The Lefty Deck - first "left handed" deck produced by USPCC
- Thread starter Sean.Cinco
- Start date
Hi everyone. I want to thank all of you who've checked out the site, and especially those who've placed preorders. Sales have exceeded our expectations, so that's really great to see. In addition to the US, we've seen orders coming in from the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Singapore, just to name a few.
I also want to thank everyone for their feedback, whether you like the deck or not. Feedback from all areas helps us to look at what we're doing, and see how we can improve in the future.
There are a few points I want to make. I'll try not to ramble though!
As for the general concept of the deck - I'm sure that is has been thought of by virtually every left-handed magician for decades. The idea comes out of need. We lefties (Yes, I am a lefty) notice certain limitations when we're using a standard deck, and start wishing for something customized to us.
For me, it started with the Peek. With normal cards, a lefty simply can't perform a 'standard' peek. I didn't want to do a modified sleight, just the simple, straightforward peek. With that goal in mind, I started researching.
There have been a ton of other "left-handed" decks on the market, but I refer to these as "Universal" decks. They have pips in all 4 corners, are typically bridge-sized, and are printed on bad card stock with weird back designs. I didn't want to use those. I wanted a poker-sized Bike deck, with the look and feel that I'd grown used to.
So this deck largely comes from my own personal desire to hold such a deck. I kept up my research to see if it had ever been made before, and it hadn't. I dug through years of backlogs on forums, and found that every so often, people were looking for a deck just like the one I had in mind. So, with that, I got in touch with USPCC and got the ball rolling.
As for price, and why we can't offer the deck at prices similar to normal Bike decks - Simply put, this isn't a normal Bicycle deck. Bikes are printed in the millions each year. The first-edition Lefty Deck is a run of only 5,000. That's the bare minimum that USPCC will print on a custom run, and it results in the highest price-per-deck for us. For future runs, if we're able to print 10,000 or 20,000 decks, our cost per deck will decrease, and we can hopefully pass the savings on to you.
We also have all the various costs associated with running a company, not just the cost per deck to manufacture. So the selling price has to cover the cost of production, as well as lots of other associated costs (website, advertising, warehousing, etc etc).
We spent a lot of time looking at the prices of custom decks, and our $6.25 price for single decks is indeed below the average price. Yes, it does provide us with a profit, but not as high of a profit as some might think. We reinvest as much of our profit as possible back into the company to create more products for you to enjoy. So while it might seem odd, if you guys want to see blue-backers in the future, etc, the best way to ensure that is to purchase one of the red-backers.
We are certainly aware of the current world economy, and we know that money is tight for everyone (It is for us too!) We're not trying to take advantage of lefties. I'm one of you!
This deck is also far from being "just another custom deck". This is a brand new creative tool that all card magicians can enjoy. While some of the most obvious uses are perks for lefties, there are lots of potential new sleights and effects that can be achieved with the deck. We've been getting some great e-mails from people who are really thinking outside the box about how they're going to apply this deck to their card work.
Please note that there are NO advertisement cards in this deck. We wanted everyone to get the most bang for the buck, so we included the mirror-imaged Ace of Spades and a blank facer. We want to give you cards that you'll use, not throw in the trash.
Had we produced a packet trick that only included the 8 mirror-image cards that are a part of the deck, and sold them along with some printed instructions for a typical packet trick price of $10, I don't think we'd be hearing anything about the price. With the deck, you get all of those cards (plus a lot more) for $6.25 or less, depending on quantity discounts. This isn't another custom deck; it's the world's least expensive gaff deck!
As for the market for left-handed items in general, I agree that some of them are silly. All lefties are aware that we adapt to a right-handed world, and we don't need left-handed can openers, ice cream scoops, etc. I don't believe the Lefty Deck falls into the same category as those items though.
As stated before, we're a very small company, and very community-oriented. We have some very special things ahead in the coming months that involve some unique promotions that I don't believe have ever been done for any custom deck, and some really good opportunities to give back to the community.
I certainly don't want to be the last word in the thread. I invite you all to keep it up with the questions and comments. Whether you love the deck or hate it, it's simply another option on the market. Some will see a use for it, and others won't, which is perfectly fine. We all need to watch our wallets right now and make our purchases carefully. We've certainly kept that in mind with offering the Lefty Deck.
I'll close by reminding everyone that this is a limited run, which will sell out quickly and become a great collector's item. So I invite everyone to preorder so that you're ensured to be a part of the action, as well as take advantage of our 99 cent flat shipping, and get a chance at one of the great prizes we're offering.
Thanks for reading, and keep 'em coming!
Kevin
I also want to thank everyone for their feedback, whether you like the deck or not. Feedback from all areas helps us to look at what we're doing, and see how we can improve in the future.
There are a few points I want to make. I'll try not to ramble though!
