Are suit symbols desired or necessary?

[Oleanna]

So we are struggling with a design question. Previously on our decks we included the suit symbols over the image on the cards. So, for example, the five of hearts would have five heart symbols over the image. However, some have told us that they are not really necessary as the suit symbol is in the corner and when the cards are held in the hand, the images are hidden in any case. There are those who collect the cards just for the images and so they actually prefer not to have the artwork covered up. In our latest deck, we omitted the suit symbols over the images and added an image caption at the bottom. So far, no complaints. But I would like to know the opinion of the rest of the community. Our first deck is almost out of stock and we want to re-release this deck in a slightly revised format and we can't decide if we should include the suit symbols over the images or not. I would be interested to hear the opinions of both players as well as collectors.

Thanks for the input!

Huggers,
- Oleanna

[rousselle]

Depends upon the design. In general, having pips in the middle of the number cards is preferable, but there have been cases where they were omitted and the design was compelling enough to make it work. Really, the best way to know is for you to show a sketch of what you have in mind and see what kind of constructive feedback you get.

[MagikFingerz]

The big suit symbols aren't needed when you hold the cards in your hand, that's true. But in most card games cards are also laid out on the table, in which case the corner indices are rather small. This is when the middle pips make the cards easier to see.

But in any case, like rousselle said, it's easier to judge whether something works or not based on a case by case basis.

[Oleanna]

OK, so I am a little shy in this regard as our cards have rather unusual images. We are wondering if collectors would be more concerned with the images rather than the pips. I would guess that card players would be more concerned about the playability of the deck. However, if that were the only concern, then I would guess that the Bicycle deck would be sufficient. So, if you are a card collector, what would be your greatest concern. Quality? Originality? Rarity? What makes a great collectible deck collectible, aside from the rare case that it might be only one of four in the world?

[ChumpofSpades]

IMHO your decks are in the art-deck category. Ditch the pips and let the art stand alone.

[ecNate]

IMHO your decks are in the art-deck category. Ditch the pips and let the art stand alone.

Exactly. Had to look at your past posts to see what you are dealing with and yeah it's an art deck so just do whatever makes the art look best. If you aren't using the typical pip placement then at that point they are really just getting in the way of the art and not helping playability anyhow. As for question of "So, if you are a card collector, what would be your greatest concern", ask 20 people get 20 different answers. It seems that decks with quality printer that mostly conform to the standards, but still have custom tuck/back/courts fare best. However, great art can allow for more deviations, but be careful with going with unknown or cheap printer, that will be the biggest turn off most of the time.