Lost Languages - Yiddish (KS)

[Don Boyer]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/corsaadvertising/the-yiddish-playing-cards-lost-languages

I live in New York, so Yiddish here is anything but lost!

Looks like a typical novelty deck, for people who enjoy them.  I'd say that foreign languages are the last thing that comes to mind when I'm playing cards, but then I remember someone did give me a decks that teaches curse words in about a dozen European languages... 

[xela]

Oh don you're such a mishugunah

[Evan]

My Grandma would love this deck

[GBAllison]

Well the novelty hits me square between the eyes.  I'm a backer.  But a $14,000 funding goal?  It doesn't say who the manufacturer is, but it's not USPCC.

The project creator writes "We are using a vendor that I have known for several years and who has a minimum run of 5000 decks. ... I personally know the owner of the company and his track record is solid. We have used his cards over 6 years and the quality, ease of reading and durability is there...This is a quality casino/poker sized card."

I love the idea, and the artwork is clean (even though I don't like the brown background), and the high-end rewards are likely to appeal to a certain audience (who *wouldn't* want their own grandmother to be the queen of hearts!).  But $14,000?  I hope it succeeds but that's an ambitious funding goal for a deck that probably isn't going to appeal to the magic market or the poker market.

[Don Boyer]

My Grandma would love this deck

She didn't pose for the Queen of Clubs, did she? 

Well the novelty hits me square between the eyes.  I'm a backer.  But a $14,000 funding goal?  It doesn't say who the manufacturer is, but it's not USPCC.

The project creator writes "We are using a vendor that I have known for several years and who has a minimum run of 5000 decks. ... I personally know the owner of the company and his track record is solid. We have used his cards over 6 years and the quality, ease of reading and durability is there...This is a quality casino/poker sized card."

I love the idea, and the artwork is clean (even though I don't like the brown background), and the high-end rewards are likely to appeal to a certain audience (who *wouldn't* want their own grandmother to be the queen of hearts!).  But $14,000?  I hope it succeeds but that's an ambitious funding goal for a deck that probably isn't going to appeal to the magic market or the poker market.

Yeah, I wondered about that.  That goal sounds high, especially for an off-brand deck.  But remember, the magic market and the poker market combined are just a sliver of the overall playing card market.  Misc. Goods Co. drew yawns and wisecracks when people here were first introduced to it - and I was one of the scoffers.  Nearly $150K later, no one's laughing.  I don't think all the backers from UC and here added up to more than just a fraction of the total cash raised.

[YiddishCards]

Thank you all for the recognition and support! It is a lofty finding goal but the bulk of it is to be split between the artist and production. I am continuing to do research and have since learned that bicycle could do a 2500 deck run, so if funding is close that could also be a route. I knew a card manufacturer so it was natural to start there.

fyi: The Bubbie is mine!  

[Don Boyer]

Thank you all for the recognition and support! It is a lofty finding goal but the bulk of it is to be split between the artist and production. I am continuing to do research and have since learned that bicycle could do a 2500 deck run, so if funding is close that could also be a route. I knew a card manufacturer so it was natural to start there.

fyi: The Bubbie is mine!

Thanks for stopping by - we welcome designers and Kickstarter project creators.

I do seriously think the funding goal might trip this project up.  Novelty decks don't usually get the same "love and attention" on Kickstarter other decks do, with few exceptions.  I can think of two that succeeded - the Typestache deck, because it had a super-low goal, and Play Me Burlesque, because it had photos of burlesque dancers in costume!  Tacoma Artists, not really a novelty deck, worked because it was locally-focused and had tremendous local support.  Portland Places, another location-focused deck, succeeded because it had the lowest goal I've ever seen for a deck project - only $500!

The novelty-deck failures:

Valor deck - twice!
Warrior
2012 Origins
Triple-Topper - three times!
Deck the 1%: #OccupyWallStreet
Freakies
Metagalactic "Blackout" (glow in the dark!)
Internet Meme
Meme Playing Cards (different deck, similar theme)
Once Upon a Time... the Creepy Doll deck
Out of this World Space Age (technically not dead, but on life support with slim-to-none odds)
Roman Poker
Hero Decks
Antarctica Photo Shoot (this was real cute - looks like the creator made the deck as a way to fund a trip to Antarctica!)
SIDIGI: African Heritage
Redesigned Socially Positive Playing Cards (doesn't that just roll off the tongue? )
Hipster
R@n$0m

Many of these decks had smaller goals than yours.

