cards. DS aged 10 went to a local corner shop/supermarket to buy a pack and was told he was too young?? He asked why but said the guy serving's English wasn't too good so couldn't understand him (please, please don't let this desent into an anti-forriner text)

Is this right? I have googled but can't see any reason why.

Any ideas?

did he have the pack of cards in his hand, or did he ask for a pack of cards?? Maybe the guy misheard him and thought fags instead of cards?

oh very strange. i played cards a Lot as a child

Did he pick up rude lady novelty ones?

Gambling laws? Maybe?

Is it possible the shopkeeper thought he said Scratchcards which are age restricted?

There's no age limit on buying playing cards as far as I'm aware, but I'm wondering if the misunderstanding was that the shopkeeper (mistakenly) thought they were covered by gambling laws.

We had a teacher at my school who threw a complete fit when she saw my friends and I playing cards on a school trip. We were literally just playing Rummy or Go Fish or something. But she was fully convinced that the ONLY thing you can do with playing cards is gamble?! Admittedly though she was completely mad.

Or, if they were behind a counter and your son had to ask for them, maybe he misheard and thought he was asking for something else, as a previous poster has suggested.

Snap8TheCat
Did he pick up rude lady novelty ones?

This is the first thing i thought of as well ^^
Loads of them in supermarkets/tourist shops in Spain when I was growing up and next to normal playing cards. Very easy to pick up.

we send toys and games as part of charity packages overseas and guess what...we are not allowed to include playing cards!! Its something to do with gambling laws.not sure quite what the legalities are.

I've had to buy a pack of cards especially for ds as he's never played and lots of maths questions in KS3 tests & GCSE are based around cards especially when studying probability.

Probably thought he meant scratch cards I would think

He's talking nonsense. No such UK law.

Some people detest children with a passion and delight in being objectionable. That would be my working suspicion.

That or a religious fanatic if some stripe or other.

Playing cards aren't usually kept behind the counter, are they?

DS bought playing cards on holiday in the UK when he was about 8. They are usually kept with the toys and games.

Also, it's amazing how many tourist-hating misanthropes live, work and own businesses in tourism-dependent areas.

He got them from the shelf and took them to the counter. Definitely not rude ones 😃

I went and bought a pack later but DS said it was a different man at the counter and the shop was busy at that point so I didn't ask.

We're here for a couple more days so if I find out why, I'll report back.

I recently bought a poker set in argos, I had to show ID to prove I was over 18 as the set came under gambling laws.

I don't think a pack of cards on their own do in the U.K. but they might in some countries?

Actually, I think in the dim and distant past, 1960's, when you opened a pack of cards there was an official looking sheet that I think was a Licence.

You could get married, join the Armed Forces, drink, smoke, drive - but no playing cards and no library card that wasn't sanctioned by a parent until you were 21.

Some years ago I remember someone telling me you had to be a certain age to buy playing cards, it might have been in the 80's or earlier but that is all I remember.

I think in some countries there are laws about them.

"I would still feel bad about having them in the house as an avowed atheist."

That is very odd indeed.