EMPIRE Playing Cards - Now available again on Kings & Crooks

[badpete69]

I really love this deck.. I invited Lee to join us on the forums

Even though the project is based in England, the cards will ship from the US so shipping is included for US backers

[Firthetic]

I love this deck, but it's even more expensive than Pedale and all the other playing cards going for US$15.

[badpete69]

About $13 a deck when you take 2

[MagikFingerz]

Like the cards. Don't like the prices.

[sms69x]

Don't like the price, sure... but the deck looks really amazing!!
I think I'm gone get some of these!!

[CBJ]

A great looking deck! Too much money

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

With all of the garbage on Kickstarter lately, I will GLADLY shell out more money for a well designed deck - count me in

[badpete69]

so $13.20 a deck is not that exorbitant when you pledge for 2 decks Obviously when you pledge for just one deck it is $15.65 a deck but these are so nice that you have to pledge for 2 decks

EDIT I assume for international buyers the shipping costs don't help much. I was talking for US buyers

EDIT 2 : In looking at all the pledge levels the best value is for 6 decks ($11.40 a deck) or for 4 decks ($11.75 a deck). I think I might go for the 4 decks as I would not mind opening one deck at one of my poker games

[billysac]

Not sure 100% how kickstarter works so far as the currency is concerned, but I certainly wish this project was in USD. With the creator being from UK, does that also mean the project currency need be in GBP?

That's one of my favorite things about KS is the ease of which payment is made using Amazon as the middle man, but I guess that's only for USD.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Once I bid, it had me enter my CCD information and it told me exactly how much US $ it would be - easy peasy

[badpete69]

This is the second time I pledge for a UK project and the second time it is even easier as they already have your CC info . 2 clicks and you are good

[petermckinnon]

Lee is a long time friend of mine, and I am very proud of him with this particular project.

He has tremendous talent when it comes to design and I wish him the very BEST of luck with Kings&Crooks and the brand new EMPIRE deck.

I hope you guys support him!

p:m

[Bikefanatic]

Me being a Bicycle whore, these cards look wonderful. I just might start a non-Bicycle collection too.

[volantangel]

Wow this is beautiful, but boy is it expensive, not quite sure what to do now.

Also purely by merit of launching this deck in the UK is gonna slow many many people down, limiting its huge potential.

[CBJ]

I knew I recognized aspects of this card back...






Same artist. He also did the Arcane, Artifice, and Infinity

http://www.kenzii.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can read an interview with the artist here
http://tuckcase.com/2013/05/23/exclusiv ... -mckenzie/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CBJ

[vasta41]

It's refreshing to see someone talented actually using KS. For a while I thought it was a place for failed graphic arts students went to die.

[leemckenzie]

Hi guys,

Firstly, thanks for all of your kind words regarding Empire. I'm so glad to hear you like them!
Pete, thanks for introducing me and showing your support. Really appreciate it.

Let me address the issues with the pricing.

I didn't want this deck to just a limited run Kickstarter flash. I wanted to put the very best I have into creating it, for myself and for a community of card lovers that I'm proud to be part of. However, when it comes time to get a quote from USPC, all the extra attention and love to the details, shows in their quote. Consideing gold foil stamping, embossing, paper grades, inner tuck box printing and custom seals. It's a heavy duty deck which costs even more when done in low production amounts.

The bottom line is a very expensive deck to produce, but the difference in price is not hugely different to decks already out there considering that. It's a little unfair to compare one deck to any another when they are both entirely different with different costs to produce each. I wanted to this deck to stand out among what's already out there for you, not blend into the back ground, but there's a little extra for that.

I'd love to offer it cheaper and I'd love to be able to base the project in the US to make it easier for you guys. I've worked incredibly hard to figure out the details of offering a great deck and working with the logistics of making it easier for primarily a US audience. Which is why US backers have domestic shipping included. Kickstarter would not allow me to make the project in US dollars, being that I'm british.

In spite of the inconveniences and barriers I've had to face caused by being a UK based project, I hope you can see the effort I've gone to make up for it. I can't say much more than that.

