Bicycle Prestige

Jan 13, 2008
1,137
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Okay, so I was at one of my local Wal-Marts a few weeks ago when I saw these, the Bicycle Prestige decks. I normally don't like plastic cards, but for some reason I just couldn't say no to buying these. So, here I am now, about to give a review for these cards. I'm not going to give number ratings, for I believe ratings of cards are far to subjective and really depend on personal taste. But, I'll give a brief description of my impressions for a few categories. :)

Look: Overall, they look pretty nice. The faces are normal, including the Jokers. The backs, however, have a unique design on them; they aren't your average bikes. They're fairly elegant looking, although there is a stripe that runs down the middle that reminds me of a racing stripe (which kind of makes me laugh).

Feel: Like I mentioned, these are plastic cards. However, they were designed to feel like paper cards--and surprisingly, they do!

Handling: However, despite feeling like paper cards, they do not handle like paper cards. They are super slidey (even moreso than when you open a new regular deck of Bikes), and the slidey-ness doesn't go away. However, they don't clump like a lot of other (poorly made) plastic cards I've handled, which is a good thing. After you get used to the slidey-ness, they're actually not all that bad to handle. I won't be performing any flourishing with these (I don't flourish anyway), beyond maybe some springing of the cards, but they're actually workable for magic. I can pull of double lifts, forces, etc with ease, after having handled the cards for a while. There was a definite learning curve to handling these cards, but once you get passed it, they're not all that bad to handle.

Durability: They're plastic cards...they don't bend easily, they don't warp from water, etc. They're quite durable, overall. I can't comment on how long they last, as I've only had them for a few weeks. But, having handled them daily (for practicing some tricks), they still feel like new, for what that's worth.

Usability: While I don't suggest using these for flourishing, these are actually very usable for magic. If you can get passed the learning curve for handling these cards, they would be wonderful to use in a restaurant environment, as their durability is more than useful in such an environment (spilled drinks have ruined cards for me in the past, as have people who mishandle my cards--not so much a problem anymore, but it was at first, and still is around children). While they aren't something you can use in all situations (not fun trying to sign them, or crimp them, etc), they're still great for a lot of situations.

Cost: They're a bit more than a regular deck of Bikes (like double the price; they were almost $9 CAD), but they're not insanely expensive. They're affordable enough to at least try one deck of them.

Overall: I'm very happy with these cards. They always feel all slidey and new, they're water- and kid-proof, and they don't feel all that far off from regular Bikes (they do have somewhat of a paper feel). They'll be getting lots of use from me whenever I perform in my brother's restaurant, that's for sure. I would suggest getting one deck, just to try them out; even if you don't like them, at the very least you'll have a deck to dedicate to card games, so you can use all the other cards in your house for magic. ;)
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
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Just as a side note, I've heard that the Prestige cards were just a trial run, and that Bicycle decided not to continue making them based on whatever research it is that they do with trial runs. Thus, if you planned on picking up a deck or two, now would probably be a good time. :)

Again, though, it's just something I heard, so don't quote me on that.
 
Apr 27, 2008
1,805
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Norway
Again, though, it's just something I heard, so don't quote me on that.

Muahahaha.


Concerning the topic, here's picture sof the box (are these special edition? They say Gold'n'Silver on them...)

BicycleGoldNSilver.jpg


Gustav

EDIT: I think I got the wrong picture...These must be 'Prestige' edition Bicycles, not Bicycle Prestige decks.

Honest mistake ;)
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
EDIT: I think I got the wrong picture...These must be 'Prestige' edition Bicycles, not Bicycle Prestige decks.

Honest mistake ;)
Yeah, those are the "Gold and Silver poker decks" made by Bicycle (part of the "Prestige Line", according to the ribbon on the corner of the box), made "exclusively for Vincenzo Di Fatta - Italy", also according to the box (I have a set). Also, the backs are printed with metallic ink on these cards (which aren't plastic, heh).

But, like you mentioned, I'm not talking about those ones. There was a link up early to the Bicycle Prestige decks I was referring to. :)
 
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