Collecting ideas and tips

[pengiun]

So I have been collecting for a little while now, but my collection isn't that big or great. Also most of my decks, other then the vortex deck, are from ellusionist, so I would like to sort of branch out into other companies, if that makes sense. I'm just wondering what are some really good custom decks that everyone here on the discourse would recommend buying and adding to my collection. Preferable not rare ones only because those tend to be more expensive, so I'm just asking for everyone's thoughts on what are some great decks of playing cards that I should look into.

[xela]

What are your interests when it comes to cards? Before you get too deep in your collection, figure out exactly what you're collecting. Rare decks? Expensive decks? Artistic decks? KS decks? Magician's decks? Poker decks? Bridge decks? Vintage decks? Gaff decks? Company decks? Once you have your categories nailed down we can help you move in the right direction.

For a deck to make it into my collection for example, it must be: rare/vintage/expensive/ + poker sized

[pengiun]

What it seems to be for me is any deck of cards that is custom with a really cool looking design, which may make this a little harder as everyone's different on what they find "cool", but still just a cool designed cards that handles well enough so it can be used for magic, usually not an altered standard bicycle design, like a mandolin back deck.

[Don Boyer]

What it seems to be for me is any deck of cards that is custom with a really cool looking design, which may make this a little harder as everyone's different on what they find "cool", but still just a cool designed cards that handles well enough so it can be used for magic, usually not an altered standard bicycle design, like a mandolin back deck.

Check out the better-known companies:
Ellusionist (but you know that)
Theory11
Wingra Direct (shopbicyclecards.com)
The Blue Crown
House of Playing Cards
Dan & Dave
David Blaine
Coterie1902

Once you've picked and chosen your way though them, you can try magic shops (online or offline), Kickstarter or eBay and just see what strikes your interest.  Keep an eye out on Kickstarter - most deck companies and designers are perfectly legit, while a few are scams.  It'd be nice if Kickstarter actually policed their own site, but they don't.

Another tip: go to bicyclecards.com and join Club 808.  Of all the options for joining a company club, it's hands down the most worth it.

Final tip: make a budget for your cards and stick to it.  Your hobby shouldn't make you broke or miserable.

[Card Player]

What it seems to be for me is any deck of cards that is custom with a really cool looking design, which may make this a little harder as everyone's different on what they find "cool", but still just a cool designed cards that handles well enough so it can be used for magic, usually not an altered standard bicycle design, like a mandolin back deck.

Check out the better-known companies:
Ellusionist (but you know that)
Theory11
Wingra Direct (shopbicyclecards.com)
The Blue Crown
House of Playing Cards
Dan & Dave
David Blaine
Coterie1902

Once you've picked and chosen your way though them, you can try magic shops (online or offline), Kickstarter or eBay and just see what strikes your interest.  Keep an eye out on Kickstarter - most deck companies and designers are perfectly legit, while a few are scams.  It'd be nice if Kickstarter actually policed their own site, but they don't.

Another tip: go to bicyclecards.com and join Club 808.  Of all the options for joining a company club, it's hands down the most worth it.

Final tip: make a budget for your cards and stick to it.  Your hobby shouldn't make you broke or miserable.

How can we forget...

Conjuring Arts (CARC)
Seasons Playing Cards

[Don Boyer]

What it seems to be for me is any deck of cards that is custom with a really cool looking design, which may make this a little harder as everyone's different on what they find "cool", but still just a cool designed cards that handles well enough so it can be used for magic, usually not an altered standard bicycle design, like a mandolin back deck.

Check out the better-known companies:
Ellusionist (but you know that)
Theory11
Wingra Direct (shopbicyclecards.com)
The Blue Crown
House of Playing Cards
Dan & Dave
David Blaine
Coterie1902

Once you've picked and chosen your way though them, you can try magic shops (online or offline), Kickstarter or eBay and just see what strikes your interest.  Keep an eye out on Kickstarter - most deck companies and designers are perfectly legit, while a few are scams.  It'd be nice if Kickstarter actually policed their own site, but they don't.

Another tip: go to bicyclecards.com and join Club 808.  Of all the options for joining a company club, it's hands down the most worth it.

Final tip: make a budget for your cards and stick to it.  Your hobby shouldn't make you broke or miserable.

How can we forget...

