I'm just curious about Bicycle's Club 808. So I thought I'd ask those who are members: Is the membership well worth it?

I'm not insane crazy about the current starter deck. I don't hate it, but it's not like I gotta have it either so I'm wondering what perks beyond having that starter are actually out there.

Are there a ton of other decks only members are able to buy? Are they notably more expensive than what you could find on Amazon? I have the Griffin deck bookmarked on my Amazon account but the secondary has that one at $15+ already and I'm mostly just interested in it due to it's possibly collectible nature. I'm just curious how the 808 decks start out price wise.

For those who are members, do you say it's worth it, would you renew and how much do you end up getting/ordering as a result of your membership?

Hi Everyone!

Popetown is my go to handle pretty much everywhere on the internet, etc. You can call me JP as well however. I'm from Nashville TN, USA. Or rather just outside and south of Nashville but "Nashville" is the easiest point of reference for most people outside of Nashville. In my 30's, proud husband to 1 wonderful wife and father to 1 awesome daughter, nearly 1 year old. Other than cards, I'm into craft beer (drinking and brewing), shooting sports, electronic music, video games and toy/hobby RC helicopters.

I'm no magician or even really an aspiring one at this point in my life at least but I love the art. Both in performance and art of the cards. Which brings me to why I'm here. I'd say I'm most primarily a collector just getting started. I'd be lying however if I said I wouldn't love to get better at a few flourishes. After perusing the internet for a bit as I obsess over cards I am certain that it'll be quite a while before I ever call myself a "cardist" though. These guys are amazing at what they do and I could watch for days. I've always loved cards and card games and how a pack of Bicycles felt in the hand. My wife's grandfather passed away last December. He, my wife's grandmother, my wife and I would often play cards and they always welcomed a us as a pair for spades or whatever. Since he passed, I've been thinking more and more about family, time together and how cards have always been a good wholesome way to do that and enjoy family and friends' company while you can on this earth. I'd love to have a few tricks up my sleeve by the time that my daughter is old enough that she could take an interest in cards in any way.

As far as my collection goes, haha, I presently have amassed a staggering bounty consisting of the following:

(1) pack of jumbo index Bikes that my wife brought to the marriage (lol! Aim big!)
(1) pack of Bicycle Nautic Whites purchased at Target last week for $3
(2) Bee Club Specials - Imperial Palace (circa unknown) unpunched, another punched that I can't recall.

And, finally, I just funded 2 Requiem decks on KS yesterday just under the buzzer! Super excited to get those puppies. I'm a big fan of custom decks that bring custom art throughout. Not just Courts, Jokers, Ace of Spades and backs.

So you could definitely say I'm new to the game but I really love all of the custom decks. I could see myself obsessing (spending way too much time/money) on this for a while. I appreciate that it's such compact, portable and interactive art and I appreciate the history of the cards and games. However, a real job and family certainly take their precedent. Wife's still not yet found out about those Requiem decks either...

Nevertheless, I'm glad to be part of the group and enjoy this hobby with some like minded peeps. I heard about PlayingCardForum.com on TuckCase.com when he mentioned the acquisition by Tom Dawson and how that was good for everyone involved since this is such a great community of people into all things playing cards.

Glad to be here!

~JP