Analytics: Kickstarter August 2014

With the increased interest in crowd-funded playing card projects particularly on Kickstarter, we are publishing a monthly tracking report as part of our popular Analytics series. The goal is to give an analytical insight into the month-on-month performance of projects and how these numbers are tracking cumulatively year-to-date.

Interestingly, August seem to have mirrored the benchmark shape from last year. The number of successful projects have decreased this month, breaking the momentum from the previous months. Backers continue be selective with the projects pledged. The year-to-date (YTD) numbers continue to surpass 2013 numbers. The chart below describes how 2014 is tracking against the numbers from 2013 as benchmark.

Playing Card Projects 

The number of unsuccessful projects remained constant at around 20% in August while % of successful projects ended with a low of 20%.

Here is what July looks like in numbers:

Relatively quiet month in August with the exception of 26th August where six projects were launch at the same time.

Here's a look at how projects performed over the month, largely unchanged from last month.

Funding

A total of $559k was raised by all projects in August, marginally higher that July's number of $553k.

Here is a look at the top 5 most funded playing cards:

The top 5 successful playing cards projects for the month contributed a whopping 82% to the overall funding of successful projects!

The average YTD funding goal of successful project remained stable at around $10.1k.

Backers 

This month, approximately 12.3k backers were recorded across all projects. The average pledge per backer for successful projects continue to decrease. This month it stands at $50.92.

Line chart below is a month-on-month comparison for 2014 with the 2013 curve used as benchmark. It is interesting to note that there is an uptick in the average spent per backer from July to August continuing the higher $/backer trend from last month. Backers continue to be selective with their pledges.

Top 5 funded Projects by backer numbers below:

Launched Projects 

Here are the top 10 most funded projects launched in August:

From the numbers this month, backers continue to be selective with the projects they back. This is evident from the number of successful projects in August and the high $/backer spent on successful projects. Things will definitely pick up in September with the conclusion of a number of big name projects.


Data provider:

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Bryan Sloan of Aves Playing Cards

Designed by world-class artist Karina Eibatova and produced by LUX Playing Cards,  Aves is a beautiful deck of playing cards inspired by birds from all over the world. These fine art playing cards were hand drawn before being turned into digital art prior to being transformed into gorgeous playing cards.

Each individual cards is a work of art by itself and these 56 custom cards are amazingly detailed and meticulously illustrated by hand. The card back features feathers from many bird types tied together with a beautiful, one of a kind coordination. With this colourful and intricate design, the cards will be perfect for fans and even eye-catching enough for cardistry.

We managed to have a quick chat with Bryan Sloan of LUX Playing Cards about his interest in playing cards, the artist and inspiration behind the Aves deck and his thoughts about the growth of crowd-funded playing cards.

Can you tell us about yourself and your interest in playing cards?
I love many of the custom decks that have been released recently. There is a fine line between a “good” deck and an amazing deck. It’s important that unique design elements are added to each deck to give people something new. I’m not interested in producing something that’s already been developed. Each new deck idea needs to be creative and unique.  

Please describe the Aves Bird deck and why you’re passionate about it?
The Aves Bird deck is really unique in that it is more of a fine art deck. Many decks we see now are not just “graphic design” decks, but revolve around a specific theme. It’s amazing to see some of the wonderful art by many different artists. The first time I saw the illustrations for this Aves Bird deck, I knew it was special, so I wanted to help develop it.

Stunning artwork! Can you tell me more about the artist for this deck?
Karina Eibatova is the artist for this deck, and her illustrations and designs speak for themselves. She has clients literally all over the world, from luxury hotels in Barcelona to the Sunday New York Times (USA), Wired Magazine (England), Iloveyou Magazine (Berlin, Germany), Monsterthreads (Sydney, Australia), Atlantic Records (USA), and others who appreciate her work. I’m glad I was able to work with her to bring the designs to playing card enthusiasts and art collectors at this point in her brilliant young career.


