Striped Playing Cards (soon)

[jerichoholic]

These are coming from another cardist Tobias Levin on his site.



http://www.tobiaslevin.com

Sorry but I fail to see why every cardist has to make their own deck of cards, especially since most of them aren't good, and why all the fanboys just have to have them. You can have these soon for the low price of just $28!

This or Virts...hmmm such a hard decision, lol.

"Individually hand drawn playing cards using water-based paint, followed by a lacquered surface finish.
Alternating back design.
Available 03/29/15"

Alternating back design, Seriously?

[Firthetic]

This made me laugh out loud, thanks

[MagikFingerz]

What the duck is this?

[Eoghann]

You guys just don't get art.

[PrincessTrouble]

WTF? It's a marked deck. Marked with a sharpie. LOL

[MagikFingerz]

The only thing I don't get is that April 1st is 5 days away

[Eoghann]

Speaking of April, guess De'Vo won't be releasing a gag deck this year. I think the unicorn one was hilarious. But 2014 was pretty weak compared to the unicorns.

[Frimann79]

It's a barcode. It says "Zebra is the new Jerry's"

[Mike Ratledge]

You guys just don't get art.

I get art! I just don't equate this sh!t with art.

[sinjin7]

Speaking of April, guess De'Vo won't be releasing a gag deck this year. I think the unicorn one was hilarious. But 2014 was pretty weak compared to the unicorns.

Loved the Unicorn deck. Who can't use a deck with rainbow-farting unicorns? I thought the Angry Pussies deck was good as well. The looked great in fans and had a fantastic gaff card. Even a few of my militant, hardcore feminist friends had to laugh at the name of the deck. Yeah, I'd be disappointed if we don't get a April Fools gag deck from De'Vo this year. . .

As for this deck, I'm almost wondering if this isn't a gag deck itself. Tobias' cardistry chops can't be questioned, but his design skills and pricing leave a bit to be desired.

[Collector]

...

You guys just don't get art.

+1

Court cards:

[Mirror]

these look great. no irony here, I really like them.

These will sell very well, you'll see.

Oh and also, the fact that nobody here seems to know Tobias Levin makes me question the credibility of this sites name...

[Eoghann]

Victor said he was a cardist on the very first post. And John on his. Rest assured we're aware.

The doors have always been open. You guys just left in search for other places, leaving mostly collectors.

No need to get catty.

[Mirror]

I think that the main reason there are not many cardists left here is that this is actually United Cardists v2. It used to have a different web domain and when it changed, not many cardists followed. And the way this forum is now they don't really have a reason to come back.

Back to the deck, I probably won't get these though I really would like to. Sole reason being the price.

[MagikFingerz]

Victor said he was a cardist on the very first post. And John on his. Rest assured we're aware.

The doors have always been open. You guys just left in search for other places, leaving mostly collectors.

No need to get catty.

Well, for at lot it was probably more "didn't come back after the site came back up after one of its numerous snafu's". EDIT: Mirror ninja'ed me. Although I don't see how the site is any different now than it was before. Had there been a need for more cardistry sections, they'd be created instantly.

Also it seems like cardistry is a more fleeting hobby than collecting, ie people stop flourishing when they grow up and get more responsibilities/jobs/families etc.

[Eoghann]

You're right. Cardistry is but a dwindling ember around here. Some of us do very amateur stuff but hardly anything hardcore. And that's heartbreaking to be honest. But it is what it is and it'll probably only get worse.

Listen Mirror, I really get your point that simple backs are miles better than busy backs for such a strictly visual talent. But you gotta understand that coming in here and saying "you guys aren't worth your salt if you don't know who so and so is and you can't appreciate a simple, effective card back".

We're like: "what did you expect? We're not cardists".

And that's another reason (aside from the domain changes and what not) why the cardist community is disappearing. The well is simply drying up. The few that by chance find this place have no reason to stay unless they decide to start collecting. And that part of the community is very healthy.

The few threads that pop up from cardists have Mike and I congratulating you like a bunch of chumps because that's the best we can do.

[sinjin7]

these look great. no irony here, I really like them.

These will sell very well, you'll see.

Oh and also, the fact that nobody here seems to know Tobias Levin makes me question the credibility of this sites name...

Loved the Unicorn deck. Who can't use a deck with rainbow-farting unicorns? I thought the Angry Pussies deck was good as well. The looked great in fans and had a fantastic gaff card. Even a few of my militant, hardcore feminist friends had to laugh at the name of the deck. Yeah, I'd be disappointed if we don't get a April Fools gag deck from De'Vo this year. . .

As for this deck, I'm almost wondering if this isn't a gag deck itself. Tobias' cardistry chops can't be questioned, but his design skills and pricing leave a bit to be desired.

I think that the main reason there are not many cardists left here is that this is actually United Cardists v2. It used to have a different web domain and when it changed, not many cardists followed. And the way this forum is now they don't really have a reason to come back.

Back to the deck, I probably won't get these though I really would like to. Sole reason being the price.

