Sadly these deck got discontinued quite a few years ago. Since they are designed for card sharks and mechanics the decks weren't exactly highly sort after by the general public and so were more of a novelty, and those that know about cards used them like hell because of their benefits. This means that pretty much no one stockpiled a load to sell and so these are quite rare. On top of this, Richard Turner decided to stop making the gamblers deck and replaced it by making the gold seal bicycle deck - easier to sell but with the same benefits as his original deck (to card sharks and mechanics).

You probably won't be able to find one for a while - they are the sort of deck that will pop up once a year on ebay from someone not realising people want them. Just keep an eye out.

Thank you (I did suspect that )

Oh damn... Errm I'll have a dig around and see what else I have to send. Thanks for letting me know

Congrats. Must be the fastest playing card project?

I think that was all pretty much summed up nicely. I think most people (Well myself and so I assume others) neglected to talk about fullfilment time because it is not something the designer can control. USPCC may be really quick, or awfully slow. They may mess up a run and have to start over - or may have an issue with the tuck case. Or a legal issue. Or an ink issue. Or anything. Most people are happy to wait as long as you are genuine. I.E I am still waiting for a clip from Encarded, but I know Paul is reputable. I don't think he has run off with the money. If you are active in the community and easily contactable (Twitter, facebook, UC, Aether, etc) and give people regular updates people should be fine. We understand USPCC can be tricky.

As for the gaff cards - I don't know how you could get samples, but it was suggested on a previous kickstarter topic (I believe by Don) that you could use http://809bicycle.com/index.php/custom-cards for the production. Gaffs only work when they suit the genre of deck... I.E if your deck is meant for magicians and card collectors (there is a lot of overlap). Then gaff cards would go well but they only suit magicians really.

I think they first thing to get sorted is for you to decide what sort of deck you are making. Is it going to be collectable? For magicians? For philosophers? Once you know who your target market is you can steer your marketing a deck towards them. I.E don't go to the trouble of making gaff cards (even those in the original deck) if your main buyer is a philosopher who wants a poker game.

I've got the Pirate set that I am more than happy to send to them.

The only cost I can think of that you haven't listed is tax on reselling. I don't know the first thing about this - but I remember Paul from Encarded had to get a certificate or something for tax reasons (I think at least, best to ask him, but I may be mistaken).

In terms of rewards, stickers are great. But don't brag about them. I've seen kickstarters that offer similar things and say things like "One deck of amazing djfhdjfhdjfhd cards and ONE FREE AMAZING STICKER" and I am left with the reaction; "Stickers; who cares". However Ive bought from other places and I open the package and get a sticker I am like "Wow, this is cool, where can I put it". The point is, having a sticker is a nice extra - but not a USP. If you make it sound like you think its amazing people think its lame, if you just chuck it in, its a cool addition. And if people stick it somewhere decent in their room, it'll remind them when the glance at it that you make decent cards.

The thing I will say about posters and things like that is that quite frankly, I don't get them. Well I sort of do, but I don't. Having an uncut sheet is a really cool and unique thing. Any uncut sheet is cool. But posters aren't a unique thing - there is nothing special about them. For posters to be successful the buyer has to really buy unto the design or the company. If you design a deck of cards that people fall in love with - a really powerful deck, then people will want a poster because loving the cards means loving your company, and they'll want to show it off. But unless you can create a deck the inspires people posters are at best a novelty. If they are cheap ($5-$15) people may want one - but people have limited wall space, and so people who collect cards couldn't possible have a poster for everyone and again you need a really powerful deck to get that wall space.

The eco clips are a good idea. If you are thinking of ideas for nice rewards eco clips are great because people get a use from them. They keep the deck in nice shape and look good.

The t-shirts, a bit like the posters but better. You don't really have a limit of how many t-shirts you will wear, however people are very funny about their style. I bought from a great company, just a plain white shirt with a burning ace of spades on it. It goes with a lot, I wear it under a shirt and it suits me if I am doing magic. However, just having the company name or a deck name would bother me. I'd like a designed shirt not a logo one. If you check out BBM they have there joker on a shirt - Jokers are probably the most customizable cards in the deck - if you make a super sexy joker, anyone who likes your deck will love it. You could also maybe put a reveal on the shirt, so you do a trick and slap the cards to your chest and there is their card. Or maybe put the ace of spades on the front and the back of the card on the back? Just some ideas its up to you. But remember anything about your t-shirts will look their best when the person wearing it has your cards in their hands. If you are going to make a 2500 run most people won't perform with the cards. Bear that in mind, but still if you design an awesome shirt of like a face card or something, people will enjoy.

Postcards, just another little accessory that I think is nice but like the stickers its not a major thing. If your deck is fully customized and you had 4 postcards of the 4 aces that'd be cool. Like a little set that is significant to your cards. But again watch the price.

Perhaps a wrist band? Make a nice colour with your website and a sort of card theme and this would go over well. It can do what a t-shirt is meant to do but isn't as intrusive. Its nice and subtle and looks cool. Magicians always have stuff on their arms. I have a watch, a hair band, rubber bands, a paper clip. And wear them all the time. If I got a wrist band with a deck and it wasn't too much more I'd wear it.

