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Top Modern Decks to Collect

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Top Modern Decks to Collect
« on: June 18, 2015, 05:09:07 PM »
 

jphj012

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Hello everyone. As the title says, I have started to collect playing cards and will be focusing on modern decks. My Federal 52 series set is almost complete. What would be your Top 20 most popular gotta have modern decks?
 

Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2015, 06:25:56 PM »
 

hecrob

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Not the full top 20 but...

- Gatorbacks set
- Fontaine set (I dont really like it, but its super popular with the kids)
- Virtuoso set
- Sharps set
- Legends V1 set
- Whispering Imps set (not the private reserve ones, which are just a different box)
- Gnostic Legends set
- JAQK set (not incredible... but also a little bit popular)
- Monarchs V1 set
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2015, 06:29:09 PM »
 

HankMan

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These are my top list cards not in any particular order.

Whispering imps (including private reserve)
Tendril series
Zenith
Aurum
Split spades lions series
Gatorbacks series
Legends  852 series and Egyptian series
Legends Sharps
Draconian
Curator and clipped wings
Exquisite Bold
Uusi - Blue Blood (including redux), Bohemia and Pagan

Edit:
added Uusi
« Last Edit: June 19, 2015, 01:52:19 AM by HankMan »
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2015, 06:31:03 PM »
 

HankMan

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- Whispering Imps set (not the private reserve ones, which are just a different box)

Do you know the private reserve is made from different company hence different stock and handling?
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2015, 07:05:20 PM »
 

ecNate

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This seems to come up every once in a while, but of course it is heavily dependent on taste and time (because some fall out of favor faster than others), which for a modern deck hasn't happened yet. 

Still, a few key ones that come to mind besides Fed series - Origins, Seasons, all from Emmanuel Jose (especially Curator already mentioned), the new 52 Plus Joker decks, most Uusi decks (although I just have Hotcakes and Classic because all I really liked), etc.  I also think the yet unprinted Arcana will be in this list though.  Just browse the most funded sections of Kickstarter for ideas on what was popular and find ones that appeal to you.  Unless you are a speculator and hoping for increase in value, that's a whole other situation.
https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/playing%20cards?sort=most_funded
https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?term=playing+cards&sort=most_funded

Also see this
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=6791.25;viewresults
 

Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2015, 07:10:35 PM »
 

Justin O.

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Stockholm 17's decks
Altruism
Karnival Dose (Original)
CMYK
Hives
D&D Private Reserve
COSEA deck
English Laundry
Chris Ovdiyenko's decks
Uusi's decks
Mana
Propaganda
Rebel
Misc. Goods Co.

To illustrate subjectivity to collecting though:
My most prized deck (Over my Unbranded Federal Reserve Note, Jerry Nuggets and Legacy Scarlett) is the companion deck of the MET's Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibit,. Though I doubt you would find many people here that have even heard of that deck, let alone any collectors that would have it in their collection. I couldn't even tell you who the printer was for it.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2015, 07:19:31 PM by Justin O. »
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2015, 02:20:23 PM »
 

Don Boyer

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I'm surprised that none of the Card Experiment decks are here - they're among my favorites.

The Bicycle Gold Seal New Fan Backs are a great pair as well.

Moth/Myth in black and white

The Watcher - including the extra gaff cards!

Club Angel Playing Cards, from the Angel Playing Card Company (Osaka, Japan)

Bicycle Clot Ltd. Editions

I'm sure I could think of more, but seriously - you're talking about the most subjective list possible.  "Must have" for one person might be "easy pass" for another person.
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2015, 10:42:57 PM »
 

JacksonRobinson

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If anyone ever ask what the top 10 or so modern decks to collect I will ALWAYS add

Korchma Taras Bulba - 2005
http://www.wopc.co.uk/russia/korchma-taras-bulba.html

Pekelna Horugva - “Hell Gonfalon” - 2012
http://www.wopc.co.uk/russia/pekelna-horugva.html

Both decks designed by Vladislav Erko, and in my opinion are the most beautiful decks to date both modern and antique.
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2015, 10:53:26 AM »
 

Collector

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Modern = 21th century? 20-21th centuries? 1950-these days? 1960-these days? 1970-these days? 1980-these days? 1990-these days? 2000-these days? 2010-these days?  :)

If anyone ever ask what the top 10 or so modern decks to collect I will ALWAYS add

Korchma Taras Bulba - 2005
http://www.wopc.co.uk/russia/korchma-taras-bulba.html

Pekelna Horugva - “Hell Gonfalon” - 2012
http://www.wopc.co.uk/russia/pekelna-horugva.html

Both decks designed by Vladislav Erko, and in my opinion are the most beautiful decks to date both modern and antique.

