Altruism Deck from The Blue Crown - ON SALE

[Don Boyer]

Hey guys!  We're really excited to share the Altruism decks with you all!

I would advise folks to get in early on this deck.  There may be certain "time-sensitive" features that you could otherwise miss out on.  Also, as you examine and use the deck, keep your eyes peeled.  As we've been saying, secrets are everywhere.

You may also not want to share things you find publicly or with friends.  You might create competition for yourself....

How time-sensitive are we talking? Like if I was planning on making an order tomorrow or the next day, would I still be eligible?

It's not so much a matter of "eligibility"...  Think back to the clues from the sketch we saw earlier in this topic...

I sincerely don't know if I like this deck.
It's deceiving publicity to announce a new deck as a limited edition, show some pictures of the box, of the ace of spades and the jokers and that's it. What about the other cards, can't we see them before we buy the deck?
I guess I will wait for more info on this deck.

You should re-read Kevin Reylek's post...  Wait on this and there's things you could miss out on.

[nimblewitted]

I sincerely don't know if I like this deck.
It's deceiving publicity to announce a new deck as a limited edition, show some pictures of the box, of the ace of spades and the jokers and that's it. What about the other cards, can't we see them before we buy the deck?
I guess I will wait for more info on this deck.

I agree. This isn't the first time TBC has done this and I doubt it'll be the last. I, personally, have a policy of not buying decks that aren't at least somewhat displayed (beyond the box, backs, and one or two cards).

I love how the go they extra mile to make a video of it that turns out to be a lousy slide show of the pictures that are available next to the video.

[Don Boyer]

I sincerely don't know if I like this deck.
It's deceiving publicity to announce a new deck as a limited edition, show some pictures of the box, of the ace of spades and the jokers and that's it. What about the other cards, can't we see them before we buy the deck?
I guess I will wait for more info on this deck.

I agree. This isn't the first time TBC has done this and I doubt it'll be the last. I, personally, have a policy of not buying decks that aren't at least somewhat displayed (beyond the box, backs, and one or two cards).

I love how the go they extra mile to make a video of it that turns out to be a lousy slide show of the pictures that are available next to the video.

RE-READ Kevin's post.  There is a distinct reason some elements of this deck are secret.  Look at the sketch, too.

[ruicorreia]

Hey guys!  We're really excited to share the Altruism decks with you all!

I would advise folks to get in early on this deck.  There may be certain "time-sensitive" features that you could otherwise miss out on.  Also, as you examine and use the deck, keep your eyes peeled.  As we've been saying, secrets are everywhere.

You may also not want to share things you find publicly or with friends.  You might create competition for yourself....

How time-sensitive are we talking? Like if I was planning on making an order tomorrow or the next day, would I still be eligible?

It's not so much a matter of "eligibility"...  Think back to the clues from the sketch we saw earlier in this topic...

I sincerely don't know if I like this deck.
It's deceiving publicity to announce a new deck as a limited edition, show some pictures of the box, of the ace of spades and the jokers and that's it. What about the other cards, can't we see them before we buy the deck?
I guess I will wait for more info on this deck.

You should re-read Kevin Reylek's post...  Wait on this and there's things you could miss out on.

I´ve read it. But that's so misterious and/or abstract that i cannot make some kind of lucid apreciation of the deck. Or maybe it's just me.

[dee1orean]

I have to say I'm not a fan of this deck,the back design is too "Harsh" for me. I also don't like the fact you need to buy a brick to get a Snow Owl deck . I'm a collector what do I need with a Brick? I buy 2 or 3 of each deck I like max.
It pains me to say it as I've been a a big fan of The Blue Crown from the start and I own all previous decks.

Now if they could just see their way to printing a Purple and Gold crown deck I'd be all over it like a rash. Hell I'd even buy half a brick!!

[Don Boyer]

I have to say I'm not a fan of this deck,the back design is too "Harsh" for me. I also don't like the fact you need to buy a brick to get a Snow Owl deck . I'm a collector what do I need with a Brick? I buy 2 or 3 of each deck I like max.
It pains me to say it as I've been a a big fan of The Blue Crown from the start and I own all previous decks.

