DRAPLIN DESIGN CO. “THICK LINES EDITION” (DS)

[badpete69]

http://deckstarter.com/campaigns/thick-lines-edition/

[rjtomlinson1977]

The packaging looks like it should be for a 1980 atari game not a 2014 deck of playing cards.

[PrincessTrouble]

For some reason, the back reminds me of the Brady Bunch.

[Don Boyer]

It reminds me of a box of Kodak 8mm film.

Costs about as much, too.

TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS A DECK appears to be Deckstarter's new norm, since the other starting deck has the same price tag...  Yikes...

It makes me wonder if these decks will actually get funded.  The design is decent, but the price is just too high and aside from the pretty box I don't see anything that justifies it.

[Yashi]

It makes me wonder if these decks will actually get funded.  The design is decent, but the price is just too high and aside from the pretty box I don't see anything that justifies it.

They seem pretty confident on hitting the $10,000 goal since the funding period is only 10 days.

[Rob Wright]

It reminds me of a box of Kodak 8mm film.

Costs about as much, too.

TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS A DECK appears to be Deckstarter's new norm, since the other starting deck has the same price tag...  Yikes...

It makes me wonder if these decks will actually get funded.  The design is decent, but the price is just too high and aside from the pretty box I don't see anything that justifies it.

I may be wrong, but I think they are going to be in for a rude awakening.
The MagicPac is pretty cool, but unnecessary. I guess that will be there trademark innovation 

[rjtomlinson1977]

The only thing magical about the MagicPac is how it makes $25 disappear in a snap!

[formula]

Someone wrote "D$D" earlier this week. I thought the dollar sign was well placed and the $25 price tag confirms it. I feel that they would charge $50 p/d if they could.

As for the MagicPak, why would I want to open two boxes to get to my cards? One is enough.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

AGREED! I feel like we're paying for the fancy pull tab box... which I don't want. A box in a box? And a $25 price tag? Do the Bucks know their target audience? I guess it's not me.

[HandSkillz]

Wow this is sad.  I love the design of these cards...cool box too...but $25/deck?  Just can't justify that on a deck no one has handled or experienced in some way (you can with one of Jackson's projects because you know what you're getting is worth every cent, but comon guys, deckstarter should launch with something that's not prohibitively expensive).

[Don Boyer]

AGREED! I feel like we're paying for the fancy pull tab box... which I don't want. A box in a box? And a $25 price tag? Do the Bucks know their target audience? I guess it's not me.

Their target audience, from what I've heard on the grapevine, is the high design crowd, not the playing card collector crowd.  They couldn't give a flying fig what we think - our wallets are too small.  For high design people, a pack of cards that decorates the table or the mantle is a bargain at $25 if it fits their decor.

Despite the short deadline, they're already at $4.4K of $10K with 112 backers.  I guess when you charge $25 a pack, you only need to sell 400 to hit the goal - on a print run of 800 decks and 50 uncuts.

[formula]

That's what I gathered, Don. Judging from Deckstarters presence at the How conference they're appealing to the corporate branding market. Some companies (not including giants such as coca-cola) spend millions per month on marketing so as you say, $25 is a drop in the ocean.

[Rob Wright]

Doesn't matter if they make there funding goal or not.

These cards are in stock and ready to ship. Pledge now and we’ll send you yours as soon as the funding goal is met.

I would assume anyone that pledges will get them regardless. This is listed on both projects.

[CordedTires]

Doesn't matter if they make there funding goal or not.

These cards are in stock and ready to ship. Pledge now and we’ll send you yours as soon as the funding goal is met.

I would assume anyone that pledges will get them regardless. This is listed on both projects.

Sure sounds like it - but boy is that confusing. Why have a goal then?

[formula]

They had both decks printed to showcase at How Live. I'm assuming that part of the Deckstarter service allowed D$D to reserve x amount of decks for themselves (The rest of the decks going to the two clients), which is what they're selling and pledges somehow fulfil a loss that they incured as their initial launch projects.