Yep, recognized Ukrainian illustrator. Warner Brothers recognized his illustrations of "Harry Portter" as one of the fifth best in the world. Paulo Coelho named Erko's illustrations to his works the best pictures in the world.


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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2015, 12:17:11 PM »
 

Don Boyer

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Modern = 21th century? 20-21th centuries? 1950-these days? 1960-these days? 1970-these days? 1980-these days? 1990-these days? 2000-these days? 2010-these days?  :)

The definition now used by 52 Plus Joker is that modern is 20 years old or less.  Vintage extends back (for now) to I think the pre-WW2 era or perhaps the 1920s, and antique is older than that.
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2015, 07:49:15 PM »
 

jphj012

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I'm surprised that none of the Card Experiment decks are here - they're among my favorites.

The Bicycle Gold Seal New Fan Backs are a great pair as well.

Moth/Myth in black and white

The Watcher - including the extra gaff cards!

Club Angel Playing Cards, from the Angel Playing Card Company (Osaka, Japan)

Bicycle Clot Ltd. Editions

I'm sure I could think of more, but seriously - you're talking about the most subjective list possible.  "Must have" for one person might be "easy pass" for another person.

How many Bicycle Clot Ltd edition has been in circulation? And what do they run for?
 

Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2015, 12:54:11 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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I'm surprised that none of the Card Experiment decks are here - they're among my favorites.

The Bicycle Gold Seal New Fan Backs are a great pair as well.

Moth/Myth in black and white

The Watcher - including the extra gaff cards!

Club Angel Playing Cards, from the Angel Playing Card Company (Osaka, Japan)

Bicycle Clot Ltd. Editions

I'm sure I could think of more, but seriously - you're talking about the most subjective list possible.  "Must have" for one person might be "easy pass" for another person.

How many Bicycle Clot Ltd edition has been in circulation? And what do they run for?

That's a particularly hard deck to find.  Clot Ltd Edition is a clothing store in Hong Kong.  The cards were only available for a short time, and at the time, USPC's minimum print run was still 5,000 so I'm assuming there was at least 5,000 made - but most of them were distributed in Clot stores throughout Hong Kong, with very few making it outside of Asia.  The only deck I know of that's tougher to get and had an Asia-only run was the Bicycle Cage Garden No. 01 and 02 decks, which for the most part were sold out in China, with few decks making it outside of the country.

The last time I saw one on sale, it went for what, $80?  Maybe more?  Considering their scarcity and the fact that it was maybe two or three years ago since I last saw one on sale, they might go for a lot higher.  I know I have at least one open pack and one sealed - beyond that, I might have sold or traded what I had left.
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2015, 08:11:48 PM »
 

jphj012

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Ah I see. I thought it was rarer and more expensive than the Unbranded Black Reserve Note. Good for me though!! I shall hunt and acquire this deck.
 

Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2015, 12:11:30 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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Ah I see. I thought it was rarer and more expensive than the Unbranded Black Reserve Note. Good for me though!! I shall hunt and acquire this deck.

It's relative rarity might be higher - but rarity alone is not the determining factor of value.  There are only 1,000 Bicycle Gold Seal New Fan Back decks in white (Zenneth Kok/Coterie 1902), only 1,100 White Centurion decks (Theory11) and perhaps 2,000 or so Unbranded Black Reserve Note decks.  Of those three decks, the rarest one is the one with the lowest after-retail market value.  They can be had for about $100 and the value falls even lower when Zenneth offers a special on them, usually a combo offer with other products.  The White Centurions typically sell around $250 or so but they're hard to find.

