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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Seraphim Luxury Playing Cards
« on: March 28, 2018, 01:40:42 PM »
Also not crazy about the name since our Seraphim deck comes out in a couple months.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Collect for Fun? Or Profit?
« on: December 12, 2016, 01:42:05 PM »
Mostly for profit ;-)
But I do have a fairly sizable collection as well. Just wish there were better ways to display a lot of decks easily.
But I do have a fairly sizable collection as well. Just wish there were better ways to display a lot of decks easily.
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Design & Development / Looking for some design work on new decks
« on: July 12, 2016, 06:20:45 AM »
Apologies if this is the wrong place for this, please move to the appropriate board if it is.
We have some decks we want to finish up this year but some of them still need some tweaking before they are production ready.
If you are a designer or know someone that is that might be interested in these properties, just let me know:
Aliens:
- Card Back
Mortal Kombat:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
Supernatural:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
Power Rangers:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
We have some decks we want to finish up this year but some of them still need some tweaking before they are production ready.
If you are a designer or know someone that is that might be interested in these properties, just let me know:
Aliens:
- Card Back
Mortal Kombat:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
Supernatural:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
Power Rangers:
- Card Back
- Number cards/pips
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Gorilla Deck Bicycle Playing Cards
« on: October 08, 2015, 08:16:03 AM »
Thanks for the feedback guys.
We probably won't be making the deck since it seems like there simply isn't enough interest to get the numbers we need to even break even (let alone actually make any money on the project).
Here is a more in-depth look at why: http://albinodragon.com/blog/gorilla-deck-adventures-in-decision-making/
And Don, Gambler's is located in Arlington, not Austin.
We probably won't be making the deck since it seems like there simply isn't enough interest to get the numbers we need to even break even (let alone actually make any money on the project).
Here is a more in-depth look at why: http://albinodragon.com/blog/gorilla-deck-adventures-in-decision-making/
And Don, Gambler's is located in Arlington, not Austin.
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Playing Card Plethora / Gorilla Deck Bicycle Playing Cards
« on: October 01, 2015, 11:13:25 PM »
We're on the fence about doing this Kickstarter or not.
The plan is to do a one time printing of 1,000 decks to get the design out into the world since it was one we really liked but it never reached funding.
Is this something anyone would be interested in? If so, how many decks and what country?
See the Kickstarter preview link here.
The plan is to do a one time printing of 1,000 decks to get the design out into the world since it was one we really liked but it never reached funding.
Is this something anyone would be interested in? If so, how many decks and what country?
See the Kickstarter preview link here.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Gremlins Playing Cards now live on Kickstarter
« on: August 19, 2015, 03:36:09 PM »
Thanks Justin, we always try hard to stay true to the source material.
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Playing Card Plethora / Gremlins Playing Cards now live on Kickstarter
« on: August 18, 2015, 12:01:25 PM »
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Fae Elements - USPCC Bicycle Playing Cards now live on KS
« on: April 08, 2015, 01:34:28 AM »
I want to like this deck, but the tuck swap feels like a cash grab. And even worse is that $20k goal; I agree with Don that I don't think it will fund.
Maybe he should add some tiers with Alchemy decks to help push it over?
Maybe he should add some tiers with Alchemy decks to help push it over?
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Angelarium Playing Cards by Erik Dahlman (KS)
« on: March 19, 2015, 04:56:36 PM »
Justin,
We met Pete the first time when he was signing Magic cards and we've been hooked on his art ever since. We're really looking forward to doing as much as we possibly can with him on this project since there is so much cool stuff I think we can do with his artwork.
We met Pete the first time when he was signing Magic cards and we've been hooked on his art ever since. We're really looking forward to doing as much as we possibly can with him on this project since there is so much cool stuff I think we can do with his artwork.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Breaking Bad Playing Cards by Albino Dragon
« on: December 22, 2014, 07:26:32 PM »
Hey Guys,
I'm just now catching up on emails and posts from last week. The truth is we didn't know we were going to be able to offer the Kickstarter until after we had already done the pre-order. For most, the pre-order on the site was a better deal because of shipping, but for a few, it was typically the difference of a few dollars more.
We don't want anyone to feel cheated or slighted (or slapped in anyway, unless you're into that). So if you did the pre-order and the Kickstarter is a better option for you, let us know after the Kickstarter funds and we'll work something out with you.
