This blows for card designers as well as companies. These printing plates were a value to show what they have created. Very rare yet beautiful items. A shame they won't be released anymore : /
I hate to burst the bubble though, I think my deck might of been the last to be released. I have all 8 Galvanic printing plates sitting next to me and mine was released after the Tendril. Would should contact them to see who was the last person to get them. Would be interesting to find out since we're all collectors here.
Nice grab, Sean. I always planned on getting my Vortex plates when the funds allowed for them just to frame in my room, but it looks like that's not a possibility at the moment.
If there is anything I've learned in my dealings with USPC, it's that nothing they say is final.
I cannot think of a single term they had in their contracts that stayed stable. Prices for various perks change every month. Their minimum fluctuates from 1000-5000 constantly. Their uncut sheets went from "free" (a certain number of decks could be requested uncut at no charge) to $25 each. Printing plates were actually
not available for a good while. Robert and I inquired about the plates a long time ago and got told no. Then I got told yes and opted out. They're back at no now.
Of course for folks making decks, this is both good news and bad news. The constantly changing contracts mean more versatility for designers. The only thing I wish they really would keep constant is the minimum run for decks. I wish 1,000 was allowed, but even 2,500 is good. 5,000 minimum is just overkill for "designer" decks not backed by the likes of E, T11, etc.
I guess we're lucky though. I've heard rumors of USPC trying to close down the customs department for almost a year now because of how inefficient it is compared to just printing 50,000 decks a month for a casino. Rumors are just rumors though, I wouldn't be surprised if this one is false (although the recent price hikes are likely a result of them trying to match profits with the casino printing).