Hey

Even thought the courts appear as if were the product of a middle school art project, they have they own style and I like them!

I'd say keep the courts and continue that style throughout every card and you got yourself one cool personalized deck!

The back design looks a little too cut and paste and I personally would change it or at least alter the design a little.

Good luck

I'd say I'm a hunter. But I would say there is a difference between me and the others of my category.

There are the addicts, who will, by any means necessary, have every card they want and usually, they want to be the first people and (even better) the only people to have what they have. These people may have extra money to comfortably fund the habit or they may not. It does not matter to them. There is great joy when a new deck is released (b/c they know they will have it), however, this group is probably the most susceptible to "burn-out."

I'd say I'm a Responsible Addict, where, I still have a strong desire to have every deck, but I know I can't afford all or even most of them (especially when they are first released) and this brings me a level of anxiety (nothing major). Every new release brings a new inner tug of war whether or not the deck is worth it now or later or ever. The collecting is regulated by ones own anxious restraint. The problem in this manner of collecting is that it takes effort (in keeping expenses reasonable) and patience (perhaps waiting for sales to buy decks). There may be more satisfaction gained on average per deck collected than the addict.

Then there may be a group of Recovering Addicts, those that once were the all-out gotta-have-em-all collectors that burned out but stayed in the hobby only for a few choice decks that are exceptionally beautiful or exceptionally different. They are happy with the knowledge that they will not have every deck out there. They probably get the most joy out of every new addition.

At least those are some of my ideas...

Just got mine, came in great condition.

Of the variants, I got a Silver Monarch, Blue Tahoe (2500 limited), Game of Death Chinatown (YES!), and a normal blue Aristocrat.

The game of death was a welcome surprise and the other cards I got made this bundle a worthwhile purchase.

Quote from: Aptombstone on February 16, 2014, 04:09:43 PM

Quote from: Sher143 on February 16, 2014, 07:46:06 AM

How long will these last, I wonder. I'm debating whether I should go for this or the sale over at Kings Wild. If this box is still available in two weeks, it'll be easier for me to choose Kings Wild (since that will end sooner).

Thanks for the heads up, I'm gonna pick up a Silver Certificate and a Reserve note (not black). They'll be my first Fed 52 decks. These will probably go in the "never to be opened" section of my collection.

Might want to consider picking up a Fed 52 or Gold certificate,  as thats probably the cheapest they'll ever be,  and he said that he will no longer be selling them on the website after the sale.

I know I know, and it's probably a great investment too, but I've spent so much on cards already this month (stop me if you've ever heard yourself say that) that I just can't bring myself to buy more unless they are at like dirt cheap. And I'm lucky because the Silver Cert. and the Reserve Note are my favorites of the series and they turned out to be the cheapest, not by much, but still.

Arrco Tahoes have at least 4 non-vintage colors (red, blue, black, inverse) and if we take the 6 variations of the Monarchs provided by Don, then the variation total becomes 2 x 2 x 4 x 6 = 96. Still not 144, but closer. There may be one or two more variants we are missing. I know its not a big deal but hey its fun figuring it out.

Anyone who is considering buying the variety box please use the code, if you haven't already, provided in the "Retailer Coupons" section of this forum, fancy426 as it will save you 10% ($15!) which will cover domestic shipping and then some.

Quote from: Justin O. on February 15, 2014, 02:46:32 PM

Are they limited in amount?

They should be limited to 144. I don't believe they come numbered.

You can only buy 12 per order.

Quote from: Aptombstone on February 15, 2014, 03:03:10 PM

I picked one of these up. Worst case scenario, i get 8 new decks, best case scenario I get 11 new decks, depending on which color variable they send me.

I thought it'd be worth a try, and hey, you gotta think at least 1 of the 144 boxes will have a "rare" Monarch color, but I won't hold my breath.

I don't know that I would call the Silver Monarch "Rare". They are sold out @ theory11 and most likely are NOT being printed again.

I was talking about the so-called White Monarchs and the Gold Monarchs as the rare variants in the Monarch series.

I'm guessing those Chinese Aviators weren't available for long and even though they handle like crap its probably cool to have one.

The first Aviator deck I got was the Chinese one. Needless to say I was very disappointed, not only in the cards, but in the Youtube reviews who vouched for their quality. It was a long while before I realized they were once, and now continue to be, made in the good ol' USA.

I believe this deck could be improved by blowing up the monsters pictured in the courts. As-is, their small size makes them seem less significant. The back design could have thinner borders and please remove "monster montage" and just leave the Right side up, upside down "M" graphic.

Where do they sell streamlines (besides the internet)? I haven't come across them in stores except for an old USPCC Rite Aid Pharmacy brand Pinochle deck that used the Streamline back and faces.

Hey, I can fan too!

Everyone starts out small but eventually you have so many decks it makes you cringe to even think about how much money was spent/wasted/invested, whichever verb you'd prefer at any given time.

It is both a blessing and a curse to have SO MANY decks available to buy. As they say, good luck, have fun!

Thanks. Both the pictures I uploaded are of the same pinochle deck.

The other deck is really nothing special, just a blue sealed red circle back without the "original circle back" marker on the back.

I'll post the pics of it anyway.

Hello, I'd like some info about two Tally Ho decks I have in my collection.

The first deck is an opened Tally Ho Pinochle deck that was the first deck I ever "collected." I say "collected" because my dad got it for me at a garage sale and although I remember liking the back design as a kid, I hated the fact that it wasn't a normal 52 card deck and just ignored it rather than play with and ruin it like I would other decks of cards at the time. Now that I'm a card collector, I think its pretty cool I've held on to it long enough to appreciate it.

I'm never going to sell it, but I'd like to know if its from the year 1968 like I believe to be and how much it is worth. I've uploaded some pics. I notice the production letter "k" (1948 1968 1988), the lack of a bar code on the bottom of the box, and the fact that the partial USPCC seal is stamp-like rather than circular edged (not pictured).

The other Tally Ho deck I have is a recent addition. It's still sealed and pretty much looks like any tally ho purchased today except for two things, a blue seal signifying Ohio production and no "original fan back" on the back. Can anyone tell me around when this deck was made and what its value might be. I'm going to guess an 80's manufacture date and a value of like $6-8.

Thanks

Awesome question.

Personally the only decks I do not open are doubles and decks valued more than $25. Still, that means over 80% of my collection has been opened. In the beginning, I kept all of them closed, but I realized the value of most of my decks wouldn't become life-changingly large in the next decade, and anyway would I even sell my collection after having it for that long, probably not. So why not enjoy the feel and the art of all 56 cards now?

I have a couple decks in my collection that I've practiced with mercilessly for years and I can still take them out and do magic and flourishes with them (although they are admittedly more "gummy" than when they were new). Point is, the cards aren't going to disintegrate even if you work them hard. But it is preferable to only take them out once in a while and play with them with clean hands, ofc. They will last a lifetime.

I value the joy of breaking out a deck of cards (that I've forgotten the feel of) every once in a while and becoming infatuated with it all over again as if I were opening it for the first time. Its better than just looking at a sealed cellophane box and saying, "Yep, there it is." But then again there is something to be said for a perfectly pristine collection of cards. Its just not for me.