Bicycle Dragon Backs at Target

Aug 14, 2010
25
0
Iowa
(Quick summary for those only wishing for the straight facts: I picked up some packs of Bicycle Dragon Back decks at Target today for $2.99 each. This was the first time I have seen them anywhere.)

Hi everyone,

I was out shopping today and ended up at Target. I wasn't expecting anything new or amazing in the card section but figured I'd check it out anyways, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that they had the (fairly new) Bicycle Dragon Back decks. My hand literally shot out and grabbed one, knocking some other products off their hooks... >_> ... I had seen / heard mixed reviews around the web and wasn't too impressed with the pictures I'd seen, but I figured I'd check out the box artwork at least. I'm very glad I did.

Anyways, the box is extremely beautiful; the pictures I've seen online don't do it justice, but, by all means, if you're not familiar with the deck, look it up. The link above is to the official page, but the picture given is terrible, and the cards look like they're Bridge size (they are, in fact, Poker / Standard size). Run a Google search if you're interested. The color on the card backs isn't quite as vibrant as that on the box (but that's the case with most cards, in my experience), but they still look amazing.

The cards themselves are essentially a standard Bike deck (right down to the face of the Ace of Spades), although there are a few notable differences between the Dragon Backs and standard backs:
1) The red used for the heart and diamond pips is a deeper, darker red than that used on standard Bikes (without doing an actual comparison, I'd estimate the color is similar to that used on certain t11 decks, like Guardians and Centurions);
2) The court cards, in theme with the back artwork, are printed in shades of green and red (and, in my opinion, look great);
3) One Joker is the usual one with the USPCC Guarantee printed on it; the other, though, is colored in - his clothes and crown use greens and reds; and
4) The deck comes with a double backer, which I've never seen in a standard deck I've picked up from the store.

The price? A cool $2.99. For comparison, a pack of Standard Bikes runs about $1.89 at this particular Target. Amazon's price for Dragon Backs is like $8.95, and I've seen them for anywhere from $2.50 to $10 elsewhere online. I picked up two decks; one to test, and one to save in my collection.

I personally love the deck: the artwork is phenomenal and I love the color scheme. I've got 2 or so open Standard decks laying around here that I'm working on breaking in for magic, but as of right now they're on the back burner. If the cards hold up well and I don't get sick of the artwork, I might stock up when they become more widely available. In my opinion, $3 is a little steep (I'm really cheap :p ), but the purchase was a no-brainer for me from the second I saw them. Very slick, very beautiful, very worth the money. I may post a full review of these after I work with them a bit.

Good luck finding these decks; even if you're not interested, you should check them out if you get a chance.
 
Dec 12, 2009
33
0
www.asadchaudhry.com
I picked up this deck as well and i love it. The back design is much more attractive than the standard bicycle. Also, the card stock is thinner than the standard bicycle so they spring like a dream right out of the box. No need for breaking them in :)
 
Dec 28, 2010
2
0
Aw, man! I thought I had a scoop for you guys. Glad I did a quick forum search before creating a new thread... I just found the Dragon Decks at my local Target yesterday... I'm very impressed with the way they look and feel, especially for a "non-premium" deck. The colors are beautiful, and the color Joker is a nice touch... TheMowski is correct: pictures don't do them justice.

I'm still new to card handling, but these Faro like butter for me right out of the box, unlike many Standard Bikes. I agree with GambitIce: they've got a real nice spring to them... And, like TheMowski, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a double-backer, which I also have never seen in a "laymen's" deck.

Overall, I have to whole-heartedly disagree with the negative reviews I've seen for these cards (the1eyedjack.com's YouTube review in particular). I may change my mind after handling them for a week, but as of right now I really like them.
 
This deck caught my eye in Target the other day and for $3 it was a steal. These cards are gem to find just looking around Target. They're beautiful cards and come with that double-backer (which is an awesome bonus). They're no custom deck, but finding these made my day. :)
 
(Quick summary for those only wishing for the straight facts: I picked up some packs of Bicycle Dragon Back decks at Target today for $2.99 each. This was the first time I have seen them anywhere.)

