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PLAYING CARDS COLLECTING 101
Creating Your Own Museum of Playing Cards


Introduction
Collecting is a hobby where people seek, locate, acquire, organize, catalogue, display, store, and maintain items that are of interest to an individual. It is an interesting hobby, which can be attained while people in their childhood. But for others, collecting hobby is a lifelong pursuit or something started in adulthood. Items which people collect varies from one to another. Most people would collect items which are common, such as postage stamps, banknotes, coins, dolls, and many more. Some would collect peculiar items, for instance, like us – we collect playing cards. In this article, we explore some aspects in playing cards collecting, like how collecting hobby came to be, the psychology behind it, and in the end, showcasing a list of options for new and experienced collectors can pursue – show some of the best designers, most notable brands, among other things. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive into the hobby of collecting playing cards!


History of Collecting
The idea of collecting could be traced back to the ancient human history from over 12,000 years ago. Our ancestors, the Neanderthals, had developed the idea of hunting and gathering. They were thrilled by the hunt for something new – resources. They keep on finding new things, and eventually, they evolved. When civilizations rise, they retain their collecting practices. The Egyptians during the Ptolemaic dynasty collected books from all over the world at the Library of Alexandria. Other civilizations might just collect treasures as part of their superiority. In the 19th century, around in the Renaissance area, aristocratic were the finest collectors, as their collections were perceived as a status symbol. They amassed art, fossils, books, zoological specimens, weapons, and other objects that were popular at the time. They would keep their items in what was called a “cabinet of curiosities”, a special curio or room designated for displaying and storing collectibles, from the unique ones to the mysterious ones. Eventually, these “cabinets” would be the ones that kickstart the idea of building museums – places where objects of chosen subject are stored, preserved, and showcased.

Since the introduction of the cabinet of curiosities, people all over the world have become curators of varied objects they chose to collect, such as baseball cards, photographs, stamps, coins, vinyl records, and many more. As time goes, the choices of item of people can collect build up to hundreds of possible choices: from common objects to something strange and beyond imagining or simply priceless and luxurious. Often, collection would start when you were children at very young ages and either grow out of it with time or keep up with the tradition for years to come. Sometimes, collection would start as adults, as they develop a connection with the items they get.


Psychology of Collecting
This topic is pretty interesting to many established psychologists out there – it even has its own topic in Wikipedia. Research suggested that people collected things because they felt an emotional connection to the subject matter. It usually starts off with people in possession of two of one item. When there is a connection, that is when the collecting would start, and they would gather more of the same items. These are points of what might be the reasons of why people bestow on their collecting hobbies:

1. A relaxing and fun break for the mind: Collecting is fun for so many different reasons, like the rush of finding a rare collectible, or meeting someone who shares your passion for collecting the same thing as them. Apart from just plain fun and having something for ourselves, a hobby like collecting is a very effective way to clear our minds. When you are focusing on your collection through any activity to build, expand or maintain your collection (such as browsing and combing through online forums to cleaning off your collection from dust), your mind doesn’t have time to think of anything else. This gives your mind a well-deserve break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
2. Connecting with other collectors: Besides acquiring or exchanging knowledge through a forum or social media group on your collectibles of interest, friendships are born from meeting with people with same interests. Both digitally through online chats to real life from conventions, clubs, gatherings etc. A common interest serves as a great icebreaker to connect with new people, no matter at what age.
3. Build Up knowledge and Nurture your inner curiosity: Research shows that curious people are happier and that curiosity helps us survive, helps strengthen relationships and boosts achievement. Collecting awakens our desires to learn more about the stories behind out collectibles – like when it is made, who is the creator behind it, and other things. Knowledge is power. You can pat yourself on the back of being able to know some of the interesting facts about the items you collect.
4. Reinforcing Personal Skills: Building, preserving and expanding a collection requires a lot of personal and cognitive skills like organizing, researching and communicating. It can also boost your creativity and openness to new experiences a great deal. Think about it: you might need to get out of your comfort zone to travel to new places for conventions, find new hangouts in the internet forums and social media, or must think out-of-the-box to find a creative display solution for your awesome yet not so practical collection.
5. Personal Accomplishment: You can feel the sense of fulfillment when you finally track down that rare collectible. You may also feel the pride when you’re looking at your own collection. You can feel that joy, seeing you just completed sets within your collections, and at some time, you can look all over your stuffs, take a hold of it and admire it for a while. One person once said: Being proud has to be consistent!
6. Cool and Unique Home Decoration: Displaying an interesting collection can really personalize your place and add some casual coolness to your home décor. Do keep in mind that you must know how to properly display and showcase the collectibles in order to avoid too much clutter. One cool idea is to make a thematic display for your collection, making it more interesting to looked at, and be conversation starters.
7. Coincidental Connections: What I mean by this is that, what if your collection hobby is because of other hobbies that you have? For example, you are an artist and collecting action figures and fixed-pose figurines could be your staple, as you are in need of pose references and seeing figures would help a lot. Maybe you are a food enthusiast and collecting food replicas fridge magnets would be a staple for you. There are lots of possibilities of other hobbies might drives you into collecting. This might be the most common one: for someone who loves magic, they ended up collecting playing cards.

