Category: Card Collectors

CHOOSING THE PERFECT TAROT OR ORACLE DECK

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Charles Levin - Affirmation Cards, Art, Astrology, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Client Feature, Custom Design, Entertainment, How To, Oracle Cards, Tarot Cards

If there’s a deck you wish to possess, but it doesn’t exist yet, then you must create it.

Tarot beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not every single deck or card you choose will resonate, so it may take some time to find your tarot/oracle niche. And that’s where we come in!

At Shuffled Ink, our clients create by design and without limits. They are artists who channel creativity and develop their own guidelines. Having worked alongside a tremendous amount of these talented creators and illustrators, we’ve gathered an extensive collection of mystic cards that we’re excited to share with you!

Hopefully, one of these decks will speak to you, or perhaps inspiration will strike and you’ll customize a set of your own!

Lexa Luna Studio

“Be a good ancestor. Stand for something bigger than yourself. Add value to the Earth during your sojourn.” — Marian Wright Edelman, Activist

The Future Ancestor Tarot Deck

Our client, Alexa Villanueva, created this sacred tarot deck during quarantine. She used sumi ink, water color paper, scissors & fallen leaves and flowers from her surrounding home in Seattle, Washington. A love letter of hope, gratitude and commitment live and breathe in the card’s illustrations and translations.

The Future Ancestor Tarot deck pays tribute to those who came before us by honoring the land beneath our toes. When we are actively responsible for our own actions, we pave the way for future generations who will live on this Earth long after we are gone.

Goal: To connect you with your intuition & dreams; to provide one with a sense of comfort, grounding and guidance
Level: Beginner or seasoned reader
Number of cards: 78, including Major and Minor Arcana & a custom tuck-box
Guide Pamphlet

All Things Intuitive TM

“Take each message as it resonates.” — Kris, Founder of ATI

All Things Intuitive founder, Kris, is an oracle creator and reader. Established in 2019, her mission is to provide independently created oracle cards and products to those looking to exercise divination tools, regardless of experience. All of the Oracle decks listed below are available in our Client Shop.

The Hidden Truth

Through your looking glass, seek knowledge about and answers from your Divine Masculine, Divine Feminine, a former love, your own higher self, their higher self, and/or a lost love? Simply ask to receive The Hidden Truth.

The Hidden Truth v2

Messages of Love

This candid romance oracle deck, the Messages of Love, answers questions about love, sex, twin flames, soulmates, past-life connections, and more. This deck is designed for any type of relationship.

Messages of Closure

Messages of Closure is a 54-card oracle deck created for those who have unfinished business with someone who has passed away.

The person you’re trying to connect with may have been a spouse or significant other, a parent or grandparent, a friend, or nearly anyone. This oracle card deck can help to provide the answers you seek, especially if the relationship was difficult.

In the Shadows

The In the Shadows deck holds energy for healing, cleansing and universal love.

What do you need to know about your person? What do you need to understand about your person? These shadow messages can give you insight into your connection. If you prefer straightforward messages, then this may work for you.

Everyday Magic

“After much trial and tribulation the deck named itself the Wayhome Tarot.” — Bakara Wintner & Autumn Whitehurst, Wayhome Creators

Wayhome Tarot

Everyday Magic is an online shop that sells tarot and oracle cards, crystals, home goods and bath products. We’ve manufactured a handful of decks for this wonderful company, including the two featured below.

May we all find our way home through Wayhome Tarot. Filled with 78 images that cast a familiar feeling to the receiver. This deck is for any person who is willing to allow magic to seep into their daily human lives.

This Durham-based company is among my personal favorites. Another one of their decks, the Postcards from the Liminal Space (which unfortunately is sold out), sits on my own desk. I find myself flipping through the cards to admire its detailed illustrations and, at times, even use its insight to channel sense in mundane things.

REBEL

“They have the messages you may not want to hear, but you need to hear.” –Shannon Gomez, Creator of REBEL Deck

Rebel Deck (the original) If you’re looking for a light, funny and raw oracle experience, then Shannon Gomez’ REBEL Deck is best suited for you. Introducing divination with a modern twist and cards that do not hold back.

Rebel Deck (Couples Edition)

Connecting with others is just as important as connecting with yourself. The REBEL Deck Couples Edition is authentic, rebellious and foul-mouthed. Simply ask the cards what you and your partner need to know right now. These messages will tell it like it is with no interpretation necessary.

Both decks include:

60 cards
58 message cards, 1 cover card and 1 instruction card
For the “Here and Now”
Premium Card Stock 330gsm Black Core
Each card measures approx. 2.75″ x 4.75″
Shrink-Wrapped Matte Custom Tuck Box
Makes for a unique gift
Unicorns NOT INCLUDED

Indie Deck Hub

In August, Gomez launched Indie Deck Hub, a digital marketplace that specializes in independently created card decks. This is a space for creators to sell their products and for indie supporters to buy decks directly from the creator.

Three Trees Tarot

“Beautiful tarot cards with roots in the enchanting, natural world.” — Stephanie Burrows, Creator of Three Trees

Oak, Ash & Thorn Deck

For nature lovers. In folklore, the site of oak, ash and thorn trees entwined on a hillside mark the dwelling of spirits or the entrance to the other world. These trees come together with a collection of woodland animals to create a stunning and unique tarot art deck.

Eco-friendly
83 cards total, equipped with the standard 78 (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana) + two companion reference cards, a secret bonus card and two additional art cards
Custom Tuck Box
Eco-friendly
400 gsm card stock, matte finish with anti-scuff laminate

They will be restocking on Nov. 25, 2020. Follow their media platforms for more updates.

The Oak, Ash & Thorn Deck was created by Stephanie Burrows and illustrated by Adam Oehlers.

Finding Your Tarot Deck

Hopefully this list has shown you that there’s undoubtedly a tarot and/or oracle deck out there for you. But if nothing piqued your interest, then here’s my advice to you. Playing off a quote about books by the late American Novelist Toni Morrison, if there’s a deck you wish to possess, but it doesn’t exist yet, then you must create it.

AN INTRODUCTION TO PLAYING CARDS AND COLLECTING BY VETERAN COLLECTORS TOM AND JUDY DAWSON

Posted on November 13, 2020 by EndersGame - Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Games, Custom Design, Entertainment, History, Playing Cards, Poker Cards

Who are Tom and Judy Dawson?

Once in a while, while traversing the wilds of the internet, you unexpectedly come across an outstanding resource. That’s exactly what happened to me when I came across a fantastic video featuring playing card collectors Tom and Judy Dawson, where they talk about playing cards as part of a 40 minute interview. Before I show you the video, you need to know a thing or two about Tom and Judy, who hail from Toronto, Canada. They are not your every-day playing card collectors. Tom was a former President of 52 Plus Joker, the American Playing Card Collectors Club, and was an active member until his sad passing away in 2016. At the time, they had the unique distinction of being the only members who had attended all 29 conventions up to that point, and Judy was editor of their newsletter for some 28 years. She remains involved on an executive level, and the club’s official website designates her as “Club Queen”.

