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We all got unmatched sets last year as far as I know, so don't feel singled out by a long shot. I guess Alex got complaints (what collectors complain? Wow, what a shock. ). Anyway, I admit I prefer matching numbers too. So, thanks Alex for making the extra effort. I wish I could buy an extra set to open and play with, but probably not. Maybe a sweet CCC case though

Now that I think about it. Maybe an amazing huge case that could hold the decks up to be properly positioned to display the endless arches effect that you can see through the case so it is on permanent display...yeah that would be cheap.

I just couldn't pull the trigger right now on the room decks. I don't what price I was expecting but it wasn't that. Same thing happened last year. I like them, just not that price and to not be sure I will get the one I want. Perhaps if I find the one I want on the aftermarket for a decent price when i haven't already spent hundreds that month.

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Clarification: I bought last year’s set Australian retail, as my Xmas present to myself, so not especially annoyed that it was unmatched. Website description was a little wanting is all.

On presentation boxes, as wonderful as Alex’s boxes are (I have Magna Carta and all the Apothecary) a carat case or similar would be awesome — wasn’t there a NPCCD logo’d apothecary style box photographed somewhere?? I think in the same photo there’s an NPCCD carat case.

I’m off to find it. Then sleep.

I got the full set for the collection and the 3 deck set to play with. I'm very curious to see how the tiling effects handling. This is probably the best set released this year for me. It will definitely be my pick for Best Back Design and Best Innovation in this year's DotY Contest, and depending on what they look like in hand, they might be the front-runner for overall Deck of the Year.

These decks are so beautiful everyone should have them in their have them for use or in their collection. I really really wish Alex would consider releasing a "display" or "user" deck for these, like how Jackson does with some of his decks. No tiled treatments on the cards, just a basic simple tuck, and standard Seasons court cards at a $10 price point. I would happily pick up a brick. This design is so exquisite that it hurts to think the vast majority of these cards will just collect dust unused on some shelf instead of being seen and used for their intended purposes.

Speaking of the Deck of the Year Contest, shouldn't we be gearing up for the 2019 contest? I'd prefer not to have to scramble like we've done in past years.

sinjin7 wrote:This design is so exquisite that it hurts to think the vast majority of these cards will just collect dust unused on some shelf instead of being seen and used for their intended purposes.

Agreed. Although I think the courts of this years decks are to weak to pull people in solely for playing with them.

I agree about the courts, and that lack of custom court cards may be the only thing that may prevent this deck being the 2019 Overall Deck of the Year. That's why I hope Alex comes out with a user deck version of these with his Seasons courts. I'll keep holding my breath and fingers crossed.

I wholeheartedly second the motion to make display editions!

MagikFingerz wrote:I wholeheartedly second the motion to make display editions!

+2

We've missed you, sinjin!!

Bradius wrote: I admit I prefer matching numbers too. So, thanks Alex for making the extra effort. I wish I could buy an extra set to open and play with, but probably not. Maybe a sweet CCC case though

Now that I think about it. Maybe an amazing huge case that could hold the decks up to be properly positioned to display the endless arches effect that you can see through the case so it is on permanent display...yeah that would be cheap.

Yeah admittedly I wasn't aware of how passionate some people felt about numbers. I like my cellophane but don't necessarily care that much about matching numbers. Anyways I made a conscious effort to fix that this year lol.

So at the convention a guy brought his Vanda Planets CC and the 6 deck fits pretty nicely in it. You need a spacer but it's not bad.
Honestly I thought about the display case effect in a case itself using a thin layer magnet in the tuck of the decks and then a magnetic top of the box so that when you raise it the arches rise with it that you could lock in. But it was a lot of work for a NPCCD launch. I might have done it for a KS.

sinjin7 wrote:I agree about the courts, and that lack of custom court cards may be the only thing that may prevent this deck being the 2019 Overall Deck of the Year. That's why I hope Alex comes out with a user deck version of these with his Seasons courts. I'll keep holding my breath and fingers crossed.

