Best Time to Launch NEW Kickstarter - Hipster Santa

[Brightyquid]

Your printer is okay (EPCC). Could be better, could be worse.

EPCC Taiwan factory? Could be better? Good one. When It comes to registration, cut and durability of their cards, there is nothing better on the whole market. I personally prefer softer USPC stock over them, but from an objective point of view regarding print and card quality EPCC (Taiwan factory) is SS tier!

EDIT: I just realized the made in PRC on the mock ups, that of course is a different tier regarding quality...

Back on topic...

I'm kinda split on the Santa theme. May I ask for some more back ground, why a hipster santa? I think it would definetly work better if it would be shipped before Christmas. That is a problem that Jackson mentioned, was one of his reasons to create his subscriber program (the shorts) to be able to create seasonal themed decks on time.

Just a quick one on this point, I heard back today from EPCC regarding the difference between Taiwan and China cards and they responded with:-

'Our two main factories are in China & Taiwan. The facility where we are set to produce your deck is actually our newest facility in China.
The qualms people have had about some of our cards produced previously in China were manufactured at a different factory which we rarely use anymore - for those exact reasons!
We worked with our newest facility for about a year before printing any official EPCC decks to make sure they are up to our standards. The first official decks there were made last January, so they are just now starting to circulate more and more.
One reason your project is a better fit for this facility is that the quality of their metallic inks is far superior to those at our Taiwan factory.'

I am very encouraged by this, EPCC have been absolutely brilliant to be honest.

[Eric Lee]

Wow, that's great to hear from EPCC. But you may want to ask how are US backers going to be affected by the new 15% tariff on products from China.

That's definitely going to be a shock to US backers when they get hit with a 15% tax on their shipment from customs. Not that the rest of the world , especially EU backers, have much sympathy for them. Hahaha.

At the very least, you may want to put a disclaimer on VAT and customs duties on the KS page like some do.

[montenzi]

What is a reason to print with EPCC? It's a puzzle for me. EPCC is a middleman and nothing else. I know where they printed their cold foil decks, so I tell you- they are 100% joke. Zero innovation there. IMHO.

Think about USPCC and Cartamundi. I don't think you will sell more than 500 decks, so try printing at Cartamundi as they offer 200 decks minimum.

Also, what is a reason of using cool Jokers and standard courts?

[guru]

What is a reason to print with EPCC? It's a puzzle for me. EPCC is a middleman and nothing else. I know where they printed their cold foil decks, so I tell you- they are 100% joke. Zero innovation there. IMHO.

Think about USPCC and Cartamundi. I don't think you will sell more than 500 decks, so try printing at Cartamundi as they offer 200 decks minimum.

@Alex - Just to answer the question above, seems like they have moved to a new printer. Check the Aurum Deus thread here on UC. It is cold foil by this new factory contracted by EPCC in China.

[Brightyquid]

Wow, that's great to hear from EPCC. But you may want to ask how are US backers going to be affected by the new 15% tariff on products from China.

That's definitely going to be a shock to US backers when they get hit with a 15% tax on their shipment from customs. Not that the rest of the world , especially EU backers, have much sympathy for them. Hahaha.

At the very least, you may want to put a disclaimer on VAT and customs duties on the KS page like some do.

The decks will be shipped to me in the UK first and then shipped from there. So no 15% China duty for US backers.

[Brightyquid]

Launching Friday 1st November 2019 at 17:00 GMT/12:00 EST on Kickstarter.

I know that this deck is decisive for some in this thread, and that's fine, I want to sincerely thank everybody who voiced an opinion and gave their input into this deck throughout its creation/modification.

Thank you.

[flashcards]

I think you are making a big mistake here. Using the slightly non-standard courts is a waste and adds nothing to the deck. The joker art is fantastic and that style really should be used to design custom courts. As it is, nothing but the jokers say "Hipster Santa", including the tuck box. The pip designs are great so the number cards are fine the way they are.

Creating "Hipster Santa" court cards would make this deck awesome ( as long as they are not repeating). The card back works fine for me and I would really like to see it as the back of the tuck box. I like the ginger bread man but there really should be a distinctive hipster Santa on the front not just a guy with a beard.

What you have now is a clashing mix of styles that I would not buy for any price. Unify it with hipster Santa courts and I think you would have a stellar deck that could easily go for $15 USD. Card handling is also very important to me so I would also highly recommend USPCC or Carmundi.

Don't rush and put out a mediocre deck. This has the potential to be a really great deck if you put a little more into it. You certainly have the talent, why not show it off. These are just my gut feelings. I hope that others will add their feedback, whether they agree with me or not.

BTW, the Wonderland designs look fantastic. The above advice would apply as well. Best of luck with your projects.

[Brightyquid]

I think you are making a big mistake here. Using the slightly non-standard courts is a waste and adds nothing to the deck. The joker art is fantastic and that style really should be used to design custom courts. As it is, nothing but the jokers say "Hipster Santa", including the tuck box. The pip designs are great so the number cards are fine the way they are.