They can rightly be considered experts in their field, and their credentials as authorities on the subject of playing cards is confirmed by an important work they co-authored and completed: Gene Hochman’s authoritative Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards. This four volume set of books was originally the creation of respected collector Gene Hochman, and was first published between 1976-1981. Very few people would have sufficient knowledge and expertise to revise and expand a work of this sort, but that’s exactly what Tom and Judy Dawson did with this impressive series of keystone books. With a main focus is on American playing cards, as the title indicates, it is a comprehensive guide to various decks of playing cards that were produced in the United States from the late 18th century onwards. As part of its catalogue it includes important information on scarcity, and besides covering individual decks it also covers different producers and brands. For serious collectors, it’s an essential reference tool. Lee Asher, the current president of 52 Plus Joker, offers this glowing praise for this book: “This is the best resource on collecting American playing cards, ever written. They took all of long-time collector Eugene Hochman’s research, and compiled it into one big volume.”

In 2013, Ben Train interviewed Tom and Judy about playing cards, as part of Chris Mayhew’s “Series of Unfortunate Effects”. In this interview, Tom and Judy share some valuable information about the history of playing cards, different ways that they are used, as well as advice about being a collector, and much more. It was made available online by the current president of 52 Plus Joker, Lee Asher. The video is 38 minutes long, and I highly recommend watching it in entirety. In the material below, I’ve summarized some key things that you’ll learn from this interview, and share some of the material that these two passionate playing card collectors cover.

The Interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOrkv8chxvw

History of Playing Cards

The interview starts with Tom giving a broad overview of the history and development of playing cards. While we can’t be certain of their true origins, this is likely in the Far East, possibly as an easier and cheaper way of playing chess-style war games. From here they eventually made their way through the Middle East and North Africa into Western Europe, and that’s where the first definite record of playing cards can be found in the late 1300s. Italians, French, and Spanish playing cards weren’t standardized like today, but used suits with a variety of symbols such as clubs, swords, and bells, and also had varying numbers of cards in a deck. The French were especially renowned for their playing card manufacturers, and today’s playing cards are largely based on old French designs. The backs of playing cards were originally blank, but over time things were added like images on the card backs, corner indices, double ended artwork for the court cards, and coatings on the paper. Playing cards were at one time called “pasteboards”, and were originally thick and bulky. But improvements in manufacturing led to thinner playing cards, with improved quality and handling. Prior to the adoption of indices, one manufacturer used miniature pictures of the card on opposite corners, which were called “Triplicates”, and the indices we use today were developed in competition to these, and were first described as “Squeezers” in light of the ability to hold a larger hand of cards. I was especially fascinated by Tom Dawson’s observation that although many people have tried to introduce innovations to playing cards, these never last, and the traditional style and designs always return. Evidently there is something truly “classic” about the deck we have inherited today!

Uses for Playing Cards

In this section of the interview, Tom and Judy share some of the fascinating ways playing cards have been used throughout their history, besides more obvious uses like card magic, and for playing the thousands of card games that exist. But even decks used for card games come in different sizes, e.g. containing 32 cards, or 40, 48, 52, and even 78 or more. So a deck of cards can mean a lot of different things, and many of the games played with them are very regional. Playing cards have been used very seriously for fortune telling, sometimes with individual cards having fortune information on them. Tarot decks typically have 78 cards, and each of the 22 trumps in these decks has a different picture and is assigned a different meaning. While such decks are sometimes used for the occult, many of them do have fantastic designs and artwork. This makes them very collectable, and even Tarot decks that are barely 20 years old can be worth large sums. Playing cards were also used for educational purposes (e.g. to teach math, science and more). Souvenir decks have been popular, because they have a picture on each individual card. When these started being produced in the 1890s, photography was still quite new and expensive, so a souvenir deck functioned as a nice miniature photo album. Because cards originally had plain white backs, they proved useful for note-taking, indexing, invitations, coupons, IOUs, and more, especially in a time when paper and cardboard was rare and expensive. Besides these secondary uses, there was even a time in the 1700s in Quebec when they were used as money cards. There are also people who build enormous card houses with playing cards, made out of hundreds of decks of cards. Brian Berg is well worth looking up given some of the unbelievable things he has made out of playing cards.

Card Boxes

In today’s market, some publishers like Theory11 devote a lot of attention to producing high end tuck boxes, and it is a big part of the marketing. While today’s techniques may be new, the idea of an attractive tuck box is not new, and throughout the history of playing cards there have been manufacturers doing interesting things with the card boxes. Tom explains that originally playing cards were just packaged in relatively plain paper wrappers, and there was no box at all. As the 1800s progressed, wrappers made way for something more sturdy, which led to the development of all kinds of boxes. Various interesting packaging was used, including boxes that had outer and inner cases, and small drawers. Congress Playing Cards used a packaging that would display the designs of the deck on the outside of the box. I really enjoyed seeing some of the unique ideas for packaging that Tom and Judy showed in this part of the video. One of my favourites that they displayed was a beautiful war deck from 1935 that was housed inside a book! After showing a lovely custom wooden box for the Circus Transformation Deck that was produced in 1988, Judy explains what transformation decks are, showing some example cards. In transformation decks, the pip cards are transformed into a design, by using the pips as part of the picture. I immediately felt a sense of kinship with the Dawsons at this point, because apparently transformation decks are a favourite for them, just as they are for me.

Collecting Cards

Tom and Judy decided to focus their own collection on standard playing cards (i.e. those with a traditional layout and traditional court cards), primarily older cards that are American in origin. It’s not that they don’t like custom decks, but the simple matter is that if you’re collecting anything you need to specialize in some way and have a focus. Tom gives an extensive list of different kinds of cards that are available to collect, including comic cards, tobacco insert cards, advertising cards, transformation cards, and war cards. All the wars have been commemorated in playing cards, as are many births and other important events in the lives of royalty. Judy puts it well: “You can actually create a whole history from playing cards.” She’s absolutely right, and in that respect playing cards are a mirror of life. Besides people who collect decks, there are also those who only collect single cards. This is usually due to their interest in the card backs, and they might specialize in backs on a particular topic like horses or landscapes. But there also people who only collect a particular card, like a Joker, or the Ace of Spades, in light of its special design and the name of the maker, effectively making it like the title page of a book. Judy considers collectors of Jokers the bane of other collectors, because these are one of the most prized parts of a deck, and a deck that is otherwise complete but missing an unusual Joker drops significantly in value. The condition of your cards is also important, and this is something Tom and Judy know more than a thing or two about, not just from their own experience, but also as authors of the Hochman book. Obviously the less used a deck is, the more valuable it is. Judy also makes some very good remarks about how a modern deck that is purchased and preserved won’t nearly have the same value as an older deck that is preserved. There are plenty of collectors today who have limited edition versions of modern decks, while in contrast vintage playing cards are much more scarce since they were typically bought in order to be used rather than collected. This is one reason the Dawson’s own interest is especially in old decks, or decks that were only produced in extremely limited editions (e.g. only 50 produced). Tom points out that a nice aspect about collecting playing cards is that you get the opportunity to do research and learn about your decks. There’s a lot of great books that can assist with this. There are also playing card clubs like 52 Plus Joker, and similar clubs in other countries, so there’s a lot of good resources available.

