Smoke and Mirrors v7

[Don Boyer]

dan and dave might be going in a strange direction with this deck. I have obtained raw footage of V7s being used by Dan or Dave Buck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zAtUsFFIA0

note: this is a joke

They're not raw - they're cooked, and lightly salted! 

[Joker and the Thief]

I know but it's a very weird turn for a deck that is generally Luxury orientated. Maybe what that case is, it's not v7, maybe a military themed deck.

Military themes in fashion and design experienced a big comeback after all these years fighting two wars on the other side of the world.  Dan and Dave are probably not immune to this trend.  And we know that it's for v7 - why else would they be posting these images during the v7 hype machine warm-up?

Yes, it's most likely v7 but the point is that it seems as though its a very sudden turn. From luxury to military.

[Don Boyer]

I know but it's a very weird turn for a deck that is generally Luxury orientated. Maybe what that case is, it's not v7, maybe a military themed deck.

Military themes in fashion and design experienced a big comeback after all these years fighting two wars on the other side of the world.  Dan and Dave are probably not immune to this trend.  And we know that it's for v7 - why else would they be posting these images during the v7 hype machine warm-up?

Yes, it's most likely v7 but the point is that it seems as though its a very sudden turn. From luxury to military.

Would you call a Hummer H2 or H3 a luxury car?  I would.


I hear what you're saying, but they did say something about wanting to break the mold on this one, right?

[Gunshy1]

i might be wrong but... i bet the v7's are... ... ... still just playing cards. so really what all can they do that is SOOOOO different? how about change the back from the previous 3. Then, if they are REALLLLY feeling ambitious, they should use custom courts.

[Paul Carpenter]

Then, if they are REALLLLY feeling ambitious, they should use custom courts.

<snicker> Since D&D are so into the custom faces on their decks and all...  (it's nice to dream)

[KPopFever605]

I have confirmed with Dan that the v7's are not going to be military themed:

"We do have a military themed product coming out but it is not the v7's.

Cheers,
Dan"

[loldudex2]

Quoted from an email:

"We never imagined the Smoke and Mirrors playing cards would become so widely used and collected, let alone the possibility of a 7th edition. Thank you. It's been an amazing journey for us and an honor to see them used by the very best magicians and cardists all over the world.

Developing the Smoke & Mirrors has been our passion for the last six years. We've put our heart and soul into every detail and are extremely proud of them. With each new edition, we feel we've set a new standard, and this would not have been possible without your support.

The final edition, the v7, is without a doubt the most exceptional deck we've ever produced and an epic finale to an amazing chapter in our life. We've been working on it for over a year now and went as far as having new artwork produced by Si Scott exclusively for this release. The result is amazing and we can't wait for you to see them.

Today we are traveling over 2,000 miles, from California to Kentucky, to visit the US Playing Card Company where we will witness the v7's go to print. We've never done this before, and are excited for the trip. It's the ultimate level of attention.

As you can imagine, some very exciting teasers are coming."

[Evan]

Here is the email that was sent:

[Joker and the Thief]

I have confirmed with Dan that the v7's are not going to be military themed:

"We do have a military themed product coming out but it is not the v7's.

Cheers,
Dan"

Yes! I was right. How's that Don? I'm very excited, these are going to print today like the email stated. Very pumped.

[Don Boyer]

i might be wrong but... i bet the v7's are... ... ... still just playing cards. so really what all can they do that is SOOOOO different? how about change the back from the previous 3. Then, if they are REALLLLY feeling ambitious, they should use custom courts.

Nope, you are right - they're definitely playing cards.  Don't look like a vacuum cleaner, don't smell like a cheeseburger, don't feel like a push-up bra...

<snicker> Since D&D are so into the custom faces on their decks and all...  (it's nice to dream)

Yeah, I don't really see that happening.  I actually can't think of a single instance where one of their own decks went for custom faces or even custom courts beyond some minor color changes and reduction of detail.  Those reduced-detail courts were to me the most interesting thing about the S&M line - they appeared more iconic yet still traditional.

I have confirmed with Dan that the v7's are not going to be military themed:

"We do have a military themed product coming out but it is not the v7's.

Cheers,
Dan"

That military-themed product he mentions is probably the ammo box.  It's really just the right size for transporting a brick and (depending on how it was made) would be water-resistant and crush-resistant.  I guess if you do enough traveling, you realize you need something practically bullet-proof for keeping your cards with you in good shape, especially if you go somewhere in which replacements would be difficult to impossible to find.

Loldudex2, thanks for the content of the D&D email; I got the same one earlier this evening, as I'm sure many but not all people here did.  Evan, thanks for repeating in your post image word-for-word everything that was already stated in Loldudex2's post; it was a truly invaluable addition to the conversation, especially when one is nowhere near a canyon and wants to hear an echo...

Yes! I was right. How's that Don? I'm very excited, these are going to print today like the email stated. Very pumped.

That's fine, really.  Honestly, I don't have a strong opinion on these cards.  I've curtailed my deck purchasing, and D&D's decks were among the items I dropped from the shopping list.

As I stated earlier in this post, it probably means that the ammo box/deck case will be a separate purchase.  If it's the same as the one they were using at the lecture, it's a very cool thing to have for taking decks on the road.  Just try not to pack it in your carry-on when going through the TSA checkpoint at the airport...

[John B.]

what would be the problem with having it in your carry on?

[Don Boyer]

what would be the problem with having it in your carry on?

Dude, I carried a briefcase full of playing cards through FLL and got stopped for a hand search because a green TSA screener thought they might be bricks of some kind of explosive.  Now, imagine that x-ray image encased in what looks like a metal ammunition box.  You'd be lucky if they didn't cavity-search you to death (or just wishing you'd died)...