What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing a card deck?
For some of the playing card decks that are currently in the works, I’ve taken things that I’m passionate about and found a way to incorporate that theme into a new deck of cards. An idea can strike at any time, so I find myself rushing to write down thoughts and concepts that will work. I’ll say that character placement is important, and I’m looking forward to the fruition of a couple of decks that are in their completion stages.

This is your second Kickstarter project. What are a few key elements and principles you incorporated into your projects that you think future Kickstarter creators could benefit from knowing?
I think it’s important to stay focused on the main theme of the cards, and to stay true to your vision. With a fine art deck like this, I was happy to include the original art as part of this Kickstarter campaign, as it enables art enthusiasts and collectors the opportunity to own something that is truly one of a kind. Being able to display original art in your home is rare, especially when the material has become so popular.

What are your thoughts about the continuous strong growth of playing card projects on Kickstarter?
I think the art form of playing cards will continue to evolve. From simple decks to more elaborate art, to the tuck cases becoming more complex, there is a lot that has changed. Collectors and enthusiasts can continue to be more selective in what they choose to buy. With so many card projects being launched, only the highest quality decks will become funded. It’s nice to see the interest and passion for playing cards increasing, as it’s a favorite pastime for many people. The technological advances in the last year alone are amazing, as it deals with what can be done to the actual card and the tuck cases.

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks?
Wow, what a tough question. There are different reasons why I like different card decks. One of my favorite tuck cases is Whispering Imps. I love the red embossing on black paper. Theory11’s Monarchs tuck is pretty outstanding. Kings Wild’s “The Crown” deck is fantastic. I’m a fan of the subtle background in the cards, as well as the art and pip layout. I’m really looking forward to seeing Jody Eklund’s Golden Spike cards in the near future. The detail on the portraits looked amazing. Anything by Lorenzo Gaggiotti is going to be stellar. His Heretic deck was a great concept, and the design detail is unbelievable in everything he does. Dan and Dave’s Stranger & Stranger Ultimate Deck is another that I can appreciate; the sheer magnitude of variance in the art is phenomenal. As for playability, I love Tally-Ho.

Thanks for your time, Bryan and congratulations! At the time of writing, the project is 218% funded with 8 days to go. If want to support the Aves playing cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here. 

Pledge starts from $12 and the deck will be printed by the USPCC. There are multiple add-ons available such as uncut sheets, art prints, deck holder and wooden coin.

Coming Soon: 1910 Brew House Playing Cards

Masterfully designed by Daniel Kroemer,  the 1910 Brew House Playing Cards is a beer themed deck of cards inspired by vintage beer ads, artwork from signs and brewery glasswares.

.

We asked Daniel how he came up with the idea,

“I've always loved beer advertising. Fuel was added to that fire even more when I began working at The Design Pub. I've collected old beer memorabilia for quite some time now, along with signs and brewery glassware. A little fun fact about myself is that I have a collection of over 1,000 different glasses from all over the world, all because I love the artwork involved with each of them. I noticed a lack of any classy beer related playing card deck on the market so it seemed like an opportunity to create my own."

The 1910 Brew House Playing Cards will be launching in the next few days on Kickstarter. Don't miss out!

To keep up to date, follow Daniel Kroemer on Instagram.

Deck View: David Blaine Gatorbacks

The long-awaited release of David Blaine's Gatorbacks did not disappoint. The foiled and embossed custom tuck box and design work by long-time Blaine collaborator Mark Stutzman produced a truly beautiful and functional deck of playing cards. Metallic inks were used throughout the deck and familiar Blaine court cards return on this deck which was produced by the USPCC.

The deck also features a custom Ace of Spades depicting an alligator rising out of the water in an attempt to catch a bird. Also in the deck are two custom Jokers, one with an alligator and one with a young girl walking an alligator on a leash. It's been assumed the alligator is David's pet alligator and the young girl is a depiction of his daughter.

The Original Gatorback release sold out within hours to both fan fair and a bit of controversy. When visiting David Blaine's shop, there is a Black-backed version of the Gatorback's that still says "Coming Soon", so the assumptions have been made that another version will be released in time.

