I hate it when companies do this!!!

[awesomeness12]

Don't you guys just hate it when magic companies make an amazing deck of cards in limited quantities,then sell it for like 6.99?That makes me so mad!Take the White Centurions for example.Theory11 sold them for a ridiculously low price.Now you have to pay at least 100$ for them!Now,if they made a WC v2,that would be a different story.(awesomeness!)I wish that would happen for every really rare deck!

[austin]

Not really. I like haveing rare decks around. It does suck sometimes when they look very good but you just can't get them. In my opinion the only thing cool about the WC is the box. If could have got it on Black Friday I probably would have kept it for a while then eventually sold it.

[Evan]

I love rare decks too! As a collector I love having those limited decks! And I usually am not happy when they make a V2 of a limited deck.

[vmagic]

I agree with the first post, it sucks when they sell limited decks that sell out in record times while causing server crashes so that all those that bought them can then resell them on Ebay for like $50-$100! If they are going to release limited decks then they should have limits to how many 1 person can buy so everyone can get one for a fair price. Better yet don't make any limited decks and we'll all be happy except for resellers of course. From what I see the only people that win with limited decks is the resellers because they can buy a brick or two or make and make huge profits off a deck that sells for $6 or $7. Obviously the big companies make some money too off of selling these decks but not as much as they could be. Of course us buyers are the biggest losers because if we are unable to get them then our only option is overpriced decks on Ebay.

[Curt]

In my opinion, rarity is what makes collecting exciting and fun to do. Many types of collections have some form of rarity, whether is be as simple/cheap as a foil/shiny Pokemon card or as expensive as a vintage car that had a limited run. Having rarity helps differentiate decks from each other and make some more special than others and I think that if every deck had an "unlimited" run, I would not be nearly as interested in collecting them. If anyone could purchase a deck at anytime, the people with the "best" and "coolest" collections would simply be the ones who were willing to shell out the most money for them. Granted this still is somewhat the case, but because smaller run decks are printed and sold it allows the lucky owners to have something "special", something that not everyone else can get and they did not spend huge amounts of $$ for it. For example, I own 3 of the pre-release monarch decks and I feel good about the fact that I happen to be one of the hundred or so people in the world to own them. Would I have spent $150-$200 to buy them from a reseller? Probably not because I know my limits, but it does feel nice to own something sought after by other.


As I have said in other posts, I enjoy the treasure hunt to try and find good deals on rare decks, as well as the excitement of trying to get my order through on hyped up limited run decks that will for sure sell out. I understand and can accept the fact that I most likely will not be able to get every super limited edition deck and that makes me more grateful and proud of the ones I do have in my collection.

[loldudex2]

Exactly Curt! I feel the same way. For example, I also collect baseball cards.If every card had the same value and rarity it would be no fun. The fun part is finally finding that ONE card you've bought dozens of packs looking for that makes your time and collection worth it.

[munro159]

I'm going to walmart to purchase 5,000 streamline decks! My collection will be..........AWESOME!!!

[PoundFFFFFF]

Well would you rather they continue printing and sell them for 40 each? I think they'd get more criticism that way

[Don Boyer]

I'm going to walmart to purchase 5,000 streamline decks! My collection will be..........AWESOME!!!

ROFLMFAO!  I actually *like* Streamlines!

Don't you guys just hate it when magic companies make an amazing deck of cards in limited quantities,then sell it for like 6.99?That makes me so mad!Take the White Centurions for example.Theory11 sold them for a ridiculously low price.Now you have to pay at least 100$ for them!Now,if they made a WC v2,that would be a different story.(awesomeness!)I wish that would happen for every really rare deck!

Given the option of having a chance to buy a cool, rare deck at a cheap price and paying exorbitant aftermarket prices, I'll take the cheap price every time.  It becomes a lot easier when you stop and recognize this one unavoidable fact of life - YOU WILL NOT OWN EVERY SINGLE RARE AND/OR COOL DECK THAT COMES OUT!  There will ALWAYS be a new deck, at least until someone outlaws playing cards - then they'll just go underground and be sold at playing card speak-easies...