I'm just one guy, trying to create something original that people would be really proud to own. I hope you understand.

[badpete69]

Thank you Lee for your great comments. I absolutely love this deck and will increase my pledge. When price comes up in the topic I always like to use the Theory 11 example. Buy any of their $6.95 deck and it cost $5.24 shipping for a total of $12.19. Your deck in my opinion is priced appropriately. Welcome again to our forums

[leemckenzie]

Wow this is beautiful, but boy is it expensive, not quite sure what to do now.

Also purely by merit of launching this deck in the UK is gonna slow many many people down, limiting its huge potential.

Hi volentangel,

Thanks for your support!

Lee here from the Empire deck. Just to clarify, the deck is not launching in the UK. Everything about this project is catered for the US primarily. It may as well be as US project, but unfortunately Kickstarter won't allow me to make project based in US dollars being that I'm british with a british bank account, so I have to use £.

I've included US shipping for all US backers. But it's off putting when people see the £ symbol, I understand. I tried my best to explain this so I hope it doesn't slow others down.
Thanks for the comment.

[Sharpie]

Hey Lee,
Did anything ever happen to this design? Is Ellusionist releasing a Legacy Deck of their own?

Oh... and welcome to the UC!

[samwisethegray]

This deck is really amazing Lee!! Really well designed, and every inch of the cards look fantastic. Brilliant. Happy to back your cards.

[leemckenzie]

Thanks so much Samwsiethegray,

I really appreciate it!

[Kdklown]

Easy call... Backed!
Probably gonna get stupid with add ons as well.
That deck protector looks unbelievable.

[Encarded]

I backed this one early and I think I might have been the first comment.

Quality work like this needs support and its obvious you put much effort and time into the project. You incorporated some great ideas, some new subtleties and all around did a lovely job. Perhaps a little similar to some of your past work, but that's forgiveable, I think we'd all agree.

Happy to see you do something on your own and I think we all look forward to seeing this project reach completion!

[charlie81dbz]

But it's off putting when people see the £ symbol, I understand. I tried my best to explain this so I hope it doesn't slow others down.
Thanks for the comment.

Honestly, I don't care if a project is in the UK or US so much as I care about the quality of what is trying to be produced and whether or not I think the person/group behind it has done enough homework to get it done properly and won't flake out if it hits a speed bump. This deck looks great and isn't priced higher than any of the other nice (and not so nice) decks on ks. I will most likely be pledging for a few.

charlie

[Sharpie]

They had me at the back design. I've pledged.

And yes, that clip would be sick.

Reminds me of 300, first generation Ironman and Thundercats.
Come on, %400 funding!

[samurai007]

The cards look beautiful, really nice designs! Intricate but still very legible and obvious as to which card you are looking at. (Some intricate card designs become difficult to distinguish one card from another). Yeah, it's a bit higher in price than some decks, but sometimes you have to pay a bit more for quality. I thinks it's worth it, and I've pledged. Good luck Lee, and I hope you'll produce many more decks in the future!

[chach]

Really like this deck, can count me as a backer now.

[Widdee]

so $13.20 a deck is not that exorbitant when you pledge for 2 decks Obviously when you pledge for just one deck it is $15.65 a deck but these are so nice that you have to pledge for 2 decks

EDIT I assume for international buyers the shipping costs don't help much. I was talking for US buyers

EDIT 2 : In looking at all the pledge levels the best value is for 6 decks ($11.40 a deck) or for 4 decks ($11.75 a deck). I think I might go for the 4 decks as I would not mind opening one deck at one of my poker games

Have to agree badpete, the six deck package makes the price much more palatable. I'm in! I had gotten in on the British Boss deck and, like you say, the CC information was already there. It was actually easier than getting slung over to Amazon.

I am every bit as excited about this deck as the Fed 52s, and that's a hell of a lot. Looking forward to seeing where it goes and will probably increase my pledge as it unfolds.

[Verloren]

Definitely pledging once I get home from work and do some calculations on cost.