Gaff cards, with a deck you normally only get 1 or 2 gaff cards, any more you sacrifice the jokers and purist and card collectors like the two jokers (I do at least), Some get around this my having a joker reveal, or an add card reveal. But if you could make like 3 extra gaff cards as well as 2 inside the deck you are talking about some ultimate leverage over other decks. Because with 2 gaff cards you are very limited. You can probably do a reveal and a colour change. But with five - I mean you could have a colour change gaff, fallen pips gaff, reveal gaff, double printed card gaff, so many different tricks. Search youtube for the Ellusionist gaff decks in action - see the affect gaff cards can have and the more the better. The issue with gaff cards is that once you've shown a group of people it's over. I use burgundy bikes a lot and they have a 6D reveal on the box flaps. I show people the trick and they are like - SHOW ME AGAIN. And I can't. 5 gaff cards would blow any other deck out there out of the water for magicians and would elevate your deck.

A voucher for your next deck perhaps?

Signed stuff. Don't make signed decks a reward, do that on request. I know that seems harsh but unless your an amazing company your deck won't hold that respect. I've a signed Spectrum and its great, I like the fact the designers took time to sign it. But the autograph isn't that special. However a David Blaine deck is worth more signed, because you can be like you know that world famous magician? I have HIS deck with his AUTOGRAPH to ME. This isn't to say that signed art work or other things don't go down well. I personally believe with a kickstarter 2 decks and 1 uncut sheet should be able to be signed for no charge at all (by request, don't sign every one). Like the free stickers, its all about building that report. I have pledged on kickstarter before just because I've loved the guy making it. I've also cancelled on great decks because I disliked the guys. Building a good relationship with these extras goes a long way.

Custom brick boxes?

One thing I would really like to see more off are the tiny extras (stickers and wristbands already mentioned). But you know like those little accessories that go with the deck, I think it was skulkor who put out a ring? I've seen decks with guitar picks. I don't play guitar but wouldn't mind a pick. Have fun and get creative.

Price per deck. $5, thrilled. Maximum $10. I think the important thing is that there are a lot of decks coming and going, anything in this range is good because it's not killer but it should cover your costs.

Shipping: I am going to recommend you do like a $1.50/$2 shipping charge on all decks. This is because  most people wont break at the extra charge and it means that international customers don't get a raw deal/ feel like they are. The amount of times I've seen a kickstarter and its like $8-$9 a deck with $7 shipping and you definitely feel like you are paying twice, which also sucks because everyone in the states gets in free.  If you charge $1.75 overall you need 80% of your customers to be in the states for you not to lost any more than with the free USA shipping and $7 international. If you charge $2 you can have less USA customers. I know it may seem unfair on domestic shipping but bear this in mind.

Overall the message is give as much for as little, make things unique to avoid competing with other decks, be honest and creative. Try to maximise the use of everything you give.

Ah thank you

Ah thank you Don, glad to know I was correct in my knowledge, never hurts to check. It's strange about the outhouseing... I would have thought they'd keep it all together, budgets I guess.

So what is your favourite part of your collection? I'd actually like you to really consider this question - and try to look for sentimental reasons and not just values. I.E I have a gold arcane but it was bought more for collection purposes, my favourite deck is the Karnival Renegades *hides under desk to avoid thrown objects" it was one of my first decks about 2/3 years ago (whenever it came out) and it handles great, nice colour, lovely jokers, the whole package to me.

Anyway my favourite part of my collection seems boring, but it's my bicycle colour collection. The riderbacks in all different colours - standard faces. This is because when I first got into magic I wanted bicycle cards (all the tutorials use them) and being a bit OCD I wanted everyone; unrealistic so now I collect series and collections.

Because I started when Riderbacks were getting faded out, they were harder to get - and so were the colours.It was only a month ago that I finally got all 12 colours. The red and blue, Turqoise and Fuschia, Green and Yellow, Orange and Burgundy, Brown and Black, Silver and Gold. Seems simple and I am sure more serious collectors might look down their nose at my simple taste - but you can say a jerry nugget is your favourite deck because it cost you $300 and its your prize piece, or that your BG1E is the best which you speant $300 at Ellusionist to get as a gift, but in reality you bought them to collect and whilst the Black Ghost is beautifully designed, at which point does purchasing a deck become more 'for the collection' than 'I loved it when I saw it' - those impulse buys.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with the up market decks, but I want to know what your favourite part of your collection is, the deck/s that you see in your collection and still love. Maybe it's a bike from 60 years ago, or the Karnival series, maybe its the tendril, or the black tigers. Maybe you do love your Gold arcane more than anything - perhaps that was your goal when you started and once you achieved it you felt like you had arrived in the collecting world. I don't know it's up to you. Like I said my brick of coloured Bikes are still my special thing, and what I brag the most about. It's something about the class of a riderback, the memories of starting out and wanting these decks and enjoying the colours. In fact, for this reason and this reason alone (my love of coloured bikes) I bought the rainbow deck by Cosmo, I was very vocal about my displeasure from the outset, I cancelled my pledge and then re-pledged (bumping down to a black seal but meh) - I was disappointed with the jokers, and the spelling mistake but the backs of the cards are beautiful to me and I do not regret them one bit. That's my long winded essay for the day -whats your favourite deck/s?

TL;DR:
I like dem coloured bikes and whats not, how about you?

Hey thanks, I PM'd him to see if he has any

I would definitely be interested, come September I should actually have money so next month sounds good I like the gamble idea seeing as $2 for any bike deck isn't exactly much...

Hey guys, got a couple of decks I would like to shift.

1x Bicycle Pirate set: £20/$32
4x Bicycle burgundy riderbacks (standard faces, burgundy backs): £3/$5
2x Bicycle Yellow riderbacks £6/$10

Shipping:
UK - £2, 50p every additional deck
International - $4, every additional deck 75 cents

Spend more than £10, get a free standard deck, spend more than £20 get a free burgundy deck

Offers accepted, really want to shift these. Thank you.


[EDIT: Changed title, changed prices of some decks, added a free incentive]