It sounds like what you're proposing is that the original manufacturers charge the aftermarket price in the first place.  Then only the wealthy would ever own these decks and the hobby would die out, fast - you'd have fewer chances of getting them than you do now, assuming you don't have more money than The Donald.  (And if you do, what the hell are you complaining about in the first place?)  Even if the White Centurions came out in a version 2 release, the version 1s would still be as rare as they were before and still worth a lot of cash because enough collectors actually try getting all versions as well as all makes and models.

The companies designing and releasing these cards won't remake every single rare deck they sell, and I wouldn't want them to.  It's like asking a band to play the same song over and over, or a fashion designer to make the same dress season after season; the market would get tired of it.  It takes time and money to make these things, and the companies wouldn't be guaranteed a success, either - unlike major Hollywood studios, some businesses make money by being original instead of creating umpteen remakes and sequels.

On top of all that, right now there's a backlog at USPC for all the new decks people are creating.  Can you imagine what that backlog would be like if all the companies big and small started ordering version 2s of every single rare and sold-out deck they've made?  Can you imagine how tired of seeing the same cards over and over again collectors would become?  The price of getting decks done would likely go up as well - limited supply of printing press time, high demand; it would only make sense.  That would further jack up all playing card deck prices and not just the rare ones.  Granted, USPC isn't the only game in town, but they are the 800-pound gorilla of the industry and have some of the highest production values in the world available for their custom-deck customers.  How would you like to see garden-variety Bicycle Rider Back standards go up to $10 a pack?

[awesomeness12]

Yea I usually don't like it when they make really rare decks into a second edition.It really decreases their value to me.if I had a rare deck,making it into a second edition would probably make me mad too.

[Kanped]

I think all decks of cards should initially be sold for a price that is reflective of the production cost.  I think it's arrogant and pointless for a company to say "These cards are going to become rare collector's items, so we'll sell them for $100".  IMO, that actually devalues the cards because they will never appreciate in value; the company just charged whatever they thought people would pay.  However, a standard price for a deck that becomes legendary means that those who were knowledgeable enough to see it had potential and would become a prestige deck, or those who just got lucky and picked up a couple can reap the benefit of their knowledge/luck, which can only be a good thing.

[phantom1412]

Yeah, the rare deck is valuable more if there isn't the second edition.
The point is you don't have to own every rare decks.
I believe people would go nuts if USPCC reprint the Jerry's and that would ruin all Jerry's price.

[Kanped]

Apparently the printing method of the Jerry's is no longer used (maybe no longer allowed due to enviornmental issues, I heard) so even if they reprinted, they wouldn't be the same.

[Don Boyer]

Yeah, the rare deck is valuable more if there isn't the second edition.
The point is you don't have to own every rare decks.
I believe people would go nuts if USPCC reprint the Jerry's and that would ruin all Jerry's price.

Apparently the printing method of the Jerry's is no longer used (maybe no longer allowed due to enviornmental issues, I heard) so even if they reprinted, they wouldn't be the same.

You're exactly right.  According to my research, not only was the coating not environmentally safe to produce, but the cards themselves would be very cost-prohibitive by today's standards using yesterday's methods.  They were embossed only on one side using cotton rollers (steel rollers are used today), and the finish was applied using a dip-coat method that's also no longer used.  Additionally, the card stock, the top of the line at the time, no longer exists.

They actually became popular with magicians after they were produced in 1970 because of how CHEAP they were - the gift shop sold them for years at fifty cents a pack!  In the late '90s they sold out and the casino has no plans to reproduce them.  It's thought that the cards were intended for use on the gaming tables, but they never saw any action.  Even if the casino reprinted them, they wouldn't be exactly the same as the old ones were - they literally can't make them that way any more.

[John B.]

i do hate it but if i get them then i would feel great that i have a rare deck. also as mentioned jerrys cant be printed the same way, i think that is why they are so rare.

[Don Boyer]

i do hate it but if i get them then i would feel great that i have a rare deck. also as mentioned jerrys cant be printed the same way, i think that is why they are so rare.

