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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => Playing Card Plethora => Topic started by: Nurul on March 27, 2014, 08:30:21 PM

Title: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Nurul on March 27, 2014, 08:30:21 PM
Not seen this on the forum yet.

Celebrating 3 years, the blue crown are releasing a prototype deck.

These are on sale $25 each. Each deck hand signed and numbered by Alex Pandrea.
333 available, limited to 12 per order.

http://thebluecrown.com/blue-crown-prototype-deck.html
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: badpete69 on March 27, 2014, 08:37:48 PM
Weird thought I had seen a post.. Picked one up when I got the email.  Looks ok
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Nurul on March 27, 2014, 08:46:16 PM
I thought I had seen it too. I searched the blue crown and saw nothing related to this.

Anyway, I'm being really tight with my funds because I went a little crazy on kickstarter projects.

I've really learnt to appreciate the quality of the deck rather than it's quantity.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Magic_Orthodoxy on March 27, 2014, 08:48:59 PM
Quote
These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage

yea... no thanks....
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on March 27, 2014, 09:03:45 PM
Less for More! $25 Pandrea Crowners

Beard, Check. Cards, Check. Anyone see Alex at any tattoo shops?

Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: MrMollusk on March 27, 2014, 09:41:48 PM
TBC admits that the quality isn't good, the design is bland, and their only plus is that they're super limited.

THIS is the problem with limited editions. I'm sure people will buy them, and I'm sure that they'll sell for a ton after the fact. It doesn't change the fact that this is an exceedingly mediocre deck.

Then again, I can understand the appeal of having a prototype deck. But when you order 333 of them, are they really "prototypes" anymore?
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: vmagic on March 27, 2014, 09:42:06 PM
Quote
These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage

yea... no thanks....

Yeah I agree, this is a pass. Is he getting desperate for money or something?
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Paul Carpenter on March 27, 2014, 09:43:03 PM
Interesting tactic on these. If printed digitally they probably came from something like makeplayingcards.com, and I can't imagine you'd ever get 333 from them as actual prototypes. If developing a design you might get 2 decks made, just to verify your layout and artwork. So these were definitely made "on purpose" explicitly to sell in this fashion.

From that perspective they are a clever idea, but it's a little disingenuous I think to label them as some prototype rarity. I could take any of my half baked ideas and have them next week to sell like this but my digital print prototypes handle so badly I'd be ashamed to have people use them.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on March 27, 2014, 09:48:36 PM
Quote
These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage

yea... no thanks....

Yeah I agree, this is a pass. Is he getting desperate for money or something?

Hell has frozen over! Did I read jose32 correctly, passing?

There's hope for you yet Victor.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on March 27, 2014, 10:40:20 PM
I think there's a bit of a disconnect here, gang.  The deck isn't being sold because it's the greatest deck since sliced cheese.  It's a rare item - how often is a prototype of anything ever offered?  There's Alex's signature - value that however you will - and there's the card where he talks about the direction the company's taken in the past three years.  It's not like a common deck of cards and shouldn't be evaluated in the same way.

And by the way, I think this is a prototype of a deck that will come out in the future...
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: DarkDerp on March 28, 2014, 03:51:27 AM
I gotta agree that marketing them as a  prototype is a little ... odd. The  price high for something admittedly meh especially when compared to the Luxury Crown which are signed, high quality and have a medal doohickey attached to them. I know the luxury are sold out, but 9.99 vs 25 is a big jump when the quality is lower. Of course Ive never owned a HOPC Crown Deck so im hardly the one to put a value on them.

For Marketing purposes  I think   pulling the signed crowns from from the Latest Cards section would be a good move.


Also marketing them as a prototype is odd but not as odd as Madisons Limited Editions, printed  solely for  his personal use, which he on a consistent basis always seems to forget  at Ellusionist. I mean they have no choice but  to give them away in promotions. Then there is the Madison Impossible bottle that was super impossible, the mostest impossible, impossible bottle  of all the other Impossible Bottles, so impossible they  crippled the maker. Or the  finishes  and paper stocks Theory always has, "super lux ultra quilted double roll maxi-soft  imported from the Prussian Empire and coated with the  new T5000 finish.   
 