Show and Tell

In the final ten minutes or so of the video, Tom and Judy show us a range of different playing cards to illustrate some of the things they’ve covered. One deck shown is extremely scarce, with only 50 made. There’s even an example of a valuable deck of which only seven total were made; Tom and Judy believe that these decks were withdrawn before going up for sale. You’ll also see a card from a deck published in 1950, where the entire deck would be worth $15,000, and you’ll see a single card picturing a baseball hall-of-famer that on its own is worth up to $1500. As well as a range of historic Aces of Spades, a range of old Jokers is also shown, many from different advertising decks. Decks that advertise famous companies like Coca Cola are even more prized, since there are so many collectors of Coca Cola memorabilia around the world. Tobacco insert cards often featured lively burlesque artwork, and because they were released individually, people had to collect these decks one card at a time, making a complete deck of these even more prized. A charming music-themed German deck from around 1850 has cards with spectacular designs that can be placed alongside each other to produce a complete piece of music. You’ll even see a card from one of the 1805 Cotta transformation decks, and some other terrific examples of cards from old transformation decks.

Conclusion

Impressions

Tom and Judy’s passion for playing cards really shines through in this wonderful interview. From how comfortable they are with the subject material, it’s very evident that they are experts who are extremely knowledgeable. They were obviously a great team, and extremely respectful of each other, giving each other opportunity to share from their wealth of knowledge. Given that the focus of their own collection is on older standard playing cards, not everything they say applies to modern custom decks. Even so, there’s still a lot that can be learned from what they have to say, and my own knowledge about collecting playing cards was enhanced by learning about an area that I don’t have as much first-hand experience with myself. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to see some rare decks from the early 1900s and some playing cards that even hailed from the 1800s. I highly recommend that playing card enthusiasts take the time to watch the whole video, and learn from this lovely couple, who are keen to inspire others in the wonderful hobby of collecting playing cards.

Where next?

With their dedication and enthusiasm as collectors, Tom and Judy have left a legacy for us all. Not only can we benefit from the Hochman Encyclopedia they helped write, but we can also continue their passion for playing cards. Especially if you are a serious collector with an interest in American playing cards, here’s what you can do next: ● Get the book: If American playing cards are your thing, the Hochman Encyclopedia co-authored by the Dawsons is a must have. It also contains helpful information about grading and dating playing cards. If you’re interested in learning more about this, Tom explains the grading system they use in a separate interview clip that you can listen to here. Lee Asher also has two excellent articles which I highly recommend in relation to this. The first is about How to date a deck of USPCC playing cards, and the second is about How to grade playing cards. The grading scale that he presents there is taken straight from the Hochman Encyclopedia, and gives descriptions for how to grade a deck of cards into one of the following categories, on a sliding scale: As Issued, Mint, Excellent, Good, Poor, and With Faults. ● Join the club: The 52 Plus Joker Club has been around since 1985, and was originally created to meet the needs of American collectors of antique playing cards. The scope has since broadened, and what they offer today includes things like a printed and digital club magazine, an annual club deck, and playing card auctions. The highlight of 52 Plus Joker is undoubtedly the club’s annual convention in October, which is where collectors, designers, manufacturers, and enthusiasts come together to talk about playing cards, listen to lectures, buy and sell, receive awards, and much more. The Dawson Award is one of the awards given, and is a special achievement award named after Tom and Judy. ● Go to the convention: Attending the annual 52 Plus Joker convention is a highlight for playing card enthusiasts, although in 2020 the convention was held online using video conferencing, due to current COVID-19 restrictions. Check out the Convention page to find out more. Want to learn more? Visit 52 Plus Joker, the American Playing Card Collectors Club. ● Official links: Official website, Conventions, Instagram, Facebook ● Interviews: Lee Asher (President), Don Boyer (Vice-President)

About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com here. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

TAROT SPREADS FOR HALLOWEEN

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Charles Levin - Art, Astrology, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Client Feature, Custom Design, Entertainment, How To, Oracle Cards, Tarot Cards, Tarot Spreads

A tarot spread is designed for nearly anything: guiding one’s love life, career path and uncertainties… there are even ones that align nicely with Halloween. So, while the world has been undeniably spooky since March 2020, let’s not press the snooze button on such a thrilling time of year! With Halloween in mind, we designed three spreads for you to incorporate into this Fall’s tarot card reading routine!

1. The 6s

This spread revolves around the number six. 6 cards, questions and rows (1 column). A number, title and open-ended question is assigned to each card.

The Tarot Spread:

(1) Monster Mash: How do you interact with others during social settings? (2) The Seer: What magic (passions) do you tap into daily? (3) Pumpkin Patch: How do you feel about the choices you have made? (4) Costume: When do you resort to putting on a façade? (5) To the Bone: Are you in-touch with your mind, body and soul? (6) Kindled Spirit: What is your relationship with love like (whether romantic or platonic)?

2. Hallow v. Hollow

In this spread, determine whether the presented statement is hallow or hollow to you. The Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards, is suggested.

Hallow: to respect greatly

Hollow: without significance

It’s up to you whether to use these exact statements or pose your own. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer, as the Hallow v. Hollow spread is designed to discover who you are.

The Tarot Spread:

(0) The Fool: Explore new paths. (1) The Magician: If the opportunity is presented, strive toward the aspiration(s). (2) The High Priestess: Listen to your instincts. (3) The Empress: Build a family of your own (if you do not have children). Fulfill your nurturing side (if you do have children). (4) The Emperor: Cut yourself slack when in pain mentally or physically. (5) The Hierophant: Commitment to your partner. (6) The Lovers: Use integrity to follow-through with decisions, regardless of difficulty. (7) The Chariot: Positive relationships with work colleagues and employer(s). (8) Strength: Prevail during dark moments and return stronger. (9) The Hermit: Ensure time alone without completely withdrawing. (10) Wheel of Fortune: Respect and kindness toward those around you (strangers, employees, employer, peers, family, friends, etc.). (11) Justice: Learn from your trials and tribulations. (12) The Hanged Man: Seek change when unhappy. (13) Death: Allow yourself to mourn the loss of a loved one, a dream, a friendship/relationship (14) Temperance: Pursue tranquility through breathing exercises, yoga, sleep, etc. (15) The Devil: Weigh all options even when overwhelmed with making decisions. (16) The Tower: Help others around you when an unprecedented event occurs. (17) The Star: Allow past negativity to follow once you’ve turned over a new leaf. (18) The Moon: Once you wake up, write down the dreams you just had. (19) The Sun: Read or learn about enlightenment so it can be fully sought. (20) Judgement: How others perceive you, whether accurate or not. (21) The World: Share your experiences and hardships with others to raise awareness. Arrange the cards to your liking.

3. Full Moon Scorpio

If you research the Full Moon Scorpio, you’ll find that many interpret the spread differently. But this isn’t to say that one spread is more accurate than the other. Ultimately, with any spread, it is up to you to decide how many cards to use and what questions will be prompted. We’ve chosen this spread for a couple of reasons. First, on Oct. 31, 2020, it is predicted that a full moon will illuminate the night sky…and second, the astrological sign, Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) coincides with Halloween. You can use this spread directly, as a guide or disregard it completely. According to astrologers, the Earth’s gravitational pull, which influences many components in our world, is responsible for your personality, or zodiac sign. So, it is unsurprising that many people believe that a Full Moon can alter your behavior, mood and disposition. To provide some Scorpio-sign insight, the attributes include being curious without limits, trustworthy, devoted, persistent and strategic.