There might be other more reasons than listed over here. The psychological aspects about collecting are so mesmerizing that psychologists are still studying this human behavior in hoarding and collecting. As of now, some of them are still pursuing in the research and studies of this hobby.


Collecting Playing Cards
People might have wondered of why you are collecting playing cards. You might have been getting these commentary remarks from other people who thinks what you are doing is just plain nonsense or just waste of time and resources.

“You are getting just stack of printed papers. There is nothing special about it!”
“They are all just the same numbers and pictures. That is nothing new in every card!”
“It is too many playing cards, are you planning to open a casino or something?!”
“I don’t see why you are so crazy with playing cards, they are just…. playing cards and that’s that. There is nothing special about it.”

There might be more commentaries other than what I have listed here, though these are what commonly can be heard by like-minded collectors. If you encountered these comments, just know that they have no idea of what you are investing your time with. You can just continue on with your hobby and don’t care of their judgement (you might also want to counter if those people who commented on you happened to collect things as well).

Below here is a list of possible reasons people would collect playing cards:

• Magic = Playing cards is a very common object when it comes to magic. Whether you are someone who loves seeing magic trick or wanting to be one, having a deck of playing cards is always a good start. You would encounter a few trick decks: Stripper Deck – Svengali Deck – Invisible Deck. There are also Gaff Pack, a collection of specially printed cards for visual mind-blowing tricks. Probably you are a fan of other famous magicians out there, so you would collect decks that are associated with their names: Regalia Playing Cards by Shin Lim – Butterfly Playing Cards by Ondrej Psenicka – 1ST Playing Cards by Chris Ramsay – NOC Playing Cards by Alex Pandrea – Elites by DMC – Gatorbacks and White/Black Lions by David Blaine.
• Cardistry = Used to be an integrated part of a magician’s routine, now it’s a separate art form. Cardistry refers to the act of juggling cards. The main point of the act is to do stunning moves with the cards. As it is for visual looks, there are cards specially built for cardistry – minimalistic yet appealing. There are tens of cardistry brands that are known in the cardistry world, and each has their own signature (and not to mention, often crazily hyped): Virtuoso by Huron Low – Orbit by Chris Brown – Luke Wadey – Organic Playing Cards (OPC) by Cameron Toner – Dealersgrip by Oliver Sogard - Fontaine by Zach Mueller – Anyone Worldwide by Tobias Levin – Lotusinhand – Smoke and Mirror by Dan and Dave – Joker and the Thief by James Milaras.
• Artwork = Nowadays, playing cards have become a blank canvas for designers to express their artistic works on 52 pieces of small cards. In simple terms, there are cards that specifically made just to be admired and appreciated at, like how tourists appreciated the works displayed in the art gallery. Designers can go crazy wild with either the painstaking detailed artworks OR the finishes applied on the cards OR bit of a both! Whether you like the awesome illustrations and/or simply get addicted to see metallic foils, it is up for you to decide. There are quite a number of designers/brands that you should looked at: Stockholm 17 by Lorenzo Gaggioti – Thirdway Industries by Giovanni Meroni – Jocu Playing Cards by Anthony Holt and Alessandra Gagliano – Oath Playing Cards by Lotrek – Kings Wild Project by Jackson Robinson – and many other more designers to look at.
• Crowdfunding Booming = There isn’t much custom decks long years before. It was only decks produced by big magic companies like Ellusionist and Theory11. But, starting in 2012, the trend of using crowdfunding platforms spiked. Many independent creators start to use it to create more and more new decks. Creators eventually are able to build their own brand after creating a few successful projects there. There is probably a total of 30 to 40 projects per year, and the trend is still going on and it will never stop. You may drop by and backed them up, just be careful of overspending and get addicted. Remember your limits, don’t get carried away and don’t force yourself.
• History = Some people prefer to collect a way more older decks, such as those vintage decks and antique decks that were originally produced in between 1800s and 1900s. Decks like these would probably fetch up to hundreds to thousands of dollars. This kind of collection is probably not the best for newbies, as only veterans would do it. Though, you may learn about these vintage decks from the veterans! No harm on expanding your knowledge on playing cards. And to your luck, maybe some of these vintage and antique decks would be reprinted onto the modern standards of playing cards, so many people may enjoy the design from the past! Bicycle Playing Cards have many different back designs long time ago, and a few of it already reprinted as modern decks.
• Reviews = There are people who are dedicated to do reviews on decks, may it be brand new sealed decks or prototypes of upcoming new decks. Of course, these people would end up with a collection of playing cards, which they mostly ended up opening them. By doing this, automatically he/she would get a lot of decks, and some of the decks obtained are given for free with the promise of a good review in return.
• Hobby = Of course, collecting is a hobby. You are doing it for your sake of happiness and accomplishment. As you read the sections above here, you learn of the psychological aspects of collecting hobby. If you asked different collectors within the community, you heard of various reasons why they are into collecting. You may have your own reasons for doing it. Just go with the flow, and of course to your inner feelings! Just enjoy the hobby, there is no competition within others.
• Inspirations = Some people collect beautiful decks because it serves as inspirations. What if that someone, after acquiring so many decks and enjoy them, suddenly have that “AHA!” moments and start creating his/her own? Yes, that someone can see what artworks that people enjoy, what kinds of finishes, and all of the other factors – after that, it gets the idea for him/her to get inspired for creating interesting decks.