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Anthony on March 28, 2014, 07:02:34 AM
Quote
The deck isn't being sold because it's the greatest deck since sliced cheese

Your right Don, it's being "Marked" to make a profit, that's it. The sad part is that he'll probably sell out anyway.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: splice42 on March 28, 2014, 07:31:12 AM
It's a rare item - how often is a prototype of anything ever offered?

How often is a so-called "prototype" manufactured in the hundreds and offered at an "exclusive limited edition" price?

This is nothing more than a money grab off a deck that's not yet up to real production standards.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Paul Carpenter on March 28, 2014, 10:58:26 AM
I think there's a bit of a disconnect here, gang.  The deck isn't being sold because it's the greatest deck since sliced cheese.  It's a rare item - how often is a prototype of anything ever offered?

The problem is that no one makes 300+ "prototypes". You simply don't. Prototypes are by definition done in exceedingly small numbers or are unique, because you don't want to waste money on a design that may not work in print. That's what prototypes are for. You do 1, refine the art, and maybe do 1 more. The designer only needs 1, because the prototype exists only for their personal benefit. I think everyone understands this intuitively and that's why it all seems odd.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on March 28, 2014, 07:57:13 PM
It could have been an effort to test the printer in mass production.  I'm just conjecturing here.

Either way, it's not really sold as a deck of cards so much as a souvenir of TBC's 3rd anniversary.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on March 28, 2014, 08:28:21 PM
I think there's a bit of a disconnect here, gang.  The deck isn't being sold because it's the greatest deck since sliced cheese.  It's a rare item - how often is a prototype of anything ever offered?

The problem is that no one makes 300+ "prototypes". You simply don't. Prototypes are by definition done in exceedingly small numbers or are unique, because you don't want to waste money on a design that may not work in print. That's what prototypes are for. You do 1, refine the art, and maybe do 1 more. The designer only needs 1, because the prototype exists only for their personal benefit. I think everyone understands this intuitively and that's why it all seems odd.

Exactly +1
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: S. Carey on March 28, 2014, 09:31:58 PM
This would have been something I would have went for if they were offering prototypes of decks they offer or previously offered. Like a mix of prototype red crowns, blue crowns, noc, vaudeville, altruism etc...I would have probably jumped on this deal if there was a chance I could get a true prototype of a deck that was actually put into production. I probably would have paid more for it too. That would be more believable than offering a prototype of something we never even saw before.

Just speculating here but they probably ordered 500 decks of this "prototype" and decided to sell 333. Obviously they want to keep some for themselves. We might see these again in other promos or giveaways.

I gotta agree with Paul as well. Who orders a couple hundred decks if they just want to check colors? Can't that be done by printing only 1 or 2 decks? Unless the company they printed with required minimums, I don't see the need for printing 333 or more for just testing the design out.   

At any rate, it is sold out right now so their tactic (sincere or twisted) worked.   
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on March 28, 2014, 10:19:00 PM
This would have been something I would have went for if they were offering prototypes of decks they offer or previously offered. Like a mix of prototype red crowns, blue crowns, noc, vaudeville, altruism etc...I would have probably jumped on this deal if there was a chance I could get a true prototype of a deck that was actually put into production. I probably would have paid more for it too. That would be more believable than offering a prototype of something we never even saw before.

Just speculating here but they probably ordered 500 decks of this "prototype" and decided to sell 333. Obviously they want to keep some for themselves. We might see these again in other promos or giveaways.

I gotta agree with Paul as well. Who orders a couple hundred decks if they just want to check colors? Can't that be done by printing only 1 or 2 decks? Unless the company they printed with required minimums, I don't see the need for printing 333 or more for just testing the design out.   

At any rate, it is sold out right now so their tactic (sincere or twisted) worked.

Knowing there are collectors that would be interested in prototype's, what's to stop a company like TBC from creating low quality versions of past USPCC releases and simply calling them a prototype. Where do we draw the line on being mislead by sales tactics? For all we know this Crown Emblem Deck is already printed by EPCC but TBC had 400 decks made by another printer, called them prototype and slapped a $25 price tag on them. When did buying playing cards start feeling like buying from a used car salesman?
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: vmagic on March 28, 2014, 10:40:59 PM
I personally just don't see the point of these, prototypes are supposed to be ultra-rare as has been mentioned, this just seems like cash grab. Print cards really cheap, slap a number and signature on it, and then sell it for maximum profits, seems to be what he's doing with these and that seems to be the general consensus around here.

Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on March 29, 2014, 12:13:01 AM
I understand that I'm trying to swim upstream here in terms of public opinion, but there are plausible - not even probable, but plausible - reasons for such a print run.

Scott - it wouldn't make more sense to use their existing decks, since those decks were printed with USPC and these are pretty certainly done by EPCC.  I don't think it was a prototype for checking colors - they may have been checking the digital printer out for a possible mass production idea.  Imagine how simple it would be to make many different custom decks if standard printing presses weren't needed, just a high-end printer running off of a desktop?

!An0n - could it be an elaborate scheme for them to make money?  Probably - most businesses are in the business of making money.  Where does the line get drawn?  It gets drawn where people stop showing interest and stop buying.  We're obviously not at that point yet, as we all can see by the sell-out.  Just the rarity alone would have been enough to make certain collectors chomp at the bit to get their hands on some.  The people here are obviously not that kind of collector - I'm not either, so yay, us!

And again, I doubt these were done with a different print company - just on a different machine, a digital printer rather than the big old offset machines used to make most decks today.  Digital printers are predominantly used for making proof sheets, just to insure that the colors and details come out as desired - and even there, it's not a perfect process and there will usually be some minor difference between the digital proof and the finished product, but the proof does provide the artist with a rough idea that's close enough to the end result in most cases.  However, finding a digital printer that could make playing cards as good as the ones from the offset machines and affordably is something that the custom deck industry's been striving toward for a number of years now.

Victor - yes, that's exactly what this is, a "money grab".  But anyone trying to sell a product or service of some kind can be seen as making a "money grab" just as easily.  People in business gotta eat, too, and more than just gub'mint cheese.  You say, "print cards really cheap" - do you know what was paid for each deck?  I said this before, it's less about he product being about playing cards than it is about the Blue Crown's anniversary, and this was Alex's way of making something to commemorate it.

As long as the money's not coming out of your pocket, why should it matter?  It's not my cup of tea, either, but I don't recall being forced to buy any.  In fact, in the past year, my buying habits have become extremely selective, to the point where I'm occasionally passing on decks I like, never mind ones I don't...  So he probably found somewhere between about 150-200 people who bought out his inventory - good for Alex.  I didn't want it, didn't buy it - good for me.  You and some others here CLEARLY didn't like it, so you (probably!) didn't buy any - good for all of you.  I'm failing to see a real problem here.  It was a limited edition item, sold to people who pay extra attention to the "limited edition" part - and considering the quantities, it didn't take many people to make it a sellout.

If this was some other item, say, a special "My Little Pony" doll made just for TBC, I'd imagine there's be few takers here.  But the bronies out there who love that sort of thing would eat it up and ask for seconds.  And the point is, "So what?"  It may not be something you'd normally find in TBC's store, but still, "So what?"  You do what you have to do, within the limits of the law, to make a living, and this netted him some of the cash needed for that.  Ain't no law against selling My Little Ponies or commemorative printings of a prototype deck.  You don't like it, don't buy it - vote with your cash, plain and simple.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: vmagic on April 01, 2014, 08:29:28 PM
It's not that we're being forced to buy any but I just don't see why anyone would try and pull something like this. You sure about the being epcc? Their quality is usually good.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 02, 2014, 04:35:47 AM
It's not that we're being forced to buy any but I just don't see why anyone would try and pull something like this. You sure about the being epcc? Their quality is usually good.

Geez - "trying to pull"?  You sounds like you personally are being ripped off.  Are you?  Did you buy any?

I'm absolutely NOT sure about the deck being printed by EPCC.  But since USPC doesn't do print runs this short, it made logical sense.  They did use EPCC for printing the Nautical Decks, but that was at the Shanghai printer who also did the Global Titans.

