Metrodeck Playing Cards

With the emergence of KickStarter and boutique magic companies, countless custom playing cards have flooded the market but none is as innovative and environmentally friendly as the Metrodeck. The Metrodeck is a limited-edition playing cards silkscreened on recycled New York Metro cards. This deck include images inspired by landmarks throughout all boroughs of the city, individually screen hand-printed in four colors of enamel ink. Impressive!

For two years the Brooklyn-based designer, Norman Ibarra have been gathering cards at random, after having been purchased, used, and discarded by either a visitor or resident of New York City. Some have been signed or otherwise marked, making each card one of a kind.

Obviously more a collector's item and not really suitable for flourishes and magic, the cards are however beautifully designed. The face cards are inspired by landmarks across the five Boroughs - Grand Central Terminal, the Staten Island Ferry, Coney Island and Times Square, referencing the tremendous reach of the subway system. The Ace was inspired by NYC’s manhole covers and more colorful cards are used. The ink-heavy backgrounds do enhance the look of the cards.

The deck also offers some insight into the city's history by showcasing over ten years of advertising. Each deck has a random assortment of ads dating anywhere between 2001 and 2012. Some cards are truly one of a kind. Due to materials and handcrafting, each deck has slight variations from one piece to the next.

Overall, these 54-card deck is definitely not cheap, but the uniqueness of this product and the amount of work that goes into each deck earns it's place in any card collection.