Who started the custom card craze?

[D_bag]

I am wondering if you guys know who started the huge custom playing cards stuff. When I was younger I would never imagine playing cards looking so cool. Looking like art I guess than cards.
Like what were the first custom magician decks?
Im a nub so just wondering 

[xela]

Wasn't it Ellusionist?

[PoundFFFFFF]

If talking companies outside USPCC itself - Yeah.. likely the tigers if you look at the trailer. Also you can tell how there was practically ZERO customization on that deck save for that one on the box front. Ellusionist has certainly come a long way.

[D_bag]

Wasn't it Ellusionist?

I don't know. PoundFFFFF sounds pretty right though.

If talking companies outside USPCC itself - Yeah.. likely the tigers if you look at the trailer. Also you can tell how there was practically ZERO customization on that deck save for that one on the box front. Ellusionist has certainly come a long way.

hmmm I always thought the ghost deck came before the tigers. I don't know what im talking about  :-X

[Jin Jian]

i think Ellustionist started it .. to my knowledge E seem to have the longest history

[CBJ]

I would also say Ellusionist.

Some other notables that were at the beginning of this craze

The Magic Network - Bicycle Raider decks
T11
Magic Makers Inc.

[Reylek]

Yup, the Tigers came out in early 2004 and pretty much started the ball rolling.

[Lushbob]

Yeah, I agree. I think it was Ellusionist who started it. And they've certainly done a good job, in my opinion.

[Evan]

Ellusionis started it with the Tigers 

[Kanped]

There were never any special Bike or USPCC decks before then, or do you mean the first of the recent craze, or the first 3rd party designers?

[CBJ]

There were never any special Bike or USPCC decks before then, or do you mean the first of the recent craze, or the first 3rd party designers?

I'm not sure if these decks were made for 3rd parties, or distributed directly from USPCC..

Bicycle Tallstacks 2 different years
Bicycle Olympic decks

[Marcus]

Depending on how you define custom cards, there might've been other people or companies before Ellusionist, but the Black Tiger deck was the deck that got the ball rolling big time. The name is a callback to an old USPCC deck called Tiger deck I believe.


I wasn't around back then, but I'm sure Jake can fill in with some more info if he stops by. He wasn't around then either, but he's a bot so he's bound to have more info on his harddrive.


TL;DR: Yes, we're somewhat guilty.

[Siegismyname]

Actually I have one of the older black tigers decks which did not have a barcode reveal and is air cushion. Anyone interested?

[Don Boyer]

Actually I have one of the older black tigers decks which did not have a barcode reveal and is air cushion. Anyone interested?

Um, that's not the older one - that's the newer one.  The early models weren't air cushion finish, they were UV 500 air-flow finish.


Perhaps you should post this in the Sales/Trades forum and you might get a taker.

[Siegismyname]

Actually I have one of the older black tigers decks which did not have a barcode reveal and is air cushion. Anyone interested?

Um, that's not the older one - that's the newer one.  The early models weren't air cushion finish, they were UV 500 air-flow finish.


Perhaps you should post this in the Sales/Trades forum and you might get a taker.

It's def the older one. One of the first few batches. Before there was uv500 there was only air cushion. N they were without the barcode reveal. Yup. Will post it in the sales sec soon. Just trying my luck here. Hahah.

[Don Boyer]

Never heard that before.  Good luck on the sale.

[KPopFever605]

It's probably Ellusionist. They started it off, and everything else just kicked off from there.