Alex Pandrea mentioned in the ad copy on the sale page that they weren't printed off of a press but off of a computer printer of the type used to make proof sheets - these are significantly lower in finish quality and not generally had cheap at USPC.  The last time I looked, I think a proof sheet costs $50 and a prototype deck costs $300.  Since they weren't selling anywhere near that high and I don't know any small company that can afford to toss money around like that, I consider it extremely unlikely that these were made by USPC.  The next-best candidate would be Expert, because of their past business relationship and the fact that Alex and Bill are friends.

Do me a favor - go back to the first post and read the text-laden card in the last image, the one written by Alex that talks about the company's third anniversary.  Alex explains the entire thing, start to finish, right there for all to see.  This "deck" is really just a limited-edition commemoration of the anniversary, made from a prototype design that was considered but hadn't been made until now.  It could just as easily have been an anniversary edition of a magic DVD, a commemorative deck clip, a beer stein with the company logo, a paperweight, a poker chip, a teddy bear wearing a blue crown, etc., but he chose to use the iconic Blue Crown logo on a simple deck of cards, representative of the 1st Edition Blue Crown decks that sold out with amazing speed when the company first opened its virtual doors online.

But back to the point - he's not trying to "pull" anything on anyone, Victor.  It's just a collector's limited-edition doodad that in this case happens to be a deck of cards meant more for show than for play.  There's no conspiracies, there's no mystery, there's no robbery or fraud - just a guy celebrating three years of living a dream, one that you seem intent to stomp on.  Take a deep breath, exhale, say, "Gee, I'm glad I didn't buy that," and get on with your life already.  Oh, and be thankful that you aren't living some dream that someone like you is trying to crush under their boots.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: agera94 on April 02, 2014, 05:16:47 AM
It's not that we're being forced to buy any but I just don't see why anyone would try and pull something like this. You sure about the being epcc? Their quality is usually good.

Geez - "trying to pull"?  You sounds like you personally are being ripped off.  Are you?  Did you buy any?

I'm absolutely NOT sure about the deck being printed by EPCC.  But since USPC doesn't do print runs this short, it made logical sense.  They did use EPCC for printing the Nautical Decks, but that was at the Shanghai printer who also did the Global Titans.

Alex Pandrea mentioned in the ad copy on the sale page that they weren't printed off of a press but off of a computer printer of the type used to make proof sheets - these are significantly lower in finish quality and not generally had cheap at USPC.  The last time I looked, I think a proof sheet costs $50 and a prototype deck costs $300.  Since they weren't selling anywhere near that high and I don't know any small company that can afford to toss money around like that, I consider it extremely unlikely that these were made by USPC.  The next-best candidate would be Expert, because of their past business relationship and the fact that Alex and Bill are friends.

Do me a favor - go back to the first post and read the text-laden card in the last image, the one written by Alex that talks about the company's third anniversary.  Alex explains the entire thing, start to finish, right there for all to see.  This "deck" is really just a limited-edition commemoration of the anniversary, made from a prototype design that was considered but hadn't been made until now.  It could just as easily have been an anniversary edition of a magic DVD, a commemorative deck clip, a beer stein with the company logo, a paperweight, a poker chip, a teddy bear wearing a blue crown, etc., but he chose to use the iconic Blue Crown logo on a simple deck of cards, representative of the 1st Edition Blue Crown decks that sold out with amazing speed when the company first opened its virtual doors online.

But back to the point - he's not trying to "pull" anything on anyone, Victor.  It's just a collector's limited-edition doodad that in this case happens to be a deck of cards meant more for show than for play.  There's no conspiracies, there's no mystery, there's no robbery or fraud - just a guy celebrating three years of living a dream, one that you seem intent to stomp on.  Take a deep breath, exhale, say, "Gee, I'm glad I didn't buy that," and get on with your life already.  Oh, and be thankful that you aren't living some dream that someone like you is trying to crush under their boots.

He'll have a review on his channel in a week or two.

Anywho, I completely agree with Don here. I propose a toast to Mr P. He's made it three years doing what he enjoys doing and helping others to make the journey.  :karrit:
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: DarkDerp on April 04, 2014, 09:46:37 AM
I doubt these where printed on a preflight  printer. Cost would be ridiculously high and paper stock would be hoooooorrrible. My guess would be a straight digital run on a higher end digital press.

