UnitedCardists.com - The forum for Cardistry, Magic, Custom Decks and All Things Playing Cards.

Hello everyone, I have been introduced to this forum via thegentleman wake videos. I am a hobbyist magician and I just LOVE cards. Every deck I watch I get this urge to own it but unfortunately due to currency conversions this is a very expensive hobby to pursue, when one cant even find a standard bike here in Pakistan. Looking forward to the Deck of the year contest and trying my luck at the contest as well, have already made my picks for almost all the categories.

Hi 'furrukhjamal',

Glad to have you join us here at UC - welcome!

And I TOTALLY understand how expensive the hobby can be as someone also living outside of the states - and even more so for someone that has an interest in performing with their cards and often goes through so many, so quickly in perfecting your skills. Fortunately, we actually got quite a few internationals here and it's great to connect with others

Anyways, I'm not much into magic myself, but as a magician, are there any decks you've found to be designed to perform exceptionally well for magic?? Or do you have a favorite go-to deck you use often?

Well I have used Decks from T11, E and etc but all of them were uspcc cards. I have been into magic for 8 to 10 yrs but thats only on a hobby level. I dont have any favourite go to deck as per say but I prefer the standard bikes only because they are the least expensives . Recently I got a butterfly deck and this cartamundi deck handles well too but I havent used it much cuz of the fear of ruining it and then having to reinvest thousands of rupees into buying another one. I am not an expert to be able to pass an opinion on if cartamundi cards are better than the uspcc cards, but I can cenrtainly say and many would agree with me on this that the cartamundi Decks smell way better than the uspcc decks

Welcome to UC, friend.

Are there any European sellers that make it easier/cheaper for you to buy and collect decks?

Welcome to UC!

While you may be the only Pakistani here (I don't know, but nobody else has mentioned it that I've noticed), one of my parents grew up in Pakistan along the border with India, shortly after the two countries had split. From the stories I heard growing up, it sounds like it was a wild time to be living there (where wild = unsettling.)

It's awesome to have friends here from all over the world who share in this hobby. Glad you could join us!

TwoPiece wrote:Welcome to UC, friend.

Are there any European sellers that make it easier/cheaper for you to buy and collect decks?

Well a $1 is equal to Rs140 of the local currency and normally it usually takes nearly $15 to $20 to ship atleast even if its a single deck so a standard bike costs me around 600 to 900 of the local currency. To get perspective I could eat a buffet in a 4 star hotels restaurant with that amount lol. This hobby is expensive in general, dont think European sellers would make it any cheaper cuz Pound is more expensive here compared to USD. Thats why I am always looking into contests and etc

rousselle wrote:Welcome to UC!

While you may be the only Pakistani here (I don't know, but nobody else has mentioned it that I've noticed), one of my parents grew up in Pakistan along the border with India, shortly after the two countries had split. From the stories I heard growing up, it sounds like it was a wild time to be living there (where wild = unsettling.)

It's awesome to have friends here from all over the world who share in this hobby. Glad you could join us!

Yeah I have heard stories from my parents and grandparents as well. But Its now good here, especially if you are living in the urban cities. Did you know Pakistan is one of the most recommended tourist spot by many travelling froums and travelling vlogger. You should really check this channel for some epic scenery of pakistan
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDTINI ... Y2ZXnBqIkQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and for Pakistani food
https://www.youtube.com/user/migrationology/featured" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You guys would be surprised by how beautiful the country is and how delicious the food is

I lived for awhile a LONG time ago in London on the near east side. There were lots of Pakistani people living there, so lots of great Pakistani curry. Lucky I am from Texas and like spicy food. Good luck on hunting down and getting some non-standard decks. Unfortunately, those outside where these decks are produced domestically can be expensive due to incredible shipping costs compared to the cost of the deck. I feel very fortunate in that respect.

Hey, Furrukh. Assalamualaikum and welcome to this increasingly global and diverse group.

I hear you man about how expensive decks and shipping can get. This may help you. I found a an Indian online store selling magic and decks. Being neighbors, shipping SHOULD be cheaper from India to Pakistan compared to from US or UK. Or at least you can get a good deal during a sale . Hope this helps! http://www.magicencarta.com

Eric Lee wrote:Hey, Furrukh. Assalamualaikum and welcome to this increasingly global and diverse group.

I hear you man about how expensive decks and shipping can get. This may help you. I found a an Indian online store selling magic and decks. Being neighbors, shipping SHOULD be cheaper from India to Pakistan compared to from US or UK. Or at least you can get a good deal during a sale . Hope this helps! http://www.magicencarta.com

Walikumasalam! Sorry for the late reply, I thought there were no more replies on this thread, thanks for the recommendation. I'll definetly check out this link. Thanks again