We are here as a family, a family that is related with the same passion for playing cards. You could gather like-minded friends, exchanges stories and knowledge, and most importantly, HAVE FUN! If you ever get burned out, you can always take a break from it.

PS: There will be a separate thread for brands/manufacturers/producers showcase, so you may look at it and make your choices of what you like to collect! Those which listed here are just the tip of the iceberg. That brand showcase will be explained briefly on the important info regarding the topics.

Tuckist VS Pip Liberator

To open or not to open a deck of playing cards, that is the question.

When you are acquiring new decks from mail day, you are faced with this somewhat excruciating moment: would you open the deck or keep it in mint condition? So, there are two types of collectors: Tuckist – those who preferred to keep it sealed; and Pip Liberator – those who just opened it. There are quite a few pros and cons for each side of the scales:
Tuckist
Tuckists are those who preferred the decks to remain sealed as long as the time goes. They are able to retain the values of the playing cards, because in some cases, decks may increase in value as time goes by and there were high demands of certain decks. Although, they won’t be able to enjoy what the deck has to offer. They can only see the beauty of the tuckboxes, but not the cards. Most likely, they only know how the cards looked like by viewing others who opened their cards and take pictures of it, most likely from reviewers and photographers. Although it is to save their time for not opening it, though the feeling is not there. Maybe, there is also a factor that they won’t be disappointed if the cards ended up having defects – especially decks produced by USPCC in recent years: it’s off-centered cut problems. “Ignorance is Bliss” mantra applies for this kind of situation.

Pip Liberator
Pip Liberator are those who open the decks and enjoy the cards. To be fair, playing cards are meant to be opened. You get that excitement to see what the cards have in store for you: the beautiful details, the eye-catching foils, and many more. But, by opening the decks, it means you are meant to enjoy them, as opening means lowering the value of the cards. And it is quite hard to find potential buyers who like to acquire opened decks, but don’t fret, you might find people who don’t mind opened decks! (Although that depends if the decks in mention are so hard to find and/or if the conditions are still okay). Despite all of those reviewers and photographers out there who have opened their decks and show the cards, the feeling is quite different if you see it for yourselves!

Although, some people in the community are in between these: they opened some of the decks and not all. It is based on one each’s judgement. For example, one would like to open just the standard edition to see the card design and all, yet keep the limited edition (sealed and numbered) and gilded edition (cards with metallic foil on the sides) [assuming limited and gilded edition are only different tuckboxes] in mint condition, as you know all of them have the same looks. There is also an advice that you should try to get two copies of each: so, you may open one, and keep one sealed. This option only if you much money to spare, so don’t force yourself to it. You may apply that concept ONLY if you have personal favourites.