 I don't see it as highway robbery though. Running 300 or so decks for judging print quality and finishing on a digital press seems about right. With sheet size and speed your looking at about a 1000 sheets and a 10 min print run. Anything lower than this and a company would laugh at you when ordering. Kudos to them for looking at other options. I keep waiting for people to explore digital finishing on playing cards... embossing, uv coating, variable spot coating etc...
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 05, 2014, 12:46:30 AM
I doubt these where printed on a preflight  printer. Cost would be ridiculously high and paper stock would be hoooooorrrible. My guess would be a straight digital run on a higher end digital press.

 I don't see it as highway robbery though. Running 300 or so decks for judging print quality and finishing on a digital press seems about right. With sheet size and speed your looking at about a 1000 sheets and a 10 min print run. Anything lower than this and a company would laugh at you when ordering. Kudos to them for looking at other options. I keep waiting for people to explore digital finishing on playing cards... embossing, uv coating, variable spot coating etc...

It would not surprise me in the least to learn some companies are already doing this - Zazzle would be my first likely suspect.  I think they get pre-printed faces on uncut sheets from USPC, much like what USPC has done with their Congress decks.  They take the designs available and run the backs off of a printer in an "on-demand" fashion, so there's no excessive unsold stock lying around.  The problem, though, at least from what I've been told, is that the Zazzle decks have a terrible coating and aren't meant for high performance.  If they can do something about that, it would be a huge step forward to digitally-printed, mass-produced playing cards.

To be clear, "finish" refers to the texture of the card, not the plastic coating on it.  The coating or varnish is something totally different, though at one time they were spoken of synonymously because the finish used to be pressed into the coating, not into the paper.  And ALL coatings, even Magic Finish, are "plastic" in some form or another - it drives me nuts to see people talking about "plastic coating" like it's something horrible.  Yes, cheapo dollar-store paper decks are often marked as "plastic coated", but if all deck coatings weren't some variety of plastic, they wouldn't last long at all.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: BiggerDee on April 06, 2014, 01:33:03 PM
I love, and buy, most rare and limited editions, the more scarce the better, but these do absolutely nothing for me. Alex's signature has no value for me, and actually takes away from the value of a deck (except for the metal plate decks), so that's a negative, not a plus, for me. Although technically a "limited edition" a small print run doesn't add value to junk that would have been tossed into the dumpster just a few years ago.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 07, 2014, 01:32:42 AM
I love, and buy, most rare and limited editions, the more scarce the better, but these do absolutely nothing for me. Alex's signature has no value for me, and actually takes away from the value of a deck (except for the metal plate decks), so that's a negative, not a plus, for me. Although technically a "limited edition" a small print run doesn't add value to junk that would have been tossed into the dumpster just a few years ago.

Ah, but you're treating this as if it was just some ordinary prototype.  It was simply made using the methods of a prototype.  Prototypes don't usually have that nice little company history card unless it's a prototype of a deck commemorating the company history.  And yes, two years ago, people certainly would have paid a premium for not just a prototype deck, but even for individual cards from such a deck - it's happened right here on this forum and not just once.

Anyway, what matters is that you don't care for the deck, and that's fine.  I didn't care for it much myself, hence, I didn't buy any and was perfectly happy with my decision.  But it's plainly obvious that for some people, this is something of great interest or the deck would not have sold out in well under a day.  Arguing that they're not worth anything is moot - they are worth something to several people, and perhaps even more to others as these decks end up on eBay or traded elsewhere.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 11, 2014, 04:24:56 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on April 11, 2014, 05:01:57 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.

Hey, look at it this way. It was nice of you to help pay for Alex's trip to California this week. Lol He will be thinking of all the little people who helped him financially get him where he is today! Lol That was a very nice thing you did and for your donation, you got a deck of cards. Feel better?

All joking aside. Where's the love? Where's the passion and pride of owning a company? Is this what Alex wants TBC brand to be known for? Is the TBC nothing more then novelty or souvenir shop? When was the last time a respectable magician did a video produced by TBC? When you look at products from other companies like them or not, you see the effort, the time, the work, the thought process. I don't see any of that from Alex in his products anymore.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 11, 2014, 05:37:45 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.


