Price$6.99
Media TypeDeck of Cards
CategoryCollectibles
Date AddedDec 06, 2014
Marked Vintage 1800 Playing Cards
Ellusionist.com
(Based on 2 reviews)
The cards you love just got better.
The 1800 Vintage deck now holds a very special secret. Each card is individually marked with a covert system entwined into the natural design, allowing you to instantly read the suit and value simply by peeking the back.
No detail was left untouched-- artwork on each card was delicately hand-crafted by Ellusionist's top graphic team. Even the seal on the deck looks like it was left in a gritty New York alley "for a spell".
The cards are an illusion in themselves, because they may look very old, but they handle superbly. You have to keep telling yourself, this is a new deck of cards.
• Integrated Marking System
• USPC Thick CASINO GRADE STOCK
• Grungy, cracked and awesome
• Quality finish that delivers
• Includes explanation video
• Available in Red and Blue backs
Reviews
(Top ▲)
These cards are beautiful, well-made and add a touch of style to any magic but the marked version is a massive disappointment. Tiny and frail, the markings are hidden in the superimposed 'creases and cracks' that make the cards look old. There is no decoding involved as the marks are alphanumeric but - even so - the info is far too difficult for me to read.
So let's start at the beginning. I bought the original unmarked Vintage 1800 series when they first came out. I loved the look but found them a trifle slippy. They fan easily, glide easily and are relatively thin, so they crimp and cave easily too but they don't 'sit' and behave as well as less glossy stock. As you work with them, you find which controls are made easier with the slip and which controls are made 'trickier' - if you'll pardon the pun. Still, like many of my ex-girlfriends, I found the looks outweighed the practical problems - most of the time.
So I jumped at the chance of a marked version and I did what we all do when we get a marked deck - I tried to find the markings myself without the instructions. I couldn't. The standard way of testing for a pattern gave me no clue - or rather, I found many things that looked like clues due to the weathered, scratched design but they were all wrong.
Cleverly - or frustratingly - there are so many other marks, fake creases and cracks so it's unlikely you'll notice the markings even after a deliberate search - and I use two other marked decks on a daily basis. I can guarantee that NO lay spectator on earth is going to find these marks. You could let them take the deck home and they would still find nothing. That's because the marks are just SO small and SO merged with the complex individual markings on the back of each card.
Measuring the marks, they are about 2 millimetres high - sadly, that makes them just too difficult to spot for me. Under fire and at speed I just couldn't pull it off. If the spectator is holding the cards, allowing for personal space, I'd have no chance. I'm in my forties, have relatively good vision and don't wear glasses but these cards made me feel like maybe I should!
My final thoughts? I love this design and concept of 'vintage' - it fits so well with many tricks I do that revolve around my great-grandfather and his gambling etc. That's why I've given the deck 2 stars out of sentimental respect for the original idea. The marked version is however impractical unless perhaps you're in your twenties and have superpowers beyond my level of vision. That's why I can ONLY give 2 stars because the marking system is the whole point of this version. No matter how beautiful something is, you can't rank it highly if it doesn't fulfil it's main purported purpose. Form without function is just an ornament and that's not enough. At least, that's what I told my ex.
My advice is just buy the unmarked deck. You'll love them.
So let's start at the beginning. I bought the original unmarked Vintage 1800 series when they first came out. I loved the look but found them a trifle slippy. They fan easily, glide easily and are relatively thin, so they crimp and cave easily too but they don't 'sit' and behave as well as less glossy stock. As you work with them, you find which controls are made easier with the slip and which controls are made 'trickier' - if you'll pardon the pun. Still, like many of my ex-girlfriends, I found the looks outweighed the practical problems - most of the time.
So I jumped at the chance of a marked version and I did what we all do when we get a marked deck - I tried to find the markings myself without the instructions. I couldn't. The standard way of testing for a pattern gave me no clue - or rather, I found many things that looked like clues due to the weathered, scratched design but they were all wrong.
Cleverly - or frustratingly - there are so many other marks, fake creases and cracks so it's unlikely you'll notice the markings even after a deliberate search - and I use two other marked decks on a daily basis. I can guarantee that NO lay spectator on earth is going to find these marks. You could let them take the deck home and they would still find nothing. That's because the marks are just SO small and SO merged with the complex individual markings on the back of each card.
Measuring the marks, they are about 2 millimetres high - sadly, that makes them just too difficult to spot for me. Under fire and at speed I just couldn't pull it off. If the spectator is holding the cards, allowing for personal space, I'd have no chance. I'm in my forties, have relatively good vision and don't wear glasses but these cards made me feel like maybe I should!
