Blind Tiger NPCCD 2022

[vasta41]

I have been asking for someone to give me a good reason why someone in this day and age cannot send out an update in the amount of time Alex has had to do so and I've yet to receive one. I'm sure it's because there is no good reason.
As I've said before in this thread, unless he is physically unable to do so, there is no excuse, no matter how bad things are, not to send an update.

[Honeybee]

Use your imagination, there are a multitude of reasons why there can be silence
You gave one yourself - maybe "he is physically unable to"
As unlikely as it may be (but just to make it clear that WE have no idea so probably should not be suggesting a scam)
It has already been said:

For all I know he is in a room he can’t get out of trying to remember his own name

People, don't let YOUR need for information become borderline abuse - it would seem pretty obvious that Alex is not reading this thread

[kevork]

Here's the context of LIMBO, highlighting a "loss of autonomy" that may allude to what could be going on:

E8092338-BE89-40BC-877A-A7027572E382.jpeg (70.68 KiB) Viewed 1646 times

LIMBO was designed to create an unexpected loss of autonomy for the holder and was through this lens that the project was created. The concept revolves around two different states and one’s inability to transverse either. The focus then was not about the cards and what they held, but the voided value from the nothingness between.

[Oneiros88]

This popped up random in my Facebook feed.
Substitute “if I need help” with “when are sending out the decks” if it makes it easier to understand.

Yes people are allowed to be upset with nothing to show for their investment, but no one truly knows what situation Alex is in.

For those saying it’s a two-way street, that’s fine, if the other person on the street can see the other person coming towards them.

[GandalfPC]

People are free to voice and share concerns - but should he be having a deep struggle I don’t want Alex checking in here to read this and having a new struggle to deal with - he should know people care about him and that they have not already determined his guilt or the inability for him to make things right. Until I hear what happened I’m not sure I’m holding him to delivering anything to make it right - shit happens, sometimes it’s catastrophic.

No one here lost their house or livelihood - some did loose a non-trivial but survivable chunk for cash they were not spending on something they needed to survive.

When in doubt, err on the side of not driving someone to a worse state, of not convicting before the facts, and of not demanding that someone’s worse moment fit your time schedule, even if they owe you $500.

[GandalfPC]

I’m sure everyone remembers that Columbo episode, where the bad guy has a visibly depressive episode, goes quiet, pops up and partially fulfills promises and then goes quiet again - all in the process of having his business and marketing cache collapse.

A masterful plan of evil.

[Swiski66]

At the end of the day, we sent donations for Alex to aid him on his recovery without receiving anything in return. That sounds better to me than him stealing our money.

[Honeybee]

That is one super insensitive post Swiski - was it supposed to be funny

[GandalfPC]

You don’t get to choose what you are carrying when you fall down.

[Swiski66]

That is one super insensitive post Swiski - was it supposed to be funny

No, we all lost money and all of us are angry, bitter, disappointed and ripped off. My intention was to make me, and maybe others, feel positive emotions, that our money probably helped him with medical expenses or whatever, to help him get back on his feet.

[JazzBaloo]

There is a pattern of behavior from these situations. Someone takes money and doesn't fulfill the promise or obligation. Some people become upset but some people try being supportive and seem to want to convince others as such while citing compassion or sensitivity. It is a nice gesture to want to help a friend and at the same time it is sort of insulting to be told you are over reacting or that your problem is no big deal because of whichever scenario is imagined at the time. The victim is made out to be the villian in some cases and sometimes bullied or gaslighted with what can be considered good intentions. Should it matter if someone takes 1$ or
100$ or 1000$ from you for you to be upset? Should it matter if it was disposable income or not? Should it become then a question of the victim's character or should it remain a problematic question that was created by the failure of one party to uphold the agreement. Maybe there is a middle ground that somehow could provide suitable comfort for all involved. In any case, this reoccurring problem is at the forefront of card collecting and could use some solving. A simple solution to avoid losing your money or feeling scammed is to not support promises but that answer will probably not satisfy everyone. I can not say to someone that if they didn't want to lose money or couldn't afford to, then they should not have trusted that person while at the same time wanting to instill confidence that the person in question is reliable or trustworthy. Something may be horribly wrong with Alex and nobody wants that but until there is any information on what is wrong, people can only react to what has happened. Which means that I can not sympathize with Alex in this situation because there has been nothing given to sympathize with.

[Bikefanatic]

There's a quote that goes "past performance does not indicate future performance".

It can go 50/50. This may be the 3rd time out of 200+ times something gone wrong. It's only $80 I'll be out of but I don't want it to vanish. No matter how much you spent, you have the right to feel the way you feel about something not being fulfilled.

[GandalfPC]

I would disagree that there has been nothing given to sympathize with - but I go by my own observations and conclusions, stated above at some point or another, likely twice.

[Bradius]

I understand why some are upset. I do get it. From my perspective Alex and many creators that have not delivered are people I have communicated with, so they are not nameless people to me. We also have common friends. I guess that gives me a different perspective and context.