I'm just now catching up on emails and posts from last week. The truth is we didn't know we were going to be able to offer the Kickstarter until after we had already done the pre-order. For most, the pre-order on the site was a better deal because of shipping, but for a few, it was typically the difference of a few dollars more.
We don't want anyone to feel cheated or slighted (or slapped in anyway, unless you're into that). So if you did the pre-order and the Kickstarter is a better option for you, let us know after the Kickstarter funds and we'll work something out with you.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: The Holiday Topic 2014: New Products, Deals, Contests & Giveaways
« on: November 29, 2014, 10:36:35 AM »
We're running this through to Cyber Monday. If there was anything that we did that you missed, now is the time to get it at albinodragon.com
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: TEASER!! Breaking Bad?
« on: November 28, 2014, 11:03:18 AM »
Yeah, hopefully nobody is waiting for a Kickstarter before picking these up. This close to the end of the year, we're only planning on doing the pre-order so not picking them up now means full price later.
We're really happy with the way these came out and we think anyone that is a Breaking Bad fan will agree that we nailed all of the characters.
We're really happy with the way these came out and we think anyone that is a Breaking Bad fan will agree that we nailed all of the characters.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Bicycle Feudal ( Ninja and Samurai ) - Now LIVE on KS
« on: November 18, 2014, 10:22:13 PM »
Like chocolate and peanut butter. If they had swords. And fought in your mouth. nom nom nom
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Defunctorum Playing Cards
« on: October 21, 2014, 02:22:09 PM »
17,854 - that's how many decks are on Kickstarter right about now isn't it?
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Bicycle® Olympus Playing Cards (KS) - WARNING
« on: October 20, 2014, 02:35:03 PM »
Just in case, we're not working with him either.
So let us know if our name magically appears anywhere in association with that project.
So let us know if our name magically appears anywhere in association with that project.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Ghostbusters Playing Cards by Albino Dragon (KS)
« on: August 30, 2014, 02:29:15 PM »
Not entirely true. We won't sell to retailers or distributors that try to sell our products outside of our approved territories. Firebox is based in the UK (a territory we have licensed), so we'll be working with them to handle distribution for us there.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: The Playing Card Collectors'
« on: August 29, 2014, 06:50:25 PM »
A little late to the party, but here are my two cents:
App Store or iTunes Store? Two very different things. If talking about the App Store, prices were set early by developers. I feel they made a mistake going to the low cost so early, but the freemium works well for those that can demonstrate value and market the hell out of their product.
Which reminds me, want to see the first screen shot of our solitaire app? [tried attaching an image, we'll see if it works.]
To be able to produce a game, or deck, or any other product to show first and then sell takes a lot of time and capital up front.
I think this is an inaccurate statement. Selling 2500 decks at a higher price is more profitable than selling them at a lower price. Now if you mean selling 100,000 decks at a lower price versus 2,500 at a higher price, that might be accurate depending on the respective pricing.
I do agree with the comic book analogy though. When decks are being produced with three, four, and five variants for the sake of ‘collectability’, it’s not good for an industry. You end up with things like X-Force #1 that everyone buys 5 of each of because there are different trading cards in each one. And then people start speculating, which is the death of these industries, or at least the ending of a chapter. When people start buying bricks ‘to sell later’ and not because they genuinely want to collect them, that’s where you start running into problems. Chances are you’ll be selling them to yourselves in a few years and maybe the occasional collector that came in after the boom.
App Store or iTunes Store? Two very different things. If talking about the App Store, prices were set early by developers. I feel they made a mistake going to the low cost so early, but the freemium works well for those that can demonstrate value and market the hell out of their product.
Which reminds me, want to see the first screen shot of our solitaire app? [tried attaching an image, we'll see if it works.]
To be able to produce a game, or deck, or any other product to show first and then sell takes a lot of time and capital up front.
I think if you sold 2500 decks at a slightly lower price, you'd make more money than selling a super-limited edition at a price that make people take pause. Smaller profits per deck, but lower costs per deck and higher number of decks to sell will put you into the black very fast.
I think this is an inaccurate statement. Selling 2500 decks at a higher price is more profitable than selling them at a lower price. Now if you mean selling 100,000 decks at a lower price versus 2,500 at a higher price, that might be accurate depending on the respective pricing.