That was my original intention. I did that for previous NPCCD decks as well. But I was just a little too gun shy to pull the trigger. I really didn't want to get into that sacriligous territory just for a deck of cards. That being said I will be modifying a Mamluk deck and changing/mixing the history enough where I have no problem adding figures to those.

sinjin7 wrote: I really really wish Alex would consider releasing a "display" or "user" deck for these, like how Jackson does with some of his decks. No tiled treatments on the cards, just a basic simple tuck, and standard Seasons court cards at a $10 price point. I would happily pick up a brick. This design is so exquisite that it hurts to think the vast majority of these cards will just collect dust unused on some shelf instead of being seen and used for their intended purposes.

So yeah honestly the amount of work I put in I was hoping to make this a Kickstarter if this tested well but in the middle of development pricing changed and its now completely unfeasible to do another version with the tiling. I literally maxed out what I could produce due to budgetary constraints. This project was literally the most expensive per unit deck I've ever made. This is one of those few times where Kickstarter wasn't a nice to have, but something that really could have allowed the project to get legs to do things like extra cases and display decks. Having it scale would have also allowed me to reach economies of scale to lower that pricing down. Each design is run of 1000 and only 500 of the first 2 designs are tiled so I never really reached that threshold to get to the prices I normally offer on KS. It'd also provide the time to discuss with backers in real time what the wants and needs are rather than be reactive.
But at the end of the day I'm just complaining about what ifs. I sort of fell off the radar for people a bit and hadn't produced a deck at all this year, so I'm glad I could do it for the NPCCD holiday. It also ended up being my favorite designed deck to date.

So I'm dense this morning. How do I order a complete set? Is it random? Do I have to order from each stage?

You can order the set here:

https://nationalcardcollectionday.com/donate

If you go to the bottom, there is an expansion pack set of 5 decks for $189. It looks like the sixth deck is now sold out.

Which was the sixth deck?

The sixth deck was the gilded "Kings Arch" deck I think. In looking at the site again, it is $189 for the five deck sets. Just open the scroll bar for the number of decks in the expansion set (Palace size), and you can select 5 decks and the price of $189 comes up. The six deck set was $245 on sale. It was up this morning, but gone now, so I guess it sold out. I guess I shouldn't be surprised this is turning out a popular set despite its high cost for the larger sets.

Another deck goes extinct.

CommentNameHere wrote:Which was the sixth deck?

That was the King's Arch Gold gilded limited to 250, only available purchasing the Secret Kingdom full 6-decks set.

Oh, well that's unfortunate. I guess I missed out. If anyone changes their mind on a second Secret Kingdom set, hit me up I guess.

vasta41 wrote:

MagikFingerz wrote:I wholeheartedly second the motion to make display editions!

+2

We've missed you, sinjin!!

+100

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IAmTheChin wrote:So yeah honestly the amount of work I put in I was hoping to make this a Kickstarter if this tested well but in the middle of development pricing changed and its now completely unfeasible to do another version with the tiling. I literally maxed out what I could produce due to budgetary constraints. This project was literally the most expensive per unit deck I've ever made. This is one of those few times where Kickstarter wasn't a nice to have, but something that really could have allowed the project to get legs to do things like extra cases and display decks. Having it scale would have also allowed me to reach economies of scale to lower that pricing down. Each design is run of 1000 and only 500 of the first 2 designs are tiled so I never really reached that threshold to get to the prices I normally offer on KS. It'd also provide the time to discuss with backers in real time what the wants and needs are rather than be reactive.

I'd be happy with reprints without tiling. Why not do a KS for a second print run and see how it goes?

Has the 6-deck set already sold out?!