Conjuring Arts (CARC)
Seasons Playing Cards

True, Conjuring Arts is a good source, but most of the decks they've created are out of stock, with only the most recent models remaining.  Seasons doesn't have any cards in stock at the moment, do they?

Just checked.  Seasons has only the Platinum set and some forcing decks.

The point being - both companies' decks could be found easily enough through an online retailer such as the ones I already mentioned.  If you're going to place an order, why not order a handful of decks at once from one place instead of one or two here, one there, another somewhere else, etc.?

[Fred]

Your description is way too vague for us to give you good, accurate suggestions. For example you imply that you love Ellusionist decks, whereas i would only recommend Rounders, Dealers and LTD as i dislike the whole Arcane/Artifice (except Artifice Tundra) series. Preference is entirely subjective! You might like simplicity, complexity, fantasy-like etc etc. Not to say that those are mutually exclusive, but you need to give us a bit more information for us to give you accurate suggestions!

Search up different ends of the stylistic spectrum such as NOC, Mana, Brite Neon (lel :p), Curator, Federal 52, etc etc and give us a better idea of what style you're going after.

Personally, i love elegance and sophistication/class so my favourite decks tend to convey those themes and the colours associated with it (Shades of premium blue, white and black). Examples include: Mana, JAQK, Aurum, Rounders, Monarchs, Blue Crown luxury, Smoke and Mirrors v5 just to name a few.

[pengiun]

Your description is way too vague for us to give you good, accurate suggestions. For example you imply that you love Ellusionist decks, whereas i would only recommend Rounders, Dealers and LTD as i dislike the whole Arcane/Artifice (except Artifice Tundra) series. Preference is entirely subjective! You might like simplicity, complexity, fantasy-like etc etc. Not to say that those are mutually exclusive, but you need to give us a bit more information for us to give you accurate suggestions!

Search up different ends of the stylistic spectrum such as NOC, Mana, Brite Neon (lel :p), Curator, Federal 52, etc etc and give us a better idea of what style you're going after.

Personally, i love elegance and sophistication/class so my favourite decks tend to convey those themes and the colours associated with it (Shades of premium blue, white and black). Examples include: Mana, JAQK, Aurum, Rounders, Monarchs, Blue Crown luxury, Smoke and Mirrors v5 just to name a few.

True i should have been more descriptive and that is my fault, but besides that everything so far seems to be helpful, and i have always found fantasy awesome, but simplicity is great as i love the Rounders and LTD that i happen to have, but some of the very detailed ones are good to, also usually white like decks are cool and also purple is always great, so maybe aurum then as someone already suggested. Elegance is nice as well which i find the artifice like that, but Mana you say, I'll look into that one. Well this should be enough to get me start in searching and I may build a list, thanks for your help everyone, and so far it was a good choice joining here and  I don't see that changing.

Final tip: make a budget for your cards and stick to it.  Your hobby shouldn't make you broke or miserable.

I'll remember that Don, that is actually quite spectacular advise thank you all, if there's anything else anyone still would like to add it's still welcome.

[kdklown]

When you're deciding on decks be sure to search the threads on this website.  Any and all info is available here including pictures and a good number of video reviews as well. 

[Fred]

True i should have been more descriptive and that is my fault, but besides that everything so far seems to be helpful, and i have always found fantasy awesome, but simplicity is great as i love the Rounders and LTD that i happen to have, but some of the very detailed ones are good to, also usually white like decks are cool and also purple is always great, so maybe aurum then as someone already suggested. Elegance is nice as well which i find the artifice like that, but Mana you say, I'll look into that one. Well this should be enough to get me start in searching and I may build a list, thanks for your help everyone, and so far it was a good choice joining here and  I don't see that changing.

Yes this is definitely the go to place! Be sure to check out the Mana deck.. absolutely stunning and in a league of its own in terms of elegance. (In my opinion). Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv1p6OqO7MU and a review by a fellow forum member i believe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUUeaLYx1wo

Also, the designer Erik is a very chill, genuine lad and a pleasure to converse with. Always an added bonus!

[Joker and the Thief]

Some decks that I really enjoy are:

The Virtuoso Deck
Smoke and Mirrors - Dan and Dave
Monarchs - Theory11
Bee Stingers - Theory11
Tally - Ho - USPCC

I would recommend (if you aren't already) doing cardistry or magic with the cards you collect. Putting cards to use, personally, is more fulfilling than just collecting. That's just my opinion however.

