Legendarium: Tarot and Playing cards (KS)

[KGthePrince]

This will be my very first Montezzi deck on my collection XD

Thank you! Remember, it's a collaboration. I have made significant contributions to this project, but I am not the primary designer here.

P.S. There will definitely be a third collab in 2024.

Curious what both the playing cards and tarot deck for this new collaboration will look like

[montenzi]

Curious what both the playing cards and tarot deck for this new collaboration will look like

You will know soon The artist is the same, but the style is different. There will be at least one poker and one tarot deck.

[Harvonsgard]

... ignited the incombustible,

Seeing how few card projects ignite my passion for cards, @losenkomila and you truely did.

[montenzi]

Problems. My fault.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4139284

[wingedpotato]

Oh, man, I'm so sorry! I will say KingStar could have communicated their question more clearly, but obviously that's no excuse. We humans and our mistakes. Selfishly glad I didn't order the limited.

[PiazzaDelivery]

Geeeeez that sucks. Lost in translation? On a brighter note, at least you know that there is a second level of control where the printer will ask about what might be an oversight. Tough one to swallow, but understandable mistake. I was on the fence, gotta be honest I'm glad I didn't bite considering this, but I still wish you all the best in rectifying the issue.

[Harvonsgard]

Unfortunate news but shit happens. @wingedpotato remember that Kingstar are Chinese folks so English ain't their forte. What I read between the lines of the update, is that printing great cards is though so, I'm happy to hear everything else went great.

[Fenrir]

Mistakes happen and I’m still excited for mine. That being said, I guess the rule of thumb is if a company who has printed playing cards before reaches out for clarification, more investigation may be required. Clearly the language barrier got in the way but it’s nice to know Kingstar cared enough to even try to ask.

[montenzi]

I had one day off without internet and social media and now I'm back in business.

Yes, thank you all for your support! I was actually planning to write about Kingstar separately, even before this incident. In fact, this is probably the first company I've ever worked with that has such a good proactive approach, which is not typical for other companies, especially Chinese ones. I enjoyed working with them. Honestly, I made a minor, not very noticeable error in the files to test them. They found it and, in addition, pointed out a few places where I needed to make corrections. All feedback is relevant. I appreciate their level of competence. Even in this case, they found the error, but for some unknown reason, I didn't see it. Clearly, the question should have been formulated differently.

There are also companies that are overly proactive and make changes without asking, and this happens frequently. I've had such cases with WJPC, where I was shocked by the changes, with comments like "it's better this way." Thankfully, these were caught at the approval stage.

[ *** I removed this text. I was wrong - Kingstar produced the limited box as I designed it. I have just checked the files to confirm. *** ]

Regarding this deck, I will probably make a decision today and proceed with printing a new one. It's easy to say "printing." There are actually three foils on the back design and gilding. If it were a simple deck, it wouldn't be an issue. Another point to consider is that this deck has the lowest profit margin among the three, even with the $23-25 price on Kickstarter.

I recently commented in another thread that 3 foils are not a problem. But actually, I wasn't quite right. I checked. Three foils are very challenging for them. But they managed, considering how small the details are. I was considering adding a fourth foil in the new print run, but the cost turned out to be prohibitive for me. And essentially, it's about "trying" with the option to revert if it doesn't work. So, there will be three foils. We'll test the limits later.

Misprinted versions will be available as an option. What do you think is a reasonable price, including/excluding shipping costs?

[montenzi]

Legendarium: Storm (Error Ed.) confirmed.

Price TBC, but it will be less than $10, including shipping, for Kickstarter backers and plus shipping after KS.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4141754

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[felicityk]

Curious what both the playing cards and tarot deck for this new collaboration will look like

You will know soon The artist is the same, but the style is different. There will be at least one poker and one tarot deck.

I am happy to hear this! I have the Tarot of the Golden Wheel by Mila, but I would also like another Tarot in her line-drawn style. I'm afraid I passed on the Legendarium Tarot because I'm really picky about sticking to the traditional Tarot trumps. But I did pledge for both poker decks!

[Honeybee]

felicityk reminds me of someone

[brownsl]

I had backed off my spending some during this campaign so I pledged for only a single deck of each. I assume the decks will be available for purchase.

[montenzi]

Some photos:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4142523

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[montenzi]

I had backed off my spending some during this campaign so I pledged for only a single deck of each. I assume the decks will be available for purchase.

Yes, the decks will be available during the survey and later in my shop.

[KGthePrince]

I can't wait for these! This might end of being my favorite project that I backed last year.

[felicityk]

felicityk reminds me of someone

My avatar? It's Queen of Hearts Barbie designed by Bob Mackie, so the showgirl is not far off.

I collect Barbie dolls as well as Tarot and playing cards.

[Honeybee]

I will stop derailing Montenzi's thread and post in Odds and Ends

[montenzi]

SURVEY TIME!

Big update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4148863

P.S. STORM (Error Ed.) will be NZD 14 (about USD 8.6) for Kickstarter backers, which includes worldwide shipping.

[montenzi]

Fulfillment has started!

Coins, Vintage, and Storm decks are in the warehouse. The tarot deck is being delivered to the warehouse. This week, we will send 185-190 parcels to backers who did not order LTD decks.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4165385

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4158810

[montenzi]

We have our first deliveries from the first fulfillment batch, with a transit time of 6-7 days!

