Lorenzo's deck #17 prototype - limited remaining!

[Mike Ratledge]

Guys & gals, I thought I was out of these promotional decks Lorenzo designed for the CardLauncher project nearly 5 years ago, but I realized that I had a box of the Scarlet decks Eli Retschlag designed at the same time and the last box was mixed about half and half with "v0" of Nº17 decks.

For the time being I will ship 1 free deck of Eli's Scarlet deck with two or more of these. They are $30, so for about $68 you get two of these rare decks (520 were made) along with one of the even rarer (250 made) Scarlet Pearl deck by magician Eli Retschlag of Australia.

There is NO advertising over on UCdecksales.com but if you tell me where you saw this offer, I will send you a free Scarlet deck with two of the prototype Deck Nº17 orders.

Remember that these were MPC 2014 decks. Quality of the cards is excellent!

My printer is not working so I mail on Mondays and Thursdays when I get to the nearby (26 miles?) FedEx Office to print out the postage. By the way the newest price for Small Flat Rate boxes is $8.25 now. Same service, almost always 2 days from mailing receipt at the post office until delivery anywhere in the lower 48. Alaska and Hawai'i takes several extra days. Others (territories & Puerto Rico) take a bit longer.

[BaconWise]

Thank you for the heads-up, Mike!

[bdawg923]

Shouldn't this be in the buy sell forum

[Daisho]

Good news / bad news situation. Bad news, I could get only get one, so I guess I don't qualify for the free Scarlett. Good news, I got the last prototype.

I guess I should mention that good news / bad news was respective to me.

Edit: As mentioned below, Mike did restock a few. There may be some left!

[rousselle]

I guess I should mention that good news / bad news was respective to me.

Good news (for me): I got the last one!
Bad news (for you): I got the last one!

Congrats, though, on getting the last one! These are wonderful decks to have for any serious Lorenzo collector.

[Xarin77]

NOOOO.... How'd I miss this... dang.

[Mike Ratledge]

Good news / bad news situation. Bad news, I could get only get one, so I guess I don't qualify for the free Scarlett. Good news, I got the last prototype.

I guess I should mention that good news / bad news was respective to me.

My screw-up. I had already added the 9 I found in the box and forgot to put in the half box. I just put 26.more in stock, and I am almost sure that is it.

If you want, you can send me $30 (friendofuc@gmail.com) by PayPal and I will send a pair plus the Scarlet Pearl deck by Eli.

Guys, I ended up in Columbia Thursday taking care of mom and will be back home tomorrow. Those orders will all be going out Thursday by 2 day Flat Rate USPS. All should arrive Saturday or possibly Monday depending on your local post office size.

Any othered after now will be shipped Monday. In general that is my Covid-19 shipping schedule - Mondays and Thursdays.

There are 12 more pairs.

[Decknowledgy]

Int'l shipping is hefty... Or else I'd get one

[supernova]

PMed you.

[EvilDuncan]

Sent you a PM

[Kurama]

Sent you an email

[Mike Ratledge]

Just wanted to follow up previous notes:

If you have placed the order for 2 of v0 / prototype Nº17 decks, I will add 1 deck of magician Eli Retschlag's Scarlet Pearl deck, even if you don't send a note or comment on the order.

One person already noted that the decks have minor problems with the tuck often being just a little bent where they are sealed.

Remember, these are prototype decks, made by MPC and sealed in something more like Saran Wrap than the cellophane we are used to. Nothing major, but after looking through nearly 2 dozen, all of them have (very) minor issues common to prototype decks.

[Mike Ratledge]

Guys, I got 22 orders and ran out of bubble wrap and packing tape after packing the first 15 orders.

Tape, no problem - already got 8 rolls at Costco but nobody has the right bubble wrap here, so I am awaiting shipment from Amazon, expected to be here Tuesday.

I will pack the last 7 plus any more orders I get Tuesday or Wednesday and ship Thursday - a week from today.

I added a few more to the stock inventory available after counting the precise amount of decks left. There are 10 pairs that will be going for $40 each without the bonus deck once those are sold. I think there are 6 pairs left with the free deck before the price goes up for the absolute last remaining stock.

Someone bought 1 deck, the last one before I counted the remaining decks and added 13 to the inventory. Whoever bought it can send $30 to FriendOfUC@gmail.com using PayPal by next Wednesday and still get the bonus Scarlet Pearl deck.

[EvilDuncan]

(Sigh) It took me until just now to realize that you were not saying the decks were only available if we sent you money through paypal instead of through the UC Deck Sales...

[portcullis]

I like the deck, but not enough to pay ~$56 shipping on a $44 deck.

[Mike Ratledge]

(Sigh) It took me until just now to realize that you were not saying the decks were only available if we sent you money through paypal instead of through the UC Deck Sales...

No, exactly the opposite. You have to buy it from UCdecksales. I did ask one person to send another $30 by PayPal because there was only 1 in stock when they ordered (so they can get the free Scarlet Pearl deck). Otherwise they would have to pay shipping twice.

Right now there are 12 decks (6 pairs) left.

[Mike Ratledge]

I like the deck, but not enough to pay ~$56 shipping on a $44 deck.

Huh?

Overseas Flat Rate is $35 or so, which is terrible, I agree. Not much I can do about horrible prices from the US Postal Service.

1 to 6 decks ship at the same price, and there is no alternative with tracking, that's as cheap as it gets.

[portcullis]

And by the time you convert that $38.50 (the price the site gives me) into AUD, it's $56 and change. I know it's not your fault. It's just utterly disheartening to live in a "geographically inconvenient" corner of the planet.

[Mike Ratledge]

And by the time you convert that $38.50 (the price the site gives me) into AUD, it's $56 and change. I know it's not your fault. It's just utterly disheartening to live in a "geographically inconvenient" corner of the planet.

Ah, OK. Now I get it. Unfortunately that is the exact same amount it costs to mail it anywhere outside the US except for Canada, and that is up to $28 now.

The problem with "First Class" mail is that it is not traceable, trackable or insurable. It also takes almost twice as long to deliver, even though "Flat Rate" (PMI or Priority Mail International) is not guaranteed to be delivered at any certain day, it is generally 5 to 10 business days worldwide, or about 2 weeks. You _can_ add tracking for $3.25 but by then you are only saving $10 for up to 2# or 1kg and it's still not insurable.

First Class is typically 4 to 6 weeks and sometimes that becomes 3 or 4 months because of customs, etc.

[Mike Ratledge]

I mailed the last group of 10 Flat Rate boxes this morning, and I still have 2 orders that I ended up without printed labels for:

Last names Lee & Myers - of 17 printed recently I ended up with two duplicates and neither of these, but of course the count was correct.

There is also one going to Italy (last name Macini) that I was asked to delay because he's out of town. These three are packed, and will go out tomorrow when I get back to town to the FedEx office store.

Total of 21 orders, I thought it was 23, but two people placed two orders each and I combined them and refunded postage when I could. Over 6 decks requires a second box or Medium Flat Rate, so one order for 8 + 4 free decks was split in two and I covered postage.

Sorry for the delays, but you should be able to track your orders except for the three last names I mentioned - those go out by Thursday.

I do still have at least 20 more decks and will adjust the inventory as necessary. Same deal applies for now.