Overall the Gatorbacks have become a "Must Have" by many playing card aficionados. Available from JP Games. Use the code KARDIFY10 during check-out to get 10% off for orders over £50.

News: The CoSEA Project Official Launch

The CoSEA project started a year ago and after all the sleepless nights and hard work, it will all come to a close with the official launch of the COSEA DVD. Let Jaspas Deck take you on a journey. Meet the friendly faces that make up the South East Asian cardistry community, be amazed by their skills and share the love for the art of cardistry that transcends cultural and language barriers.

There will be only 30 copies of the DVD available for sale, out of a total of 100 DVDs made. Each DVD will come packaged with 3 CoSEA decks, and will be sold at $78.00 USD (shipping not included). The decks will not be sold separately from the DVD. Also, a copy of the CoSEA Lecture notes are available for $30.00 USD.

Watch the official launch on 28 September, 12 noon (+8 GMT) here!

News: Conjuring Arts Brick Blowout!

Starting October 1st 2014 at 1pm EDT Conjuring Arts Research Center will be releasing an amazing Brick Sale to the public with some very notable decks!

Pencil this into your calender because you won't want to miss it, stock up on your favorite EPCC and LPCC produced products for ONLY $59.99 per Brick!!

Kickstarter: Choice Playing Cards Relaunch

[Updated] The Choice Playing Cards is now LIVE on Kickstarter.

Ben Kolozsi launched the Choice Playing Cards late last year, and unfortunately, this uniquely illustrated deck of cards did not reach its funding goal. Ben has been busy fine-tuning the deck and project over the past few months, and WILL be relaunching on 26th September, 12:01 EST.

We asked Ben what is the inspiration behind the Choice Playing Cards,

The core to Choice Playing Cards is about delivering 52+ pieces of art in a way that insist that you use them and not sit them on your shelf. I want you to take out your standard cards and compare them with the Choice Deck and be able to identify my inspiration for each design. I also wanted to give a nod to all the decks and history behind cards. At their beginning playing cards were made by hand, meaning only the privileged could afford them. I want to hand you a deck with just this in mind. Giving you the missing link between modern and historic. I often find the older more decorative the deck (anything for that matter), the less I will actually use it. I feel I am not alone on this thought and with that, the designs took on a simple form and feel, to give it that edge towards the table and into the game.

For the relaunch,  Choice Playing Cards will be printed by the Expert Playing Card Company with the same stock and finish as the popular NOC v3's. There will be stretched goals and add-ons available such as Jamie D. Grant's "Anything is Possible" bottle and Ryan Edward's perfectly hand-crafted card clips.

Don't miss out!

Contest: WIN a 60 Deck Display Case

Our friends at Collectable Playing Cards in conjunction with  Kardify will be giving away 1 (One) 60 Deck Acrylic Display case per MONTH!

The monthly contest will be run from the Kardify Facebook page so be sure to Follow Kardify on Facebook if you aren't already.

How to enter:
The contest will be posted on the Kardify Facebook page with an entry "Window" that will run from the 1st of each month to the 26th of each month. We're looking for people to be creative, we want you to submit the most creative pic of your favorite deck.

Smoke, Mirror.........get it?

Entries will be accepted between the 1st and the 26th, and a winner will be announced at the end of each month. If you do not win, you can enter again the following month with the same image, or you can submit a new one.

Winners will be posted here as well as on our Facebook Page at the end of each month.

The Rules

You must "Like" the post.
You must "Like" the Kardify Facebook Page
Only one entry per person
Tag your photo entry with "Kardify60"
Post your photo entry on the Contest Post on the Kardify Facebook page.

The Display is a well constructed heavy Acrylic, very solid and doesn't bow or flex with the weight of the cards. Decks perfectly fit each row with added space above each deck for easy removal. The clear window easily slides to the left or right for easy access or removal. Strong hangers and bumpers at the bottom edge insure a "Flat" mounting so decks don't fall out when the display is opened. 

The Window "Channel" is part of the display frame itself insuring strength and a clean design.