MagikFingerz wrote:

IAmTheChin wrote:So yeah honestly the amount of work I put in I was hoping to make this a Kickstarter if this tested well but in the middle of development pricing changed and its now completely unfeasible to do another version with the tiling. I literally maxed out what I could produce due to budgetary constraints. This project was literally the most expensive per unit deck I've ever made. This is one of those few times where Kickstarter wasn't a nice to have, but something that really could have allowed the project to get legs to do things like extra cases and display decks. Having it scale would have also allowed me to reach economies of scale to lower that pricing down. Each design is run of 1000 and only 500 of the first 2 designs are tiled so I never really reached that threshold to get to the prices I normally offer on KS. It'd also provide the time to discuss with backers in real time what the wants and needs are rather than be reactive.

I'd be happy with reprints without tiling. Why not do a KS for a second print run and see how it goes?

I believe this theme and your execution of it deserves to be in as many hands as possible so I agree- do what you can to get a cheaper version printed. I'd love you forever if it were Bicycle-branded!

Decknowledgy wrote:Has the 6-deck set already sold out?!

The King's Arch has sold out, which is the gilded arch deck that was only available with the 6-set purchase.

However, you can still get the five other decks under the Palace Pack tier. Just select Expansion 5-Pack

sinjin7 wrote:These decks are so beautiful everyone should have them in their have them for use or in their collection. I really really wish Alex would consider releasing a "display" or "user" deck for these...

+3

Just from a personal standpoint, I like to open and use the decks I buy, so it'd be easier for me to donate $15-20 for a deck I can carry around with me and use rather than $135 for 3-decks I'd be hesitant to open or damage in any way. I get that they're collector pieces, but as a newbie collector living off the GI Bill, it's hard to justify. I still really want to support NPCCD and more development for Portfolio52, but even getting the minimum of a mystery Gate deck would take the place of a few other decks I want/saving up for in my budget. Plus it would come with the unsatisfying feeling of an incomplete set. I can understand and appreciate Alex's explanation though, that it just wasn't financially viable to print display decks especially given the time constraints, and I think the price points are completely justified for such exquisitely designed pieces of art. They're just a bit outside what I can personally afford right now. With that being said though, I still like the idea of having a rare, well-designed deck at a premium price point that not everyone can get, but I think it'd also be nice to have an entry-level price "gateway deck" that is more accessible to those that are just getting into collecting.

sinjin7 wrote:I agree about the courts, and that lack of custom court cards may be the only thing that may prevent this deck being the 2019 Overall Deck of the Year. That's why I hope Alex comes out with a user deck version of these with his Seasons courts. I'll keep holding my breath and fingers crossed.

Fully agree. This set is so beautiful that it cries out for a KS players edition. Come on Alex, even Lotrek did a KS for his Arabesque Players edition deck. Let's see this on KS for 2020!

As for the courts, I know time was a huge factor, but if you do go KS, I would highly recommend doing the courts in traditional Arabic calligraphy. See examples below. Put that style as your courts and you've got a mega hit. (but probably won't be easy to find a arabic calligrapher who can do this for the courts. But still just to imagine...)

The cards themselves are good, but what really made the deck special was the tucks. I don't think I would be too excited if they just came in normal tuck boxes. Perhaps if the courts were redesigned.

Was just wondering, in Islam are there taboos surrounding how calligraphy and arts could be used? I've noted several Islamic majority countries prohibiting the sending of playing cards to their countries. If it were me as the creator, I'd be cautious about trespassing the cultural/religious (Islam see both as the same) codes if they know that I'm not a Muslim myself.

Decknowledgy wrote:Was just wondering, in Islam are there taboos surrounding how calligraphy and arts could be used? I've noted several Islamic majority countries prohibiting the sending of playing cards to their countries. If it were me as the creator, I'd be cautious about trespassing the cultural/religious (Islam see both as the same) codes if they know that I'm not a Muslim myself.