The Tarot Spread:

8 Cards to recognize Scorpio as the eighth astrological sign
5 Questions / Reflections to represent the number of attributes listed
1. How are you balancing various parts of your life?
2. What are your career goals?
3. Do you feel a difference in your mood as the full moon approaches this year?
4. Where do you stand with family members?
5. Reflect on your openness toward others.
Layout: 2 rows, 4 columns

Design the Cards and Spread

Whether the spread you use is original or taken from our suggestions, consider sharing your insight and knowledge with a custom-designed tarot deck. The options are unlimited: Choose and create your own personal designs, card size, number of cards, instructions, booklets or any custom-printed accessories and packaging. Print artwork that caters to the spooky holiday or any style. To spark some creativity, here are some tarot and oracle cards created by our awesome clients.

Oracle Cards by Everyday Magic

Featured deck: Clipart Tarot. Custom-designed packaging and cards.

The Fever Tarot Deck

This deck illustrates a collection of individuals including The Nurturer, The Scientist & The Maker

Shuffled Ink specializes in printing customized playing cards and games as well as tarot & flash cards for business, personal, promotional, advertising, and/or marketing purposes. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Tarot Cards at: ShuffledInk

POLITICAL PLAYING CARDS OVER THE YEARS

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Charles Levin - Art, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Games, Custom Design, Entertainment, History, Playing Cards, Poker Cards, Political

Political playing cards were created during the 17th century by artists who wanted to convey specific messages through art. They put well-known figures in the hot seat, bringing attention to presidential candidates, members of congress, war generals, parliament and more. These cards are fairly similar to political cartoons. Both use satire to illustrate politicians, public figures and worldly happenings. The portraits, which are still produced today, address newsworthy topics in an artistic and entertaining way. So, since 2020 is a presidential election year, now is the perfect time for a playing card history lesson. Let’s explore how these illustrations and messages have changed over the years.

Knavery of the Rump (1679)

In 1679, artist Francis Barlow designed playing cards to characterize Oliver Cromwell’s Government. As the head of state in the Commonwealth of England, Cromwell fought to remove the monarch from power. The 10 of clubs reveals Cromwell’s imbalance between his faith and morals. The card reads, Oliver seeking God while the K. (Don Hafelrigg K) is murdered by his order.

The Head

This infamous fact shows some perspective on the people’s perception of Cromwell — a couple of years after his death, those who supported the monarch dug up his grave, detached his head from his body and displayed it outside of Westminster Hall on top of a pole. It remained there for 28 years.

French Republic Playing Cards (1793-1794)

For obvious reasons, Liberal Republicans from France completely revamped their playing card deck in 1793. The rule of law, which suggests that no one is above the law, and the French Revolution, inspired the Revolutionnaire playing cards above. Since the French Revolution ultimately ended the monarchy, traditional court cards didn’t seem appropriate anymore. The Kings, Queens and Jacks were replaced by Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. This holy trinity continues to act as an important part of their national heritage. The “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” motto was even written into the constitution in 1958.

Army & Navy Deck (1865)

Including text is not a necessity on political playing cards. Most of the time, when done properly, an illustration can successfully deliver the message on its own. In 1865, artist Andrew Dougherty commemorated the switch from wooden to ironclad warships through playing cards. The King, Queen and Jack court cards display caricature-like drawings of civil war naval members. These cards show the new iron ships in action as well as soldiers yielding rifle-muskets during the Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack in 1862.

Anti-Religions Propaganda Deck (1931)

In 1931, Russian authorities created these playing cards to push their anti-religion agenda. The Joker card directly above quickly sums up the USSR’s motives. The winged man symbolizes capitalism and the kneeling figures are the four religions. The suits depict each religion as well: Clubs for Eastern Orthodox; Hearts for Roman Catholicism; Spades for Buddhism; Diamonds for Judaism. These drawings suggest that the Russians wanted their citizens to see religion as skewed and untrustworthy. This radiates propaganda, instilling the message that all respected religious figures are not as moral as they appear. The King of Diamonds features a rabbi reading the Torah while also engrossed by money. The Queen of Clubs shows an Eastern Orthodox nun with a man in the background. This insinuates that the woman finds him desirable despite her loyalty to God. The Jack of Hearts illustrates a Roman Catholic priest wrongfully thinking lustful thoughts amid a prayer.

Atouts de la Vie Card Game (1940)

During WWII, Madame Lucien Willemetz designed various card games. She is well-known for creating the educational board game Le Jeu de l’histoire de la France as well as the wartime card game Atouts de la Vie. This card game emphasizes work ethic, honor, discipline, etc. Ironically, the French government did not adhere to the principles they so desperately sought to instill in their citizens. Nevertheless, the object of the game is to collect all ten virtues.

NEWS & ART

Connecting news and art through playing cards is such an innovative way to tell a story. 2020 has certainly been jam-packed with activity. So, if you’re looking to create custom cards similar to the ones above, then find a person who or an idea that is important to you and illustrate it onto any playing card product. Some of our clients, including our own company, created COVID-19 decks at the start of quarantine. These decks are informative and capture the pandemic in all its uncertainties. You think it, we print it. To receive complimentary samples of our card products, include your delivery address and phone number on the custom request a quote form. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

NINTENDO’S HANAFUDA PLAYING CARDS

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Charles Levin - Art, Artist, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Games, Custom Design, Design, Hanafuda, History, Manufacturer, Nintendo, Online Games, Oracle Cards, Playing Card History, Tarot Cards, Tarot Spreads

The Nintendo Company is a dominating force in consumer electronics, but what you may not know is it started out selling handpainted playing cards. Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo Koppai in the late 1800s, manufacturing Hanafuda, also known as flower cards.

Flower Cards

The cards represent the calendar of Old Japan.
12 suits dedicated to each month.
Four cards per suit.
The column on the far right represents the first month. Analyze from the bottom-up; the months are in order from right to left.
Used for gambling purposes and to play the Japanese Flower Game.

The 131-Year History

The Japanese government was against any Western influence, so in the early 17th century, they banned all playing cards and games that symbolized the culture. Yamauchi ended up successfully manufacturing the Japanese-inspired playing cards featured above. He worked around the restrictions by replacing the traditional Western-style suits, court figures and numbers with scenic nature landscapes. But the ban did not last forever. Once repealed on the cusp of the 1900s, Yamauchi established the Nintendo Playing Card Company. He continued to manufacture Hanafuda cards but added European-designed card products to the mix. On top of the tech consoles like the Nintendo Switch and Mario video games, Nintendo still creates playing cards to pay tribute to its roots.

Our Story

No matter what industry you’re in, redefining your products to keep up with the times is perfectly practical. In 1999, Shuffled Ink’s first product was the Super Deck, which came with a map and a deck of cards that included discounts and coupons for attractions, dinner shows, restaurants, shopping and golf & recreation. We marketed this product to Orlando hotels until 2006 when we reconstructed the company’s vision and became a custom game manufacturer. Today, we produce top-quality custom printed playing cards, customized card and board games, personalized tarot and flash cards and more! While Nintendo’s reach is on a larger scale than our family-owned company, the principle remains. Innovation is key.

