Quote from: 21 on June 21, 2014, 04:31:54 PM

Thank you very much, Don.  I really was not taking the criticism of this deck personally.  I recognize that it comes entirely from a place of passion, by a forum of people who just want to see beautiful and functional products.

Believe me, I am not dismissive of Jackson Robinson's advice.  I was a backer of his first deck on Kickstarter, and recognize that his work is second to none.  His decks are breathtaking, so when he talks, I very much listen.   

Jackson, thank you very much for the advice (and to you too for reiterating it, Don).  As you have both recommended, we will work towards creating a higher level of contrast within the artwork so as to ensure there are no issues at time of print. 

In regards to your other advice Don (and ATS), it has not fallen on deaf ears and we are very much thinking on this.  I certainly do not wish to alienate magicians or professional card players, and based on your experience do believe that your concerns are valid.  One of our priorities though is to do right by our current supporters.  At this stage some people may consider such a change to the background a significant one.  It is important that we balance the concerns expressed here with the rights of everyone who has so far supported our project.  I do not want our backers to feel like we have pulled a bait and switch.

Let me tell you my gut feel though and you can tell me if you think I am wrong.  I completely get that we should had conceived the artwork to be more functional from the very beginning and have certainly learned a lot in this process.  I can guarantee you that in the next deck we create these factors will be taken into account from the onset.  That being said, are these issues really that large a concern to magicians and card players?  For somebody like myself who has worked as a blackjack dealer, is a collector of custom decks, and has also played a lot of cards, I would NEVER play with my Federal 52 deck, for instance.  The deck is far too beautiful for that.  I would not risk damaging it through actual game play (and I think if I were a magician I would not risk it in tricks).  For any game play I use a standard Bicycle deck, and I imagine that magicians mostly use a standard style deck when performing tricks.  To me, a great custom deck is a work of art, and I treat the deck accordingly.

Perhaps this is not a use case that is as common as I think?

Here is my personal evaluation of your target audience.

Magicians: no.  While there are cases where a magician might use a custom deck depending on the audience he or she is performing for, for most "general purpose" performances, they'll use decks that are recognizable by their audience.  Some have said it's because people will think custom decks are trick decks, to which I call bullshit.  It's more out of a desire to create a connection with the audience - they see standard faces with limited alteration and subconsciously think, "oh, I have cards like that back home!"  A magician at a fan convention might use this deck, but that's a very specialized circumstance.

Hardcore poker players: no.  Hardcore poker players want to use what the pros use.  The pros use 100% plastic bridge-sized decks with standard indices and a simple two-way design on the back.  Period.  Maybe older players will make a concession to age and use jumbo indices or four-color suits, maybe a European player will use a deck with four indices instead of just two and/or with Parisian pips instead of International Standard.  But those are about the only concessions you'd find.

Cardists: maybe but unlikely.  If your cards made some beautiful, colorful, changing patterns when used in cardistry routines, perhaps, but some prefer a simpler deck so their audience will be awed by the skill of the manipulation of the cards more than by the cards themselves.  In the present color palette, it would be an unlikely choice.

Art lovers: an unqualified yes, especially if they love manga/anime, or at the least consider the images attractive.

Casual card players: sure, why not?  Cards are meant to be played with, not just stared at!  The price is a bit higher than the Bicycles they can buy at the corner drugstore chain, but then again those don't look as cool.

Collectors: some will like the design, some won't; some will want to open a pack and have at least one spare for the collection, some will never open a pack, placing it on a wall display or in a box somewhere.

Here's the important thing you need to remember - art lovers and casual card players are a far larger market than all those other categories combined!  Collectors barely make up a percentage point of a percentage point of the overall card market!  We're sought after simply because in general collectors will spend more on cards than other members of the card-buying market overall, thus representing an outsized sales per capita.

It is perfectly understandable to not want to alienate some of your present backers, since all of the changes proposed would make the project substantially different than the one you started with.  Should you ever end up making a second edition, they're worth keeping in mind, as well as when you create your next deck.

Hi 21,
We are not presently publishing general price lists. But are available to quote specific decks via email. Please send us your specifics at custom-orders@expertplayingcard.com and we can give you a specific quote.

Hey Everyone, I am officially Live on Kickstarter now! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/86221149/coat-of-arms-a-new-bicycle-playing-card-deck

Thanks for all of the support and all of the great feedback!  Thanks for helping with my deck!

Thanks again,

Justin

I have some really great news. It's been a very slow process, but earlier this week I received official approval and licensing from the United States Army to proceed with the Army deck and subsequently the other armed forces decks. I had already secured licensing from the other branches but was just waiting for the Army as it was logical branch to start with.

Not really sure when I will do the project or how I will do it (Kickstarter, Kings Wild Funded, Self funded) Not sure yet, but will keep you guys updated.