[Card Player]

If the decks do fail, will it be because of the deck/packaging design or because of Deckstarter? Remember, many of the decks we see on Kickstarter are partially funded by those interested in a variety of projects, not just playing cards.

What then? Does D&D Kick-Start the "Deckstarter" company to make up for lost revenue and attract other Kickstarter backers?

D&D will not let the first 2 decks fail or have Deckstarter projects move on to Kickstarter? They might end up backing the rest themselves. It would look really bad for Deckstarter either way.

I believe these decks were already printed. The packaging and decks are most likely exclusively made for the soul purpose of Deckstarter. Not because a designer originally wanted to create a deck. Even if the designer could move to Kickstarter, they would have to redesign the packaging because the current packaging most likely belongs to Deckstarter and was co-designed by Deckstarter.

*Edit: Just saw the video. I guess you all know this already! lol

[Don Boyer]

If the decks do fail, will it be because of the deck/packaging design or because of Deckstarter? Remember, many of the decks we see on Kickstarter are partially funded by those interested in a variety of projects, not just playing cards.

What then? Does D&D Kick-Start the "Deckstarter" company to make up for lost revenue and attract other Kickstarter backers?

D&D will not let the first 2 decks fail or have Deckstarter projects move on to Kickstarter? They might end up backing the rest themselves. It would look really bad for Deckstarter either way.

I believe these decks were already printed. The packaging and decks are most likely exclusively made for the soul purpose of Deckstarter. Not because a designer originally wanted to create a deck. Even if the designer could move to Kickstarter, they would have to redesign the packaging because the current packaging most likely belongs to Deckstarter and was co-designed by Deckstarter.

*Edit: Just saw the video. I guess you all know this already! lol

The decks, at least these two decks, won't fail - as stated, they're already printed.  It feels disingenuous to structure the sale of these decks like a crowdfunding project - there's no crowdfunding here, just straight-up purchasing.

If any Deckstarter design fails, it will be due to high price and the design not resonating for some reason with the "high design" collectors.  They are, as I understand it, pushing the concept within the overall design community and not simply deck designers, so they'd have to come up with a design that just didn't appeal in order to fail outright.  These first two projects, having already been printed, can't possibly fail.  It would be a matter of seeing what comes next.  If they continue with pre-printing the cards, the entire Deckstarter concept might as well be the Art of Play website - just another deck store.

[Card Player]

If the decks do fail, will it be because of the deck/packaging design or because of Deckstarter? Remember, many of the decks we see on Kickstarter are partially funded by those interested in a variety of projects, not just playing cards.

What then? Does D&D Kick-Start the "Deckstarter" company to make up for lost revenue and attract other Kickstarter backers?

D&D will not let the first 2 decks fail or have Deckstarter projects move on to Kickstarter? They might end up backing the rest themselves. It would look really bad for Deckstarter either way.

I believe these decks were already printed. The packaging and decks are most likely exclusively made for the soul purpose of Deckstarter. Not because a designer originally wanted to create a deck. Even if the designer could move to Kickstarter, they would have to redesign the packaging because the current packaging most likely belongs to Deckstarter and was co-designed by Deckstarter.

*Edit: Just saw the video. I guess you all know this already! lol

If any Deckstarter design fails, it will be due to high price and the design not resonating for some reason with the "high design" collectors.  They are, as I understand it, pushing the concept within the overall design community and not simply deck designers, so they'd have to come up with a design that just didn't appeal in order to fail outright.

Your most likely right about that.

The high design demographic in this instance does not add up. There is NO substance, ONLY style. People who buy high design products are NOT stupid. These are after all just low quality decks of playing cards. Its not home decor or personal attire. High design product pricing has as much to do with the quality of the product as it does the design. These don't look to be manufactured by anyone we would consider an industry standard of quality? I just don't see it.

[Don Boyer]

The high design demographic in this instance does not add up. There is NO substance, ONLY style. People who buy high design products are NOT stupid. These are after all just low quality decks of playing cards. Its not home decor or personal attire. High design product pricing has as much to do with the quality of the product as it does the design. These don't look to be manufactured by anyone we would consider an industry standard of quality? I just don't see it.