[Joker and the Thief]

what would be the problem with having it in your carry on?

 Last time I checked, Ammunition and Commercial Aeroplanes don't really mix...

[John B.]

So if I buy this, no planes. Got it.

[Siegismyname]

I sincerely hope that after the v7s. There would be a continuous run of playing cards by dnd without compromising the awesome back design and quality of the snm. Be it a Smoke AND Mirrors deck or a Smoke and Mirrors deck, such a quality deck should be 'unlimited' (I tried to refrain from this adjective but couldn't find a replacement)

[Don Boyer]

I sincerely hope that after the v7s. There would be a continuous run of playing cards by dnd without compromising the awesome back design and quality of the snm. Be it a Smoke AND Mirrors deck or a Smoke and Mirrors deck, such a quality deck should be 'unlimited' (I tried to refrain from this adjective but couldn't find a replacement)

While they do order in large numbers, D&D have never released an unlimited edition deck to date.  The closest they've come is to sell other companies' unlimited (or at least less limited) brands.  While it isn't impossible that they'd change this market strategy, it's pretty unlikely - why mess with success?  Sure, Ellusionist does this, but I'm betting D&D want to have a distinctly different image from E, yes?

[Joker and the Thief]

I sincerely hope that after the v7s. There would be a continuous run of playing cards by dnd without compromising the awesome back design and quality of the snm. Be it a Smoke AND Mirrors deck or a Smoke and Mirrors deck, such a quality deck should be 'unlimited' (I tried to refrain from this adjective but couldn't find a replacement)

While they do order in large numbers, D&D have never released an unlimited edition deck to date.  The closest they've come is to sell other companies' unlimited (or at least less limited) brands.  While it isn't impossible that they'd change this market strategy, it's pretty unlikely - why mess with success?  Sure, Ellusionist does this, but I'm betting D&D want to have a distinctly different image from E, yes?

Oh yes, I'm not sure if Dan and Dave really like Ellusionist at all to be honest.

[Don Boyer]

Oh yes, I'm not sure if Dan and Dave really like Ellusionist at all to be honest.

I think it's more to do with market focus.  Ellusionist wants to be the street magician's best friend (which can ring in with a pretty high geek factor), while D&D are pushing more for a higher-end clientele, selling luxury items E would be very unlikely to carry.  Additionally, books are a rare sight at E while D&D have one of the best book selections on magic and cardistry that I've seen anywhere.  A good percentage of my non-video magic library came from their shop.

Don't get me wrong, I love E's products - their DVDs are what got me started in magic in the first place and I recommend them to beginners just getting started (and yes, I know they have products for experienced magicians as well).  But you can tell just by the differences in their websites that D&D is aiming in one direction while E is aiming on a tangent from them.

[KPopFever605]

That military-themed product he mentions is probably the ammo box.  It's really just the right size for transporting a brick and (depending on how it was made) would be water-resistant and crush-resistant.  I guess if you do enough traveling, you realize you need something practically bullet-proof for keeping your cards with you in good shape, especially if you go somewhere in which replacements would be difficult to impossible to find.

If you're saying that this ammo box will be produced with legit metal, "crush-resistant" metal, wouldn't that ship for a VERY, VERY high price?

[Don Boyer]

If you're saying that this ammo box will be produced with legit metal, "crush-resistant" metal, wouldn't that ship for a VERY, VERY high price?

Steel doesn't crush very easily at the right thickness.  But in general, real-world ammo boxes produced by ammo companies would be resistant to crushing but far from indestructible.  Give an empty box a good bang or a whack with a hammer and it would dent.  However, when carrying something such as live ammunition, whacking things like filled ammo boxes with a hammer isn't very high on the to-do list, unless it happens to be just below something like, "Wash down the 'shrooms with some white lightning."

I'm sure that D&D took weight into account when having it made.  Who would want to lug around a very heavy metal box filled with anything?  But yes, the shipping charges are going to go up a notch or two with them.  If they were smart and went with aluminum instead of steel, perhaps just a half-notch.

[Michael]

I've never posted here before... Read a bunch and appreciate all the info haha but just noticed that the shop section on D&D's website (shop.dananddave.com) says "Smoke & Mirrors in 3 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes and 15 seconds" as of this post. Sooo.... my math takes me to Black Friday at 8AM PST/PDT??

Just wanted ya'll to know if you didn't haha

[KPopFever605]

I've never posted here before... Read a bunch and appreciate all the info haha but just noticed that the shop section on D&D's website (shop.dananddave.com) says "Smoke & Mirrors in 3 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes and 15 seconds" as of this post. Sooo.... my math takes me to Black Friday at 8AM PST/PDT??

Just wanted ya'll to know if you didn't haha

Okay, that time seems correct. Oh, my Friday is going to be busy. First, Best Buy for dirt cheap movies, and then here for my S&M fix.

[Knobz1]

So far my Black Friday is consisting of Sliver Split Spades and S&M V7.   Still curious as to what E and Theory 11 have in store for us...

[twiscold]

is that V3 in the DM video or the V7? I doubt that's V7 but still curious

[Michael]

is that V3 in the DM video or the V7? I doubt that's V7 but still curious

The email that we have all received:
"In the beginning, the Smoke & Mirrors were designed to be a personal deck. They were custom tailored to our taste with original art by Si Scott, a favorite designer of ours. We never imagined they'd be used by so many, let alone the best in the world.

As part of a countdown to the final edition of our Smoke & Mirrors, we've partnered with the best magicians and cardists across the globe to showcase a brief history in style, prestige, and excellence that is the Smoke & Mirrors.

We've appropriately chosen Daniel Madison of the U.K. to show off his trademark style with the original Smoke & Mirrors, the black and white editions."

So I'm assuming not the newest version