Creating "Hipster Santa" court cards would make this deck awesome ( as long as they are not repeating). The card back works fine for me and I would really like to see it as the back of the tuck box. I like the ginger bread man but there really should be a distinctive hipster Santa on the front not just a guy with a beard.

What you have now is a clashing mix of styles that I would not buy for any price. Unify it with hipster Santa courts and I think you would have a stellar deck that could easily go for $15 USD. Card handling is also very important to me so I would also highly recommend USPCC or Carmundi.

Don't rush and put out a mediocre deck. This has the potential to be a really great deck if you put a little more into it. You certainly have the talent, why not show it off. These are just my gut feelings. I hope that others will add their feedback, whether they agree with me or not.

BTW, the Wonderland designs look fantastic. The above advice would apply as well. Best of luck with your projects.

Thanks for your thoughts. All feedback is appreciated.
To take your main point about the court cards, it isn’t simply laziness that influenced my decision; on whether or not to keep the courts ‘standard’, it was a personal decision based on the usability of the deck. I’m a cardist myself, but I’m also a life-long player of Gin and poker... and I have always disliked using ornate/limited edition/stylised decks to play with; chiefly because very detailed, ornate courts throw off the flow of the game. The Federal 52 deck is a perfect example, the illustrative style is stunning and the deck as a whole is a beautiful piece of art... thats why I bought them, but I would never play a game of gin with them. I want my deck to be used, it’s a festive deck and I want people to want to play with them... and if I had illustrated the courts ‘I’ would NOT. It’s something that collectors get very passionate about and I absolutely understand that. It really is personal preference, and as I stated above; this deck seems very decisive to some. I’m ok with that. I have had very good feedback about the new deck and ‘I would not buy this deck for any price’ feedback lol ... horses for courses.

EPCC were the best Quality/cost compromise and have been fantastic and very helpful. I’m confident that the decks printed in their newest factory in China will be great quality and the backers will be very happy with their purchase.

[Adonael]

Could have done both a standard edition and a fully custom edition if you feel that strongly about it, given the potential. Just throwing it out there. A lot of extra work, yes, but clearly there is a lot of interest because what is there already (besides the courts) is executed very well and is something obviously people want to see (a non-tacky christmas deck); I'd say all the calls for custom courts are a compliment more than anything.

[Brightyquid]

Could have done both a standard edition and a fully custom edition if you feel that strongly about it, given the potential. Just throwing it out there. A lot of extra work, yes, but clearly there is a lot of interest because what is there already (besides the courts) is executed very well and is something obviously people want to see (a non-tacky christmas deck); I'd say all the calls for custom courts are a compliment more than anything.

I absolutely see it as a ‘we want to see more of your work’ type compliment. However, I stand by my reasoning. Rightly or wrongly - most would probably say wrongly. Lol

[shermjack]

Could have done both a standard edition and a fully custom edition if you feel that strongly about it, given the potential. Just throwing it out there. A lot of extra work, yes, but clearly there is a lot of interest because what is there already (besides the courts) is executed very well and is something obviously people want to see (a non-tacky christmas deck); I'd say all the calls for custom courts are a compliment more than anything.

I absolutely see it as a ‘we want to see more of your work’ type compliment. However, I stand by my reasoning. Rightly or wrongly - most would probably say wrongly. Lol

And as Adonael suggests, it would be awesome if you did both, have a standard deck to fulfill your vision and have a limited edition with custom courts to appease those that want to see more do your awesome art.

[Brightyquid]

Could have done both a standard edition and a fully custom edition if you feel that strongly about it, given the potential. Just throwing it out there. A lot of extra work, yes, but clearly there is a lot of interest because what is there already (besides the courts) is executed very well and is something obviously people want to see (a non-tacky christmas deck); I'd say all the calls for custom courts are a compliment more than anything.

I absolutely see it as a ‘we want to see more of your work’ type compliment. However, I stand by my reasoning. Rightly or wrongly - most would probably say wrongly. Lol

And as Adonael suggests, it would be awesome if you did both, have a standard deck to fulfill your vision and have a limited edition with custom courts to appease those that want to see more do your awesome art.

Based on the interest I’m definitely keeping the door open for a V2. With custom courts, but V2 would most likely be a larger print run.

[theCapraAegagrus]

If that 3rd image in the OP is the back design, then that's about 5 billion times better than the initial campaign.

[Brightyquid]

If that 3rd image in the OP is the back design, then that's about 5 billion times better than the initial campaign.

That is indeed the back-design for these cards. Printed in Pantone 7597 and Pantone 871 Metallic Gold.

