Review: Unusual decks (Coca-Cola Clear Plastic, $100 Bill Gold/Silver Foil)

[EndersGame]

Playing Cards for an Anniversary Celebration

In this review series, I'm featuring a number of decks I recently received as part of my first ever order from PlayingCardDecks.com (which I'll mostly refer to as PCD in this article).  And because PlayingCardDecks is currently celebrating their first anniversary, from 24 - 30 April you can get 20% off everything on their website using the coupon code "YEAR1" at check out.  They have 10,000s of decks in stock, with over 1500 different decks as part of their range.  In my reviews so far I've covered many decks that were highly suited for card games and magic, and colourful and creative decks for the cardist or collector.  In the current set of reviews I'm focusing more on some novelty decks and unusual titles, ones which will especially appeal to collectors, but also some of the cheaper decks that PCD has available.




*** UNUSUAL DECKS ***
 
I love a standard sized deck of poker cards that I can use for playing card games, doing card magic or card flourishing.   But I also like unusual decks that are not standard.  While I'm not likely to use these for the usual purposes, they are great novelty items and discussion points, and are a wonderful addition to a collection. In this section, I'll cover a couple of examples.

Coca-Cola Clear Plastic deck

The Coca-Cola Clear Plastic deck is a novelty for obvious reasons, not least that it is a Coca Cola branded item, and will have immediate appeal for collectors of everything Coke related.

It comes in a durable and hard plastic carrying case with a tab on the side that keeps it closed.



Pictured on the front of the storage case is a six pack of Coke bottles that will return on the card backs.  The back of the box indicates that this is an authorized Coca Cola Company product, made in combination with the United States Playing Card Company in 2016.

Here we get our first glimpse of one of the transparent plastic cards we'll find inside the box, with the famous Coke brand being the chief point of interest on the card backs.

Besides the carton of half a dozen Coke bottles in the center of the card, the bottom left corner has a circular red Coca Cola logo, and the top right corner says "yes, Coke".  Aside from these printed features, the rest of the card is entirely transparent and see-through.



The faces of the cards are printed with white on the same parts of the plastic that has printed material on the card backs.

The two circular areas on opposite corners function as indices, noting the card value and suit.  In the case of the number cards, the area in the center of the card has the actual pips of the card, depicted as a black outline.



Courts cards use an image that depicts royalty, while the Jokers feature a jester's hat.



Not only is the hard plastic box made of a very durable plastic, but the plastic cards themselves are also good quality, meaning that they should stand up well to outdoor usage.  You can even get them wet, because the plastic cards are water-proof.   So by all means take them outside, and even besides or in the pool!



$100 Bill Gold/Silver Foil Deck

While the Coke deck has a high coolness factor, the novelty $100 Bill Foil deck easily surpasses it due to the high level of bling.

This deck comes in either gold or silver, and both the front and the back of the deck box features a $100 bill from US currency, in either gold or silver foil.



The tuck box makes an immediate impression, and looks stunning when it catches the light, especially vibrant strips along the edge.  Photos really don't do this beauty justice!

The box is made entirely of foil, so once you pull out the cards, you're left with a sturdy case that is a conversation piece of its own.  The backs featuring the same shiny foil artwork and design that is on the tuck box, while the card faces have borders and background that has a rough texture, which ensures that it catches the light from every angle.



The court cards have a traditional look, including the addition of red, blue, yellow and black colours.    The pips are relatively standard looking, in red and black, but when you look closely you'll observe that these also have layers of colour, which creates a hypnotic effect when viewed from different angles.  All the indices are very functional and clear, ensuring that this deck is actually usable.



Are they actually plated with gold foil leaf or silver foil leaf?  Despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to find out quite for sure, but I do know that they look like the real thing, and have the appearance of significant value, even though they are actually quite cheap to buy.  So if you're looking to impress people with a luxury look without blowing your budget, this is definitely a deck for you.



As far as handling goes, the cards have a somewhat plastic feel.  I suspect that a manufacturing process has been used which adds a thin metallic coating to cover the entire surface of cards which have have a plastic core.  Even though it handles differently than a usual deck due to the materials employed in making it, it is not so slippery that it can't be used.



While the cards are bridge sized, they are still very practical.  I've both a silver deck and a gold deck, and have used them for poker games, and they have proven surprisingly durable.  They certainly have added a real touch of sophistication and bling to the poker table, and been admired by everyone who has seen.

Whether you go for the gold deck or the silver one, both look fantastic.   And for just $7 or $8 each, it's hard to go wrong!

 


Recommendation

So is PlayingCardDecks.com something for you?  I won't repeat the more detailed conclusions I included in my initial article.  But I can say that if you're looking a high quality deck of playing cards, PCD is definitely a terrific online retailer to check out, based on my own very positive experience.  And getting 20% off with their anniversary sale that is running from 24-30 April (use the coupon code "YEAR1"), now is a great time to discover this site.  Happy first anniversary Will Roya!

There's a great range of creative and high quality playing cards, the decks featured above being good examples, and I'm pleased to recommend them.  Whether you're looking for decks suitable for card games, card magic, or card flourishing, you're sure to find something that fits the bill at PCD.  If you're like me, you'll appreciate having a quality deck of playing cards in your hands, and I'm happy to report that the playing cards I've been able to showcase here have not disappointed.


 
Want to learn more? Check out PlayingCardDecks.com
- Online Store: playingcarddecks.com (use code "YEAR1" to get a 20% discount site-wide during the first anniversary sale 24th to 30th April 2018)
- Related links: Blog, Kickstarter projects, Loyalty Rewards Program, Pip Box Club
- Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Direct links for the decks featured in this review:
- Novelty decks: Disruption ($13.99), Christmas ($11.99), Views ($17.99)
- Transformation decks: Wild ($9.99), Busy Bears ($9.99), Newtropolis ($8.99)
 - Unusual decks: Coca-Cola Clear Plastic ($7.99), $100 Bill - Foil ($7.99)
- Cheap decks (under $5): Texas Star ($4.99), Stargazer   ($4.99)