Now if they could just see their way to printing a Purple and Gold crown deck I'd be all over it like a rash. Hell I'd even buy half a brick!!

Oy.


You don't HAVE to buy a Snow Owl deck...  No one's twisting your arm.  Don't even have the buy the "standard Owl"...


They're a company, in business (at least in part) to make a few dollars.  They made the Snow Owl obviously as a nod and a thank you to the people willing to buy in bulk.


But maybe if there's enough popular demand they'll make a Purple Crown deck... 

[jhayel84]

Its tempting to buy a brick to get a white owl deck! BUT I have self control and I won't give in. yet. lol

If they can only give a free White Owl deck for every 6 deck pruchased I would go for it!

[Don Boyer]

It's late and I have to get to bed, but I have some big news for some of you.


I went to the Dan and Dave Buck seminar at Tannen's earlier tonight.  There were a few other notable magicians/cardists like Alex Pandrea, Kevin Ho (co-speaker at the seminar), Tony Chang, etc.  Great fun, awesome restaurant we went to afterward.


But my point is that Alex stated I could give you guys a tidbit of information you'd appreciate.  Remember the Snow Owl version of Altruism, that you had to buy a brick of regular ones to get?  On Halloween they're putting the Snow Owl version on sale, no brick purchase necessary.  He did not state at what price point.


So, everybody - let's starting hearing the usual litany of knocks about TBC that people love to toss around here like a dog owner with a Frisbee... 

[DC]

Thank you Don for sharing this exciting news!

I like the Snow Owl version better than the normal one. I have ordered a brick to get my hand on this Snow Owl and the order has not been sent from TBC.com yet. I would love to buy some more of the Snow Owl if I can.

Halloween 31Oct, Wednesday, few more days...

Sorry Don, may I sidetrack this topic slightly please?
Do card companies like TBC, E, D&D and Theory 11 usually have sale around the Halloween and Thanks Giving period please?

[Jin Jian]

DC ... look forward to black friday sale ... it a pretty crazy one ..

[CBJ]

I can't believe they did this again. 
They had the gold crown that you could only get if you purchased X-amount of product.. then they turned around and sold it for 17.99

Now they have this deck (which you could only get if you bought a brick), and now they are going to turn around and sell it.  Total B/S!!!

AND.. I still haven't even received a shipping notice for the brick I purchased just to get one of those decks!

I will NEVER fall for this crap again.  I guess they didn't learn from how pissed people were about the Gold Crown scenario.

CBJ

[Siegismyname]

I just wanted to know how the lecture was?

[Don Boyer]

Sorry Don, may I sidetrack this topic slightly please?
Do card companies like TBC, E, D&D and Theory 11 usually have sale around the Halloween and Thanks Giving period please?

Halloween there's often a new deck release, not really so much as a huge sale or anything.


Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving (in the US, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November).  All retail stores have huge sales to kick off the Christmas/Hannukkah/New Years/Kwanzaa/Festivus/pick-your-own-holiday shopping season.  The online retailers are no exception.  Many will additionally offer "Cyber Monday" specials, because a lot of online shopping takes place on the Monday after, when people are back at work and in front of their computers.  They will often have contests and other special offers, exclusive merchandise, etc. during that period and new ones may pop up between then and Christmas.  After that, there's the New Year specials, and then things finally calm down and become more normalized.

I can't believe they did this again. 
They had the gold crown that you could only get if you purchased X-amount of product.. then they turned around and sold it for 17.99

Now they have this deck (which you could only get if you bought a brick), and now they are going to turn around and sell it.  Total B/S!!!

AND.. I still haven't even received a shipping notice for the brick I purchased just to get one of those decks!

I will NEVER fall for this crap again.  I guess they didn't learn from how pissed people were about the Gold Crown scenario.