Create Your Own

The playing card decks we all know and love are custom products, so who’s to say that you can’t create an iconic deck that’s similar to the Hanafuda cards? At Shuffled Ink, we have a vast amount of resources available. Not only is our graphics team by your side throughout the entire design process, but your artwork and colors will remain in its original form when printed onto our well-crafted card stock. Feeling inspired yet? Request a quote and get started on your special card project today! ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

PROMOTE YOUR ART USING CUSTOM CARDS

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Charles Levin - Art, Artist, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Games, Client Feature, Custom Design, Design, Entertainment, Manufacturer, Oracle Cards, Packaging, Playing Cards, Poker Cards, Tarot Cards

Not sure how to start promoting your art? Consider printing 54 of your original designs on a deck of playing cards! With our text, image and card size options, every component of your product is completely customizable. Here are some tips on how to optimize marketing your artwork with our custom cards.

Playing Card Art

1. Personal Branding Your Art

Every creator must establish his/her brand. A personal brand is how an individual’s business is perceived based on actions taken to market product(s) within an industry or a community. This means that your artwork should exemplify what you stand for as an artist. Luckily, the possibilities to create are endless. Your 54-card poker-sized deck comes with two jokers, all of which are customizable. Your card project can feature 54 different art designs, 4 consistent artwork sets for each suit, one illustration set to the card backs and faces, etc. With any idea that comes to mind, we will ensure that your vision comes to fruition. Now, there are more card options to choose from when promoting your artwork. If your art fits well in the spiritual realm, market using tarot or oracle cards. These decks include 78 cards, which allows for an endless supply of art concepts to dabble in.

Tarot Card Art

2. Custom Packaging

Presentation is equally as important as the art you choose to showcase. After all, the card packaging will catch the consumer’s eye first. Just like the card backs and faces, the packaging is completely customizable. Here are our specialty box options:

Custom Two-Part Box

Custom Tuck Box

Post-Consumer Custom Tuck Box

Hard Clear Plastic Case Classic

White Window Tuck Box

Plastic Banding

3. Social Media Exposure

Nowadays, social media is among the main tools used in business and personal marketing. If you don’t have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account, we highly suggest that you create at least one. These platforms are perfect for publicizing your exclusive illustrations and products. We recommend that you include your social media handle(s) or website(s) on the deck of cards. This directs future and current consumers to your supplementary art pieces and collections. Gaining followers on these media sites will only increase website traffic and engagement.

4. E-Commerce Site

Once your art is printed on any of our custom cards, consider establishing an online store to support your product(s). Setting up an e-commerce site makes it easier for clients to purchase your designs, whether they are featured on a deck of cards or canvas. If you aren’t interested in creating your own online platform, Shuffled Ink will lessen the load by selling your card products in our Client Product Shop on Shopify. Even if we didn’t manufacture your product, you’re still able to sell in our shop! Alternative online marketplaces charge significant referral and percent of the sale fees, but this is not our approach. We achieve our greatest success by directly partnering and investing in your success. After all, our motto since 1999 has always been “Your success is our success”.

How It Works?

Our Client Product Shop works in two easy ways:

Purchase bulk inventory for Shuffled Ink to store and sell
On-demand production arrangements that allow you to sell your product without having to purchase bulk inventory

When you opt into our Client Shop program, there are NO:

% of sale or referral fees
setup or service charges
monthly minimums or inventory storage costs

Market Your Art

The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and customization, which is why we don’t charge fees for extra colors. Whether you prefer a matte, smooth or linen finish, your art will remain in its truest, original form when printed onto our well-crafted card stock. The principles of marketing are constantly changing. So, take advantage of your opportunities and get your art out into the world with our playing card products. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

NOVELS ABOUT PLAYING CARDS: THE SOLITAIRE MYSTERY

Posted on July 15, 2020 by EndersGame - Card Collectors, Entertainment, Literature, Novels, Playing Card History, Playing Cards, Solitaire, The Solitaire Mystery

The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

Playing cards have occupied an important role in our culture for hundreds of years. Their significance is in the first place connected to their primary use as as tool for playing card games, which is the primary factor that popularized them rapidly and led to their spread throughout Europe in the 15th century. Even today card games are one of the main ways that playing cards are enjoyed, especially in a social and casual context in the home. But playing cards shouldn’t just be associated with games for children, because they have come to mean much more than that, and have wormed their way into many aspects of human life and existence. There are many people who make their livelihood with a deck of playing cards in their hand, like casino workers and card magicians. In our modern era, Poker gets regular air time on TV sport channels. Gambling games have been popular for centuries, fueling lives of luxury as well as spawning lives of crime, and many a fortune has been lost or won over the turn of a playing card. Playing cards are also closely associated with fortune telling and sometimes even the supernatural. As a result of all this, playing cards have become firmly embedded in our culture and way of life. So it comes as no surprise that playing cards have influenced our English language. Common expressions like “lost in the shuffle”, “have an ace up your sleeve”, “follow suit” and many others all owe their origin to playing cards (read more about this in my article The Impact of Playing Cards on the English language). But playing cards also have established a presence in many art forms. Many paintings and works of art depict people holding cards or playing card games. Many a song has been written about poker, gambling, and even about specific playing cards, or used them as metaphors for romance and for love gained or lost.

Given how entrenched card games and playing cards have become in our lives, we can also expect them to appear in another form of art: the novel. And sure enough, there are some fine books where playing cards aren’t just a prop or part of the supporting cast, but are one of chief elements. Perhaps the most well known example of this is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. But in this article, we’ll introduce you to a much lesser known and yet superb example of a clever novel that features playing cards as central characters. In my previous article I considered playing cards about novels, so now it’s time to look at a novel about playing cards, with reference to Jostein Gaarder’s clever book, The Solitaire Mystery.

The Book

Jostein Gaarder first caught my attention with his award-winning novel Sophie’s World, which was an international best-seller, with millions of copies sold around the world, in multiple languages. That story is geared to young adults, and promises to provide an overview of the history of philosophy in the form of a novel. It received high praise for what it achieves, although it has its share of critics as well. In fact, I’ll let you in a personal secret with this honest confession: I really wanted to like this book, but personally I found it rather tough going and struggled to finish it. It didn’t quite live up to what I’d hoped for, because I found it too dry, and it read more like a philosophy text-book than a story. But it did confirm the respected credentials of the author as a credible voice on the subject of philosophy. And I’m always prepared to give someone a second chance. So when I discovered the book The Solitaire Mystery by the same author, his name was already familiar to me. Perhaps more importantly, the artwork on the front cover of the copy I came across immediately caught my attention. “Solitaire, as in the card game? Playing cards on the cover?” As a playing card enthusiast, I was instantly intrigued by the title, the artwork, the concept, and the blurb on the back. Fortunately, unlike its more well-known sibling Sophie’s World, this book is much less didactic and dry. Instead, it is a convincing and entertaining story that is actually readable, rather than being pure philosophy. Best of all, it’s brilliant because of how the entire story is structured around a deck of playing cards, and how they are a central feature of this book. If you are a playing card enthusiast, you will almost certainly will love this novel, and you should definitely check it out. Let me share some more about it to whet your appetite.