So, are you a TUCKIST or PIP LIBERATOR or IN-BETWEEN?

Decks Variations and Series
You may encounter this kind of stuff when looking at playing cards. By learning these kinds of variation, you may figure out what are your focus is. Is it numbered? Is it in limited print run? Is it Gilded? Is it Private Reserve? There are so many editions in a single series!!! Yes, it could be frustrating to catch up. And what about decks that have a series of decks? Like it has different versions, or it has a continuation! There are so much to think off, that you might think that this playing card collecting thing is such a drag! Take it slow and breathe, hope this section might solve your dilemma.

1. Different Colors: This is the very common variation. A single deck may be differed by color, mainly Red or Blue, like the standard Bicycle decks. Although it can be other than Red and Blue, let’s say: Green and Purple, Gold and Silver, etc.
2. Different Court Cards: Each variant may have different court cards illustration. What if one edition has the court cards opened up their eyes, alive and fresh, and the other edition have the court cards closed up their eyes, assumingly dead.
3. Different Tuckboxes: The cards may be the same, but the tuckboxes are different. The standard edition would have only just plain glossy tuckbox, while the limited edition would have thicker cardstock with lots of foiling.
4. Different Design: The back design can be different, and may be associated with the different courts and different colors. Yes, this could ensure that none of two editions are not the same entirely.
5. Limited: Some edition might have a limited print run, thus making it costly, yet it is satisfying if you managed to get your hands on it! This limited edition might come with a numbering, to ensure that it is valid!
6. Gilded: It is simply cards that are laced with metallic foil on the sides of the cards. Typically, this one would cost quite a lot, but yet you would get the eye-candy for seeing the bling on the cards.
7. Private Reserve: This edition could only be just a fancy name to make the deck looked fancy, though it can be nothing special. Just be sure to research carefully, and read words by words of the description of the edition. Sometimes, the term ‘Private Reserve’ is not a new edition of a deck, but it is a deck coming from the creators themselves – also known as their private stock that they decide to let go.
8. Mini: This is the smaller version of a deck, about half the size of a normal playing cards. There’s quite the novelty value of getting mini decks. Some are simply the small size of the standard ones; some are completely new design of a deck series.
9. Serial: The deck may come in a series, like the one you get would be Vol.1, and then your will be expecting Vol.2, Vol.3, and so forth – depends on where it is stopped. If you decide to get this kind of deck, you have to make sure you have the dedication to complete it, or otherwise, it will a create a hole. This is just like in old days, when people are getting CDs of a TV series or books of a novel series.

By delving into analyzing editions, you make the decision whether you are a COMPLETIONIST or not. Do you think you can complete it, or you can only manage to get some of the set? Being a completionist takes a lot of dedication, but only do it if you really can handle being one and if you really love certain brand/series/creators, but try not being driven by hype. On the next section, you will see how you are able to refine your collection, plus with a very important advice that you should take it to heart.


Refining the Collection
You have to accept the fact that you just CAN’T collect everything. Every people have their own preferences, like one only likes the artwork of certain designers or one only like cards produced by certain manufacturers. As collection goes, you are maturing in your choices. You can make a decision on refining your collection, such as deciding what to collect. If you take a look at philatelists, they can’t collect every single postage stamp – so they refined what they collect: like they may collect based on issuing countries, or specific historical themes, or showing images of animals or plants, etc. In playing cards collection, you may refine just like that due to the same diversity and creativity of it. Here is the possible list of refinements that you can do:

• Colors: You like a certain color, so you just collect decks with that color of your choice!
• Themes: There is lot of choices when it comes to theme. You may like historical themes, like showing certain historical moments like the sinking of the Titanic or appreciation of inventors. Or you can go for decks that present literatures or mythology, such as King Arthur, Wizard of Oz, the fairytales we know of. There are so many choices.
• Brands: You can focus on certain established brand in the playing cards world, like Virtuoso, Orbit, Cherry Casinos, Fontaine, OPC, etc.
• Creators: You may have favorite creators in mind, and you can focus on the decks produced by them by monitoring every project they established. Take a look at Stockholm 17, Kings Wild Project, Thirdway Industries, Seasons, Jocu Playing Cards, etc.
• Magic: Passionate for magic that you only focus on decks that are built for magic. You can gather decks that are tailored for certain magicians, some trick decks, collection of gaff packs, and a lot of marked decks with various type of systems.
• Cardistry: Love those cards juggling videos? Then you may as well be collecting only cardistry oriented decks. Though be warned, they are quite a lot more cardistry decks than the others, due to the nature of these decks are built based on looks. Try to take these cardistry decks like fashion items in the fashion world, changing every time and trends can go up and down.
• Artwork: You are an artwork appreciator, so you only care for decks that have beautiful artworks, amazing details, or the excellent eye-stunning finishes. You collect these decks not for usage, but to look at the artworks. Just be sure you have funds to spare, as it won’t be cheap if you are after the most luxurious decks ever.
• Finishes: Perhaps you like certain finishes on playing cards. You like some cards that have metallic foil/printed graphics on the edges, then just simply get gilded decks only. Since now holographic foil becomes a trend in playing cards design, then you may collect only holographic decks.
• Publishers: You may only go after decks that are produced by certain publishers, whether they are magic companies OR just plainly playing cards producers by employing various illustrators. Take a look at Ellusionist, Theory11, Art of Play, Riffle Shuffle, etc.
• Manufacturers: Everyone has their preferences for the cards handling and finishes, and thus some would prefer if the cards are produced by certain factories – like USPCC, EPCC, LPCC, HCPC, TWCC, WJPCC, OPCC, NPCC, MPC. Although it would be a rare thing to specify your collection only by printer.

There is one big thing that you have to tackle when you are into collecting playing cards – try not to dive into FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Just because someone has decks that are so beautiful (or simply hyped through a lot of teasing) that they become the current talk of the week or have completed few sets, DOESN’T MEAN you have to get those decks as well. Most of this case happened because of the hype surrounding the decks – all of the promotional teases and the “sell out within seconds” moments, you missed the launching time, or for any reasons, that you failed to secure one. Remember that we have limits that sadly we have to admit to ourselves, and each has their own pace in acquiring new additions. Besides, you have real life duties as well, and that is the most important thing you have to take care first. Always remember this, and don’t worry if you keep on dropping into this chasm, as like I said, it is a VERY HARD thing to tackle.


Displaying and Storing your Decks
You need quite a storage in order to store your decks. There are important rules to make sure your cards are not damaged in any ways. You have to make sure the decks are store somewhere without direct sunlight, heat, or humidity. For opened decks, make sure your hands are clean when you are holding them. NEVER EVER hold the decks when your hands are dirty NOR have the cards wet! Also, keep your playing cards close, as in DON’T DROP them on hard surfaces, or else you will have dinged cards and that is a terrible thing to have. You may invest in getting accessories to better store the decks and even displays them – such as, card guard and carat cases.

Displaying your deck collections is like building your small museum in your space! There is not an easy answer on how you should display your decks. Store most of the decks and display what you love the most. You may repurpose the cassette tapes rack display [since nobody is using cassettes anymore in the 21st century] for decks displays, as it is a perfect fit for storing playing cards and can have them hand on the wall or standing on your table ready to be picked up. You can call your trusted carpenter to build you custom-built displays for playing cards OR go to IKEA for your picked furniture OR go to any of your favorite card store that sells decks display. You can even create a small shrine for favorite creators! Display your favorite decks in carat cases or custom-made displays. Enhance the decks display with related props. The possibilities are endless for this one! Set up days where you go through your collection and decide which you would love to display and which you would store in – just like how museum curators decide which exhibits to be displayed and which in store in the warehouses. This is all up to your imagination on how you would display your playing cards collection, as there are no set-up rules of it. Besides, this is taking your space decorating to the test by making a good display!


52 Plus Joker Collector's Club and Convention
This is the world’s largest collector club which is dedicated to the world of playing cards, founded in 1985. People would gather in conventions to share their love of playing cards, such as discussing about the designs, doing auctions on vintage, antique, rare decks, giving awards for the best designed decks of playing cards, and many more! The club and convention also awarded custom-design decks with the “Diamond Award”. The admission to become a member of the club is 25$ a year, and you would gain a lot of benefits by joining the club, especially you gain access to the club’s exclusive decks, which is annually produced. Several well-known designers have contributed their works to produce these decks, so be sure to check it out! For more information, go to its official website over here [https://live-52plusjoker.pantheonsite.io/]


National Playing Card Collection Day and Portfolio 52
In 17 October 2016, Alex Chin, the man behind Seasons Playing Cards, finally established a national day when to celebrate the hobby of playing cards collection. It is a day where people around the world would showcase their playing cards collection through social media. It is a celebrated day to showcase the love of playing cards. This holiday went from national in the United States to international worldwide. It is easy to celebrate it: simply just showcase your cards collection on social media platforms [mainly Facebook and/or Instagram] and use the hashtag so many people would see your collection, and you may see other people’s collection. On this day, there will be a competition as well where you can win awesome prices! Celebrate this day by sharing your love and passion for playing cards!