The rarity has a lot to do with the fact that playing cards are "ephemera" - items that weren't designed to or meant to last a long time.  Most people view them as disposable commodities; buy a deck, wear it out, toss it to the kids and buy another, etc.  The majority of the Jerry's Nugget decks were treated EXACTLY like that by tourists taking home decks as souvenirs or something for the kids to play Crazy 8's with.  Combine that with the impossibility of reproducing the manufacturing process, meaning no new ones will ever be made in that way.  Combine THAT with the fact that some famous and semi-famous magicians and cardists realized that the stock and finish were of exceptional quality, so they started buying and using them.  Now you have an extremely rare item in short supply (ever since the casino sold out of them over a decade ago) with a high and ever-increasing demand among card workers.  The demand shoots even higher still with collectors trying to get a piece of the action.

[phantom1412]

Apparently the printing method of the Jerry's is no longer used (maybe no longer allowed due to enviornmental issues, I heard) so even if they reprinted, they wouldn't be the same.

Well, even if its Jerry on air cushion finish.
A lot of collectors would go and buy then at $5 than paying $200 for them.
Maybe the price won't drop but buyers will reduce for sure.

[Don Boyer]

Well, even if its Jerry on air cushion finish.
A lot of collectors would go and buy then at $5 than paying $200 for them.
Maybe the price won't drop but buyers will reduce for sure.

Nope.  The reason for the demand is the quality of the card in addition to the rarity.  In a "dip coat" finish process, it sounds to me like the entire card is dipped into the liquid finish - even the edges are coated!  That would certainly contribute to the longevity of the cards and probably did wonders for weave and faro shuffles.  Their one-sided embossing would also give them some very unique handling properties.

Jerry's on an air-cushion finish using standard modern manufacturing processes wouldn't hold a candle to the original issue.  The only thing that might do is effectively shut down the majority of the counterfeiters making fakes - $5 a pack is cheap enough that many people would pick up the quality "v. 2" version of the pack over the fake, for much the same reason why people buy replicas of the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence to hang on their walls instead of homemade computer printouts.  Same text, same document, certainly can't get the original, so get the good replica.

[phantom1412]

I understand your reason. But I don't think people are buying Jerry to use anymore. They buy to collect. So, the real one will always be idea for every collectors. But the v2 version with normal quality of cards will be used widely just because the look of the deck, and many people who can't afford $200 a deck or don't wanna pay $200 for a deck will go for the cheap one.

[cosmicsecret]

The back design is just plain ugly,sorry.Would only get one for handling not for collecting if the prices would´t be sooo high.
The Bicycle Cage Garden decks are the opposite - they look soo pretty but handle crappy

[Paul Carpenter]

I think that any newly printed deck should be in the $5-10 range when initially available. This is a reasonable cost, affordable to most, and makes some profit for the maker. I think the responsible thing to do as a maker is charge in that range, tell people how many exist, and let things happen on their own from there.

I think the independent Kickstarter route is a good one for the consumer, because they can get something for a discount as a thank you for their support, and the maker can control the stock a bit more carefully so that people who aren't resellers can be sure to get in on the action. If a big company releases a "limited" release, and a bunch of big timers swoop in and buy 144 each, the guy that wants just 1 or 2 can get locked out, where Kickstarter can help keep that from happening so fast.

So, if you think the end product is good enough, support your independent designers.

[awesomeness12]

I agree with you there. I honestly dOnt like the back design. Don't get me wrong, I woul love to have a devk of Jerrys Nuggets. I would probably keep it around for a while, then sell it. It's just not my type 

[Don Boyer]

Even I have to say they aren't pretty.  Like I said, magicians were buying them because they were cheap and handled amazingly well for such a cheap deck.  On top of that, the variety of quality-designed decks beyond the basic issue models was a lot more limited.

The real shame is that we can't get decks made like that anymore.  Imagine a deck with a dip coat...  The lamination covered not just the front and back of the cards, but the EDGES as well!  Can you imagine how smooth that would handle and how long it would last?  Combine something like that with Tally-Ho stock and Magic Finish and you'd have a killer deck.  That's a deck that would be worth a few extra bucks off the bat.