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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => Playing Card Plethora => Topic started by: Nurul on November 01, 2013, 05:44:24 PM
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For those who aren't apart of the bicycle club 808, the following is a short guide to cards on kickstarter. The post is taken from the club 808 page.
I hope those who are new to kickstarter (and maybe those who aren't) will follow this guide. With so many deck ideas and designs coming out on kickstarter, this gives you a good idea of what to look out for.
Hope this helps
"For the uninitiated, Kickstarter.com is a crowdfunding website. It lets users post their (unfinished or undistributed) creative projects—a nifty book, a new game, handmade items they’d like to make en masse—and encourage you, the viewer, to help donate to the cost of the project. If enough people pledge to “fund” the project, the cash is delivered to the user to fund whatever he or she needs to get their product out there.
Playing card projects on Kickstarter are a dime a dozen. Seriously, check out how many designs are out there. They go on for pages, covering everything from wizards to pirates to jaw-droppingly gorgeous abstract designs.
No doubt you’ll want to rush to help fund all of them—but how do you know which projects have it together, and which ones don’t? Which ones are professional quality, and which ones have designers who need more experience?
We’ve got you covered. Here’s what to look for.
A generous sampling of designs. If you find a playing card project that shows off a generous sampling of what the printed cards will look like, it’s a great sign. We’ve seen projects that show only a few court card designs without a back or tuck design, which indicates that the designer isn’t very far along and may not even have a solidified concept. If we’re thinking about putting money toward a deck, we want to see proof that the designer knows what he or she is doing. Varied examples of the cards—say, four or more—shows that the concept is far along.
A generous sampling of good designs. And we don’t just mean artistic talent. Is the card back symmetrical—or close enough? Is the Suicide King on the correct card? Do the pips, numbers, and court card letters all line up from card to card? Does the tuck reference the rest of the design in a creative way? Look for designers who pay attention to these simple but important details.
Legit websites. Designers want to entice viewers to fund their project, so their project pages on Kickstarter are visually enticing and endlessly thoughtful. If they’re the real deal, their website will echo a similar level of care and detail, so check out the project website. Can you tell this isn’t the designer’s first rodeo? If it is their first rodeo (that is, first time trying playing card design), do they have past experience as designers or illustrators?
They set the right price. Ever seen a Kickstarter deck ask for $25 grand? If you have, it’s either a well-established, well-recognized design company with a history of amazing decks and Kickstarter rewards, or this person has no idea what he or she is doing. If designers get their decks printed through the US Playing Card Company and have promised some nifty awards, most projects will ask for around $10,000, plus or minus a few thousand. Maybe you’ll see a $15,000 project if it’s an extremely well-designed, premium-quality deck. Too high a price runs the risk of not reading the funding goal.
They know the language. Check out the part where designers talk about how they’re getting their cards printed. Do they mention an air-cushion finish? What kind of stock they’re using? What manufacturer is printing the cards, whether it’s Bicycle or someone else? Do they even mention these things at all? They’re important details, so be sure to look for them."
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Great read Nurul, thanks for posting. I need to join Club 808
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You're welcome sparkz. The club is great, good value for money IMO. They have tons of articles and interviews which are a great read :) and they make some valid points on this subject.
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That list could use a few addenda.
For example, when someone comes to Kickstarter announcing they're designing a deck to be made by USPC but have a ridiculously low goal, say $1,000 or even $5,000, you need to know whether they're supplementing the project with their own funds. If not, then it's clear the "designer" has no clue about the real-world costs involved and hasn't done enough research - they're likely inexperienced designers at best, utterly clueless at worst.
Can anyone else think of rules of thumb that should be a part of this guide?
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That list could use a few addenda.
For example, when someone comes to Kickstarter announcing they're designing a deck to be made by USPC but have a ridiculously low goal, say $1,000 or even $5,000, you need to know whether they're supplementing the project with their own funds. If not, then it's clear the "designer" has no clue about the real-world costs involved and hasn't done enough research - they're likely inexperienced designers at best, utterly clueless at worst.
Can anyone else think of rules of thumb that should be a part of this guide?
Name dropping or a CV certainly helps if it's a new creator. Lee mentioned his background with E early on for the Empire deck. Chris (Whispering Imps) told us that he was working with Mark Stutzman on the design for the project.
For projects that have gone a couple of days already, I'd say checking creator activity, either via updates or the comments, as well as the level of transparency provided. Even after launch, this is important, ESPECIALLY if a promise is made on how often an update will come.
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Name dropping or a CV certainly helps if it's a new creator. Lee mentioned his background with E early on for the Empire deck. Chris (Whispering Imps) told us that he was working with Mark Stutzman on the design for the project.
For projects that have gone a couple of days already, I'd say checking creator activity, either via updates or the comments, as well as the level of transparency provided. Even after launch, this is important, ESPECIALLY if a promise is made on how often an update will come.
Yeah, when a creator is lazy about keeping his or her own word on frequency of updates, it doesn't instill a sense of trust in their ability to keep their word regarding delivering a deck on time.
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That list could use a few addenda.
For example, when someone comes to Kickstarter announcing they're designing a deck to be made by USPC but have a ridiculously low goal, say $1,000 or even $5,000, you need to know whether they're supplementing the project with their own funds. If not, then it's clear the "designer" has no clue about the real-world costs involved and hasn't done enough research - they're likely inexperienced designers at best, utterly clueless at worst.
Can anyone else think of rules of thumb that should be a part of this guide?
I still remember the blue emperors went something like that - and now look how in demand they are (at least for the time being)
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That list could use a few addenda.