I placed a new order to ship 180 parcels to backers who have completed the survey and did not order the Limited deck.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4169814

[montenzi]

I recently posted about a proactive approach, but I have some new comments. Before the project, Kingstar sent me two tarot deck samples—one on 300gsm stock and another on 350gsm. I decided to go with the 350gsm. However, when I received the finished deck, I was extremely surprised by the quality. The deck felt different; it was thicker than the 350gsm sample and made with better quality stock. Only recently did I ask about the stock to clarify the difference. What a surprise—they decided to print this tarot deck on a top-of-the-line 350gsm stock, which is much better than the standard 350gsm. And honestly, the difference is huge! I can’t explain it, but if you have other tarot decks, please compare them and let me know in the comments.

P.S. Thickness: Legendarium is 8 cards thicker than standard 350gsm and 12 cards thicker than 300gsm.

vs. 300gsm:

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P.S. Today, I received my copies of the Vintage and Storm (Error Ed.) decks. I’m really pleased with how the Storm box turned out. No embossing, no foil, but it still feels great. I also believe that DS1 sleeves should be the standard for protecting decks during fulfillment (at least for me). Such a great product!

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[montenzi]

It took 1.5 months to reprint the Limited deck. Additionally, they had to produce new foiling plates since the old ones couldn’t be reused for another print run.

I will send all decks to backers who ordered this deck within the next 10 days (to be confirmed).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4178832

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[montenzi]

I didn’t expect it to be so soon, but the reality is simple—I can’t wait because I need to finish this fulfillment and pay for the reprint. That's why I listed the tarot deck on my site two weeks ago.

The deck turned out to be more popular than I anticipated. After the Kickstarter survey, there were about 95 decks left. Of those, 10 are kept as a private reserve or safety stock for Kickstarter fulfillment ... and that’s all I have now, except for a couple of personal copies. The remaining 5-10 decks will be released in October, once most Kickstarter backers have received their rewards. This deck will be reprinted later, most likely without gilding, without a coin, and possibly in a different box.

I am now waiting for my copy of the Limited deck for a final review (the parcel is already in New Zealand), and then I’ll continue with Kickstarter fulfillment, sending out 260 more parcels to complete the project. The Limited deck is already in the fulfillment warehouse, waiting for my order. About 35 backers have not yet responded to the survey, but all others will start receiving their decks soon. I will post an update before locking the survey.

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[montenzi]

Update #24: August 2024 - Fulfillment Completed

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mo ... ts/4184977

[montenzi]

Black-and-white illustrations always come first. This initial stage is crucial; it is the moment when you decide whether to proceed or if additional days and weeks of work are required. The goal is not perfection—since perfection is an endless pursuit—but rather to uncover the true intent behind the creation.

Concept and execution are often separated by a significant amount of time. True perfection in realizing a concept arises from persistent effort and a gradual accumulation of experiences—grain by grain—that may be unknown and even incomprehensible to the creator; nevertheless, these experiences contribute to the final outcome.

For those who are observing and unfamiliar with the concept, this process may seem magical. However, as time progresses, the concept becomes clearer, leaving only admiration for the final result.

In today's world, we often lose sight of our roots as our habits evolve and our work processes become increasingly dependent on advanced technologies. While there was no goal to fight windmills, this project was created the old-fashioned way—on paper—before the images were digitally colored. The unique charm of the hand-drawn lines remains evident, adding a distinctive touch and style to the work.

I asked Mila to share this behind-the-scenes magic with all of you. You can find some of the illustrations used in the Legendarium decks, along with those that were either excluded or modified in the final version.

Enjoy!

[KGthePrince]

My tarot deck came in today and all I can say is wow. To me, it's flawless. It's already one of my favorites. Mila Losenko absolutely crushed it with the art. I can't recommend this deck enough. Even if you aren't into tarot, get it.

[rousselle]

My Legendariums (Legendaria?) were last tracked leaving Compton, CA just over a week ago. It doesn't usually take over a week for something to just travel up the Pacific Coast, but it's in the hands of a "shipping partner" (my guess is DHL), so that almost certainly explains it. Looking forward to getting these!

[montenzi]

My Legendariums (Legendaria?) were last tracked leaving Compton, CA just over a week ago. It doesn't usually take over a week for something to just travel up the Pacific Coast, but it's in the hands of a "shipping partner" (my guess is DHL), so that almost certainly explains it. Looking forward to getting these!

Yes, USPS or other local delivery companies are only responsible for the last mile and typically handle your parcel for just one or two days. Out of the 267 parcels sent on August 29th, 257 have already been delivered worldwide. Your parcel is one of the 10 still in transit, but there are only 4 "in transit" US parcels. And finally, your parcel is one of only two with a shipping partner, while the rest are with USPS. Looks like someone is definitely testing your patience! BTW, the last update was "2024-09-09 21:01:00 Arrived at local delivery center". It will be delivered eventually.

UPDATE: Expected Delivery on SATURDAY 14 September 2024

However, we do have one real issue with parcels sent on August 8th. Most of them have been delivered, but there are 28 parcels to the US that are marked as "cleared by customs" and haven’t moved since. I am investigating the situation.

[rousselle]

Yes, indeedy, as soon as I post "still waiting," my stuff arrives shortly thereafter! Thanks for keeping track of this stuff as well as you do, my friend!