The Story

The main story describes a twelve year boy, Hans Thomas, and his father, who are on a trip to Greece (the homeland of philosophy) on a quest to find the boy’s mother. In the process Hans Thomas finds a book, which is described in the story as “the sticky bun book”, because he literally finds it inside a `sticky bun’ given to him by an old baker. We now get large excerpts from the sticky-bun book, which tells the story of another baker long ago, who was shipwrecked on an island, and where an entire deck of playing cards comes to life as real characters. Together with the old story-teller from the sticky-bun book, we meet a host of playing card characters, and find ourselves immersed in their magical world. There are several intertwined stories with characters from different times, and slowly their connections become apparent – hence the accurate description of the book as a “mystery”, as we slowly get to unpuzzle how the characters are connected. Fortunately Gaarder has structured the novel in a way that we don’t easily get confused about who is who. The idea of playing cards coming to life may remind you somewhat like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, but this is actually much more clever. Gaarder uses the concept of playing cards that have come to life to raise many philosophical questions about reality and the purpose of our lives here on planet earth. Because the playing cards start off purely in the mind of the old baker, who amuses himself after being shipwrecked on an island. He first plays solitaire with real cards, but when these disintegrate, he makes it a mental exercise, and imagines the playing cards as real people. But when his imagination brings them into the world around him, are they actually real or not? Hans concludes about the sticky bun book: “I had read about the world’s greatest card trick ever. To conjure up a whole pack of cards would be pretty impressive in itself, but to turn all fifty-two playing cards into real people bursting with life was magic on a totally different level.” (p.158) The philosophy never gets too heavy, because it remains a good story first of all. Yet Gaarder uses his story to raise philosophical questions, without having these weigh so heavily that the story itself bogs down. You’ll learn about things like the Socrates and the Delphic Oracle, and you’ll also learn that the most important part of wisdom is to ask questions. This novel encourages us to be “Jokers” who think seriously about our place on the planet, and consider the important questions of life such as: Who are you? and Where do we come from? But there’s much more to the playing card component of this novel: the book is divided into 53 chapters, each one named after a different playing card, including one for the Joker, who is a key character in the story. So chapter 1 is entitled “Ace of Spades”, chapter 2 is entitled “Two of Spades”, and so on. The patterns and relationships of the playing cards within a deck becomes an important structural and thematic device. There are also sections of the story that deal with the remarkable way how how a deck corresponds to a calendar, with 52 cards corresponding to the weeks of a year, and various many other patterns that can be found within a deck. Hans Thomas’ father is even a collector of playing cards! As you can see, there is an enormous amount of content that the playing card enthusiast will pick up on and appreciate!

Collecting Playing Cards

To whet your appetite to seek out this book, I’ve collected some of my favourite excerpts for your reading pleasure, which relate specifically to playing cards. (NB: If necessary, you can click on the images to see these excerpts in larger size). Let’s start with a delightful passage where Hans Thomas describes his father’s own hobby: he collects playing cards, specifically Jokers. “Lots of people collect different things like stones, coins, stamps, and butterflies. Dad also had a passion for collecting. He collected Jokers.” (p.62) I’ll let Gaarder tell the rest of this story:

Much of this will strike a chord with collectors! There certainly are people who do this in the real world. In fact the current world record holder is Tony De Santis of Italy who has 8,520 different ones (see another of my articles for more such world records). But its not just his Dad who collects cards, but so does Hans Thomas: “There was an unwritten law; when Dad bought a pack of cards, he kept the Joker – never more than one – and gave the rest of the cards to me … In this way, I’d collected nearly a hundred packs of cards.” The passage continues by hinting at the significance of the Joker, and also shares how Hans Thomas’ father acts in compassion by often giving away the rest of the decks for other children to enjoy.

The Deck as a Calendar of 52 Weeks

There is also a fantastic section about how playing cards represent an entire calendar of 52 weeks, and four seasons. I’ve covered this previously in my article Interesting Facts About Playing Cards, and it was a delight to see a novel explain this at length! “The cards also came to play an important part in the calendar we follow here on the island … The year has fifty-two weeks, so each week is represented by one of the cards in the pack.” (p.194)

Hans Thomas, it turns out, was born on February 29th in a leap year, which means he was born on a Joker Day. But the connections between the calendar and a deck of cards run even deeper than that. “Every week has its own card, every month has its own number from ace to king, and every season has one of the four suits. You should take out a patent for that, Hans Thomas. As far as I know, to this day a proper bridge-calendar hasn’t been invented.”

The Deck as a Calendar of 365 Days

And what about the little known fact that the values of an entire deck add up exactly to 364 – plus one for the Joker making 365 – exactly equal to the days of the year? There’s a great section that covers that, and it all has importance for the plot and the structure of the book. Hans Thomas’ father explains: “If you add all the symbols in a suit together, he continued, you get ninety-one. Ace is one, king is thirteen, queen is twelve – and so on. Yes, you definitely get ninety-one.” (p.201) And for four suits this means a total of 364: “Exactly! There are 364 symbols in a pack of cards – plus the Joker. But then there are some years which have two Joker Days. Maybe that’s why there are two Jokers in a pack, Hans Thomas. This can’t be coincidence.”

Solitare

In keeping with the title of the book, and the theme, the closing pages of the book even provide instructions about how to play the classic Solitaire game.

A Philosophy of Life

After reading this story, you’ll never look at a deck of playing cards in the same way, and you’ll imagine each playing card as a character. And hopefully you’ll never look at life in the same way either either. “It was a mystery to me how people on earth could simply roam around the world without asking questions, over and over again, about who they were and where they came from. How could life on this planet be something you either turned your back on or took for granted?” (p.136) The mystery of the playing cards challenges us to think about our lives, just as it challenged Hans Thomas. “It was strange that we human beings are so clever in so many ways – we explore space and the composition of atoms – but we don’t have a better understanding of what we are.” (p.141) The final sentence in the book leaves us with this excellent thought: “I am positive there is still a Joker roaming around the world … He will look deep into our eyes and ask, Who are you? Where do we come from?” (p.319)

Other Novels

Are there more examples of novels that strongly feature playing cards? There are certainly plenty of stories that revolve around poker or gambling (Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey), bridge (Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie), card games (Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King) or around performers of card magic (Bluff by Michael Kardos), but that’s not quite what we have in mind. Nor are books about Tarot cards (Last Call by Tim Powers), although these lend themselves well to stories about the supernatural. Perhaps the most obvious example of another novel about playing cards is Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which I will cover in my next article. It’s a whimsical story in a surreal setting where playing cards are also depicted as characters. This classic book has also inspired other novels which build on Lewis Carroll’s playing card characters, such as Heartless by Marissa Meyer, which is effectively a prequel to Alice in Wonderland, and tells the story about the Queen of Hearts as a single girl who is pursued by the unmarried King of Hearts, and who finds herself secretly in love with the mysterious court Joker named Jest. Jostein Gaarder’s The Solitaire Mystery is a fine work, that shows how important playing cards have become to us. They aren’t just part of our lives, but we can even use them to make us reflect about what life is really about.