I'd be willing to wager that the Bucks used one of two possible companies to create the decks (maybe not the MagikPaks but at least the tuck boxes inside of them and the cards in the tucks) - USPC or Expert PCC.  To date they've used nothing but USPC, but they are on the Board of Directors of the Conjuring Arts Research Center and have close ties to Bill Kalush.  In either case, the quality wouldn't be shoddy, for the most part.  A pack of cards doesn't need to be dipped in gold and encrusted with diamonds to be a quality deck.

Remember the Alexander Wang all-black PVC deck of cards?  Those were made by Brahma Playing Cards out of Mumbai and the quality, while not the absolute worst, wasn't something to proudly write home about, either - I obtained a sample when I ordered a bundle of sample decks from the company.  Those decks in the fancy packaging sell for $55 a pack!  http://www.alexanderwang.com/shop/objects/shop-objects-collection/910007/playing-cards  The quality of the cards wasn't the big deal - it was the slick design and the brand name, period.

And believe it or not, yes, these decks would be used as home decor.  Place them on a shelf, a mantle, a living room table - suddenly they become design accents.  It would not surprise me in the least if some of the people buying these decks were doing so because the colors and/or shapes would look just right with their living room ensemble of designer seating, lamps, shelves and tables.

[Card Player]

I'd be willing to wager that the Bucks used one of two possible companies to create the decks (maybe not the MagikPaks but at least the tuck boxes inside of them and the cards in the tucks) - USPC or Expert PCC.  To date they've used nothing but USPC, but they are on the Board of Directors of the Conjuring Arts Research Center and have close ties to Bill Kalush.

Yes. I knew about D&D being on the CARC BOD and a possible relationship with Bill. Not listing the manufacturer is a bit sketchy, high design or not. It should be questioned.  Its not a piece of wall art. EPCC does work with other printers? Unless D&D assumes those who purchase products of high design don't care who or where a product is being made? That's a bad assumption.  Why not endorse EPCC?

[Rose]

So retro, the box seems elaborate to me but the style is pretty sweet.

[Rob Wright]

So retro, the box seems elaborate to me but the style is pretty sweet.

The box is pretty cool, and I'm sure a lot of people ordered these just for that. I would like to have one, but I don't need more than one. I hope they don't due this for every project.
I also wonder how many people ordered because they are already made? ? ? I think that kind of throws off the market test.

[Don Boyer]

So retro, the box seems elaborate to me but the style is pretty sweet.

The box is pretty cool, and I'm sure a lot of people ordered these just for that. I would like to have one, but I don't need more than one. I hope they don't due this for every project.
I also wonder how many people ordered because they are already made? ? ? I think that kind of throws off the market test.

Market test?  Not exactly.  More like a market, period.  Seriously - this wasn't "crowdfunded" by any stretch of the imagination.  The decks were bought and paid for long before the "funding campaign" began.

[dmbaggs]

Despite the short deadline, they're already at $4.4K of $10K with 112 backers.  I guess when you charge $25 a pack, you only need to sell 400 to hit the goal - on a print run of 800 decks and 50 uncuts.

It was actually a print run of 5000 (through USPCC... I believe). They gave out almost 3,000 at the How Live Design Conference. This should leave them with over 1,000 leftover after this "funding"

[Don Boyer]

Despite the short deadline, they're already at $4.4K of $10K with 112 backers.  I guess when you charge $25 a pack, you only need to sell 400 to hit the goal - on a print run of 800 decks and 50 uncuts.

It was actually a print run of 5000 (through USPCC... I believe). They gave out almost 3,000 at the How Live Design Conference. This should leave them with over 1,000 leftover after this "funding"

Hey there, BB - it's been a while!  Missed having you around here.

It just seems so silly to use "crowdfunding" to pay for it after the fact - in retail, that's what we call "selling"...