Outside of Casino's, which don't use the manufactured brands that are over the counter, who is a bigger over the counter purchaser of playing cards?
Darwin Ortiz goes through 400 decks a year or more - and I have gotten close in my career days during University. Most families buy one deck and keep it for as long as they can, I have known people to keep decks for a year or more. This means that nearly 400 families have to buy decks, just to make up what one magician buys from them.
I don't think it is as much of a niche market as you would imagine. Ellusionist brought out Black Tiger decks, and their first run sold out in under 3 days. I think it was even under 2. Do you forget the history of novelty decks?
Only USPCC decks really existed, they made red and blue in various styles, really only a few. When Ellusionist came to the market with new decks, USPCC said...OHHH, wow, there is a market out there, one that turned Ellusionist from your average web site that sold props, to one that commanded attention and started hosting named magicians. The site blew up.
USPCC followed up by putting out crappy pink, green, and blue decks that looked JUST like the Tiger decks. The only problem...they didn't realize how horrible they were for gaming, because the suits all looked the same. Basically, bad stock (no card pun intended).
Moreover, this "different" deck idea became so popular, it created a lucritive industry that Lee Asher, the Buck Twins, Richard Turner, and so on, have cashed in on.
By the way, a nod to Asher for realizing the value of something different with Nuggets YEARS ago, I digress.
The point is this - sure, Magicians don't make up the mass numbers that Casinos do, but we are not as Niche as you may think. We make up a large percentage of card consumers...every T n R plot, Card Warp, signed card, solid deception, and any trick that ruins a deck...means you are buying another one sooner or later...much sooner than Mom and Pop who bought one for the cottage and pull it out over the summer...and even though the 5 of spades is dog earred, and the box is lost, and their a rubber band around it...they won't buy a new one until a card is missing.
The truth is this:
Because it is worth much effort, and gimmicks don't sell as well as decks do - it isn't worth the time/cost to the consumer to continue to make certain gimmicks.
One quesetion, I am unaware of, when you say the backs - does that mean no more double facers?
IT is odd to think that making black backs, faces, or any variation of these cards actually costs them money? You would think the opposite was true with saving on ink - good ol factory machines are too efficient.