CBJ

I'm guessing you didn't really read the ad copy on the page where they're selling Altruism decks.  I have a quote for you below, with a few items in bold for emphasis:


We have also created a limited run of 2,500 white Altruism decks, which we have dubbed Snow Owls. The Snow Owls are not yet for sale, and so far have only been offered as a special promotional item.


That one paragraph makes it pretty clear that these were never intended strictly as a promotional item for selling bricks of the regular version.  2,500 were printed, and to say they are "not yet for sale" implies that they eventually will be.  At no point did TBC say this deck would never go on sale or only be strictly a promo item.  That copy was there from day one when this deck went on sale.


When talking with Alex, he explained that they shipped late because USPC was late in delivering them.  If you would have contacted TBC customer service, as I did earlier this week, you'd know this - I contacted them in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday and still got a same-day response.  The guys are on top of things, really - Alex was fielding customer service emails during dinner last night.  He mentioned I'd have my deck possibly by the weekend - he and Kevin (who didn't make it out last night) both spent most of yesterday before the lecture taking care of business at the warehouse and he had a deck with him at the lecture, so yes, they're here and they're going right back out the door again.


All things considered, you really don't have any reason to complain other than for the sake of complaining.  And I'm not saying this as some kind of "shill" for the company - I'm saying this as someone who can read and bothered to do so when he bought his decks.

I just wanted to know how the lecture was?

It was rather good, actually.  They touched on some interesting magic concepts that combined well with flourishes and the finer points of flourishing.  I'm an awful flourisher, but from this lecture I at least have a better idea of how to get some of the basics right - I'll be practicing this evening at work.


The Bucks come across as pretty nice guys.  I've heard in the past they can seem arrogant, etc., but they were totally the opposite tonight.  They bent over backwards accommodating requests for photographs and autographs at the lecture and were polite to everyone and were giving personal pointers to people after the talk who approached them.  Dinner afterward was really good, though I wasn't seated near enough to them to have convenient conversation - I was closer to Kevin Ho, Tony Chang and Alex Pandrea.

Alex shot some post-lecture video from my phone, just a few short clips - and I Dropboxed it to him when I got home - it should appear on the site within a few days or so, if they can find a minute to breathe.

[max]

I can't believe they did this again. 
They had the gold crown that you could only get if you purchased X-amount of product.. then they turned around and sold it for 17.99

Now they have this deck (which you could only get if you bought a brick), and now they are going to turn around and sell it.  Total B/S!!!

AND.. I still haven't even received a shipping notice for the brick I purchased just to get one of those decks!

I will NEVER fall for this crap again.  I guess they didn't learn from how pissed people were about the Gold Crown scenario.

CBJ

I'm guessing you didn't really read the ad copy on the page where they're selling Altruism decks.  I have a quote for you below, with a few items in bold for emphasis:


We have also created a limited run of 2,500 white Altruism decks, which we have dubbed Snow Owls. The Snow Owls are not yet for sale, and so far have only been offered as a special promotional item.


That one paragraph makes it pretty clear that these were never intended strictly as a promotional item for selling bricks of the regular version.  2,500 were printed, and to say they are "not yet for sale" implies that they eventually will be.  At no point did TBC say this deck would never go on sale or only be strictly a promo item.  That copy was there from day one when this deck went on sale.

Well Don, you are right, we would have had to read it carefully (I bought a brick too despite of my dramatic budget condition just to get the snow owl) as I didn't notice that, but, honestly, I agree with CBJ they could wait to put on sale the snow owl a little bit more, specially having in mind the ones that bought the bricks have not even received our decks....

I am sorry, but I don't like this kind of movement, and, as CBJ says, I assume the whole responsibility of my acts, but I have the right to state I don't like it at all.

[Eyeball]

I'm disappointed in The Blue Crown's business techniques so far, honestly I think its blatantly taking advantage of the customer through wording loopholes. They know as well as everyone else that if they made it more clear to everyone that the Snow Owls were going to be put up for sale previously than the amount of sales from the Altruism deck would be lower, as not as many people would have bought a brick.

[Evan]

If they're $10 or less, I'm in!