I guess you consider me nobody. But your point is well taken. When this place was called Decknique, it was mostly about cardistry, although we spent a huge amount of time discussing playing cards as well because they were tools of the trade. But after Richard and Sebastian, the following owners of United Cardists (Russell, Mike F, and Mike R) have had a very specific agenda: to make money by producing/selling custom playing cards. As a result, the focus has been on collecting. Despite the efforts of a few people like MagikFingerz, cardistry is merely a distant afterthought now. I fear it will be only a matter of time before this place officially changes to United Collectors.

[Mirror]

You're right. Cardistry is but a dwindling ember around here. Some of us do very amateur stuff but hardly anything hardcore. And that's heartbreaking to be honest. But it is what it is and it'll probably only get worse.

Listen Mirror, I really get your point that simple backs are miles better than busy backs for such a strictly visual talent. But you gotta understand that coming in here and saying "you guys aren't worth your salt if you don't know who so and so is and you can't appreciate a simple, effective card back".

We're like: "what did you expect? We're not cardists".

And that's another reason (aside from the domain changes and what not) why the cardist community is disappearing. The well is simply drying up. The few that by chance find this place have no reason to stay unless they decide to start collecting. And that part of the community is very healthy.

The few threads that pop up from cardists have Mike and I congratulating you like a bunch of chumps because that's the best we can do.

That's not the way I meant it. What I wanted to say is that I'm wondering why this site is still called United Cardists, even though this has obviously developed into a forum for card collectors. And it's kind of weird how decks that are strictly made for cardistry seem to get hated on here without there being many on this forum that these kinds of decks are actually targeted at. Sure, people here like the Virts decks that are made for cardistry. But with this deck I just don't see the need to post this here and be like "oh look guys, this kid doesn't know how to design a deck of cards look how ugly this looks". Design is always a very subjective matter and I've probably said this a few times somewhere on these forums already, but just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's bad. That's what you call an opinion.

@sinjin7
oops my bad, I see at least some people know him. That relieves me a bit.
I can only say what I've seen in my very brief time on the old UC since the whole change happened very shortly after I joined, but to me it felt like it was more about cardistry then than it is now. And yes, I think it would actually be good to call this forum United Collectors since the name of a site should have something to do with the content. The current name might get new members confused.

One last thing I'd like to add about this deck is that I'm wondering why some people here have such a big problem with the irregular back design. I think it looks great in motion and it gives some more variety. I think this is a very interesting approach to a back design, but of course I understand that collectors aren't too keen on these especially considering the price. Still, a good looking design in my opinion.

[SBurk49]

I fear it will be only a matter of time before this place officially changes to United Collectors.

Dude, I had NO idea you were a cardist. I pinned you for more of a collector for sure. Seeing how passionate you are about certain things made me draw that conclusion. Also, your wording is weird to me. You fear it? Your one of the main collectors on this forum too. At least yours is one of the opinions I usually read on that matter.

And yes, I think it would actually be good to call this forum United Collectors since the name of a site should have something to do with the content. The current name might get new members confused.

Good point, I'll agree with that. However, I disagree with you on almost everything you say. Seriously. I feel like your one of those crazed cardistry fanboys. That being said, I have watched your cardistry videos and it definitely makes sense. Your one of the best I've seen. <<Compliment sandwich.

If Mike DID change the name, at least he wouldnt have to change the logo. Silver Lining.

[Eoghann]

Well for what it's worth Mirror, I'd love to see more cardistry here. But like I said, there's nothing much I can offer in return aside from congratulations and my admiration.

And I'd like to offer an apology. Since I'm 95% collector and 5% cardist, I can't help my knee jerk reaction to criticize simple back designs. It's not something many of us keep in mind when we see decks like these that there's an entire community who would much rather have a simple deck over an elaborate one.

[MagikFingerz]

Mirror: Do you honestly think that even if there were only cardists here this deck wouldn't get any negative criticism? It's white with black paint brush strokes, the phrase "a 5 year old could make this" couldn't apply more

That's not to say that the design can't work, but to get upset that people don't like it or think it's bad is kinda strange. Different strokes... (see what I did there?)

[SBurk49]

Well for what it's worth Mirror, I'd love to see more cardistry here. But like I said, there's nothing much I can offer in return aside from congratulations and my admiration.

And I'd like to offer an apology. Since I'm 95% collector and 5% cardist, I can't help my knee jerk reaction to criticize simple back designs. It's not something many of us keep in mind when we see decks like these that there's an entire community who would much rather have a simple deck over an elaborate one.

Ditto for me.

[volantangel]

Collector vs cardist aside, i dont think these look bad. Would i buy it? Mirror would you buy this ?

Painted and lacquered ? I cant imagine a cardist using lacquered cards, maybe a collector would go hey that looks cool, shouldnt the cardist here be screaming WHAT ABOUT THE HANDLING ?!? And coming from a "cardist" just makes me feel like he is undermining his community and trying to cash in on his "fame" without concern about the actual attributes that a deck of cards should have.

So would i buy these ? Not at that price, maybe ill do it for a weekend project.