# HASTAG #
#CardCollectionDay
#PlayingCardCollectionDay #NationalPlayingCardCollectionDay

To celebrate this occasion, every year there will be decks released annually. These decks would bear a lot of details and finishes, and the most innovative playing cards design ever is. The set is not for the faint of heart, as it is VERY VERY COSTLY. While it might be very expensive, it will be worthy to get at least one of it! All the sales proceedings are directed to help build up a website database of playing cards. It is called Portfolio 52.

Portfolio 52 is your go to site to learn all of playing cards that has ever existed. In here, you can manage the decks that you have collected so far. You can arrange and curate your decks online, and you can set a list of wish list decks as well as a list of trade to help others to know what decks you are looking for. You can sign in for free and begin using it! Check the website over HERE! [https://www.portfolio52.com]. In 2021, Portfolio 52 acquires United Cardist forum, and to mark that occasion, they released their first ever deck series branded with “P52”, and it will continue annually as well – Debut series is the Odd Fellows by Stockholm 17, the next second series is Nazo Nazo by Jack Brutus Penny.


United Cardists and DECK OF THE YEAR Awards
The place where you are reading this article IS the United Cardists. This is a forum where people would discuss about new decks that are released, doing some discussion around playing cards, showcase behind the scenes of most of the Kickstarter playing cards projects, share and update your collections, asking for feedbacks on playing cards design hoping to be refined and ready for a crowd funding project, and there are more stuffs you can find within this big, vast forum. And the most fun part, you get to vote which are the best decks of the year through a voting competition called Deck of the Year. United Cardists also released their own decks as well, designed by renowned designers in the community. The first ever UC deck is designed by Randy Butterfield of Midnight Playing Cards. In 2021, Portfolio 52 acquired United Cardists, so the decks released will be branded by “P52”.

Deck of the Year is somewhat like a design contest, seeing which deck has the best in certain aspects. What deck has the best Aces design, or which deck has the best Tuckbox design, or what deck is best used for magic/cardistry, or more importantly what deck is the best overall design, entitled to be the Deck of the Year? Annually, this contest is held, the categories are formed, and candidates are compiled. After that, in a given time period, people will cast their votes. After the voting period, all the votes will be counted, the winners are announced and the designers who deck won either one or more categories are allowed to post these achievements throughout their portfolios on social media. The competition on 2020 was expanded to teamed-up with Portfolio 52, and it will carry on this annual contest there. In 2021, United Cardists is acquired by Portfolio 52 – the historic moments marked with its debut series and there are plans for renovations of the forum website to be integrated with the existing playing cards database.


Kardify and People's Choice Awards
Kardify is the leading online destination for playing cards news, reviews, and cardistry culture. It is founded in 2013 by Ivan Choe, a fellow card collector in the community. Kardify provides exclusive news of anything around playing cards: such as new deck releases by any brands (magic – designer – cardistry), any good deals from playing cards stores, quick reviews on some decks, and promotional for the latest Kickstarter projects going live in the community. You can take a look of their social media in Instagram (IG: @kardify), where it has a few trivia, like showing the color scheme of a certain deck as well as posting quizzes of “guess the deck” (where people try to guess what deck it is). Kardify did released their own decks as well, although not as frequently as the other big entities. So far, Kardify decks that are produced are Aquilla Playing Cards and Six Strings Playing Cards – both designed by Indonesian designer Ade Suryana.

Kardify also hosts their “Deck of the Year” award. It is similar with the other competitions, where people vote for their favorites to win the nomination. There is an extra section exclusive to Kardify, which is the “People’s Choice”. In this category, two decks are pre-selected to compete against each other for popularity, and which ever deck that receives many votes wins the title. It is a good engagement from the community with the news hub.