Easy to move your collection in and out and just as easy to keep your display clean. 

12 Standard Poker size decks fit perfectly across each row.







This contest is only available to INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES. Sorry... will work to get more countries added.

Only ONE winner will be selected each month and will have 48 hours (2 days) to respond. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected. If a winner is selected, and their entries are found to be fraudulent, they are automatically removed from the list and another winner will be selected. You can ONLY win once, previous winners entering multiple times will be disqualified. 

First Look: The Rion Collection

Here's an exclusive first look of the Rion Collection from Jon Noir featuring an exquisite range of luxurious playing card goods and accessories, from the elegant close-up pads to the perfectly crafted card clips.

Defined by the combination of exceptional design, detail and exclusive materials, the Rion Collection was initially teased on Instagram and this has generated quite a buzz around the playing cards community. This is what the founder of Jon Noir has to say,

“The Rion Collection was created with the up-most elegance & luxury in mind, making it one of the most sophisticated, durable and high-end accessories in the market. The Rion collection is crafted to perfection, a truly modern & luxurious accessory that will elevate you to a league of your own."

Jon Noir’s Rion Collection is launching on 1st October with two close up pads, as well as a matching card clip each carefully crafted to perfection. Part 2 of the collection will be revealed in a month or two after the official launch with 4 more exclusive products to complete the Rion Collection. 

To keep up to date on the Rion Collection, follow Jon Noir on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Analytics: Cost Breakdown for a deck of Playing Cards

“What am I paying for a deck of playing cards?” is a question on everyone’s minds and often posed by regular members and visitors to popular playing card forums. With the recent funding of Aquila playing cards, we are able to share the break down of the cost of the Limited Edition Aquila.

The components for Aquila LE are calculated in $ per unit and then converted into a percentage:

Base – the price of 56 poker size cards printed on Legends imported paper stock with Legend's famous diamond coating.

Embossing – tuck embossing and about cost.

Transportation – weighted average price of delivery cost to the fulfilment centre.

Plates – Charge for the face and back plates. 

Tooling Die Cut – Cutting and shaping.

Gold Foil – 1 color foil on the tuck box.

Seal –  Holo and standard seals.

It should be noted that the base component can vary widely, depending on the stock and the quantity of specialty paper ordered.  Specialty paper is expensive and hard to come by in low quantities. Also due to our choice of colour printing, additional charges were attached to the plates component.  Do note that not all playing card decks are the same and each is unique in its own way with a combination of various components, but they generally cover these cost listed above.

Pre-Orders for Aquila Standard, Limited Edition, Box Sets and Un Cut Sheets will be closed on Sept. 26th. Don't miss out!

Deck View: Voltige Playing Cards

French. Lateral. Aerial.

Designed by Dan and Dave in collaboration with Henri de Saint Julien & Jacques Denain, the creators behind Tungstene. From the french word for “aerial”, Voltige is often used to describe the apex gesture of a flourish. This elegant deck of cards is a true testament to D&D's creative ingenuity and drive to constantly push the boundaries of custom playing cards. 

Designed in France and printed in the USA, each tuck box features a layer of soft-touch coating texture, a custom lateral opening and an innovative perforated seal. 

Available individually in Moulin Rouge Red and Deep Parisian Blue or as set from dananddave.com. This exclusive deck view is provided by Joker and the Thief (James Milaras and Project Cardistry). Watch their awesome Voltige review on Art of Play's youtube channel.

Dan and Dave: Voltige Playing Cards

The much anticipated release of Voltige from Dan and Dave is upon us, Today (Friday) at 9am, PST.

Designed in collaboration with Henri de Saint Julien & Jacques Denain, the creators behind Tungstene. Voltige, a name stemming from the french word for “aerial” often used to describe the apex gesture of a flourish. Each deck features a design that’s innovative, modern, and exceptionally bourgeois. Available in Moulin Rouge Red and Deep Parisian Blue.

Extremely limited from dananddave.com.
 