[nimblewitted]

Has anyone got theirs yet? I ordered on the 12th and just got notification of it shipping today. I understand there's always some backlog, but this is pretty crazy. I've never had a deck (and I've purchased quite a few during their releases) ship so slowly. I just feel like TBC has been leaving a bad taste in my mouth lately.

[Evan]

On the product page it said they they wouldn't ship the decks until a certain date.

[Shade]

If they're $10 or less, I'm in!

Here is to wishful thinking, but if they are using the gold crown playbook (and it looks like they are) they will be closer to $17.95. Wonder if they will use the special window'd release mechanism they used before. Although there seems to be less hype on this one and they may have printed less gold crowns.

Don, did they ever release how many total Gold Crowns were printed?

[KPopFever605]

Ah, i remember last year's Holiday scenario. Last year, didn't D&D release the Fantastiques in October, followed by all the Black Friday sales next month, and then Ellusionist releasing their LTD. decks the following month? I honestly hope the magic companies don't try to do it again. Sure, it's great technique to compete against the other companies, but it's simply not good for us.

If it were up to me, I'd think these Owls will probably between the $15-$30 range.

Furthermore, I do think that TBC's marketing ways are a bit bad, but what can you do about it.

[sr15]

I'm disappointed in The Blue Crown's business techniques so far, honestly I think its blatantly taking advantage of the customer through wording loopholes. They know as well as everyone else that if they made it more clear to everyone that the Snow Owls were going to be put up for sale previously than the amount of sales from the Altruism deck would be lower, as not as many people would have bought a brick.

agreeing with this. It certainly seems like a deceptive marketing practice

[Don Boyer]

I spoke with Alex Pandrea last night after the Dan and Dave lecture at Tannen's - dinner afterward was nice and I got to drive the Buck Twins to their hotel.  Nice couple of guys.  But back to the point...

Blue Crown got the Altruism deck late - it didn't arrive at their warehouse until yesterday morning.  He and Kevin Reylek spent all day yesterday (and probably today as well) packing shipments.  Some people might get them as soon as tomorrow if they live near New York, but most will get them early next week and international sometime after that.

I might as well merge the other topic I made with this one - Alex allowed me to pass on to you guys that the "Snow Owl" deck will be available as a separate purchase on Halloween.  No details on exact time, price, etc. so keep your eyes open for it.  And hopefully some point soon he'll post some video of the post-lecture hangout at the shop.

[Don Boyer]

If they're $10 or less, I'm in!

Here is to wishful thinking, but if they are using the gold crown playbook (and it looks like they are) they will be closer to $17.95. Wonder if they will use the special window'd release mechanism they used before. Although there seems to be less hype on this one and they may have printed less gold crowns.

Don, did they ever release how many total Gold Crowns were printed?

I have no details on pricing - it's possible they'll do as the did for the Gold Crowns or they'll do something else.  We'll know in less than a week.

I don't have totals on the Gold Crowns.  I seem to recall they gave a figure on their Facebook page of "less than 2,500", but don't quote me on that.

Ah, i remember last year's Holiday scenario. Last year, didn't D&D release the Fantastiques in October, followed by all the Black Friday sales next month, and then Ellusionist releasing their LTD. decks the following month? I honestly hope the magic companies don't try to do it again. Sure, it's great technique to compete against the other companies, but it's simply not good for us.

If it were up to me, I'd think these Owls will probably between the $15-$30 range.

Furthermore, I do think that TBC's marketing ways are a bit bad, but what can you do about it.

I'm disappointed in The Blue Crown's business techniques so far, honestly I think its blatantly taking advantage of the customer through wording loopholes. They know as well as everyone else that if they made it more clear to everyone that the Snow Owls were going to be put up for sale previously than the amount of sales from the Altruism deck would be lower, as not as many people would have bought a brick.

agreeing with this. It certainly seems like a deceptive marketing practice

Guys, I have to ask - what did you think they were going to do with the rest of the 2,500 decks that weren't given away?  It did clearly state that there were that many, unlike what they did with the Gold Crowns.  And when someone states that something hasn't happened "yet" and that "so far" it hasn't occurred, it's usually inferred that it will happen.  There was no rumor made that this would only ever be a promo, there was no statement of this being any sort of a special deck beyond the fact that it exists in half the amount of the regular version.  There was no small print here - it was right there in the description, just waiting to be read.