Hey, look at it this way. It was nice of you to help pay for Alex's trip to California this week. Lol He will be thinking of all the little people who helped him financially get him where he is today! Lol That was a very nice thing you did and for your donation, you got a deck of cards. Feel better?

All joking aside. Where's the love? Where's the passion and pride of owning a company? Is this what Alex wants TBC brand to be known for? Is the TBC nothing more then novelty or souvenir shop? When was the last time a respectable magician did a video produced by TBC? When you look at products from other companies like them or not, you see the effort, the time, the work, the thought process. I don't see any of that from Alex in his products anymore.

Lol yeah I heard he's eating caviar on a stripper's ass tonight with my money.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: agera94 on April 11, 2014, 05:53:53 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.

But you spent that $50 even after reading:

"These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage. The plain white window tuck box provides the perfect prototype vibe."

And still feel entitled to claim you've been ripped off. Well done.  :karrit:

Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 11, 2014, 06:09:17 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.

But you spent that $50 even after reading:

"These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage. The plain white window tuck box provides the perfect prototype vibe."

And still feel entitled to claim you've been ripped off. Well done.  :karrit:

Hear, hear.  If you were expecting a kick-ass deck for performance or play, you bought the wrong product, plain and simple.

Reading - the lost art...
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on April 11, 2014, 10:14:37 PM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.


Hey, look at it this way. It was nice of you to help pay for Alex's trip to California this week. Lol He will be thinking of all the little people who helped him financially get him where he is today! Lol That was a very nice thing you did and for your donation, you got a deck of cards. Feel better?

All joking aside. Where's the love? Where's the passion and pride of owning a company? Is this what Alex wants TBC brand to be known for? Is the TBC nothing more then novelty or souvenir shop? When was the last time a respectable magician did a video produced by TBC? When you look at products from other companies like them or not, you see the effort, the time, the work, the thought process. I don't see any of that from Alex in his products anymore.

Lol yeah I heard he's eating caviar on a stripper's ass tonight with my money.

We've all been there! Lol

I just saw Wolf of Wall-Street not long ago. Funny how that popped in my head when I saw your comments. Let's hope it is caviar and not powered donuts. I really don't know any other way to explain it.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 12, 2014, 01:11:31 AM
I bought 2 of those and they suck. I understand this is not meant to be a "real" deck but this is completely useless. 50$ down the drain. Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality. Really disappointed.

But you spent that $50 even after reading:

"These decks are printed at a boutique card printer using a digital process and are not meant for high-level usage. The plain white window tuck box provides the perfect prototype vibe."

And still feel entitled to claim you've been ripped off. Well done.  :karrit:

Oh no I did read "not meant for high-level usage" but that is just ridiculous. It's completely useless. And I'm not saying I got ripped off, I'm saying I'm extremely disappointed. Nobody made me buy this; I take full responsability... :(
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 12, 2014, 02:14:42 AM

Oh no I did read "not meant for high-level usage" but that is just ridiculous. It's completely useless. And I'm not saying I got ripped off, I'm saying I'm extremely disappointed. Nobody made me buy this; I take full responsability... :(

You mean "responsibility", right?  :))

Honestly, what exactly were you expecting that made this purchase such a disappointment to you?  It sounds like the product fits the exact description given by the Blue Crown when you bought it.

If I sell you a Honda Civic, tell you it's a Honda Civic before you buy it, and you get a Honda Civic, you really can't complain too strongly about expecting it to be a Jaguar XJ8...or a Toyota Corolla...or a classic Volkswagen Bus...or a pineapple...or a Piggly-Wiggly...or a kick-ass, super-slick deck of cards with a coating made from angels' tears, so friction-resistant it merely hovers over the table instead of making contact when you try to put it down...
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: volantangel on April 12, 2014, 02:32:39 AM
I think what seb meant was that yes, he wasn't expecting uspcc quality, but he clearly wasn't expecting cardboard quality as well. Makeplayingcards, and other small printers have been known to be able to produce small runs that actually feel  and handle like playing cards instead of cardboard. If blue crown can't be bother to pay for a $5 deck of cards (we checked makeplayingcards) and has to put out $2 crap even tho the price point is set at $25, are you still going to give them credit ?

