I hope y’all don’t mind me joining this conversation a bit late. The information above was very interesting, thanks!
The Maiden Back design is excellent, by the way, as it leaves more room for marking than the 808’s. Great job, Theory 11!
I am looking for the ‘less obvious’ marked version of the Maiden Back, so far in vain -- the one in the 2nd link provided by aizazkhan above. It seems to be out of stock everywhere.
There appear to be not only the Penguin-style obvious markings (where 4 is 4 and A is A), but the same on Bicycle Maiden Backs, as at
https://www.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21821052674660, as well as a third style (also on Bicycle Maiden Backs, in which there are no alphanumeric (reader) markings except a reasonably well camouflaged stack order numeral at the top center, and the other symbols (for the current deck, on left, replacing a Maiden back ‘horn’ shape with dots in it, and on the right for the prior card) are warped beyond recognition but quite learnable for some, as in the 2nd link provided by aizazkhan above, where e.g. K looks like two intersecting semicircles, plus a dot in the open space).
The frustrating thing is that I would like to get my hands on this third, affordable ‘warped’ style *without* reader marks (and which is not locked into a bundled package with a video, thus more affordable to a home hobbyist on a tight budget after huge medical bills). The Code looks awesome but I already know how to use a marked deck, I don’t
want any reader marks, and I don’t need all the flexibility in it, so it’s not for me. I will say that the availability of refills is excellent, but it doesn’t change the fact that some users won’t want reader marks yet want an 808-like, Maiden or Mandolin look (unlike many alternative systems).
At the many sites I checked, locally (Taiwan) and abroad (US), the latter two Bicycle Maiden Back systems are both confusingly listed under the same name, Bicycle Maiden Back, and at only one website as Bicycle Maiden Back VF v2. Both are identified as USPCC, but whether USPCC designed and owns them, or merely prints them for someone, is not clear. Worse yet, despite the existence of the above two (reader and ‘warped’) “Bicycle Maiden Back marked cards, at some sellers only the term ‘Bicycle Maiden Back, Marked’ is given, with a picture of an apparently
unmarked Maiden Back shown (as at
https://playingcarddecks.com/products/marked-maiden-back-bicycle-playing-cards-blue-red and
https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Back-Bicycle-Playing-Cards/dp/B079NR9CMD?th=1), and in all cases, where a picture is shown of the ‘warped’ they are listed as out of stock and in one case as roughly ‘discontinued – if you are the manufacturer please contact us’ (Penguin).
So could anyone please clarify who designed and owns the non-reader VF v2 with ‘warped’ marks, and whether the latter are indeed discontinued or just temporarily out of stock? Are they actually available and in stock anywhere? I can easily, after studying the system, identify the symbols with a mere glance, perhaps due to my experience with paleography, oracle bones and Chinese writing, and would strongly prefer this system, as it would pass close scrutiny by spectators (who are just family and friends in my case).
Many thanks in advance for any assistance!
-Kent, in Taipei
