I love the original blue Artifice decks (without the stupid white border)
So annoyed when they did the border. I still have half a brick of the 1st editions, though.
I have said it before here, and will probably say it again many times: Custom decks are not unusual to the audience. Maybe they were at one point, but not any more. Go to WalMart, Walgreens, CVS, Target, even the liquor store. There's black decks, blue decks, dragons, smurfs, Star Wars, Jack Daniels, skulls, angels, cartoon characters - the Bicycle "standard" deck is no longer the de facto deck shoved in a drawer somewhere. Don't get me wrong, it's still common, but I'm willing to bet the folks at home have something different than a Rider Back.
Like, if you're using a Virts Virtuoso deck, I guarantee that the audience will be burning your hands because they'll be paying attention to the card designs more than they should.
If they're paying more attention to the cards, you need to up your performance game.
I use custom decks exclusively, and not just the "sort of" custom decks either. I took Legacy Shadow Masters to the bar yesterday. I got "Hey those look awesome" and that was it. Shadow Masters suit my style, so it doesn't stand out. Also, the colors really pop in the dimmer lighting so they're actually a pretty good choice.
Here's what you need to consider when picking a deck to perform with: 1) Are the pips clear and easy to read, even if you're not familiar with cards? I once did "Pass at Red" with a Ghost Deck. Oops. The central pips are all black, regardless of suit. The index pips are red and black, but people look at the central pips. So when I did the reveal, it got a big ol', "Uh, ok?" from the audience. Luckily it was a magic club performance so no biggy, lesson learned.
2) Does it suit your style/character? If you're a bright and chipper character, then black decks are going to seem kind of odd for you.
3) Does it fit your budget to wear these out? I get decks for free, because I work for the company that makes them. It's not a big deal for me to wear out a deck that might sell for $12 a pop, because I get them for nothing. Perk of the job. But for someone on a budget, that might not be the case. This is, in my opinion, the best argument for Bicycles - they're cheap but good quality.
I saw Steve Cohen last week in NYC and he used White Tycoons.
Ugh! Jealous. Has he left the Waldorf yet? I know they sold the building.