Now, having said all that...it doesn't mean bupkiss! 

The majority of decks on Kickstarter are aimed at magicians, card flourishers and collectors, with a growing minority of poker players.  That market segment is barely more than a rounding error in the grand scheme of things as far as playing card sales are concerned.  What you need to do, BIG TIME, is push this deck in corners of the cards-buying world that it would most appeal to.  You're welcome to discuss your deck here as much as you like - I encourage it! - but you'll find most people are somewhat less interested.  Any websites appealing to popular Jewish culture would be a natural, as well as sites focusing on the intricacies and oddities of New York living - Yiddish still has its charms here!  Israeli-oriented English-language sites also sound like a ripe target.

I'll say this much about the deck design - it's pretty solid.  There doesn't seem to be too many "rookie mistakes" in how you have it organized and laid out.  The only thing I'd fuss about at all is the one-way back - but that would apply if this was a serious deck for magic or poker, which it isn't.

I wish you the best of luck.  If you need someone to spring ideas off of, feel free to pop in again.  And you're more than welcome to participate in our other forums - some aren't even directly playing-card related!

[YiddishCards]

Well the novelty hits me square between the eyes.  I'm a backer.  But a $14,000 funding goal?  It doesn't say who the manufacturer is, but it's not USPCC. (Art design and manufacturing are the largest chunk of this and I am hoping that the personalized aspect will garner interest.

I love the idea, and the artwork is clean (even though I don't like the brown background) (We are not stuck or set on the brown background and perhaps monitors are different shades. We are going for a light brown but darker than an eggshell., and the high-end rewards are likely to appeal to a certain audience (who *wouldn't* want their own grandmother to be the queen of hearts!).  But $14,000?  I hope it succeeds but that's an ambitious funding goal for a deck that probably isn't going to appeal to the magic market or the poker market. Fingers crossed! Have a great one and please support us however possible! Cheers

I'll get better at posting layout. My apologies

[Don Boyer]

Well the novelty hits me square between the eyes.  I'm a backer.  But a $14,000 funding goal?  It doesn't say who the manufacturer is, but it's not USPCC. (Art design and manufacturing are the largest chunk of this and I am hoping that the personalized aspect will garner interest.

I love the idea, and the artwork is clean (even though I don't like the brown background) (We are not stuck or set on the brown background and perhaps monitors are different shades. We are going for a light brown but darker than an eggshell., and the high-end rewards are likely to appeal to a certain audience (who *wouldn't* want their own grandmother to be the queen of hearts!).  But $14,000?  I hope it succeeds but that's an ambitious funding goal for a deck that probably isn't going to appeal to the magic market or the poker market. Fingers crossed! Have a great one and please support us however possible! Cheers

I'll get better at posting layout. My apologies

It's usually easier to simply quote the entire post or the relevant selection.  In a case like this, you'd quote everything, adding your own comments after the quote.

Please, don't double post.  I merged your posts.  If you have more to add to a post you just made moments earlier, simply use Modify to re-edit the post and add your new info.

[GBAllison]

I am continuing to do research and have since learned that bicycle could do a 2500 deck run, so if funding is close that could also be a route. I knew a card manufacturer so it was natural to start there.

Just my own two cents, but I think people are *much* more comfortable with a USPCC deck.  And even if you decide not to go with them, I think your KS project should name at least who you're thinking about using instead.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I accidentally own some VERY horrible thin cardboard decks.  At $9 a pop, I think people want to be assured that this deck will be playable ... and not some flimsy deck that's gonna go on sale in gas stations for 50 cents. :-)

We are not stuck or set on the brown background and perhaps monitors are different shades. We are going for a light brown but darker than an eggshell.

On my monitor it's a very distinct brown.  Maybe it's just me, but while I love the cartoon caricatures, the overall color scheme--which would be in my face every time I fan out a bridge hand--comes across as *too* cartoonish.

Hope this helps--please take these as constructive suggestions vs whining.  Like I said before, I'm a backer already and I hope this gets funded!

P.S. Also, you should reply to your commentors on KS.  KS backers are notoriously anxious about not hearing from the project creator enough.  You simply *can't* update too frequently. :-)

[Don Boyer]

I am continuing to do research and have since learned that bicycle could do a 2500 deck run, so if funding is close that could also be a route. I knew a card manufacturer so it was natural to start there.

