[felicityk] Alternate suits, standard patterns, and vintage decks

[felicityk]

I forgot that I have a few double-deck sets that are separate from my main collection. I'll try to round those up this weekend.

Here's a sneak peek, though my set isn't in as nice a box, just a regular plastic one. Purchased in the 1980s, quite possibly the first decks I ever bought for myself.

They have an attractiver fairytale look to them

Which is exactly why they appealed to this avid fantasy-reading teenager.

[felicityk]

And here's one last advertising deck. The card background has a slightly green tint that's supposed to be easier on the eyes. From WOPC:

‘Nu-Vue’ playing cards by Brown & Bigelow have novel court card designs and are described on the box as “the modern eye-saving concept in playing cards”. The design was patented in July 1964.

I've seen a lot of branded decks using these courts. I chose one for my collection that has relatively subtle backs.

[GandalfPC]

Classy, now I feel underdressed for the occasion.

[felicityk]

I just remembered having seen the Brown & Bigelow designs on card back. I've only come across single swaps. I'd like to find a set someday.

ETA: An Etsy listing I just found shows that they have standard courts. I snagged a set of 6 singles for the heck of it.

[felicityk]

I'm a danger to myself. I almost talked myself into buying this set, but then I found an opened pair of decks that actually has the matching courts. Good condition only, but cheap.

[felicityk]

I'm a danger to myself. I almost talked myself into buying this set, but then I found an opened pair of decks that actually has the matching courts. Good condition only, but cheap.

The saga continues. The eBay seller couldn't find the decks and refunded me. I still have the singles coming and I'll be on the lookout for the full decks.

[GandalfPC]

[felicityk]

Changing gears for a bit. I promised you some carat cases! I have my Eye of the Ocean v2 decks in the 3-deck wooden case that was a Patreon year-end reward from Stockholm17 (I didn't pledge at that level, but I purchased a leftover Kings tier reward that year). EotO v1 Solis and Lunae are in the case that came with The Goldsmith (Cantrell/Gentleman Wake). And I made Astra Polaris its own little display with the mini decks and a few other items; it's on the bottom shelf of my coin case.

I also ordered small prints from both volumes, which are housed in a triple frame with the extra cards from EotO v2 The Claw. I only wish I could find this sized frame in a darker wood to match the cases.

[felicityk]

Next up, my Jocu sets. Dram and Inverno were included with these cases for Inner Circle members.

I also purchased cases for the Inner Circle triptych of Under the Moon and the diptych of Fillide v2.

Not shown: I have an 8-deck case with my 6 Wheel of the Year decks and spacers for the two not (yet) produced.

[felicityk]

The aforementioned 8-deck case is a duplicate of this one, as a matter of fact. I ordered a spare when Vanda still had them in stock.

[felicityk]

I changed my photo strategy and updated the ones I had already posted. I was making things too hard on myself.

Here are a a few minis!

[felicityk]

When I mistakenly ordered a case for 3 decks instead of 4, this is what I was aiming for.

[felicityk]

Thankfully, I also found a good use for the triple.

[felicityk]

And rounding out TWI's annual Patreon offerings, here is the custom case that houses Hybris.

[felicityk]

This is the deck that ticked my collection over the 900 mark on Portfolio 52.

I probably have a dozen or so additional vintage decks that I haven't entered into the database.

I hadn't seen this one until it came across my eBay feed. It fits nicely among my nature/seasons decks.

Green Cards, 2008, RedWood Cards Ltd. (Bridge-sized)

[felicityk]

This Kickstarter reward arrived super early! I've been sitting on these since last week.

Jack the Ripper & Sherlock Holmes: Castling Edition

[felicityk]

Jack the Ripper & Sherlock Holmes: Checkmate Edition

[felicityk]

The saga continues. The eBay seller couldn't find the decks and refunded me. I still have the singles coming and I'll be on the lookout for the full decks.

Another seemingly identical, cheap 2-deck set came along. I bought it, but the courts are standard. I give up.

It's been a bit of a dry spell while I wait for half a dozen Kickstarter campaigns to fulfill. I did order the Charley Harper playing cards and will share when they arrive.