This is one of the topics where Muslims aren't unisono. From what I know, the Quran forbids humans to try to recreate the creation of the allmighty. Some strict muslim schools interpret that as a general picture restraint. The Wahabits (Islam like in Saudi-Arabia) which were at the time of the Islamic expansion and still are one of the most influencial schools of Islam are pretty strict on that and this is way all mosques have no paintings and only calligraphies. The examples shared by Eric, are a bit of a grey area since they are calligraphies but they form a clear picture. In more liberal muslim schools pictures are okay though, as long as they don't depict the Prophet or the allmighty - this is the only restraint were all muslim schools agree.

That's a good question. I do recall someone who introduced himself as being from Pakistan. But Pakistan may not be as conservative as some Mid-East countries when it comes to playing cards.

But then, I believe those countries will confiscate any playing card irregardless. It's either the gambling prohibition or having images of people on the cards or both, not so much the art itself.

The deck itself is called the Palace, so it won't be confiscated because of the art if the country doesn't have that strict of a prohibition. Unless of course you have corrupt customs officials who enjoy such artistic decks and decides to build his own collection, (seems to be my case, what with all the lost decks I've had )

Decknowledgy wrote:Was just wondering, in Islam are there taboos surrounding how calligraphy and arts could be used? I've noted several Islamic majority countries prohibiting the sending of playing cards to their countries. If it were me as the creator, I'd be cautious about trespassing the cultural/religious (Islam see both as the same) codes if they know that I'm not a Muslim myself.

Please bear in mind, this is a hodgepodge reconstruction of fuzzy memory after 2 glasses of wine on a Friday night, from the heady pre-September 11 world when I was a high school junior

Islam didn't explicitly forbid (but I won't digress into the minutiae of the four post-Muhammad caliphates) the representation in art of sentient things, because it's God's prerogative to create life and all that God creates is perfect. By extension this means that everything man creates has to be imperfect. Besides, Muhammad said it was bad (on pain of death at the Day of Judgment IIRC) "so perhaps we shouldn't do it". This is hadith, or for those that grew up in the Judeo-Christian tradition "the word of God".

The Muslim notion of aniconism prefers the use of calligraphic, geometric and floral (which oddly aren't living things) patterns. It's not really until the Umayyad Caliphate (the second caliphate post-Muhammad, the dudes that made it to Spain) that it became a hard-and-fast rule and the Stalinsation of Islamic art became a thing.



Now back to the decks. I gotta say I love this departure from Alex's signature style, irrespective of whether you think it's being culturally-sensitive or not. It's nice to see something different.

I could completely get behind a KS campaign for a Lotrek-style player's edition ---- in about 4 months. Between Alex this week, Gio next week and spending *burbles* $500+ between them, I'm wiped.

(Quietly crosses fingers that Gio is the last deck I back this year).

Nobody else saw me say that, right?

Omar's review is up!

Decknowledgy wrote:Omar's review is up!

His reviews are absolutely fantastic in quality. That being said I'll make sure that before people end up getting their decks that I'll make a tutorial on how the hallway effect works because it was a tad misunderstood in the video. Others also ended up doing something similar, so I might do a live stream just to show how it works in different environments.

The illusion is an infinity mirror effect so you want to control lighting between the 2 mirrors while ensuring the lighting outside the mirrors is darker. If you shine under the boxes you'll be canceling out the mirror effect, but if you shine top down, the tops of the box create a shading device to protect the viewing area to create a successful illusion of the hallway.

I finally broke (the operative word here) down and ordered a partial second set to open and check out the cards and optical illusion.

I am fine with pips instead of courts. However, a special version of them like larger or bundled might have been cool, kind of like they do in the Mamluk deck would have been neat. Even if maybe confusing for some, the indices would identify the card.

Akex, I think I read earlier that you were going to create a Mamluk style deck. If so, I am really interested in a reinterpretation. If folks didn’t back the Mamluk deck reproduction last year, you missed out. It is an amazing work. In fact it is sort of visible in one of my collection photos I posted yesterday. I think the deck is still available for those that missed the Kickstarter.