theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

How to Boost Theory11's Playing Card Profit Margin With One Weird Forum Post!

willtupper

Elite Member
Apr 28, 2009
301
337
Hey, Friends.

So, I'm brushing my teeth. And while I'm brushing my teeth, I'm thinking about playing cards.

You know. As I'm sure we all do.

And what I'm thinking about, in particular, is that #$%& sticker that's on most decks. The one you have to peel off. The one that "proves" the deck wasn't tampered with, I guess (I've read people do this. I have never done it, but I guess it makes for a good "convincer" for certain effects).

The sticker that, no matter how hard you try, always seems to leave some of that awful, gunky residue on the box (if you try to remove it).

If you use a knife to slice the sticker, well... at least for me, it never looks the way I long for it to look.

Always uneven.

Manmade.

Imperfect.

It's a strong emotion, but I feel it: I hate those stickers.

And yet? I love Theory11 decks.

So. What's a boy to do? Grin and bear it, I guess.

And yet!

Tonight, while toothbrushing, a thought just snuck up and slapped me square across the face.

What if Theory11 offered two versions of each deck: one traditionally produced (sticker included), and one... not?

The exact same deck. Just... no sticker.

And here's the kicker (and why it would benefit T11): both versions of the deck would sell for the same price. As they should! What with the only difference being a sticker.

But, wouldn't a stickerless option ultimately be cheaper for T11 to produce? There would be no production cost of the sticker itself (because there would be no sticker), nor whatever cost the adhesive runs, plus whatever the actual application costs (i.e. however much does it cost to run the machine that puts the sticker on) are.

I imagine (based on nothing but my imagination) that the actual costs of the sticker (and application), per deck, is not a lot.

But wouldn't the savings still add up?

One deck without a sticker wouldn't mean much savings.

But what about 10,000 decks sold without a sticker? Or 100,000 sold?

Or more?

I don't know. A boy can dream!

Thank you for reading.
 
Hey Will! Definitely understand the concern here around the sticker and leaving residue. I think a common misconception is that the sticker needs to come off, as opposed to it being a part of the overall artwork of the deck and is designed to remain on. The seals are intentionally made to tear easily (instead of removing entirely), which should prevent any issues of residue.

We filmed a brief video showcasing our favorite way to open decks without any tools, just using your thumb (it's how I've opened my decks since I was 13)!


With keeping inventory of two different types (one with a sticker seal and one without), this would actually cost even more for us to do, as it would require us to split up a production run, create 2 different SKUs to scan, different barcode stickers on the cellophane, and double the inventory storage space at our warehouse facility to facilitate the distinction between editions.

Hopefully this helps clear up some confusion!
 
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