Tips for New Collectors
So, you are the new member of the family in the playing cards community. You just joined because you found the hobby is interesting or you are referred by your friend. Here are a few tips to get your started in this hobby:

1. Get the Passion: You are ready to begin your journey because you got the passion of it. You love the idea of having many of those stacks of small printed paper stored inside small boxes placed around your room. Lay people may judge you, but who cares? This is YOUR hobby, not theirs! At any time, you are feeling “BURNED OUT” (a.k.a. exhausted), there is no shame in taking a break from the hobby.
2. Be patient: “Patience is a virtue” is what people always say. Usually, some brands releases of new decks are clashing with each other, and you might find yourself in the pickle. Most of those decks will eventually be sold in the wholesale market (and might be cheaper price than its original price), so you are able to just wait it out and get them later. Newbie collector’s first mistake is always on that moment when he/she just get every deck they can find. After a while in the hobby, you can tell which decks that you can just wait and which decks that you HAVE to get it now. Most importantly, try to tackle that FOMO feelings and TRY NOT get influenced by HYPE.
3. Money matters: Because collecting playing cards is a hobby, try NOT to spend most of your money in it. Remember, you got some important stuffs to take care off in life: rent, vehicle fuels, maintenances, electric bill, water bills, you named it. You have to get a sense of SELF-CONTROL in your finance decisions, otherwise you will be out of money before the first month of your hobby. If you got much money to burn, then by all means do get the decks you like. Treat your credit cards as if you actually buying them with debit cards and be on time to pay your dues to your bank/credit card companies – these are some financial tips.
4. Handle with care: Take care of your decks, of course! This no need for elaborate explanations: simply, DON’T store your decks on places that frequently gets shined on sunlight or the UV will ruin the colors. Also, SERIOUSLY DON’T get your decks soaked on water: playing cards are still paper and water is their sole enemy (unless if your cards are made with PVC plastic). Please do well invest in deck storage and displays if you want to take good care of your decks. Handle the decks like civilized people (looking at you, Chinese customs). Always have your hands clean before you are holding your cards to avoid any dirt, oil, or moistures hurting the cards.
5. Consider Extras: A few people tend to get playing cards in half-brick (6 of the same decks) or full-brick (12 of the same decks). It is usually because of its custom brick boxes or the extra “tail-gated plus one” deck that comes with it. So, what you are going to do with a lot of extras? If you are magician or cardist, you may use those cards without worrying, because you got a few backups! If you are neither of those, then you have no choice to sell them – although if you are being generous, just give them away for free!
6. No “investment” mindset: You might have heard of the OG Jerry’s Nugget from the 1970s that now fetch up to $500. If so, then you might think getting a lot of the same decks and let it stored for a few years and later sell them for higher price. One word: DON’T. This is really the gamble in the playing card community. You can’t simply predict the future of success of some of the decks and brands. It’s a matter of supply and demand when it comes to the value of the deck. Just enjoy your decks! – if you feared you can’t sell opened decks in the future, don’t be, because you get others who won’t mind opened decks. DO NOT be those “Scalpers” who just hoard so many decks and then quickly sell them in ridiculously high price for quick profits.
7. Places to get decks: No definitive answers as you can simply get decks from anywhere. Easy place to guess would be magic store, since cards are a staple for magicians. Nowadays, there will be playing cards store (physical/online) that specifically only selling playing cards. Lastly, for hard-to-find decks, you have to get them on eBay OR from other collectors in the community [BUT WATCH OUT, scammers exist... so be careful of who you trust and conduct deals smartly].
8. Research is important: Do a quick investigation of the deck you are after, such as its deck specifications, how it looked like and original price. By then, you can go around and search for it, looking after the best price possible. Don’t get so hasty when getting a deck, because you might get a deck so high price while in fact you can get it later for a discounted price OR you can get it where the deal is much better. The better you get decks on good deals, the more money you managed to save.
9. Follow your heart: Since the community is now littered with SO MANY DECKS, it is best that you refined your collection as soon as possible. Most long-time collectors develop their sense of refinement after a few years and/or after a hundred decks, so better listen to some of their advices on their opinions regarding of some decks. From these opinions, you can reflect those onto your judgement. DO NOT get those decks JUST BECAUSE everybody is having them.
10. Be proud and unique: Your collection IS yours! Simple as that – your collection might be different with others. That what makes your collection unique, and you should be proud of it. You might the collector who managed to collect a full history of Bicycle decks, getting every single one of their vintage designs back in the 1800s to 1900s. Maybe, you might be the one who collect all those Congress decks. Perhaps, you are only getting designer brand decks for the appreciation in art and design. Tailor your collection as if you are building your own small museum in your place. That way, you can show how you MEAN IT about your hobby!