[Paul Carpenter]

I shamelessly suggest my decks.

Lots of good suggestions here, and I have most in my collection. Seasons and Curator are a must for anyone, they are amazing designs and deserve to be in every collection. The Mana deck is another favorite, love the use of the metallic inks on the back of that one. Of course, check out Kickstarter and pledge for some Federal 52, Jackson just has immense talent and did incredible work.

And of course if you are wandering around Kickstarter, pick up some Deco while you are at it...

[MrMollusk]

I shamelessly suggest my decks.

I fully support his decks.
The Aurum deck is absolutely stunning. With a laser-cut box, fully custom faces, super thin borders, and an absolutely stunning theme, it's a collector's dream.

By the way, DO NOT FALL FOR HYPE
Sorry. One thing you need to know about collecting is that mediocre decks often end up gaining ridiculous aftermarket prices, only because they were printed in limited supply. The White Monarch is a prime example of this.
Also, card companies know this. You'll often see "LIMITED RUN OF ____". This is almost always a way to try to get you to buy a deck just because it's limited edition. I fell for it when the Sultan Treasury was released. While deck may be cool and have that Limited Run appeal, it just might not be worth $60. You need to filter decks you can go without sometimes. You won't regret it in the long run.

Collect according to your own tastes. Even though people HATED the Smoke and Mirrors V7, I still picked up a few decks because I thought they were cool. A deck is worth buying if you think it's worth owning.

As for individual decks, here's a list that (IMO) most every collector should consider:

Aurum Deck

Tendril Deck

Blue Blood Deck

Bohemia Deck

Virtuoso Deck

Smoke and Mirrors V6/V5/V4

Madison Players

Sentinel Deck

JAQK Deck

DeckONE

Fantastique Deck

Infinity Deck

[Don Boyer]

You need to filter decks you can go without sometimes. You won't regret it in the long run.

Collect according to your own tastes.

There is no such thing as a deck that someone CAN'T do without.  Except the basics, perhaps: off-the-shelf Bikes are great because there's more gaffs cards and magic decks in that design than any other.

Buy what looks beautiful to you - not just what everyone else is buying.  A common rookie mistake (which I made!) is to grab up whatever decks you see.  I have an interesting collection, but there are a few decks I rarely touch because once I saw what they were, I realized they weren't all that and a bag o' chips.  If you fix yourself to a budget of some kind - if not a fixed dollar amount per month, then perhaps a deck limit per month - you'll do a lot more "cherry-picking", getting the stuff that really grabs you and moves you rather than whatever fell off the tree.

[Anthony]

Great suggestions and recommendations in this thread, I am glad I did get some of my noob collecting mistakes out of the way with my other collection. I would like to add a question, while 1st and foremost I've always been a collector who buys what appeals to ME, playing cards, in what I've read fall into a "quality" issue. While I'm basing my choices mostly on visual appeal at this point, I would like to purchase decks of quality. Is there some rule of thumb concerning the actual card stock and process itself? Or am I better off seeing for myself and just sticking to reputable sources?

I was reading something about Bicycle "Standard" packs as opposed to Rider Backs, this is all new to me so I was trying to make some sense of what made one inferior besides the comments "There crap", lol

Thanks in advance!

[John B.]

The classic riderbacks have a different back. I prefer the style of the old ones. but as far as collecting goes, I think Don once mentioned how you should buy decks that you enjoy. Most people keep them sealed so they keep the value. My entire collection is of opened decks. They are meant to be used and played with so thats what I do. Though I do keep them nice.

[Anthony]

Thanks John, I was planning on buying decks in sets...one to open one to save, can't get away from the collectors brainwashing MIB!! I would have to agree though, it would kill me not to open decks and appreciate them. Much like Zippo's, there is something about holding a deck of cards in your hands and in the short time I've been here the Cardestry I've been watching is just amazing! I may have to find some tutorials see if I can teach this old dog some new tricks, lol

Thanks again, T

[Don Boyer]

Great suggestions and recommendations in this thread, I am glad I did get some of my noob collecting mistakes out of the way with my other collection. I would like to add a question, while 1st and foremost I've always been a collector who buys what appeals to ME, playing cards, in what I've read fall into a "quality" issue. While I'm basing my choices mostly on visual appeal at this point, I would like to purchase decks of quality. Is there some rule of thumb concerning the actual card stock and process itself? Or am I better off seeing for myself and just sticking to reputable sources?