Hi everyone,

I was out shopping today and ended up at Target. I wasn't expecting anything new or amazing in the card section but figured I'd check it out anyways, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that they had the (fairly new) Bicycle Dragon Back decks. My hand literally shot out and grabbed one, knocking some other products off their hooks... >_> ... I had seen / heard mixed reviews around the web and wasn't too impressed with the pictures I'd seen, but I figured I'd check out the box artwork at least. I'm very glad I did.

Anyways, the box is extremely beautiful; the pictures I've seen online don't do it justice, but, by all means, if you're not familiar with the deck, look it up. The link above is to the official page, but the picture given is terrible, and the cards look like they're Bridge size (they are, in fact, Poker / Standard size). Run a Google search if you're interested. The color on the card backs isn't quite as vibrant as that on the box (but that's the case with most cards, in my experience), but they still look amazing.

The cards themselves are essentially a standard Bike deck (right down to the face of the Ace of Spades), although there are a few notable differences between the Dragon Backs and standard backs:
1) The red used for the heart and diamond pips is a deeper, darker red than that used on standard Bikes (without doing an actual comparison, I'd estimate the color is similar to that used on certain t11 decks, like Guardians and Centurions);
2) The court cards, in theme with the back artwork, are printed in shades of green and red (and, in my opinion, look great);
3) One Joker is the usual one with the USPCC Guarantee printed on it; the other, though, is colored in - his clothes and crown use greens and reds; and
4) The deck comes with a double backer, which I've never seen in a standard deck I've picked up from the store.

The price? A cool $2.99. For comparison, a pack of Standard Bikes runs about $1.89 at this particular Target. Amazon's price for Dragon Backs is like $8.95, and I've seen them for anywhere from $2.50 to $10 elsewhere online. I picked up two decks; one to test, and one to save in my collection.

I personally love the deck: the artwork is phenomenal and I love the color scheme. I've got 2 or so open Standard decks laying around here that I'm working on breaking in for magic, but as of right now they're on the back burner. If the cards hold up well and I don't get sick of the artwork, I might stock up when they become more widely available. In my opinion, $3 is a little steep (I'm really cheap :p ), but the purchase was a no-brainer for me from the second I saw them. Very slick, very beautiful, very worth the money. I may post a full review of these after I work with them a bit.

Good luck finding these decks; even if you're not interested, you should check them out if you get a chance.

How's the finish? I've noticed when stores start selling higher end cards, (like with wal-mart and guardians) the finish goes down.
 
Sep 22, 2007
42
0
So I don't know if you noticed... but these are a one way back! its super subtle too. Look at the corners of the four dragons mouths, one looks diff than the others

Also, the circles in the middle of the stars add to the one way back subtly. One circle has a gold outline and the the other doesn't and around the dragons eyes there is a gold outline on the one on the left side and on the right the gold outline is not all the way around.
 
Oct 13, 2008
167
0
The deck is very nice! I like the color scheme; it is so different from what is known so far from the normal decks, making it nigh impossible to mark. But still... I like the design!

Its quality is... well... different. You know how normal bikes smell mildly because they are fresh out of the airtight packaging? Well, the odor is intensified on the Dragon back cards. I don't know if it is because of the ink, but it gives an air (p.n.i) of richness and taste. They fan and dribble surprisingly well too and they are much softer than regular cards.

I like the dragons as well! They were the reason that I got the deck in the first place, and at the price you get... I'm surprised Theory11 doesn't jump on the bandwagon and stock this. In fact, it inspired my brother to create another creature in his dragon bestiary (he likes that sort of thing); it's called the Pygmy Jabberwock, about the size of a dog and I suppose that sort of thing would be kept as a pet in a fantasy setting.
 
Jul 29, 2010
14
0
Burbank, CA
You'd be surprised! I've found a deck of Bicycle Guardians in K-Mart for $3.99, and they were not the $1 dollar ones on amazon that are crap, they actually did flourish and play well. So I still keep my eyes out still in these stores.
 

JasonEngland

theory11 artist / card mechanic
Nov 7, 2008
158
25
Las Vegas, NV
I pointed this back design out to JB a few months before these were produced. This image (without the color), is actually a Tally-Ho back design from the late 1800s.

The only place I've ever seen it was in a salesman's sample catalog that I have. I don't know if they were ever actually produced in large numbers or not.

Jason
 
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