[bdawg923]

Gandalf I am genuinely wondering whether your last 10 responses in this post are written by chatgpt. You sound like a fortune cookie with some of these word salad replies. I don't mean to be rude, but you're like philosophical guru on steroids. Dude what are you talking about. Is yoda editing everything you're saying here?

I do wonder if this whole limbo thing is an experiment. Like the decks are made and ready to ship, but like kevork pointed out "LIMBO was designed to create an unexpected loss of autonomy for the holder". Alex is probably reading this thread laughing his ass off at how well his social experiment is working. What if LIMBO is the friends we made along the way?

[GandalfPC]

My word salads are my own I must admit, though I find them palatable on review.

[JazzBaloo]

My word salads are my own I must admit, though I find them palatable on review.

And as valid of a position to take. It ain't over yet.

[GandalfPC]

Lettuce assume not.

[Harvonsgard]

Word salads, lettuce... this man is a pun god.

[Cardians]

Anything?
Would like to see an update from Alex himself.

Cheers,
KW

[laitostarr777]

Anything?
Would like to see an update from Alex himself.

Cheers,
KW

Unfortunately no...
My last email to him, which I've sent on October 22 this year, asking how has it been, had never been replied.

This is DEFINITELY concerning, considering he used to attend annually in 52+J cons, and he had been missing ever since...
Perhaps we should accept the inevitable, that the tradition of NPCCD annual decks to disappear.

[GandalfPC]

There is no denying the lengthening lack of word is eroding hope that NPCCD decks will continue and that Blind Tiger will be delivered, but inevitable is a bit too hopeless for me to cotton to, so I will stick with burning a candle in the window and hope for his eventual return - though it seems I may need more candles…

[brownsl]

I have lost hope and it is probably way too late to try and recover the charge on my credit card but I will probably give that a try.

[Swiski66]

I have lost hope and it is probably way too late to try and recover the charge on my credit card but I will probably give that a try.

Good idea. I will call my bank to see what they can possibly do.

[Cardians]

Oct 17, 2022
Order pre-sale Blind-Tiger $266.58USD included shipping

June 3, 2023
Email Received:
This is Alex and I'm reaching out to you in regards to the status of your Blind Tiger order. Out the gate, I want to express my sincerest apologies for the delays and lack of communication during this time. I know how frustrating it must be to not have received your decks by now and to have your order seemingly ghosted. While not an excuse, my absence has been due to unexpected medical issues in my family. I apologize for the unprofessional manner in which I handled the situation and any stress it caused to you and other supporters of Seasons. With that said, I want to take this time to return to normalcy and earn back your trust, starting with the completion and delivery of these cards and committed continuation of the NPCCD series for all of you.

The preorder for this deck was intended to be an artistic play on the term “Blind Tiger” on multiple levels, from the blind preorder experience to the way the physical deck is viewed. However, given the recent lack of communication, I understand that not knowing what you will receive may feel like less of a mystery and more of a risk. It only feels right to me to offer you more information on the deck so you can choose whether you want to continue the experience.

The Blind Tiger blends themes of prohibition and vice with surrealist influence from Belgian artist Rene Magrite. The cards have an illustration style similar to my previous decks. The bonus of the series is a multi-layered mini deck individualized for each experience. While I believe it is important to the Blind Tiger experience to not reveal the artwork until unveiled in-person, I hope this information will help you gauge the art content and better set expectations of the decks you will receive.

The estimated timeline for delivery will be around October, which I recognize is a full year since the order. The delay is due to unanticipated issues with plastics manufacturing for the main series and the longer than anticipated assembly time of the bonus deck simply due to its design.


Going Forward

1. If this timeline or project is no longer for you, I completely understand and am happy to provide a full refund to the payment method charged to the account. Simply respond to this email with your order number and the refund will be processed.
2. If you would like to keep you order no action is needed and your order will be maintained for shipping.

I hope that my past work and delivery will act as a guide of character for follow-through on this project.

Thank you for your support,
Alex

June 8, 2023
Requested a refund

June 9, 2023 - Present
Been a fart in the wind with silence

Extremely concerning to say the least. I think we can write this one off sadly

Cheers,
KW

[Dplay]

Back then I really debated whether or not to preorder some of the decks. Seeing the chaos this project seems to have turned into I'm very happy with my decision not to spend any money. I hope all of you will get your decks eventually.

[felicityk]

I got the same email back in June 2023 and promptly received my requested refund. I thought maybe it was the larger purchasers who got shafted, but Cardians ordered one set like me. No rhyme or reason. I'm sorry it ended this way, for everyone involved.

[Swiski66]

I just can't believe there is not one person in the card industry or card collecting community who hasn't heard from him, or his whereabouts, so we can all at least get some closure. Most of us wish now that we could have gotten the refund last year, but I got suckered into the "ride it out" mentality.