Ask me in a year, and there's a good chance the values of these decks will be different.  Ask me in ten years, it's nearly guaranteed to be different.  What that difference will be is anyone's guess.  It's a big part of the reason why you should only buy what makes you happy, not what you think will be the more valuable or what will be the better investment.  You want investments, go to the stock market!  :))

As far as that specific deck (Bicycle Clot Ltd. Edition), there's two factors that will skew value on them higher in the US.
1) They were not distributed in the US, only in Hong Kong.
2) Most of the people they were distributed to were probably customers of the clothing store, who didn't attribute any collectible value whatsoever to them and treated them like any other pack of playing cards - as a disposable commodity, to be used and consumed.

Under those conditions, it almost doesn't matter how many were printed.  What matters is 1) how many remain intact and 2) how many of those are in this country?  Sure, you could trade with someone in Hong Kong on an auction site to get one, but while English is one of the nation's two languages, the other is Chinese, and there's a good chance a deck like this would end up on a Chinese-language auction site rather than ending up on eBay.  Without knowing Chinese, you'd have a difficult time buying it even if you could and did find it there.

This is definitely a case where there are more factors at play than simply how many were made.  The same could be said of the Bicycle "Bathing Ape" decks - another deck manufactured for an Asian clothing store that never saw US distribution.  I think there were two different decks, and one of them was gilded - meaning it was more expensive in the first place, and will likely cost even more in the post-retail market.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 12:20:44 AM by Don Boyer »
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2015, 12:23:48 AM »
 

Justin O.

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Ah I see. I thought it was rarer and more expensive than the Unbranded Black Reserve Note. Good for me though!! I shall hunt and acquire this deck.

I don't think you understand the relationship between rare and valuable, and I don't think you are quite understanding what people are trying to say.

I think you might be more interested in the silver gilded original Blue Blood by Uusi or the David Blaine Microsoft deck, maybe an original Jaqk Cellars deck that isn't damaged, the print run before Theory 11 started having them produced. You'll definitely want a Bund 18 deck, and make sure you have an authentic Jerry's Nugget in your collection as well.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 12:26:18 AM by Justin O. »
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2015, 11:28:07 PM »
 

hecrob

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- Whispering Imps set (not the private reserve ones, which are just a different box)

Do you know the private reserve is made from different company hence different stock and handling?


Yes, but i don't think a lot of the "collectors" of this deck, would want to try that out.

I wont open the deck (not at that price), and the design its the same, so theres no real reason to have one (in my opinion)
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2015, 01:50:10 AM »
 

Don Boyer

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- Whispering Imps set (not the private reserve ones, which are just a different box)

Do you know the private reserve is made from different company hence different stock and handling?


Yes, but i don't think a lot of the "collectors" of this deck, would want to try that out.

I wont open the deck (not at that price), and the design its the same, so theres no real reason to have one (in my opinion)

It depends on the collector.  I recently opened a Fed52 Unbranded Black Reserve Note deck, as well as a gilded Scarlett and a gilded Mauger Quadruplicate reprint!
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2015, 02:18:31 AM »
 

Rob Wright

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This question gets asked quite often. My advise is to collect what you like. Going after "collectable" decks will make you broke-quick! The good news is, there are collectable decks being made everyday.

I will give you a list of artist who are at the top right now-in my opinion, and no particular order.
Jackson Robinson(Kinks Wild Project), Randy Butterfield(Midnight Playing Cards), Paul Carpenter(Encarded), Lorenzo Gaggiotti(Stockholm 17), Rick Davidson, Ade Suryana, and Brendan Hong.
This is a short list. There are a lot of other great artist I can't think of right now.

You can also go on Ellusionist, t11, Dan & Dave. or even bicyclecards.com. I'm sure there are 50 decks at least that you might be interested in. Get "cheap" decks while they are available. If you buy cards before they sellout, you won't have to pay eBay prices a year from now.
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Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2015, 03:13:58 AM »
 

Cardfool

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I would add Giovanni Meroni (Thirdway Industries), Lotrek (Half Moon Playing Cards) and Emmanuel Jose to the list of current top artists...
« Last Edit: June 23, 2015, 03:19:47 AM by Cardfool »
 

Re: Top Modern Decks to Collect
« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2015, 11:36:27 AM »
 

Justin O.

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...
Jackson Robinson (Kinks Wild Project)...

I would back that company.
Kickstarter completely revolutionized the way I waste money.

The people who handle playing cards are always in a world of delicate fingertip technology.