I do agree with the comic book analogy though. When decks are being produced with three, four, and five variants for the sake of ‘collectability’, it’s not good for an industry. You end up with things like X-Force #1 that everyone buys 5 of each of because there are different trading cards in each one. And then people start speculating, which is the death of these industries, or at least the ending of a chapter. When people start buying bricks ‘to sell later’ and not because they genuinely want to collect them, that’s where you start running into problems. Chances are you’ll be selling them to yourselves in a few years and maybe the occasional collector that came in after the boom.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Ghostbusters Playing Cards by Albino Dragon (KS)
« on: August 27, 2014, 05:38:38 PM »
The thing I hate most about Kickstarter is that there isn't a way to show what is actually being paid for. It's not $15 for a deck, the MSRP on our decks is $9.99. The $15 is for the deck production, and artwork, and shipping, and Amazon fees, and Kickstarter fees, and licensing fees.
We use Kickstarter to help offset our overall costs, as it obviously costs much more than $10,000 to produce even a run of 2500 decks. It also helps us demonstrate that there is interest and a market for particular IPs when selling to retailers and distributors.
For those that do well, we continue selling them. For those that don't, we sell off what we have and move on.
We use Kickstarter to help offset our overall costs, as it obviously costs much more than $10,000 to produce even a run of 2500 decks. It also helps us demonstrate that there is interest and a market for particular IPs when selling to retailers and distributors.
For those that do well, we continue selling them. For those that don't, we sell off what we have and move on.
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Design & Development / Looking for a designer for Ghostbusters deck
« on: July 31, 2014, 12:39:14 AM »
We're a bit short-staffed at the moment with other projects, so we're looking for a designer to help us create a 30th anniversary Ghostbusters deck.
This is your chance to put your mark on a deck that is sure to get a lot of attention.
If you're interested, shoot us a message here: http://www.albinodragon.com/careers/
This is your chance to put your mark on a deck that is sure to get a lot of attention.
If you're interested, shoot us a message here: http://www.albinodragon.com/careers/
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Breaking Bad themed deck =)
« on: July 31, 2014, 12:22:40 AM »
Yeah, I know a company already has the licensing rights for Breaking Bad so I'm sure we'll see one early next year.
I would agree with Don that creating your own IPs is definitely a much safer route to avoid litigation.
I would agree with Don that creating your own IPs is definitely a much safer route to avoid litigation.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: If Amazon bought Kickstarter...
« on: May 18, 2014, 01:13:38 AM »
I think it would be a smart move for Amazon to purchase them because it would give them an easy way to integrate their fulfillment center into the equation. For smaller products it would be too expensive unless they provided a special project rate; $1 picking fees add up quickly when you have multiple add-ons.
Kickstarter is too cool for that though, I honestly can't see them selling to anyone. Which they should, they lucked out and I think their business side is a bit lost. It will only take one competitor that is able to catch enough market share to bring them down. It may take a couple years, but the way they mismanage their project creators, they'll have to change before the next big thing comes along.
Kickstarter is too cool for that though, I honestly can't see them selling to anyone. Which they should, they lucked out and I think their business side is a bit lost. It will only take one competitor that is able to catch enough market share to bring them down. It may take a couple years, but the way they mismanage their project creators, they'll have to change before the next big thing comes along.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: The Goonies Bicycle Playing Cards (KS)
« on: May 16, 2014, 11:25:05 PM »
Lol to the Victor comment.
The Limited One doesn't just have the Bicycle logo on it, it is also foil and embossed which is significantly more expensive at lower costs. I've looked into other companies for printing, but one of the bigger ones does't make their tuck boxes the same way from what I understand. The real expense from printing anything comes from the setup costs which is amortized over the size of the print run.
In your example, 4000 decks at $10 wouldn't be much more than $35,000 for 2000 decks at $17.50. In fact, it might cost more in the long run because of freight fees, inventory fees, and shipping fees. But yes I understand what you are saying, and that's really the biggest trick in any business is finding that magic price point that is the equilibrium between profit and quantity. The difference with the Apple store is that once production has been done, it scales up at that price point without material or shipping costs.
As for the price creep, I completely agree. I've said it a few times, I think the playing card market is going the way of comics in the early 90s. Foil embossed covers, multiple cover variants, limited edition cards, special packaging, die cut covers, etc. It's not a good thing but companies will continue to do it as long as it's profitable. I think part of the problem is the same one that comics had, speculation. Many people are buying bricks of decks to put up on ebay at a profit, but when everyone starts doing that, there's nobody left to buy them and the bottom drops out of the market.