For example, when someone comes to Kickstarter announcing they're designing a deck to be made by USPC but have a ridiculously low goal, say $1,000 or even $5,000, you need to know whether they're supplementing the project with their own funds. If not, then it's clear the "designer" has no clue about the real-world costs involved and hasn't done enough research - they're likely inexperienced designers at best, utterly clueless at worst.
Can anyone else think of rules of thumb that should be a part of this guide?
I still remember the blue emperors went something like that - and now look how in demand they are (at least for the time being)
Well, yeah - that was a deck that was given supplemental private funding. Honestly, it didn't even need a Kickstarter in the first place. The people behind it had the money to make it on their own; they just wanted to Kickstart it to get a larger audience to know about it.
Any OTHER addenda? :))
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Legit websites. Designers want to entice viewers to fund their project, so their project pages on Kickstarter are visually enticing and endlessly thoughtful. If they’re the real deal, their website will echo a similar level of care and detail, so check out the project website. Can you tell this isn’t the designer’s first rodeo? If it is their first rodeo (that is, first time trying playing card design), do they have past experience as designers or illustrators?
Don't know that I agree with this part. Jackson did not exactly have a great website. On coffee with D&D, Jackson mentioned he is working with someone on a website design. Not sure if it's his personal website or a "Kings Wild" website. I think Jackson was the exception to these Club 808 rules and recommendations.
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Legit websites. Designers want to entice viewers to fund their project, so their project pages on Kickstarter are visually enticing and endlessly thoughtful. If they’re the real deal, their website will echo a similar level of care and detail, so check out the project website. Can you tell this isn’t the designer’s first rodeo? If it is their first rodeo (that is, first time trying playing card design), do they have past experience as designers or illustrators?
Don't know that I agree with this part. Jackson did not exactly have a great website. On coffee with D&D, Jackson mentioned he is working with someone on a website design. Not sure if it's his personal website or a "Kings Wild" website. I think Jackson was the exception to these Club 808 rules and recommendations.
I think there's more than a few exception to that rule. Chris Chelko didn't and still doesn't have a site (listed) either besides his instagram page; I don't think all the items are delivered yet, but I'd say the Whispering Imps KS is a success. I think those 808 guidelines are good, but in the end you've got to make your own judgement call.
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Legit websites. Designers want to entice viewers to fund their project, so their project pages on Kickstarter are visually enticing and endlessly thoughtful. If they’re the real deal, their website will echo a similar level of care and detail, so check out the project website. Can you tell this isn’t the designer’s first rodeo? If it is their first rodeo (that is, first time trying playing card design), do they have past experience as designers or illustrators?
Don't know that I agree with this part. Jackson did not exactly have a great website. On coffee with D&D, Jackson mentioned he is working with someone on a website design. Not sure if it's his personal website or a "Kings Wild" website. I think Jackson was the exception to these Club 808 rules and recommendations.
I think there's more than a few exception to that rule. Chris Chelko didn't and still doesn't have a site (listed) either besides his instagram page; I don't think all the items are delivered yet, but I'd say the Whispering Imps KS is a success. I think those 808 guidelines are good, but in the end you've got to make your own judgement call.
Jackson did have 2 previous successful projects, which kinda changes how people view him as a project creator.
That list could use a few addenda.
For example, when someone comes to Kickstarter announcing they're designing a deck to be made by USPC but have a ridiculously low goal, say $1,000 or even $5,000, you need to know whether they're supplementing the project with their own funds. If not, then it's clear the "designer" has no clue about the real-world costs involved and hasn't done enough research - they're likely inexperienced designers at best, utterly clueless at worst.
Can anyone else think of rules of thumb that should be a part of this guide?
I still remember the blue emperors went something like that - and now look how in demand they are (at least for the time being)
Emperor was fairly open early on with the private funding part. If no mention was made until halfway through, then it would be different.
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Emperor was fairly open early on with the private funding part. If no mention was made until halfway through, then it would be different.
I remember they took quite the grilling/aggressive comments at the start (I was a pretty early backer on that project... kicking myself that I only got 1 blue though -.- when I had the opportunity to get any number XD).
A little while after the grilling they revealed the funding etc
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Emperor was fairly open early on with the private funding part. If no mention was made until halfway through, then it would be different.
I remember they took quite the grilling/aggressive comments at the start (I was a pretty early backer on that project... kicking myself that I only got 1 blue though -.- when I had the opportunity to get any number XD).
A little while after the grilling they revealed the funding etc
Guess I was wrong there. I was aware of the deck, but didn't have time to look until the 6th day or so.
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Emperor was fairly open early on with the private funding part. If no mention was made until halfway through, then it would be different.
I remember they took quite the grilling/aggressive comments at the start (I was a pretty early backer on that project... kicking myself that I only got 1 blue though -.- when I had the opportunity to get any number XD).
A little while after the grilling they revealed the funding etc
Guess I was wrong there. I was aware of the deck, but didn't have time to look until the 6th day or so.
The hammering they got had to do with a few things. The tiny goal raised eyebrows. Then when the private funding was revealed, there were unanswered questions about who was funding it - the project creator was being very evasive about it.
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I think that it's worth noting that, even if everything looks legit, strange things do happen, and don't spend more than you are willing to lose. Many projects have been really, really late due to issues with the creator, funds running out, or worse. Core cards come to mind. Then there's the saga of Founders cards. Everything looked great and legit, but the backers are still trying to chase down the "Designers" and their funds. Anything and everything can happen. realize that delivery dates can be VERY soft dates, and there is the real possibility that you will lose everything, especially if you go past your credit card charge dispute date. Be prepared for anything. Don't be scared of KS, most things work out for the best, just realize that if something does go wrong, KS is out of the loop of responsibility, and you 9and the other backers) will be on your own.