As for the general concept of the deck - I'm sure that is has been thought of by virtually every left-handed magician for decades. The idea comes out of need. We lefties (Yes, I am a lefty) notice certain limitations when we're using a standard deck, and start wishing for something customized to us.
For me, it started with the Peek. With normal cards, a lefty simply can't perform a 'standard' peek. I didn't want to do a modified sleight, just the simple, straightforward peek. With that goal in mind, I started researching.
There have been a ton of other "left-handed" decks on the market, but I refer to these as "Universal" decks. They have pips in all 4 corners, are typically bridge-sized, and are printed on bad card stock with weird back designs. I didn't want to use those. I wanted a poker-sized Bike deck, with the look and feel that I'd grown used to.
So this deck largely comes from my own personal desire to hold such a deck. I kept up my research to see if it had ever been made before, and it hadn't. I dug through years of backlogs on forums, and found that every so often, people were looking for a deck just like the one I had in mind. So, with that, I got in touch with USPCC and got the ball rolling.
As for price, and why we can't offer the deck at prices similar to normal Bike decks - Simply put, this isn't a normal Bicycle deck. Bikes are printed in the millions each year. The first-edition Lefty Deck is a run of only 5,000. That's the bare minimum that USPCC will print on a custom run, and it results in the highest price-per-deck for us. For future runs, if we're able to print 10,000 or 20,000 decks, our cost per deck will decrease, and we can hopefully pass the savings on to you.
We also have all the various costs associated with running a company, not just the cost per deck to manufacture. So the selling price has to cover the cost of production, as well as lots of other associated costs (website, advertising, warehousing, etc etc).
We spent a lot of time looking at the prices of custom decks, and our $6.25 price for single decks is indeed below the average price. Yes, it does provide us with a profit, but not as high of a profit as some might think. We reinvest as much of our profit as possible back into the company to create more products for you to enjoy. So while it might seem odd, if you guys want to see blue-backers in the future, etc, the best way to ensure that is to purchase one of the red-backers.
We are certainly aware of the current world economy, and we know that money is tight for everyone (It is for us too!) We're not trying to take advantage of lefties. I'm one of you!
This deck is also far from being "just another custom deck". This is a brand new creative tool that all card magicians can enjoy. While some of the most obvious uses are perks for lefties, there are lots of potential new sleights and effects that can be achieved with the deck. We've been getting some great e-mails from people who are really thinking outside the box about how they're going to apply this deck to their card work.
Please note that there are NO advertisement cards in this deck. We wanted everyone to get the most bang for the buck, so we included the mirror-imaged Ace of Spades and a blank facer. We want to give you cards that you'll use, not throw in the trash.
Had we produced a packet trick that only included the 8 mirror-image cards that are a part of the deck, and sold them along with some printed instructions for a typical packet trick price of $10, I don't think we'd be hearing anything about the price. With the deck, you get all of those cards (plus a lot more) for $6.25 or less, depending on quantity discounts. This isn't another custom deck; it's the world's least expensive gaff deck!
As for the market for left-handed items in general, I agree that some of them are silly. All lefties are aware that we adapt to a right-handed world, and we don't need left-handed can openers, ice cream scoops, etc. I don't believe the Lefty Deck falls into the same category as those items though.
As stated before, we're a very small company, and very community-oriented. We have some very special things ahead in the coming months that involve some unique promotions that I don't believe have ever been done for any custom deck, and some really good opportunities to give back to the community.
I certainly don't want to be the last word in the thread. I invite you all to keep it up with the questions and comments. Whether you love the deck or hate it, it's simply another option on the market. Some will see a use for it, and others won't, which is perfectly fine. We all need to watch our wallets right now and make our purchases carefully. We've certainly kept that in mind with offering the Lefty Deck.
I'll close by reminding everyone that this is a limited run, which will sell out quickly and become a great collector's item. So I invite everyone to preorder so that you're ensured to be a part of the action, as well as take advantage of our 99 cent flat shipping, and get a chance at one of the great prizes we're offering.
Thanks for reading, and keep 'em coming!
Kevin
Touché.
I forgot to mention, I picked up a half-brick. And I'm not even a lefty.
Since you mentioned it though, it would be cool if you guys could provide a little PDF with a few mirrored card ideas/routines. If you want, I'll even lay it out for you guys, free of charge and you can put it up on your site as a download for people who bought the deck. (maybe use the paypal info to send out e-mails or something)
Phrozunsun - Looks like great minds think alike! We are already planning on offering just such a thing. We already offer something like this on one of our other products. Our forcing decks come with a printed sheet covering a basic routine.
For the Lefty Deck, once the cards are in-stock and shipping, we'll be offering a downloadable file with some of the ideas and concepts we've been putting together. This file will be free for all, even people who've not yet made a purchase. We're still nailing down the exact delivery method, but rest assured, it will be available.