Seb expected a honda civic but got a go-cart, simple as that. So much for thinking about your customers eh.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 12, 2014, 02:47:01 AM
I think what seb meant was that yes, he wasn't expecting uspcc quality, but he clearly wasn't expecting cardboard quality as well. Makeplayingcards, and other small printers have been known to be able to produce small runs that actually feel  and handle like playing cards instead of cardboard. If blue crown can't be bother to pay for a $5 deck of cards (we checked makeplayingcards) and has to put out $2 crap even tho the price point is set at $25, are you still going to give them credit ?

Seb expected a honda civic but got a go-cart, simple as that. So much for thinking about your customers eh.

I still say he got exactly what he paid for.  If he's so unhappy with them, perhaps he should sell them on eBay and recoup at least some of his perceived loss, if not make a profit.  As I've never seen them in person or handled them, I can't attest to the quality of the stock - can you?  I only have his complaint to go by, and from the sounds of it, it's possible his opinion is a little biased.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: volantangel on April 12, 2014, 03:14:41 AM
Well i wouldnt put someone who has just shelfed out $50 on two decks to be biased towards a company, would you ?

"not meant for high-level usage" doesnt translate into "Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality" for me. So I really dont think you can say people got what was advertised.

Im just quoting exactly whats been said, dont shoot the messenger.

Im through with arguing with you with regards to any issue involving the BC, you have been defending them from day 1. All the way through the Gold Crown issues, the Altruism screw up, and who knows what else ive forgotten.

Edit: HEY VICTOR ! IM FIGHTING WITH YOU FOR THE MOST DOWNVOTED POSTER ON THIS FORUM !
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 12, 2014, 03:20:19 AM
Well i wouldnt put someone who has just shelfed out $50 on two decks to be biased towards a company, would you ?

"not meant for high-level usage" doesnt translate into "Cheap cardboard cards. Dollar Store quality" for me. So I really dont think you can say people got what was advertised.

Im just quoting exactly whats been said, dont shoot the messenger.

Im through with arguing with you with regards to any issue involving the BC, you have been defending them from day 1. All the way through the Gold Crown issues, the Altruism screw up, and who knows what else ive forgotten.

Edit: HEY VICTOR ! IM FIGHTING WITH YOU FOR THE MOST DOWNVOTED POSTER ON THIS FORUM !

You have a LONG way to go for that record.  We had one guy in the negative triple digits once...

I'm waiting to hear what Seb has to say about the specifics of what he found disappointing, or more accurately, what he was expecting.  Think of it more like playing Devil's Advocate than defending Blue Crown.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on April 12, 2014, 08:29:33 AM
Quote
Think of it more like playing Devil's Advocate than defending Blue Crown.

I understand why Don defends TBC. Friendships go a long way in this industry. Many hold the brotherhood/sisterhood of being a magician very seriously. Say something bad about one magician (his/her products) and you have made enemies with a few people you might not realize. I get that! Although, I don't necessarily agree with blind loyalties or turning the other cheek and pretending everything is okay. They say don't burn bridges you may have to cross later. I say, I don't mind swimming if the bridge was f***ed up to begin with.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 12, 2014, 03:17:39 PM
Oh geez Here we go... First of all; responsibility and not responsability.. Sorry but j'aimerais te voir écrire une phrase en français, Don ;)

I don't know why my opinion would be biased; I'm usually satisfied with the Crown.

With 1500 decks in the collection, I know what a good deck, an OK deck and a mediocre deck is. I never complain about decks but this one is total crap even though BC said it wasn't really meant to sustain long time usage. Like someone said, I was expecting a Pinto and I got a used bicycle with no wheels. Until you have one in your hands, you can't understand. The deck is literally Dollar Store material. I don't know why Don is making such a big deal about my... opinion.

Ok let's go out in the sun :)
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: vmagic on April 12, 2014, 04:24:29 PM
Good to see I'm not alone, lol
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Card Player on April 12, 2014, 04:57:55 PM
Quote
A used bicycle with no wheels

LMAO!