My final thoughts? I love this design and concept of 'vintage' - it fits so well with many tricks I do that revolve around my great-grandfather and his gambling etc. That's why I've given the deck 2 stars out of sentimental respect for the original idea. The marked version is however impractical unless perhaps you're in your twenties and have superpowers beyond my level of vision. That's why I can ONLY give 2 stars because the marking system is the whole point of this version. No matter how beautiful something is, you can't rank it highly if it doesn't fulfil it's main purported purpose. Form without function is just an ornament and that's not enough. At least, that's what I told my ex.
My advice is just buy the unmarked deck. You'll love them.
(Top ▲)
My original review of the Vintage Series 1800 follows below, under this review of the Marked Vintage Series 1800. The original review applies completely to the comments about the look, feel, its’ price and contents of this marked deck, except that deck has no card markings.
These cards are presented by Daniel Madison on behalf of Ellusionist.com in a three-part video, which is accessible with a special wed-link that comes printed on a card. The first is a minute-and-a-half trailer which displays the cards. The second video is almost four minutes and is entitled “Learn the Marking System”. Madison explains the simple system using enlarged graphics of the cards and highlights the markings using computer enhancement. The third video “Ideas For Your Marked Deck” is almost seven minutes long and Madison reviews some ideas on presentation and a memorized deck routine. The promotional video is almost five minute and consists of much, but not all, of the video provided with the purchase.
Because the antiquing and age marks of the deck are different on each card, you can’t riffle the deck to find the markings. So, the good news, is also the bad news: the markings are extremely hard to find, even if you are looking for them. The markings look like the age cracks on the cards and are very small. An ability to quickly read the cards will require some practice and sufficient light to see the secreted system. It is not ideal for low light situations and may be impossible to read in some situations. While others may see this as a drawback, as long as I don’t need bifocals, I consider this an asset.
What follows is the original review of the Vintage 1800 Series Playing Cards, for the unmarked deck:
Whenever I am in a store or walking down the street, and I catch a glimpse of a deck of cards, I stop and look, usually for just a second. When I first saw the Vintage 1800 Series, I was transfixed. These cards, manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company, and sold by Ellusionist.com, are printed on standard Bicycle back stock with the design from today’s pips, numbers, and face cards except that they look really old. The white borders on the backs, and the faces are faded in a sepia-tone with faux water marks and cracks. I have inspected the cards and the vintage markings seem to be different on each card.
The cards handle the same as your regular box of 808’s. The deck comes with 52 playing cards, 2 black jokers and an extra card with a different colored back for various tricks. The Vintage Series 1800 Playing cards come in both Red and Blue backs.
The price is very fair and I would have paid more for them if they were listed at a higher price point.
There is something captivating about these cards and when you pick up a deck, you will understand what I mean. The well-produced promotional video asks you to imagine what a deck of cards would look like if it was left to the elements for over a century. And, that is what they created. I buy it. Even if you are not a cardophile, you should buy it too.
These cards are presented by Daniel Madison on behalf of Ellusionist.com in a three-part video, which is accessible with a special wed-link that comes printed on a card. The first is a minute-and-a-half trailer which displays the cards. The second video is almost four minutes and is entitled “Learn the Marking System”. Madison explains the simple system using enlarged graphics of the cards and highlights the markings using computer enhancement. The third video “Ideas For Your Marked Deck” is almost seven minutes long and Madison reviews some ideas on presentation and a memorized deck routine. The promotional video is almost five minute and consists of much, but not all, of the video provided with the purchase.
Because the antiquing and age marks of the deck are different on each card, you can’t riffle the deck to find the markings. So, the good news, is also the bad news: the markings are extremely hard to find, even if you are looking for them. The markings look like the age cracks on the cards and are very small. An ability to quickly read the cards will require some practice and sufficient light to see the secreted system. It is not ideal for low light situations and may be impossible to read in some situations. While others may see this as a drawback, as long as I don’t need bifocals, I consider this an asset.
What follows is the original review of the Vintage 1800 Series Playing Cards, for the unmarked deck:
Whenever I am in a store or walking down the street, and I catch a glimpse of a deck of cards, I stop and look, usually for just a second. When I first saw the Vintage 1800 Series, I was transfixed. These cards, manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company, and sold by Ellusionist.com, are printed on standard Bicycle back stock with the design from today’s pips, numbers, and face cards except that they look really old. The white borders on the backs, and the faces are faded in a sepia-tone with faux water marks and cracks. I have inspected the cards and the vintage markings seem to be different on each card.
The cards handle the same as your regular box of 808’s. The deck comes with 52 playing cards, 2 black jokers and an extra card with a different colored back for various tricks. The Vintage Series 1800 Playing cards come in both Red and Blue backs.
The price is very fair and I would have paid more for them if they were listed at a higher price point.
There is something captivating about these cards and when you pick up a deck, you will understand what I mean. The well-produced promotional video asks you to imagine what a deck of cards would look like if it was left to the elements for over a century. And, that is what they created. I buy it. Even if you are not a cardophile, you should buy it too.