To Mr. Miller,
I was never a fan of the whole 'Steampunk' theme as such. The deck in no way appeals to me. I think its useless for magic as it will only make people suspicious.
Having said that, for flourishing and as a collectible, this is very well done on your part. The art is completely original (cough... Clip Art.. cough) and embodies the Steampunk as an era. Also, it doesn't jump out to grab you. Its easy on the eyes with the warm colors and vintage vibe (cough... Karnivals... cough) Agreeing with Alex here, this deck really represents what it advertises. So, for making this design, and for doing it so well, I respect and thank you. Job well done.
This is an interesting point, I thought about the laymen perspective and that's why I added "Artist's Edition" to the top, I know how skeptical spectators can be, that's why I kept the Bicycle branding as well. I have many pros in the field using these cards and they are prepared with a handy phrase I taught them to diffuse any would-be skeptics: "Oh yeah, I could see why you would be suspicious, it looks nothing like a typical Bicycle deck, but that's why I bought it, it's different from the norm because it was designed by a special artist see? (point to the Artist's Edition).
I have responses from them saying that the phrase worked great and they just moved on with their trick as intended. It's also possibly appropriate here to mention another "diffuser" carry a second deck that is actually a legit Bicycle deck, if the layperson balks at the Actuators, whip out the original Bikes, and say "Hey no worries, I can understand the skepticism, I just like using the other cards since they look (insert adjective here)".
Now, I'm not trying to win your love for this deck, but if that's the only thing holding you back, professional handling of your laypersons can change the entire way they interact with you. In any situation, you need to size up your audience, if they are skeptical don't use gaffs, stick to an arsenal of tricks that can be done with a borrowed deck. If they are more on the receiving end, break out Pandora and knock their socks off, use the double backer and pull the two card monte and reverse monte. That's why the deck is designed the way it is. Other than that, take the gaffs out completely, or have them pocketed, hand them the deck to examine while you maintain a top palm on your gaff card. You get the picture. There are a hundred ways to deal with skeptics and if you want to use the gaffs, it's up to you to decide which way benefits you most.
- Lance
I have to say I find these cards stunning. Absolutley unique. I regret only getting two decks one of which I am going to try to leave sealed. I am surprised to see so much negative talk about this deck but different tastes is what drives the market, not everyone is going to like everything. Thank you Lance for making these cards, they are a great addition to my collection.
P.S. Eggman, you could always order more
I still have about 500 left.