Just to be clear, where does this rank on the "Crap Of All Time Crap List" (COATCL)? Lol
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 12, 2014, 06:35:14 PM
Quote
A used bicycle with no wheels

LMAO!

Just to be clear, where does this rank on the "Crap Of All Time Crap List" (COATCL)? Lol

Oh it's way up there :)
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 12, 2014, 09:14:05 PM
Oh geez Here we go... First of all; responsibility and not responsability.. Sorry but j'aimerais te voir écrire une phrase en français, Don ;)

Pardonnez-moi, monsieur!  Ma mère est Québécoise, mais je n'ai jamais appris le français.  Cela vient à vous avec l'aimable autorisation de Google Translate.

I don't know why my opinion would be biased; I'm usually satisfied with the Crown.


Ok let's go out in the sun :)

Sounds like a plan - I'm done talking about this!
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 12, 2014, 09:44:27 PM
Oh geez Here we go... First of all; responsibility and not responsability.. Sorry but j'aimerais te voir écrire une phrase en français, Don ;)

Pardonnez-moi, monsieur!  Ma mère est Québécoise, mais je n'ai jamais appris le français.  Cela vient à vous avec l'aimable autorisation de Google Translate.

I don't know why my opinion would be biased; I'm usually satisfied with the Crown.


Ok let's go out in the sun :)

Sounds like a plan - I'm done talking about this!

Lol Deal! And Google translator did a pretty good job for once :)
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 12, 2014, 11:42:47 PM

Lol Deal! And Google translator did a pretty good job for once :)

I intentionally kept the sentences simple to give it a helping hand.  :))  Plus I input "quebecoise" myself, to which they simply added the accent marks.  I know just a TINY amount of French, as I did take a year of it in college about a lifetime or two ago.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 13, 2014, 12:23:06 AM

Lol Deal! And Google translator did a pretty good job for once :)

I intentionally kept the sentences simple to give it a helping hand.  :))  Plus I input "quebecoise" myself, to which they simply added the accent marks.  I know just a TINY amount of French, as I did take a year of it in college about a lifetime or two ago.

Oh cool!
I'm from Montreal; where is your mom from?
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: volantangel on April 13, 2014, 12:28:59 AM
Yup this just reinforced the notion that BC didn't have the decency to produce these decks at a half decent printer. Ok enough flogging of the dead horse, everyone can make their own conclusion about what happened here.

Actually, BC could have easily resolved this whole issue by having a relationship with a small decent printer like MPC to get them to sponsor the decks, and have a simple note to where the decks were produced for a greater exposure for the printer. A mutually beneficial relationship. But instead people just got this piece of crap.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 13, 2014, 05:44:44 AM

Oh cool!
I'm from Montreal; where is your mom from?

Mom was born in Montreal, but her family lived in Quebec where her dad worked as a cabbie.  Eventually they moved to New York and her dad got a better job as a resident manager of a luxury apartment building.  She got left back two grades in high school because she was unable to speak English, but by the time she graduated post-high school classes at a secretarial school, her first employer sent her back because her English had too much of a Brooklyn accent!

She's lived in a few different places around the country and presently is just outside of the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 13, 2014, 11:03:52 AM

Oh cool!
I'm from Montreal; where is your mom from?

Mom was born in Montreal, but her family lived in Quebec where her dad worked as a cabbie.  Eventually they moved to New York and her dad got a better job as a resident manager of a luxury apartment building.  She got left back two grades in high school because she was unable to speak English, but by the time she graduated post-high school classes at a secretarial school, her first employer sent her back because her English had too much of a Brooklyn accent!

She's lived in a few different places around the country and presently is just outside of the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina.

Nice story She moved around quite a lot :)
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: Don Boyer on April 13, 2014, 11:58:26 PM

Nice story She moved around quite a lot :)

You don't know the half of it!  But perhaps PM would be better, if you want to continue the discussion.
Title: Re: Prototype Emblem Edition Crown Decks from The Blue Crown
Post by: seb on April 15, 2014, 02:29:15 PM

Nice story She moved around quite a lot :)

You don't know the half of it!  But perhaps PM would be better, if you want to continue the discussion.

Lol yeah Hijacking the thread ;)