Just my own two cents, but I think people are *much* more comfortable with a USPCC deck.  And even if you decide not to go with them, I think your KS project should name at least who you're thinking about using instead.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I accidentally own some VERY horrible thin cardboard decks.  At $9 a pop, I think people want to be assured that this deck will be playable ... and not some flimsy deck that's gonna go on sale in gas stations for 50 cents. :-)

We are not stuck or set on the brown background and perhaps monitors are different shades. We are going for a light brown but darker than an eggshell.

On my monitor it's a very distinct brown.  Maybe it's just me, but while I love the cartoon caricatures, the overall color scheme--which would be in my face every time I fan out a bridge hand--comes across as *too* cartoonish.

Hope this helps--please take these as constructive suggestions vs whining.  Like I said before, I'm a backer already and I hope this gets funded!

P.S. Also, you should reply to your commentors on KS.  KS backers are notoriously anxious about not hearing from the project creator enough.  You simply *can't* update too frequently. :-)

I'd disagree on a few points.  For a novelty deck like this, it's not mandatory that USPC be the printer.  But if the price is what it is, the quality should justify it.  People know the quality that USPC puts out, but unless you use another "known value" like Cartamundi, US Games, Gemaco, etc., the price is tougher to justify.  No one expects this deck to be smooth as silk and faro like a dream, but cost is an issue.  Find a way to charge less for this deck and you've got a better chance of success.

And yes, you CAN update too frequently.  I'd say that unless there's some actual news, once every seven-to-ten days is perfectly fine.  Keep people informed, to be sure, but don't waste their time with daily reports of "Everything's hunky-dory here, nothin' new..."

[GBAllison]

The project has been cancelled by the project creator.
He had raised just $3,373 of the $14,018 funding goal.
He posted that he's going to relaunch the project immediately, with a lower funding goal and plans for USPCC as the printer.
I sure hope it'll relaunch at a lower price point, but he doesn't mention that.

"Through some good people, I have learned that United States Playing Cards offers lower quantity options. Since it seems that the original goal is not trending to be met, we have decided to bring down this listing at midnight tonight [Eastern time] and relaunch the same project with a lower goal starting tomorrow. With the new goal we will make less decks but other remaining costs will still be covered and the project realized."

[GBAllison]

OK, the second-attempt is now live on Kickstarter.
Same exact cards, but this time it's on USPCC.

Same rewards.
Same prices.
Early bird is $9.

New funding goal: $5,772 (down substantially from $14,018.
17 days to complete.
About a third of the original backers have already signed up again.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/corsaadvertising/yiddish-cards-a-mini-language-lesson-in-a-deck-of

P.S. I hope I followed the right protocol.  Even though I was the latest reply ... they were nearly a day apart and substantially different in content ... one was the project cancel and the other was the relaunch.

[Pacis]

Big drop in funding goal.
How is that possible? One can see many new comers with projects with no less than 9,000 funding goal.
Well, it's a nice project. I sure hope it gets funded. I'm pledging now.
Interesting fact is the international shipping has also dropped (by $1).

[GBAllison]

The change in the funding goal is driven by his choice of printer.  When he started the first project, he had planned to go with a friend of his who he had worked with before, but whose costs were obviously too high.  So he chose to go with USPCC as the less expensive option.  I don't think I've seen that before :-)

"This chopped our production costs dramatically and my friend and original planned manufacturer understood the realities. Happy to report that the cards are still going to made in the USA!"
 
Personally, I had expected most of his original backers to have moved over to the new project by now, but he's not there yet.  Of course I'm probably being impatient ... it's only been a couple of days.

I definitely have my fingers crossed.

[Don Boyer]

The change in the funding goal is driven by his choice of printer.  When he started the first project, he had planned to go with a friend of his who he had worked with before, but whose costs were obviously too high.  So he chose to go with USPCC as the less expensive option.  I don't think I've seen that before :-)

"This chopped our production costs dramatically and my friend and original planned manufacturer understood the realities. Happy to report that the cards are still going to made in the USA!"
 
Personally, I had expected most of his original backers to have moved over to the new project by now, but he's not there yet.  Of course I'm probably being impatient ... it's only been a couple of days.

I definitely have my fingers crossed.

There's always a risk when shutting down and starting over that not all of your backers will follow you.  It's even possible that not all of them got the word of the new project - spam filters can be a bit overzealous at times.

It was the right move to make - the lower goal will make this deck easier to fund, as will the choice of printer.  If he called it "Bicycle", it would practically be a shoe-in!