Kickstarter: Sawdust: Circus Playing Card by Emmanuel Jose

Acrobats, animals, death-defying stunts, dancers and clowns makes an appearance on Sawdust, the third deck of playing cards by paper-cutting maestro, Emmanuel Jose. The deck features the beautiful, strange world and a celebration of the people who make the circus their lives.

Emmanuel is well known for his transformation decks (Clipped Wings and Curator Playing Cards), which incorporate the suits into a design. Like its predecessors, Sawdust is a fully custom transformation deck featuring 55 unique works of art, all entirely cut by hand.

Emmanuel use just scissors and an X-acto knife to cut paper and create the images. Here's a look at the paper cutting technique for Sawdust's Six of Hearts:

Sawdust is now available on Kickstarter and will be printed by the USPCC with air-cushion magic finish. Pledge starts from $11 and there are multiple add-ons available such as uncut sheets, art prints, and art book.

Deck View: No 17 Playing Cards

Mysterious. Promotional. Stylish.

Designed by Lorenzo Gaggiotti, the No. 17 Playing Cards was a secret project created after the successful Heretic Playing Cards project on Kickstarter. This stylish deck was made in conjunction of the launch of Cardlauncher.

This promotional cards are printed by MPC (Make Playing Cards) and the second version with enhanced features, tweaks and improvements is in the works.

Find more awesome decks at JP Games. Use the code KARDIFY10 during check-out to get 10% off for orders over £50.

Kickstarter: Draconian Playing Cards by the Midnight Card Company

This is the second part of our exclusive first look of the highly anticipated Draconian deck from the Midnight Card Company. This stunning deck is created by the talented Randy Butterfield and available now on Kickstarter.

Available in 2 different editions, the Lightning and Spitfire decks feature borderless optical illusion back design formed from Dragon Scales while the faces incorporate a clean design that keeps them very functional and provides the highest level of playability.

The Cards will feature a 5-Color printing setup - 4 PANTONE Inks (Black, Dark Red, Blue & Orange) and 1 METALLIC Ink (Gold). They will use Legends' Classic Finish.

Pledge starts from $20 for a set and add-on such as the eye-catching dealer coin is available. To keep up to date on the Draconian deck, follow Midnight Card Company on their Facebook page.

1-ON-1: Robert Adams of Deck Finesse

Deck Finesse is a UK based company run and owned by Robert Adams. Robert is a long time collector and magician but decided to try something different than producing his own custom playing card deck. The product that came to be is a beautiful table top Playing Card Display.

As the industry grows its no surprise that enthusiast are always looking for a new way to present their "Prized Possessions". The display is available in two versions, one a solid top and the other a glass top.

I had the opportunity to talk to Robert about himself, Deck Finesse and what's next for the fledgling company.



I want to thank Robert for making some time to talk to us, especially since he's in a different time zone and stayed up a little late to collaborate on the video, it was greatly appreciated. We wish Deck Finesses all the best on this project and hoping for more items and accessories from them in the future.

If you interested in one of these beautiful displays or have any questions for Robert, we've included some information on the display as well as some links to Deck Finesses website and media outlets.

Glass Top Display

Description and Information:

Description:
A real show piece – displaying twelve decks of cards in a most elegant fashion, 
this glass topped case is your personal tabletop gallery. At last you can keep those 
extra special decks both well protected and in view, beautifully framed like the works of art that they are.

Sustainably sourced quality hardwood finished with furniture grade varnish.
Laser engraving on the underside of case.
Protective pads prevent scratching.
Accompanied by a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity.
Elegantly gift-wrapped with luxurious custom packaging.
Perfect for decks of 65-66mm width.


Product Dimensions: 300 x 210 x 65mm, Internal width 266mm (+/- 1.5 mm). Weight: 2.1kg

Pre-Order Pricing:
Wood Top 145 Pounds (Limited to 80 Units)

Glass Top 185 Pounds (Limited to 120 Units)


This exclusive 1-on-1 is produced by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author. You can check out Anthony's awesome collection on his Collection Blog "Sparkz".