[felicityk]

The drought is over; I received a package from TWI with Obsession Rapture and the Q1 Patreon reward (Fiamma). Unfortunately, these decks are heavily foiled and not amenable to scanning.

I am expecting another Kickstarter reward any day, as well as a package from Stockholm17. In the meantime, here is the Charley Harper deck from Pomegranate. All the cards are illustrated; I assume it is the same for their other artist decks. The Edward Gorey cards are tempting me next.

Note that Jacks are owls, Queens are ladybugs, and Kings are cardinals. The cardinal is probably Harper's most iconic image, and the one that drew me to his work. We love the cardinals that visit our birdfeeder and have several household items with these illustrations.

[Honeybee]

Where are you Felicity - US or UK?

[felicityk]

Where are you Felicity - US or UK?

I'm in New England, not England. US.

[felicityk]

I haven't had much to share lately. Kickstarter rewards are trickling in, but I'm not especially inspired to scan them. Here, instead, are two additions to the carat case collection. I had The 17th Kingdom already, a Patreon reward, but I didn't have the custom case. I picked it up at the same time I ordered Cyclopeans Experimental.

[felicityk]

I have a couple of Lotrek decks on the way, so I thought I would delve into my collection for some comparisons. His work is well-known around these parts, but I thought it might be illuminating to show different versions of the same courts side-by-side. I am not a completist in general, and with Lotrek it would be nearly impossible logistically as well as financially. (Other than Kevork, how many others are attempting this feat?) I just want to own a "definitive" (by my personal criteria) copy of each of his court styles.

Here's an example where neither deck fully satisfies me. Silk Red is objectively the better deck, but I prefer the colored courts in Silk Players Sand. I just don't like the borders, especially in their lack of contrast with the backs.

Silk Red vs Silk Players Sand

[felicityk]

I thought I still had older versions of the Icons and Arabesque/Moresque/Qalif courts lying around, but I must have sold them. So I'll share the full courts below, and if you have another version you can compare them to yours.

Icons Anniversary: Standard Edition

[felicityk]

Controversial opinion time: I kind of wish all Lotrek's decks were like this, with crisp white backgrounds that let the artwork speak for itself. The silver gilding actually adds something, instead of feeling like a hat on a hat.

Moresque Gilded

[felicityk]

I fell in love with these courts as Lotrek created them, in the first year of his Patreon. But when I learned that my lowly $5 tier wouldn't even afford me a chance to buy a copy, I cancelled my membership and can't say I've ever regretted it.

Patrons Black is the definitive version, but it's out of my price range. Patrons White is an error deck; as I recall there were flaws in the foil on some copies. My foil is fine, but the faces suffer from the embossed backs bleeding through. If the test print had foiled backs I'd be 100% satisfied with it.

Patrons Test Print vs. Patrons White

[felicityk]

I confess, this is the one case where the over-the-top foiled version really works for me. I'm sorry my scanner can't quite do it justice.

The Golden Rule Players vs The Golden Rule Patrons (Test Edition)

[Honeybee]

That first line of Spade Courts (The Patron Test print?) look near perfect to me. Nothing wrong with the diamonds but the black and darker robes work so much better on the tan background.

[Strag]

The silver gilding actually adds something, instead of feeling like a hat on a hat.

Your thread is one of my favourites. This phrase is soooo accurate. Sometimes less is more and sometimes gilding just doesn't need to be done. Really should be when it does, as you say, add something to do the deck as opposed to just being another way to sell more decks.

[felicityk]

That first line of Spade Courts (The Patron Test print?) look near perfect to me. Nothing wrong with the diamonds but the black and darker robes work so much better on the tan background.

I think you nailed it (assuming you're talking about The Golden Rule). The white borders are too jarring in this case. The darker borders, whether foiled or not, make the figures really pop on the black background.

A couple of recent posts in the Oath Patreon thread have a better representation of the foiling, starting here.

I'd settle for a version that has the foil accents on the courts without so much foil in the borders. But I have to accept that the "perfect" Lotrek deck for me probably does not exist. Face it, it doesn't even exist for Lotrek himself.