Conclusion
Playing cards collecting is a very interesting hobby. The vast selection of playing cards allowed the hobby to be established, and a lot of people have started to join in. It might sounds intimidating at first, since there are just lots of playing cards out there, but as you try to refine your focus, you will eventually manage being a part in the community. That is all about this collector’s quick start guide. Stay safe, stay healthy, and happy collecting playing cards! For the pips and the royalties!

For an in-depth article about card collecting, you should go and read this guide done by EndersGame for PlayingCardDecks.com:
https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all- ... ld-i-start

Also, this needs to be (re)said

Playing cards are NOT AN INVESTMENT

Regarding them not being an investment, certainly there are decks out there that people consider to have value, and that they believe will continue to grow in value - this is wild speculation at best - but I can say that a good number of recent additions to my collection have been for things so esoteric and expensive, and that I am so unwilling to part with, that they are certainly an expense that will never be recouped - and thats alright by me.

I will add that I have a pretty good number of decks that are surely worth less than I paid for them - a few a good bit more - in the end its a gamble and not an investment, and there are tables to play with better odds out there if you are looking to gamble. If you are looking to collect cards on the other hand, well, then you are all set any which way.

Came across this quote, which re-says it quite nicely…

As laito lists Tips For New Collectors, I have decided to put this tip here

I have several criteria for making the decision to purchase a deck but today reinforced for me that the most important criteria by far is Stock (and finish?)

I bought 'The Key to the Kingdom' set (deck and book) a few months ago and even though I open all my decks (other than multiples), I had not done so for this one as the book shows you all the cards.

I wish I hadn't opened it today as the feel of the cards is a major disappointment. Of course they are an art deck but if you are an opener - cards must always feel good.
You often see cards from this 1992 transformation deck when you do any general card search and I would suggest to others to simply enjoy them in this digital form

It was always 'on the cards' as they were originally released as a gallery/gift shop item

So a tip to new collectors - if you have not heard of the printer (or seen a good review) - tread carefully

Depends entirely on what you're looking for.

In my collection, is not one deck I judge by stock.

I also have The Key to the Kingdom, and it's fine. Maybe not a deck for cardistry (although I'm no judge about that as I don't practice). But I've been playing poker and card games for, um, many many many years. I don't see any problem with Key as a keepsake, in a collection, or used to play a game.

I find that I am able to separate the decks I like into two groups. For decks that I want to fidget with throughout the day, I want them to feel nice and handle well. Whereas for decks that are primarily for admiring the artwork, I can be more forgiving of the stock and finish. Of course, the ideal deck would have the best of both worlds.

I am not saying that I would ever buy a deck for its stock but if I know/knew a deck had ordinary stock - it would stop me from buying it.
The Medieval series by Elephant is another I would not buy now

It is a bit like my obsession with card Backs - I will not buy a deck if I dislike the backs. I would say that I have bought more decks for their backs than any other characteristic. I will buy decks for their courts etc but I cannot dislike their backs (luckily I like patterned backs)

It really depends. If it's a modern deck being printed, I'd prefer it on a familiar card stock and finish as the tactile sensation of handling a deck made for playing adds to the enjoyment of a deck. I don't expect the same from art-specific and vintage decks I come across and purchase as my priority for those would be the artwork itself that I admire. There are only a handful of decks that I own that I'd say are absolutely appalling in their handling, while others might be a bit intolerable.

One of my favorite decks for example, Karl Gerich's EPCS Transformation deck, is a matte finish with little to no expectation of it handling well. And yet, it is one of the best artworks in my collection and thus one of my favorite decks and a prized possession of mine.

So yeah, I guess stock and finishes aren't exactly the main consideration of getting decks for new collections, hence I opt it out.

Because, you get what you get - if it's some old deck, like when it is made in the 1800s or 1900s, they'd probably hard to compare with the state of cards in modern times. If it's some really REALLY old decks, like the original Mamluks or very early decks in Italy, of course, the paper gotta be... fragile XD

Also, I'd think when brands or designers created decks, they will consider the stock and finishes when they printed it. For cardistry decks, they make sure the stock and finishes are optimal for daily card flourishes. For artwork decks, it is made as beautiful as possible in sacrifice (or not) of the stock and finishes.