Dark Deco Deck
RSVP Magic
USPCC
This deck has been custom designed from the ground up and made for us by The United States Playing Card Company on their famous Bicycle Card Stock. With Air Cushioned finish, they are simply beautiful to use and perfect for all magicians and collectors.
Each custom designed deck comes with 56 cards and includes two jokers (one with a hidden prediction printed on it's face), a double backer and one blank-facer, allowing magicians to incorporate this deck into their usual routines.
This deck handles as good as it looks and will be something you'll be proud to use time and time again.
Please note: This deck is a limited edition and numbers are restricted.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
For $8 you get a deck of cards . . . that looks cool . . . and has some other stuff . . . but you could've figured that out by reading the ad copy.
It's a deck of cards for Pete's sake. What can you say about it? Well as it turns out, there are a couple points worthy of discussion.
First, if you're a deck collector, get it. Don't even bother reading my review. Just go buy this deck. Everything that comes with the deck is outlined in the ad copy. You can watch the trailer to see if you like the look and feel of the deck.
The cards are created by the Bicycle peeps, so you know they're great quality. They handle well and are very smooth. The images on the deck are beautifully rendered . . . a bit macabre, but still beautiful.
If you have a need for some well designed, aesthetically pleasing and slightly macabre cards, you're at the right place. I think the images and style do lend themselves to some interesting presentations. Additionally, the cards look very much like they're from a different time and maybe even a different world.
This makes them more interesting to me. It enables various presentation angles, and could lead to some great plots and story lines. That will have to be up to your imagination because for $8 you get a deck of cards . . . that looks cool . . . and has some other stuff . . . but you could've figured that out by reading the ad copy.
Final Verdict:
5 stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
Let's start with this: when I enter the products into our database, I mark them as “Collectibles.” That says a lot about how I view them. Even if I had a routine that matched the “theme” of the deck design, I wouldn't use one in my working repertoire. I think the closest I would ever come is to use a genuinely antiqued deck if I were doing a historical or bizarre routine.
I know there's a big debate about using cards that look like something a non-magician might have in their home, versus one of these decks. The argument for these decks is that there are a lot of custom decks available in the consumer market. That's true. But how many non-magicians (or serious card players) buy them? Not many, I suspect.
Regardless, the last thing I want is to have an audience member suspect that the deck I'm using might be gimmicked. It's the suspicion that's the problem. And suspicion has a tenuous tie to reality.
Now that I've said my peace, what can I say about the deck? The quality of the card stock and finish is excellent. The artwork is amazing. These are definitely worth collecting.
In regards to this deck, in particular: the motif is what I would consider “dark steampunk.” Think City of Lost Angels meets The Toxic Avenger. Yes, I'm dating myself and there may be more recent cultural references, but I gave up on “culture” a long time ago...