[Fes]

I'll probably pick up a deck myself. I think the site is named fine, if more cardists want to pop up and let their feeling be known, they can. This is a pretty open forum for Opinion, which is all we give when we're talking about how a deck looks. Wanting or wishing or hoping for something else is just plain silly to me. Things will always change, evolve, morph. That's the nature of the world and the people living in it and it certainly is the nature of opinion.

I don't think the design on these are earth shattering, not by any means. I think it's a minimal effort deck, but I also thing it'll look cool when I mess around with it. I like to play with my decks and this one may be a good time. Sure I'm pretty terrible but so what? It's fun.

[th4mo]

Dude, I had NO idea you were a cardist. I pinned you for more of a collector for sure.

TL;DR: Maybe you should read more posts...

You really haven't been paying attention. Sinjin is one of the most steadfast commenters regarding finish and handling, and frequently makes references to cardistry.

At least yours is one of the opinions I usually read on that matter.

You sure about that? He occasionally writes more than a few lines...
I think Sinjin has well-formed opinions on all the topics we discuss here. One can be a serious cardist and still be a serious collector as well.

As for these cards, not interesting to me in the least. I'm just a collector, and that price is just

[volantangel]

I'll probably pick up a deck myself. I think the site is named fine, if more cardists want to pop up and let their feeling be known, they can. This is a pretty open forum for Opinion, which is all we give when we're talking about how a deck looks. Wanting or wishing or hoping for something else is just plain silly to me. Things will always change, evolve, morph. That's the nature of the world and the people living in it and it certainly is the nature of opinion.

Indeed, prior to the entire discussion, since last year the team has been thinking about how to make the site more catered for cardist? Did we think of having a cardistry competition ? yes, but we dont know how well that would work out. Did we think of having weekly featured flourishes ? Yes, but who would feature ? Would it be sustainable? Probably not. So after a couple of iterations we forgot about it. Please if you have a good suggestion on how to make the site better let any one on the team know and we will definitely take it into consideration, we are not trying to make this into a collector's site, it is just turning out that way.

[Yashi]

I find the alternating back design kind of ridiculous. They won't be completely alternating anymore once you shuffle them. And I'm no cardist but I don't think their alternating design would be visually appealing. The thing I like about the Virts deck and some card tricks is how seamless the whole thing seems. If you have horizontal striped cards and vertically striped cards, "riffling"/cascading through them is going to stick out a lot of visual breaks thus a non-seamless feel. Overall, I can see the appeal of this deck to cardists. A 5-year old could do it but it could work. The price is insane though. I know it's hand-made but he should reevaluate his choices.

About cards for cardists, I think the problem is cardists who are trying to make a quick buck and eager to have their name printed on a deck of cards and used by people all over the world. That's why a lot of "lazy" designs come out and judged by the community. I mean, if someone wanted to make a deck for cardists, wouldn't it be best to put more thought into it?

Lastly, cardists might be the 1% in the forums but I think a bit more troll around. It would be nice if they spoke out more. Forums thrive on communication and exchange of information. If the general consensus of the forum on a deck is bad but you like it then say so (just like what Mirror is doing). People might wonder why you like it (like me) but that shouldn't faze you. Even collectors have different tastes. What would be neat is if cardists would show some fans or other tricks using decks collectors wouldn't approve of. Maybe then can we see what makes those decks awesome. After all, there's nothing more fun then proving people wrong.

[Mirror]

Collector vs cardist aside, i dont think these look bad. Would i buy it? Mirror would you buy this ?

Painted and lacquered ? I cant imagine a cardist using lacquered cards, maybe a collector would go hey that looks cool, shouldnt the cardist here be screaming WHAT ABOUT THE HANDLING ?!? And coming from a "cardist" just makes me feel like he is undermining his community and trying to cash in on his "fame" without concern about the actual attributes that a deck of cards should have.

So would i buy these ? Not at that price, maybe ill do it for a weekend project.

Firstly, I won't buy them because of the price. If they were a bit cheaper I would. I wouldn't even say that it is minimal effort, at least he paints every single card by hand which is more effort than making a the same design once and sending it to print. The main appeal of these cards for many people (aside from the minimal design) seems to be the uniqueness of every card. Cardists don't care too much about alternating back designs, though it is true that this will not visually enhance flourishing like the Virts decks. Though then again not many decks actually do that.

About the handling, I can't say, I haven't tried them and I don't really know how he finishes the decks himself. All I can judge are the instagram posts and from that they don't seem too horrible.

https://instagram.com/p/zuh1drsSP0/?taken-by=tobiaslvn

[Stockholm17]

"Individually hand drawn playing cards using water-based paint, followed by a lacquered surface finish"
for 28 british pounds ($41) hopefully shipping included.

"hand drawn" ... this word/concept has been twisted quite a bit.

[sprouts1115]

I'm glad there are many layers here. I love seeing all types of decks. I like art decks that break the rules and I really like complicated decks that make my brain think and of course miniistic decks. They maybe simple, but usually have the nicest looks and best fans when flourishing. I'm a whore for all decks. I admit it. Hello my name is Russell. I'm here because I collect to many playing cards. When I was young I got my first deck when...