Everybody is always a nay-sayer. Anything that came out from August 2013 until the end of next month is eligible for nominations, and again - we already have our own 2014 Deck of the Year awards coming for UC member in January, just like we always do. Last year we gave away more than $3500 in retail value in prizes, and this year I've already got more stuff than I can give away so I capped the value at $4000 and I'm working on the "2015" stash. That means that the average value of the prizes this year will be over $200 and nearly $250, with the top prize value around $500 just for voting in a contest. If anyone can do better, point me the way, please.
I don't think people have a problem with giving away prizes and what not. That's shifting the discussion. The problem is calling it a 2014 award and cutting off decks from August to December 2014. Change the name to the Mid 2014 Cardies Award or whatever and have the 2014 Deck of the Year Awards that cover August to December 2014...wait, they would cover January to December 2014, right?
Can you see where this makes absolutely no sense. It's not being a nay-sayer, it's a common sense issue. It's a manufactured award with craziness built in from the very foundation.
Offering prizes is really nice, but by mentioning it you're not focusing on the key issues.
If you're looking for a a way you can do better, it's easy to point to a simple solution. Have the 2014 awards cover January to December. Or don't call it the 2014 awards.
No, in fact there are absolutely no issues except those the drama queens seem to dream up to counter the real-world observations that the Oscars from the Motion Pictures Academy are anything BUT an annual award, although they are certainly presented as such. If you disagree with that, then either you're quite unobservant or just argumentative. They are giving away trophies for movies that for all intents and purposes do not yet exist, for anyone except the motion picture industry - including those that in some cases are never actually shown. Admittedly that is the exception rather than the rule, but it has happened - numerous times, and every single year the give out trophies for movies that don't premier until at least two months after they get the awards. Now, seriously - just how much sense does that make?
PlayingCardAwards will be an annual thing, this year we are starting out with a simple 5-category nominations and voting. If you don't like it - I suggest that you don't nominate nor vote - pretty simple. Interesting that all I have gotten from industry insiders is kudos for being innovative, but I listen.
The awards will ALWAYS run be for Playing Card Deck (and campaigns) that were run or delivered from August the prior year until the middle of the nominations period, which will ALWAYS be from August 1st until September 30th. The nominations will be counted and the top 25 in each of the five categories will be validated to be within that timeframe or they will be 'silently discarded'.
After that, around the 10th of October until November 30th there will be an online voting process that is fair, equitable and universal - not focused on any certain group nor private in nature as my previous endeavors have all been (limited to UC membership only). The voting won't need to be tallied, it will be counted in real-time, although the "Likes" will not be publicly posted for obvious reasons. We will have procedures in place to prevent "ballot stuffing", which - knowing this community - will certainly occur otherwise. For some reason the nominees can't resist to notify everyone that has ever purchased one of their products to vote, whether or not they even care for that specific deck (campaign, whatever) or not. As usual, I've thought this out quite a bit. During the first week of December the winners will be announced and the trophies presented. Do I expect media coverage this year? Beyond the Playing Card community, not really. Will it be promoted outside our small specific and closed group in the future? You bet it will!
We've even given thought to making it basically exactly like the Motion Picture Academy or Arts and Sciences holds their votes, by offering ballots only to key industry people, but that's not going to happen this year - perhaps next? Never-the-less, I'm quite certain that someone - at least one if not numerous people - will pull some sort of chicanery. It's just unavoidable in our little world.
Weill it be totally fair? If I can help it, it surely will be. Will it be completely impartial? As far as myself, I have no vested interest in the outcome, I simply wish to honor the excellent progress that has occurred in our industry over the past 11 (by late August 12) months. Am I getting paid to do so? Quite in opposite, I'm paying for it all out-of-pocket, along with Bobby Butler. Am I aware of his previous problems and the general feelings of many people in the industry? You must be living under a rock, I suppose if that's what you assume, in fact I was responsible for routing out a bit of it myself, to the point that I know more than anyone else exactly what happened. Am I an overly forgiving person? Perhaps. Does it make sense to have a witch hunt and ride him out on a rail? I don't think so - your mileage surely will vary. Does it bother me? Not one little bit. Is all of this too much for me to handle with me opening a new global business here in one month, hosting the 2014 "52+Joker" convention here in my hometown of Charleston, etc, etc ad nauseum? Nope, it's how I run: wide open all the time, always have, always will - I'll slow down when they chunk me in the dirt.
Do I expect everyone to be happy? Surely you jest? There IS no consensus in this industry, in fact the only consistency is inconsistency.
OK, nothing to see here for the most part - move along, now...