I'd heard that reading was a lost art, but I didn't think it was this lost...  Did you guys read what Kevin said about this deck (in general, not the whites)?  I'm merging this with the other topic, so you only need to scroll around to find it.

[sr15]

again with the insults? all I'm saying is that it is not obvious that the decks would be released later, and it seemed like TBC was purposely making their availability vague in an attempt to sell more decks. I didn't read what they wrote about the deck until today in this topic because I actually didn't care for the deck. I'm not saying it was their intention, but given their history it shouldn't be automatically ruled out. They didn't say that the deck would be available, and even if it was implied that would be available later, there was no reason to think that it wouldn't have been months before their release, especially given that you had to buy a brick of the regular deck in order to get just one. Instead they release it less than a month later, essentially screwing over the people who bought a brick for the one extra deck who were misled by their description. It's a shady marketing practice at best and TBC is now a repeat offender.

Don't get me wrong, I usually love their decks. The Ornate decks are some of my favorites. Making the release of a deck intentionally vague while offering it as a special offer for buying likely many more decks than most customers originally intended to buy is not a good practice and is preying on their consumer base.

[Don Boyer]

again with the insults? all I'm saying is that it is not obvious that the decks would be released later, and it seemed like TBC was purposely making their availability vague in an attempt to sell more decks. I didn't read what they wrote about the deck until today in this topic because I actually didn't care for the deck. I'm not saying it was their intention, but given their history it shouldn't be automatically ruled out. They didn't say that the deck would be available, and even if it was implied that would be available later, there was no reason to think that it wouldn't have been months before their release, especially given that you had to buy a brick of the regular deck in order to get just one. Instead they release it less than a month later, essentially screwing over the people who bought a brick for the one extra deck who were misled by their description. It's a shady marketing practice at best and TBC is now a repeat offender.

Don't get me wrong, I usually love their decks. The Ornate decks are some of my favorites. Making the release of a deck intentionally vague while offering it as a special offer for buying likely many more decks than most customers originally intended to buy is not a good practice and is preying on their consumer base.

My friend - it was, just as you said, a special offer.  When paying that cash, you weren't simply buying one Snow Owl deck; you were buying twelve decks and getting a thirteenth deck not currently for sale as a freebie.  Nobody's arm was twisted, no one's life was threatened, nobody's kittens were drowned if they didn't buy a brick to get this deck.  (Or at least, no one at TBC did any of the above!)

Those who bought the brick to get the deck, they got it for free while the rest of us have to pay for it.  Those who didn't buy the brick get a second chance at it.  If you or anyone else were honestly in a position where buying that brick was a hardship, perhaps you need to think about what's the more important thing - having the cash or having the cards.

TBC never said anywhere that it would only ever be available as a promo deck.  People assumed it.  They didn't take the time to read the WHOLE page - the saw the decks, bought whatever they wanted and could afford whether they got Snow Owls or not, and that was it.  The paragraph I quoted didn't say "they are not for sale", but "they are not YET for sale".  They said they were only a promotional item "so far".  I can't even call this a case of "read the fine print", because it wasn't fine print - it was right there in the ad copy.  No little asterisks and itty bitty legalese footnotes - it was out in the open, as easy to read as the rest of the ad.

Are you honestly telling me that a company should be responsible for assumptions made by its customers who didn't fully read the ad?  This would be like suing a widget company for an injury you sustained from their widget by not reading the owner's manual and doing something against their instructions and warnings.

Go ahead and be upset if you wish, but you truly only have yourself to be upset at.

I think next time when I get a big tip like this, I'll just keep my mouth shut and let you find out (or not) the hard way.  It's not worth this kind of hassle.  Unbelievable.  "You're welcome!"  Seriously, have you ever wondered why the guys at TBC rarely post here anymore?