I think this is going to be a long post, but it seems that apart from our own community, no one on the internet actually gets what we are doing at the AFPCC.
I'll do my very best to get back to everything that needs to be cleared up in this thread. Reason is that a couple of you guys even e-mailed us and started yelling about how we are nuts and don't know how to do business. Oh, the internet and the joy it brings.
Let's begin with replying to some quotes:
Any company that feels the need to post these Q&As BEFORE the decks even go on sale, already knows that their price point is WAYYY to high.
The Q&A was not exactly made beforehand. We have had a website (not yet a card company) for the past 2-3 years with our concept on there. In those years a lot of questions have been asked. The FAQ actually gives full transparancy, which I understand is pretty odd for any company but so be it. I personally think not a bad word could be said about that.
I saw in the site you gave that miracle deck are made in Germany.
So, it won't be a good decks as uspcc decks.
I wouldn't say they are superior (although the stock and finish have been fully customized to my needs and wants so for me it would actually be), but they are definitely not worse than USPCC cards. Seems like a myth that needs to be cleared up.
From my experience USPCC ships anywhere in the world for free if you print cards with them.
They do not, and even if they would, there still is a lot of customs clearance added to the decks.
I think one of the card decks this is subliminally telling you is that it's like the smoke and mirrors. There is an S and M on the deck and believe it or not that was my first thoughts of this deck. And when you think smoke and mirrors you think awsomeness. Subliminal sales tactic perhaps?
The subliminal messages we meant are the ones that show the card industry went a little gaga such as the prices. Nonetheless, it is really fun that you noticed it because yes, indeed, the S and M symbols do have some subliminal meanings such as street magic and smoke and mirrors (don't forget smoke and mirrors aren't only the playing cards by D&D).
The hilarious part is that if you select the option for "envelope" that fits up to eight decks, they still charge you more money for every additional deck you want over one.
Alex, I honestly am a little disgusted by the way you are talking about our business. I would not talk about your business like that either. In reply to the quote, I am pretty sure that in every country on this globe, shipping costs are relying on weight and not just on packaging. One or two decks weigh much less than seven or eight decks, so obviously the shipping will be more expensive for the latter ones. Still, we are not joking if we say we kept the prices as low as legally possible. We break even on it.
Now, for the rest of things that need to be cleared up:
Miracles playing cards were not actually supposed to be marketed. We made ourselves a lifelong stock and we merely sell some just to make a point on how prices of playing cards went on a loose the past few years. The prices of the Miracles (and of the Miracles only) work exactly the same as the prices of Jerry's Nuggets, Ghost 1st Editions, Smoke & Mirrors, Gold Arcanes, and such cards. Yet, there are thousands of those decks on the market, and only five decks of original Miracles.
But we are not crazy. Of course we expected a flood of people that would actually fall over the prices, which is why we announced a much more affordable version of the deck that will be printed at the USPCC next year. And we won't release all colors at once, don't worry about that. It will be just one at a time.
The original Miracles come with a lot of very original extras though. Sure there are people that are willing to buy a deck of $250 or $500 just because of those. We, however, do not expect to sell the more expensive ones. Those five decks are not supposed to be sold out at anytime.
I hope that clears things up a little.
-Mark