HOW TO USE AFFIRMATION CARDS

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Charles Levin - Affirmation Cards, Art, Artist, Astrology, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Magic, Client Feature, Custom Design, Design, Entertainment, How To, Oracle Cards, Self-Care, Tarot Cards

Referring to affirmation cards as the modern-day tarot or oracle may be a stretch. While these cards do share similar qualities to oracle decks, they ultimately fall under their own realm. Affirmation cards use short sentences or phrases to cast positive thoughts and energy. The idea is to empower and enlighten the card reader as well as urge them to release any negativity. These cards have a powerful impact on one’s soul and will relieve the heaviness that comes with past mistakes.

Reading Affirmation Cards

Unless you are actively negating each card that you read, it is nearly impossible to use affirmations incorrectly. Let’s say you pick up a card with the affirmation “I Am Motivated”. How do you approach this message? To get the most out of your affirmation cards, here are three exercises to try.

Ask Questions: Upon reading the card “I Am Motivated,” the first thought that comes to mind may help indicate where your motivation should be directed. Perhaps explore the parts of you that need improvement in the motivation department or recognize the ways that you are motivated. No matter the route you choose, it is important to ask questions: Why did this thought enter my mind? Where else do I need to seek motivation? How can I get to a point where I proudly and truthfully say, “I am Motivated”?
Use Your Imagination: Close your eyes. Imagine what motivation looks like. You may see the physical energy, yourself as you are or a new version of you that embodies motivation. This meditative exercise allows your thoughts to meet reality, awakening any trapped potential.
Take Action: It is important to actively seek motivation in a healthy way. If you are able to and in the right frame of mind, channel your energy into this newfound drive and run with it. For example, try saying the phrase aloud while looking at yourself in a mirror.

Oracle & Affirmation

Unlike tarot cards, oracle and affirmations do not follow a standard set of rules. Affirmation card creators have complete creative liberties with phrases and artwork. Tarot cards divide into Major and Minor Arcana and feature the same set of characters like The Magician, The High Priestess, etc. Affirmation decks have unique influential phrases and card designs, but if you’re looking for card empowerment, tarot and oracle are also viable options. It all depends on the type of readings you are looking to pursue.

Modern History

Affirmation cards are relatively new, which means we are in the midst of compiling notes and determining the terminology that will go into its history. In Monte Farber’s book Quantum Affirmations: The New Energy Science of Conscious Manifestation, he supports the claim through scientific research that affirmations work. Monte describes Quantum Affirmations as a method for transforming the affirmations that you believe to be true and relating them to the experiences that are actually possible to endure. For example, he asks the reader to compare quantum affirmations to a “virtual pack of breath mints” (p. 189) that you take whenever a negative thought enters your mind. As I’m sure you’ve realized, there is no right or wrong way to approach affirmations, but the depth in which you are willing to soul search will influence an affirmation card’s success. According to psychologist Catherine Moore, there is science behind affirmation cards. Self-affirmation is a psychological theory that focuses on validating yourself through positive words to gain self-integrity. Moore acknowledges that it may feel silly to sit down and tell yourself how special you are, but it goes beyond just that. Your words must reflect your actions.

Take Action with Affirmations

When creating your own deck of affirmation cards, we are with you every step of the way. Regardless of the order size, we will personally discuss design options with you. And when you request a quote, you will receive instant pricing. Shuffled Ink encourages creativity, which is why we offer complimentary graphic support and do not charge extra color fees. To spark inventiveness, here’s a couple of our clients’ custom affirmation card designs.

The “I Am Power Deck” honors who you are. These daily affirmations provide a sense of personal pride, power and presence. One by one, turn each card over to use as daily affirmations, divination and a unique spin on traditional mala meditation.

Featuring stunning nature photos, these custom View-Changer Cards provoke questions that inspire reflection, conversation, team-building and relaxation.

The “I Am” Everything Affirmation deck is stacked with 30 powerful messages that reaffirm your amazing qualities & define who you are in the moment. Shuffled Ink is a multigenerational family business specializing in printing custom playing cards, tarot & flash cards, packaging, and more for businesses and individuals worldwide. To receive complimentary samples of our card products, include your delivery address and phone number on your custom quote request form. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Tarot Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Flash Cards at: ShuffledInk

CARD GAME IDEAS FOR FATHER’S DAY

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Levin - Art, Artist, Card Collectors, Card Designers, Card Games, Custom Design, Custom Gifts, Design, Father's Day Custom Gifts, Playing Cards, Poker, Poker Cards, Trading Card Game, Trading Cards

With Father’s Day around the corner, ordinary gifts will not do. Give dad a custom game that is specific to his interests and hobbies. After all, it makes sense to create something just as one-of-a-kind as your dad. Not to mention, these personally designed card games are perfect for family game nights! Now, here is our list of ideas to help you ace this year’s gift!

1. Go (Family)!

Drawing from the classic game Go Fish, create a custom card game that replaces suits and numbers with pictures of family members and friends. Regardless of how many people are in your family, you will have a blast trying to collect four of a kind of your brother and sister (and do not forget to include all the housepets as well)! When customizing your own card game, it opens doors for all sorts of decision-making including designing an exclusive set of rules. Feel free to stray as far away from the original Go Fish format or follow it to a tee!

2. Trading Card Game

Unlock old memories for dad by printing a new set of Trading Card Games. Combine the idea of athlete trading cards and Pokemon battles to design the all-time Fantasy Sports League. To make it simple, narrow down the game to just one sport. It would not be fair to play football players against baseball players since they are not in the same league. For this example, let’s go with baseball. Each player receives 9 cards.

The Breakdown: 3 Card Types

The Athlete: These cards include players who hold any position. Even though you are dealt 9 cards to account for each player on the field, it is not guaranteed that your hand will include a player for every single position. But there is also a possibility of receiving a Utility player, which means they can play any position on the field. That is where the trading comes into play. But remember, it is important to check their card for details like strength, agility, power and speed.
Boosted Energy: When an athlete card is played during the battle, or the stand-off, it is important to utilize the Boosted Energy card. Match the action symbol to the Boosted Energy to enhance the designated characteristic.
Training Gear: The equipment style and brand that you decide to use also plays an important factor during a stand-off game. Whichever bat, glove or cleats you decide to use must fit well with the athlete and their strengths/weaknesses.

We understand there are a lot of factors that go into creating a Trading Card Game. We have simply provided a brief foundation for what it can look like. While the rest is up to you, our graphics team will assist you with the creative process, so get started! For further assistance with creating a battle card game, follow this Trading Rule Book.

3. To Drink or Not to Drink

Last Father’s Day, we put together a list of custom playing cards to give dad. One suggestion was printing a deck with his favorite alcoholic beverage. As a side note, we added that a customized drinking game could also be a good choice in the gift-giving department. To expand on that idea here is a ‘Drinking Edition’ card game to consider creating!

A Spotlight on Dad

Even though it is Father’s Day, that does not give dad a complete pass. Yes, this is a game to put dad on the spot, but the whole family (if at least 21+) can get involved.

How to Play: Come up with questions for each card that varies from ‘ridiculously easy’ to ‘momentary thinkers’ and, finally, to ‘most challenging’. Think of it as a trivia game, where dad must answer a series of questions about your family and friends. Now, here is where the ‘to drink or not to drink’ aspect comes into play. If dad answers the question wrong, then he drinks, but if he answers the question correctly, then everyone else drinks. Of course, you can implement as many game accessories as you see fit like dice, timers and spinners.