[flashcards]

I didn't mean to sound harsh with the "wouldn't buy at any price comment" and I certainly did not mean to call you "lazy". I just meant to demonstrate the effect the current courts v. custom courts would have on me as a potential customer. Actually, I'm not really into the whole hipster thing but custom courts the quality of the joker artwork would persuade me. However, I understand where you are coming from and respect that. I would definitely agree with the others that two versions would be the ideal compromise for many of us. In any case, I wish you luck with this campaign and I will be eagerly awaiting the Wonderland campaign in the future.

[vasta41]

Based on the interest I’m definitely keeping the door open for a V2. With custom courts, but V2 would most likely be a larger print run.

I will be sitting this campaign out based on my previous statements but I will definitely be in on a V2 if it's as you described!

[Brightyquid]

I didn't mean to sound harsh with the "wouldn't buy at any price comment" and I certainly did not mean to call you "lazy". I just meant to demonstrate the effect the current courts v. custom courts would have on me as a potential customer. Actually, I'm not really into the whole hipster thing but custom courts the quality of the joker artwork would persuade me. However, I understand where you are coming from and respect that. I would definitely agree with the others that two versions would be the ideal compromise for many of us. In any case, I wish you luck with this campaign and I will be eagerly awaiting the Wonderland campaign in the future.

Its fine, I wasn't offended and I didn't mean to insinuate you called me lazy; it was more of a general response. I understand 100% that there are a good number of collectors that want a deck fully illustrated, and I hope a successful initial campaign of 'playable' cards will allow me to produce a V2; specifically for collectors in 2020. The 'usability' of this deck is critical for me, as Christmas time is when I play the most poker/gin with my family and friends; and I am guessing that it is the same for a lot of other people. We'll see on November 1st whether the deck gets the interest from the community, opening the door for more BrightDesignHouse decks.

[Brightyquid]

Based on the interest I’m definitely keeping the door open for a V2. With custom courts, but V2 would most likely be a larger print run.

I will be sitting this campaign out based on my previous statements but I will definitely be in on a V2 if it's as you described!

Thank you again for your input in previous posts. Fingers crossed this campaign gets over the line and is a spring board for 'Wonderland' and 'HS2' in 2020.

[Mike2350]

Fingers crossed this campaign gets over the line and is a spring board for 'Wonderland' and 'HS2' in 2020.

I apologize if this has been covered previously, but how long before you launch? I'm really liking the deck. The hipster Santa is a nice twist on the average Christmas deck. I must admit Christmas decks are some of my favorites, so I'll absolutely be backing the project. The artwork is on point. With the changes you've made I think it will fund pretty easily. Good luck!

[BaconWise]

Just wanted to chime in from the peanut gallery. I have really enjoyed going through this thread and seeing the interaction. You have handled feedback with absolute professionalism and I completely respect that you have a vision and will stick to the updated version, after implementing various suggestions. It looks fantastic! As a fully-custom card collector, I will be watching your launch and hoping things go well. That means we might get a suped-up version 2 with custom courts! I love the direction of the Wonderland deck so far, so I will be lurking and following your every move. That's not creepy at all. You won't even know I'm there.

[brownsl]

so I will be lurking and following your every move. That's not creepy at all. You won't even know I'm there.

[Brightyquid]

Fingers crossed this campaign gets over the line and is a spring board for 'Wonderland' and 'HS2' in 2020.

I apologize if this has been covered previously, but how long before you launch? I'm really liking the deck. The hipster Santa is a nice twist on the average Christmas deck. I must admit Christmas decks are some of my favorites, so I'll absolutely be backing the project. The artwork is on point. With the changes you've made I think it will fund pretty easily. Good luck!

Thanks so much, I’m glad you like it. Its been a winding road to reach the deck as it is now, and I couldn’t be happier with it. The deck will launch on Friday 1st November at 17:00 GMT/12:00 EST on Kickstarter. I will post the link in this thread when it goes live.

[Brightyquid]

Just wanted to chime in from the peanut gallery. I have really enjoyed going through this thread and seeing the interaction. You have handled feedback with absolute professionalism and I completely respect that you have a vision and will stick to the updated version, after implementing various suggestions. It looks fantastic! As a fully-custom card collector, I will be watching your launch and hoping things go well. That means we might get a suped-up version 2 with custom courts! I love the direction of the Wonderland deck so far, so I will be lurking and following your every move. That's not creepy at all. You won't even know I'm there.

I’ll make sure to leave food out on the porch for you while you’re lurking Lol. I’m really glad you like the deck, fingers crossed your opinion is shared by others.

[Brightyquid]

Launch Tomorrow at 17:00 GMT/12:00 EST. Video Link below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4R8d2khIL- ... 43vtmung8c

Happy Halloween to everyone.

[Brightyquid]

Just for the benefit of those interested in the campaign, it is still under review by KS. I have been chasing them all yesterday and today for a response and haven't yet had an update. I will update this thread with a link as soon as the project goes live. Thank you so much for all the support and your patience.

Many thanks

Rhys

[Brightyquid]

Project now Live! Link below:-

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/23 ... and-signed