The Limited One doesn't just have the Bicycle logo on it, it is also foil and embossed which is significantly more expensive at lower costs. I've looked into other companies for printing, but one of the bigger ones does't make their tuck boxes the same way from what I understand. The real expense from printing anything comes from the setup costs which is amortized over the size of the print run.
In your example, 4000 decks at $10 wouldn't be much more than $35,000 for 2000 decks at $17.50. In fact, it might cost more in the long run because of freight fees, inventory fees, and shipping fees. But yes I understand what you are saying, and that's really the biggest trick in any business is finding that magic price point that is the equilibrium between profit and quantity. The difference with the Apple store is that once production has been done, it scales up at that price point without material or shipping costs.
As for the price creep, I completely agree. I've said it a few times, I think the playing card market is going the way of comics in the early 90s. Foil embossed covers, multiple cover variants, limited edition cards, special packaging, die cut covers, etc. It's not a good thing but companies will continue to do it as long as it's profitable. I think part of the problem is the same one that comics had, speculation. Many people are buying bricks of decks to put up on ebay at a profit, but when everyone starts doing that, there's nobody left to buy them and the bottom drops out of the market.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: The Goonies Bicycle Playing Cards (KS)
« on: May 14, 2014, 02:48:29 PM »
My problem with this is that it doesn't give me an answer to the question. "Less" is not a constructive answer. "I would never buy these so it doesn't matter" would tell me that I could charge more and you shouldn't care either.
At the end of the day, I think Kickstarter (and the market in general) is too crowded. My own company is partly to blame because we did so well it brought others into the space thinking it was easy money.
That said, it costs a lot more to make a deck than people realize. For a single deck, the shipping and licensing run about $5 but we can't put $10 because KS doesn't break it out. If a deck costs $2.50 to make it to our door, then that's a decent markup if there weren't KS or artist fees involved. For the limited edition, we have about 500 out there which runs close to $8 extra per deck. If KS takes $1 out of that ten, we aren't getting rich on that any time soon. And yes, at lower quantities like that, the tucks are pretty expensive.
There are other companies rising to compete effectively with Bicycle. They aren't manufacturers that our licensors know or trust like Bicycle though. We do like Bicycle because they are reliable, and saving 50 cents switching to another vendor doesn't justify that risk at this time.
Hopefully this doesn't come across as defensive. That's not how I mean it at all, but it seems like there are a lot of comments made that gloss over facts and don't offer any constructive solutions. Not a single person has said, "$8.99 would be closer to what I would expect, but I would only pay that if it was in Target", etc.
At the end of the day, I think Kickstarter (and the market in general) is too crowded. My own company is partly to blame because we did so well it brought others into the space thinking it was easy money.
That said, it costs a lot more to make a deck than people realize. For a single deck, the shipping and licensing run about $5 but we can't put $10 because KS doesn't break it out. If a deck costs $2.50 to make it to our door, then that's a decent markup if there weren't KS or artist fees involved. For the limited edition, we have about 500 out there which runs close to $8 extra per deck. If KS takes $1 out of that ten, we aren't getting rich on that any time soon. And yes, at lower quantities like that, the tucks are pretty expensive.
There are other companies rising to compete effectively with Bicycle. They aren't manufacturers that our licensors know or trust like Bicycle though. We do like Bicycle because they are reliable, and saving 50 cents switching to another vendor doesn't justify that risk at this time.
Hopefully this doesn't come across as defensive. That's not how I mean it at all, but it seems like there are a lot of comments made that gloss over facts and don't offer any constructive solutions. Not a single person has said, "$8.99 would be closer to what I would expect, but I would only pay that if it was in Target", etc.
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: The Goonies Bicycle Playing Cards (KS)
« on: May 14, 2014, 01:43:17 PM »
The licensing plays a huge part of it. Many times in order to get a property we have to agree to a hard retail price in the contract. This is to prevent us from doing something like selling them at $5 each and diluting their brand.
It does raise an interesting question though. At what price point would these decks be considered a definite buy?
It does raise an interesting question though. At what price point would these decks be considered a definite buy?
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Playing Card Plethora / Re: Asylum Playing Cards Lawsuit
« on: May 07, 2014, 01:38:14 AM »
Can anyone get us in contact with the original artist? If it's true that the artwork is now available, we'd be interested in finding a way to get this deck into print and trying to help the backers recoup at least part of their pledges.
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