Flowers (KS) - Formerly Bicycle Flowers, FOURTH Attempt

[Don Boyer]

You know them, you've seen them before (twice), and here they are again - Flowers.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alienslink/flowers-playing-cards

EDIT: now the third try was scrubbed - and a day later he's launched the FOURTH...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alienslink/flowers-ninja-funding

[Michael]

I'm not a fan of these either. Way too busy for me and not my style. I will respect their constant attempt at trying to make their deck come true!

[Don Boyer]

I'm not a fan of these either. Way too busy for me and not my style. I will respect their constant attempt at trying to make their deck come true!

Actually, I have to give this guy credit for something - in his previous attempts, he was making the flowers themselves the suits.  There was no effort to use traditional suits.  This time, for the first time, he's reshaped his flowers into pips.  I actually think it works.  It's a good deck for romantic magic or for performing for kids.  Not what I'd play poker with, but since when do I have a shortage of decks for that?    I'm not ruling this one out.

[10ofclubs]

Yes! Finally traditional pips! I agree Don, I think these look so much better now. They look like real cards.

[DeckReview]

I've actually seen the cards in person and they look amazing. I personally hope this deck does get funded so everyone can see for themselves.

[Blot153]

Just wanted to let you all know    that there are minis available as add-ons for my Flowers Playing Cards Project! 

They are 310 GSM, same as Bee Stock, and the finish is Cardistry and Magic ready right out the box! I posted a vid on the project to show how awesome they are. Hope you come and pledge! It's a beautiful deck for sure.

[Don Boyer]

Thanks for the info.

Notice that I merged this topic with the previous one on your deck's KS project.  Please keep it to a single topic for your project.

Your comparison claim may be inaccurate.  USPC no longer uses grams per square inch (gsm) as the measurement standard for their stock.  It would be like calling your stock "fifteen gallons thicker" or "five centimeters heavier" than Bee or Bicycle stock.  I wrote a bit about stock in the "Fact or Fiction" topic a few months back.

[Don Boyer]

So, yesterday the project folded - and no one noticed!  Today, it's baaaaaaaack...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alienslink/flowers-ninja-funding

He's giving it ten days and is asking for $3k, but otherwise, it's nearly the same.  He's also opting for a smaller printing company.  He stands a better chance, since his previous three attempts raised around that same amount or close to it.

[GBAllison]

Interesting that they went with such a short timeline.  Sure they nearly got up to $3K before, but not in ten days.  The typical funding graphs tend to show it takes a while to get the word out.  Even to their own existing backers who may not realize the project has been yanked out from under them.

It took Yiddish 11 or 12 days just to even equal the number of backers they developed in their first try.

[sprouts1115]

have to admit his reward structure is simple and clear...stretch goals clear...

[Blot153]

Cardistry has been a part of my life since I started seriously looking into what elements, make up a playing card, what a magician would want in a deck, how magic works and why, and what would someone that is a cardist look for in a playing card's design?

Sadly, the word 'cardistry' is not in the dictionary. 'Le Paul' Spreads? Merriam Webster has no idea what that is. Every time I write that beautiful word, it has a lil red squiggly underneath it. And that has to stop.

So Alien Ink has started a petition to have Merriam Webster put in the dictionary. Let's seal the deal and make history together. Let's get Flowers printed and at the same time put your name on something that will make playing card history.

https://www.change.org/petitions/merriam-webster-put-cardistry-in-the-dictionary

Go sign it and let's make history.

[Soliloquy]

It probably depends on the application, but you might be able to just right click on the red underlined word and choose "Add to dictionary" from the context menu.

(I know, I'm missing the point of your petition, sorry.  Just had to be pedantic.)

[Loop Cuts]

I'm so confused why you keep starting kickstarter campaigns and ending them just to repeat the process.  I know a thing or two about making this work and your destroying all your marketing potential.  If you don't get your funding this next time, just set up a 60 day campaign and if you make change then update your backers.  Updates are good since it more info about your brand and deck to put out there.   

Good luck

[xela]

Well these cards are gorgeous, no doubt...

USPC is not necessary, but divulging your producer is if you want to succeed. If you want to keep it a secret, you need to hand out free decks to prominent people in the community. Not fucking deck reviewers, but professional cardists and magicians. Not that dude with 400 views on his YT video. People who do this for a living, and succeed.

As of now I have no idea how your cards handle.

Of course there are some idiots that think if it isn't USPC, it's crap. They're wrong, and they have an agenda. Anyone that has handled the MSM decks would know that USPC is far from the end-all be-all of cards.


As for your petition, no offense but it's a fucking joke. I love the English language. Perhaps I'm even obsessed with it. "Le Paul Spread" isn't in the dictionary because it isn't a fucking word. Having Le Paul Spread in the dictionary would be equivalent to having "Gears of War" in a dictionary. They're names of things.

Also, pretty much everyone except people involved with cards would find no use from the term. Instead, how about create a cardist's dictionary?

[Loop Cuts]

I agree with Alex 100%

Sending your cards out to a reviewer is something you do after printing to help boost that second wave of sales but never should be used to introduce the deck.  I'm sure the idea of having DeckReview spread the word seemed ideal with the large amount of subscribers he has but you have to consider analytic and who is behind those video views.  Its not enough to flash some art then to put up a Kick starter.  You need to inspire those who are watching. 

Let's look at federal 52 for a sec.  If they had not produced there introduction video or the time lapse video of the art work, it would never have had the same level of success.  He inspired and created an emotional response to his viewers. 

I'm not saying that is the only way to go because its not but your not exploring any effective marketing methods.

[Don Boyer]

I agree with Alex 100%

Sending your cards out to a reviewer is something you do after printing to help boost that second wave of sales but never should be used to introduce the deck.  I'm sure the idea of having DeckReview spread the word seemed ideal with the large amount of subscribers he has but you have to consider analytic and who is behind those video views.  Its not enough to flash some art then to put up a Kick starter.  You need to inspire those who are watching. 

Let's look at federal 52 for a sec.  If they had not produced there introduction video or the time lapse video of the art work, it would never have had the same level of success.  He inspired and created an emotional response to his viewers. 

I'm not saying that is the only way to go because its not but your not exploring any effective marketing methods.

It doesn't matter now, at least for this deck.  He squeaked over the "finish line" with goal + $81.  That's a TIGHT margin for error - I hope he's accounted for it.

As far as the other deck project he's running, he's got people posting complaints about not receiving their 1st Edition decks and now he's trying to make a 2nd Edition...

I didn't even utterly hate the design on this deck - it just wasn't enough to push me to invest.  There's way too many deck projects running now - I can't remember how long it's been since I was tracking fewer than twenty projects at a time on the NDR.  If the trend continues unabated, I'll have to strip down how I create the report, 'cause I won't have enough time to put into it.  With so many options and limited funds, if a deck doesn't stand up, reach through the screen, grab my eyeballs and make sweet, sweet love to them, I'm going to pass.

I bet that if he approached a decent-sized botanical garden or nature reserve or something to that effect, one with deep-enough pockets would have been willing to fund a Bicycle version of his deck outright, no KS project needed, especially if he was willing to brand it with their organization's name.  In that setting, they'd practically sell themselves.  It's like selling a nudie deck at the Museum of Sex.  Even a chain florist like 1-800-Flowers.com would have been at least interested, I think.

[Loop Cuts]

I agree with you Don.  Tons of ways to go about it but I think he is just rushing the system without a real clear end goal.  Takes one to know one. 

I'm attempting to take my time with most things now.