I was reading something about Bicycle "Standard" packs as opposed to Rider Backs, this is all new to me so I was trying to make some sense of what made one inferior besides the comments "There crap", lol

Thanks in advance!

The vast majority of the collectors here will buy only cards from USPC - the United States Playing Card Company.  A subset of those collectors will only buy Bicycle-branded decks.  Generally, USPC has pretty good quality - in some cases, even excellent.  There's a general preference for decks made when the company was still operating out of Cincinnati, Ohio - in August of 2009 they moved across the Ohio River to the suburb of Erlanger, Kentucky, into upgraded facilities that also happened to be closer to the area's international airport.  The truth of it is that the more-modern plant is capable of much greater quality than the old facility was towards the end, though there are exceptions.  Commonly-made Bicycle "Standard" decks found in stores are believed to have been made at a lower quality-control level than they once were, and there was a period from late 2009 through much of 2010, often referred to as the "shakedown period", where the quality suffered while the company was working out the kinks of the new equipment.  Since the development of Magic Finish, though, practically all custom decks they make are of excellent quality, especially when compared to other companies.

As far as other companies - there's quality, and there's junk.  You just have to listen to what others have to say about them and check them out for yourself as well.  In the US, however, USPC is the 800-pound gorilla - they are to playing cards what Microsoft is to desktop computers and Intel is to computer processors.  A few other companies exist, but even some of those are independently-operated USPC subsidiaries (and USPC itself is a subsidiary of a larger consumer products company called Jarden).  There's also a few small "American" companies that actually have their print work done by contractors in China, usually to a lower quality standard...but not always.

The difference between Bicycle "Standard" and Bicycle Rider Back - the cards are basically the same cards, factoring in that lower QC level being used today.  It's just the box that's different.  The older box is often referred to as the "classic" design, and has in fact been brought back as "Bicycle 807" by USPC.  Magicians preferred the classic tuck box because many box-related gaffs had been created based on that design.  It's considered by many to be more attractive than the new design as well - the new box has what is basically an advertisement on the back of the box instead of the deck's back design.

[Anthony]

Fantastic information Don, thanks so much for taking the time to post it. I have been working my whay through the review section just to get a better feel of whats expected out of a deck and what to look for. Not to mention it's helping me understand the "Lingo" a bit better..........PIP, who knew, lol

Thanks again, Tony

[Don Boyer]

Fantastic information Don, thanks so much for taking the time to post it. I have been working my whay through the review section just to get a better feel of whats expected out of a deck and what to look for. Not to mention it's helping me understand the "Lingo" a bit better..........PIP, who knew, lol

Thanks again, Tony

Dig your way through the "Fact or Fiction" sticky topic at the top of the Playing Card Plethora (PCP).  Some of the info early in the topic is out of date or inaccurate, but the later information is better and even the older stuff can help you suss out the history a bit.

[John B.]

Sparkz, you are officialy a part of the discourse now. Don has givin you the super long post that people like me really wont read the whole thing of and wonder why he did not include a tltr.

[Don Boyer]

Sparkz, you are officialy a part of the discourse now. Don has givin you the super long post that people like me really wont read the whole thing of and wonder why he did not include a tltr.

Dude, sometimes it just can't be squished into the TL;DR Cliff Notes version...  I can't help if if you have no remaining attention span! 

[John B.]

Hey I am still recovering from no alcohol. lol jk. I read most of it. Don I think your the only person who if I see a long post I read it all. I truly enjoy reading what you write because I know you put time and effort into.

[Anthony]

Well I really do appreciate the information, I know having noobs around is sometimes a pain and a chore and I'm sure it gets tiresome when the same questions are asked over and over again, so I have made the search function my new best friend and only ask if I run out of resources.

For me though it's still a learning thing, I always like to learn as much as I can about what I collect, or else it just "Buying" not really collecting, lol

Thanks again, everyone has been great!

[Don Boyer]

Well I really do appreciate the information, I know having noobs around is sometimes a pain and a chore and I'm sure it gets tiresome when the same questions are asked over and over again, so I have made the search function my new best friend and only ask if I run out of resources.

For me though it's still a learning thing, I always like to learn as much as I can about what I collect, or else it just "Buying" not really collecting, lol

Thanks again, everyone has been great!

You give us a well thought-out question that you've researched already and couldn't find the answer, we're on that like wet on water.