4. A Custom Deck for Any Card Game

Every dad should have their own personal deck of cards. Whether he is playing a single-player or multi-player game, there is something special about using cards made just for you. When it comes to designing a deck, the possibilities are truly endless. Every detail of your playing card deck is completely customizable including the artwork, written content, card stock, packaging, etc. Here are a few recommendations to kick off the creative process!

Family Custom Backs: One of our clients created an adorable Father’s Day deck with a photograph of their child. Naturally, this is the perfect deck to break out for both a solo and family/friends game night.

Animal Custom Faces: Your pet is an equal member of the family, so why not include them in a gift to dad. After all, the phrase “Man’s Best Friend” could not be any more true. So, if your dad is absolutely in love with the family dog (or whichever animal you have), then visit our Design Shop to print their wagging tails and smiling faces on a deck of cards.

5. Buy A Deck

If you would rather purchase a deck of cards rather than build your own, we have some options for you on our Shopify site.

Quarantine 2020 Playing Card Deck: This Quarantine deck is particularly relevant at the moment and would make for a perfect gift! It is also a great way to remember what was going on in the world during Father’s Day 2020. Besides, who would not be intrigued by dealing a deck of cards with custom masked face cards!

COVID-19 Awareness Decks: Following a similar route, we also have a handful of Coronavirus playing cards. There are 12 design options to choose from including 52 Helpful Coronavirus Tips to keep you informed and safe as well as card backs with trending social distancing hashtags. All net proceeds will be equally donated to the Solidarity Response Fund for W.H.O., the American Red Cross and Feed the Children.

THE BEST BOARD GAMES DECADE-BY-DECADE

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Charles Levin - Board Games, Card Collectors, Card Games, Custom Design, History, Playing Card History

Decade-by-decade it’s natural for trends to change. Whether it be a new fashion statement or a new board game, we are constantly seeking the “new thing”. Now, change is inevitable. It’s actually a good thing to accept this ever-changing world. Without it, we would still be throwing sticks rather than using dice. As the decade quickly comes to a close, we’ve comprised a list of some of the best board games of each decade. Take a look at how board games have evolved over the years. And you’ll also find a sneak peek into what 2020 may have to offer for the future of board games.

The 1950s: Candy Land

While Candy Land was actually introduced to the world in 1949, it reigned as one of the leading popular games throughout the ’50s. Today, it continues to be popular among children and certainly nostalgic for adults. According to Tim Walsh, an American game inventor and writer, 60 percent of households that have a 5-year-old child, own the game Candy Land. Clearly, its popularity did not cease after the ’50s came to a close. And we are certain that the upcoming ’20s will be no different.

The 1960s: The Game of Life

The Big Game Hunter permanent collection
The Checkered Game of Life 1866 Edition

This game is quite unique because it reached great heights in popularity during its original production in 1860, as well as during its revamp in 1960. This game is the perfect example of how a board game changes with the trends and times. During the 19th century, The Checkered Game of Life was Milton Bradley’s first printed and sold board game. Introduced during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency while slavery was not yet abolished (1865), this first installment was a melancholier board game than what we are accustom to. One of the checkered sections was actually labeled “suicide”. It detailed a man hanging by a noose from a tree branch (see below). If a player fell on this space, they were booted from the game. The altered 1960s board game naturally varies from today’s version. Those who played during the 20th century would either end the game as an impoverished farmer or they would reside in Millionaire Acres. Today, the concept of rural vs. urban plays a role but is less dramatic and stereotypical. You’ll either end up in Countryside Acres or Millionaire Acres. Nevertheless, both game versions represent a similar goal: reaching happiness in the game of life.

The 1970s: Mystery Date

While the board game Mystery Date was released during 1965, its popularity spiked during the ’70s upon updating. If the tagline doesn’t give too much away, ‘Meet Your Secret Admirer,’ the game was targeted toward young girls. The goal was to land your dream date with one of the boys who waited behind the door while avoiding “the dud” who wore normal clothing. The more admirable suitors were dressed in either formal, beach, skiing or bowling attire. Throughout the years, this game has notably changed its aesthetic to keep up with the varying decades.

The 1980s: Pictionary

In 1987, Pictionary sold 3 million copies. It was then deemed 2nd place on the highest selling games ranking. The top spot was held by the Nintendo Entertainment System. Similar to the idea of charades, players draw hints for their teammates with the end goal of guessing the correct word being sketched. It is the game’s simplicity and the ability to evoke competition that created its popularity during family game nights. Personally, I find Pictionary to be more comfortable to play than charades. Rather than using your body to act out something, you put pen to paper and allow the motionless drawing to do all the action.

The 1990s: 13 Dead End Drive

You may remember this board game from its sensationalized and quirky advertising TV commercials. This murder-themed board game was released in 1993. The objective of the game is to inherit the fortune that was left by the wealthy character Aunt Agatha. The goal is to take down each of your opponents by trapping them in an area that will knock them down and boot them out of the game. Instead of playing on a flat surface with game pieces, this game’s structure implemented a 3-D board to issue a more realistic gaming experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofz_wA-aTI0

The 2000s: Apples to Apples

This board game was released to the public halfway through 1999, as the new decade was approaching. Throughout the 2000s, and even much of the ’10s, this game was a phenomenon. It brought families with children of all ages together for game night and it wasn’t short of entertainment. I remember playing the game with my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins, as we gathered around the living room hoping that our card would be the chosen one. Nearly 15 years later, my family continues to crack jokes about that family game night. Funny Story: If you’re wondering why my family still talks about the time we played Apples to Apples during Fall 2009, here’s the story. It was my sister’s turn to be the judge, so she read her adjective card aloud: Annoying. We all quickly and competitively slid our one card to my sister in the hopes that we would get chosen and find ourselves one step closer to winning. My sister read through each card and decided to pick Patrick Swayze. The adults gasped, wondering why she had chosen the beloved actor who had actually died only a few months prior. My sister responded with, “I just didn’t know who he was, which was annoying. So he gets the ‘Annoying’ card!” My aunts and uncles responded with, “too soon, too soon.” Turns out, my brother had won that round and was ironically using it as a throw-away card. To this day, anytime Patrick Swayze is mentioned we all say, “too soon, too soon.”

The 2010s: Codenames

The original word guessing game was released in 2015. Since then, it has broadened its board game horizons and created different editions, with the same overall goal but varying concepts manifested. During Codenames word game, if you are the spymaster in your team of two, your goal is to describe the word(s) to your partner without specifically using any of the words in your set. This game calls for strategy, teamwork and, of course, secrecy. If you have a competitive nature, try this one and play it as a final hoorah to the ’10s decade. (But I’m positive it’ll continue its popularity reign into the ’20s).

The Future: 2020s

At Shuffled Ink, we can manufacture any board game that wish to design. Throughout the years we’ve assisted in the creation of your customized board games, complete with customized accessories, booklets, dice, instructions, spinners, timers, tuck or setup boxes and more. You all, our clients, are the future of what board games have to offer in 2020. What will board games look like in the future? We have an idea that may or may not be wildly far-fetched. Nevertheless, that question is for your innovative minds to decide and for us to help make possible. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Tarot Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Flash Cards at: ShuffledInk