Thanks for your kind offer to do the layout for us. Right now we're covered, but I appreciate the offer. Also, thanks for your order! I've been monitoring all the orders coming in, and saw yours come through. Your decks, along with all other preorders, will all be shipped first, so you guys will be the first in the world to enjoy the possibilities of the Lefty Deck.
Side note - If any of you own Gaeton Bloom's Intercessor gimmick, you'll see that it'll work great with a Lefty Deck. Also, Danny Garcia's Torn Too effect will be MUCH easier for lefties with the Lefty Deck.
For the Lefty Deck, once the cards are in-stock and shipping, we'll be offering a downloadable file with some of the ideas and concepts we've been putting together. This file will be free for all, even people who've not yet made a purchase. We're still nailing down the exact delivery method, but rest assured, it will be available.
Thanks for your kind offer to do the layout for us. Right now we're covered, but I appreciate the offer. Also, thanks for your order! I've been monitoring all the orders coming in, and saw yours come through. Your decks, along with all other preorders, will all be shipped first, so you guys will be the first in the world to enjoy the possibilities of the Lefty Deck.
Side note - If any of you own Gaeton Bloom's Intercessor gimmick, you'll see that it'll work great with a Lefty Deck. Also, Danny Garcia's Torn Too effect will be MUCH easier for lefties with the Lefty Deck.
Lol I'm left handed as well. The only time I really care about the numbers being in different corners is when I fan them and just see white on the cards lol. (if you don't know what I'm saying, i understand.)
We've had some questions about this, so I thought I'd throw it out into the forums to clarify.
The Jokers in the Lefty Deck are identical (no guarantee joker). This is so you can accomplish certain sandwich effects and whatnot without having to use jokers from 2 decks.
Keep 'em coming!
The Jokers in the Lefty Deck are identical (no guarantee joker). This is so you can accomplish certain sandwich effects and whatnot without having to use jokers from 2 decks.
Keep 'em coming!
see im righty, and for the life of me i cant do a thumb fan with my right. as such i cant do the "blank" fan. this deck is definitely gonna open up some possibilities. thaks
Hey guys. Thanks to everyone for all of the support so far. We're blown away at the amount of preorders that have been coming in!
We're going to be shipping in the next couple of days, so I wanted to give people a heads-up that there are only about 24 hours left to take advantage of the 99 cent worldwide flat shipping rate, and only about 48 hours left to have a chance at one of our prizes (uncut sheets, free DVDs, free decks). Wanted to give everyone one last shot at it before everything is back to business as usual...
Kevin
We're going to be shipping in the next couple of days, so I wanted to give people a heads-up that there are only about 24 hours left to take advantage of the 99 cent worldwide flat shipping rate, and only about 48 hours left to have a chance at one of our prizes (uncut sheets, free DVDs, free decks). Wanted to give everyone one last shot at it before everything is back to business as usual...
Kevin
Great buy!
I'm also not left handed, like many who have posted here. I just bought myself 3 of these decks anyways! I plan to keep these with my new collection of playing cards.
By the way... On the website there is a deal lasting for only 1 more day!
Order now! All orders eligible to win promos until July 23, midnight EST.
Ten (10) lucky customers will receive a free Uncut Sheet of the Lefty Deck. Only 100 produced. Suitable for framing and a true collector's item. ($200 value)
Ten (10) lucky customers will receive a NYMP DVD pack containing both of our titles to date, Got a Light and AM/PM. ($70 value)
Twenty-five (25) lucky customers will receive a Free Lefty Deck. ($6.25 value)
This is what it says on their website, so I reccomend to all of you to hurry up and grab one of these decks!
Thanks,
-Noah Kirschbaum-
I'm also not left handed, like many who have posted here. I just bought myself 3 of these decks anyways! I plan to keep these with my new collection of playing cards.
By the way... On the website there is a deal lasting for only 1 more day!
Order now! All orders eligible to win promos until July 23, midnight EST.
Ten (10) lucky customers will receive a free Uncut Sheet of the Lefty Deck. Only 100 produced. Suitable for framing and a true collector's item. ($200 value)
Ten (10) lucky customers will receive a NYMP DVD pack containing both of our titles to date, Got a Light and AM/PM. ($70 value)
Twenty-five (25) lucky customers will receive a Free Lefty Deck. ($6.25 value)
This is what it says on their website, so I reccomend to all of you to hurry up and grab one of these decks!
Thanks,
-Noah Kirschbaum-
I'm left-handed and I think the idea is great, but when I see the cards I get dizzied up.
I will stick to normal index as my head is still spinning.
I will stick to normal index as my head is still spinning.
I thought I'd just come here and let everyone know that this thread has more views than the sticky thread at the top. Suck on that Baymey