Category: Playing Cards

BARS AND RESTAURANTS WHERE YOU PLAY CARD AND BOARD GAMES

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Charles Levin - Card Games, Entertainment, game night, Playing Cards

In the past, when restaurants and bars promoted that they offered entertainment, they usually meant live music, karaoke nights, and the occasional arcade machine. More recently, a new trend is emerging that’s bringing in new patrons: bars and restaurants where you play card and board games.

It should be clear by now that card and board games are making a comeback in a big way. Classics like Monopoly and Sorry! remain popular, while newer titles like Settlers of Catan and Cards Against Humanity are finding their way into people’s living rooms around the world. Video game companies, once seen as the murderers of analog entertainment, are even making original card and board games based on their hottest properties. Eating and drinking establishments have noticed, and some are responding by becoming gaming establishments as well.

NOTABLE EXAMPLES

Some ambitious entrepreneurs are even opening brand-new bars and restaurants to cater to this crowd. For proof of this trend, we at Shuffled Ink don’t need to look much further than our hometown of Orlando. Cloak and Blaster, opened in 2014 by two married gamers, is a fantasy-themed pub stocked with more than 200 different board and card games. The wide selection, ranging from standards to rarities, shows that this isn’t a cash-in, but a passion project.

If you’re still asking yourself whether there’s really a demand, the creation of this bar was funded through a Kickstarter drive. It raised more than double the amount of its initial goal, which it reached in 36 hours.

Cloak and Blaster is also far from the only example. The Toronto-based Snakes and Lattes, which calls itself “the first board game café in North America,” sells games in addition to coffee. Kingmakers, which also opened its first of two locations in 2014, provides “Board Game Sommeliers” who help customers find new games and explain the rules. From The Playroom in San Francisco to The Uncommons in New York City, you can find tabletop gaming on countertops anywhere you look.

WHY IS THERE SUCH A DEMAND?

There are a few possible reasons for this hot new trend. The surge in the popularity of card and board games might be part of the retro craze in general. All things ‘80s and ‘90s are coming back, and geek is chic – not to mention lucrative. Restaurants and bars have been riding that wave for a while now with weekly trivia nights and pinball games. Making space for shelves with Candy Land and Exploding Kittens is a logical next step.

However, there could be a deeper reason. Wondering why there’s a demand for bars and restaurants where you play card and board games is sort of like wondering why there’s a demand for bars, restaurants, and board games. They all seem to have different functions, but something they share is providing a space – and an excuse – for social interaction. Hana Schank wrote in The Atlantic that cafes and pubs with board games help customers “connect with people in a public/private space” and “work with friends and family toward a clear goal.”

If you love board games and card games enough that these places interest you, Shuffled Ink can help you actually make your own. Learn more about our custom board and card game services, then request a quote today.

● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

USING BRANDED COLLATERAL TO MARKET YOUR COMPANY

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Charles Levin - Personalized Branding, Playing Cards

There aren’t many things that say more about your brand than its marketing collateral. Not only does marketing collateral provide key information about your business, it is made up of tactile pieces of material with weight and character that physically represent your brand. This can be especially important for companies that make digital-only products because it may be the only tangible thing people end up associating with your brand.

THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BROCHURE!

The classic trifold brochures have become a marketing mainstay, and for good reason: they allow you to convey a lot of information in a compact form. However, with commonality comes complacency and, over the years, brochures of all kinds have become easy for potential customers to ignore and merely toss aside. You should consider utilizing more unique forms of collateral to help yourself make an impression that moves your piece to the top of the pile.

UNIQUE BRANDED COLLATERAL

So, what is there beyond business cards and brochures? Well, it turns out there’s a lot. We suggest offering branded collateral that people can actually use. For example, you can put out coffee mugs, phone cases and, most of all, playing cards. Custom, branded playing cards are a great way to keep your company in people’s mind. It’s also one of the most effective long-term types of marketing collateral, because people don’t lose or throw away playing cards. They may put them away, or perhaps on the shelf for a while, but eventually, they’ll get in the mood for a game. When they pick your branded playing cards back up, they’ll be reminded again and again of your business, products and services.

Your marketing materials should be an investment, not a money pit. Creating strategic marketing collateral for your business will help you build brand awareness, connect with prospects, and ultimately convert them into lifelong customers.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET SPECIFIC!

It’s a good idea to have a piece of marketing collateral that gives people more general information about your brand, but don’t rely on it to do everything. Create a variety of pieces that are geared toward specific uses; that way, you can help your audiences concentrate on the content that is tailored directly to their needs.

THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR BRANDED COMPANY COLLATERAL:

Make It Worthwhile: It’s been said that you have to spend money to make money. High-quality collateral will demonstrate to others that you’re very invested in your company and they should be, too.
Inspire People to Connect: Just like other forms of marketing, your collateral should include calls to action and contact info. Otherwise, you’ve inspired your audience to take action, but don’t show them how.
Integrate Your Communications/Messaging: Don’t silo your audience. Make them aware of all the places your brand exists (both online and in the physical world) and direct them to destinations that will foster wanted actions.
Infuse Your Collateral with Your Brand’s Personality: Humans want to connect with other humans. Infuse your brand’s voice and visual personality into your collateral so your audience is able to form a personal bond with your business.

To design custom playing cards for your own business, check out Shuffled Ink and start standing out from the pack today!

● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Flash Cards at: ShuffledInk

INVENTIVE WAYS TO USE TAROT CARDS

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Charles Levin - Art, Card Designers, Card Innovation, Card Magic, Card Trick, Custom Design, Design, Literature, Magician, Playing Cards, Tarot Cards

In this day and age, tarot cards are used for two types of readings: question readings and open readings. Variations of tarot cards have been used for centuries for everything from entertainment to knowledge of the paranormal and divination to many, many other things.

There is absolutely no reason to restrict yourself to any one way to use tarot cards! In fact, you can use them for everything from playing games to attempting to see into the murky waters of the future. There are an unlimited number of inventive ways to use tarot cards.

Below are a few ways tarot cards can be used for personal and communal entertainment, showmanship, and to promote creativity.

WHAT ARE TAROT CARDS?

To the layperson, tarot cards are bound up in mysticism and magic. The name tarot probably brings to mind visions of fortune tellers divining the past, present, and future. This is one inventive way to use tarot cards, but there are many more.

The intricate artwork found on these cards often goes unmentioned. The design of the cards is meant to represent aspects of the real and spiritual world. In this way, the cards tell a story with each and every spread.

The user shuffles the cards and picks one at random to tell a story about their life. Who knows, you might even be able to see an important event in your future!

GAMBLING

Users can come up with various gambling games to play with tarot cards. Now this doesn’t mean you should use the cards to take your friends money, but rather it’s just one more unique and inventive way to use tarot cards.

After shuffling the deck, players can guess what card will be pulled. Other players can bet against certain cards being pulled from the deck. Still other players can bet on a set of cards being pulled from the deck at lower odds but with a higher gain.

However you use tarot cards for gambling, it’s sure to be a fun time. Remember, though, it’s better to bet pennies than dollars!

MAGIC

Magicians have long used tarot deck in their acts. In fact, many magic tricks rely on the use of these cards. Plain playing cards can get the job done, but a tarot deck adds a touch of elegance and mysticism all magicians, and their spectators, will notice.

WRITING

Another inventive way to use tarot cards is as an aid against writer’s block. This might sound silly, but don’t knock it until you try! A writer can shuffle the deck, pick several cards at random, and use the spread of the cards to write a story. This is a great way to build new narrative elements into an otherwise stale story.

ART

Artists, such as painters and sculptors, can look to the artwork on tarot cards for inspiration. The colorful mystical quality of the card design can get the artist’s mind to start turning in new, imaginative ways. The result? Unique works of art.

Now that you know the almost unlimited number of inventive ways to use tarot cards, it’s time to get your custom set! Choose your own images, designs, card size, number of cards, instructions, booklets, and even include custom accessories and packaging! Click below to get started today.

● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Tarot Cards at: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Flash Cards at: ShuffledInk

7 FUN FACTS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT PLAYING CARDS

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Levin - Card Games, fun facts, Playing Cards

Playing cards have been around since we all can remember. Many of us grew up playing games like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Spoons, Gin Rummy, Solitaire, Bridge and much more. Some of us love cards so much, we’ve even invested in customized playing cards of our own design!

But what are some of the fun facts that make these cards so extra special? We’ve found seven fascinating facts you might not have known about playing cards and their history.

THE FIRST DECKS OF CARDS WERE CREATED IN IMPERIAL CHINA SOMETIME DURING THE 9TH CENTURY.

It is believed that the first printed card deck was made around 13 centuries ago and consisted of only 32 cards, which included all combinations of a pair of dice. The decks were initially printed on paper, wood and even bone.

THE FRENCH SUIT SYMBOLS WE USE IN CARD DECKS TODAY WERE ORIGINALLY DERIVED FROM GERMAN ONES DURING THE LATE 1400S.

The French suit symbols we are most familiar with (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades) are a variation of the German suit symbols used in the late 1370s. Those symbols include Acorns, Leaves, Hearts and Bells. Even earlier than that in the 14th century, the symbols were Cups, Swords, Coins and Batons, which were copied by the Italians. It wasn’t until the 1480s that the French suit symbols became popular and are still widely used today in America and other regions.

FACE CARDS WERE LATER ASSOCIATED WITH PROMINENT FIGURES.

While historical and literary figures were often associated with face cards, this was not the original inspiration for the courts. We developed this theory after the modern deck was established. For example, the French card decks (the version we use today) recognized the court cards as these figures: King of Hearts, Charlemagne; King of Diamonds, Julius Caesar; King of Clubs, Alexander the Great; King of Spades, King David from the Holy Bible.

THE FIRST BICYCLE® PLAYING CARDS WERE PRODUCED IN THE LATE 1800S.

The most iconic card deck known to Americans is the Bicycle brand. Dating back to 1885, Bicycle cards were used by (and continue to be used by) magicians, gamblers and card players across the globe.

MOST CASINO PLAYING CARDS ARE MADE OF 100% PLASTIC.

It is very common for casinos to have plastic cards for two main reasons: 1) they are better for frequent handling and last much longer than paper cards, and 2) they are significantly more difficult to write on, which in turn, makes it hard for players to try and cheat.

PLAYING CARDS ONCE HELPED AMERICAN WAR PRISONERS ESCAPE TO FREEDOM.

During World War II, the government partnered with the United States Playing Card Company to produce and ship out specially designed card decks to help lead American POWs to freedom. The cards were designed to peel apart when wet, revealing pieces to a secret map that helped them escape.

THE U.S. USED ACE OF SPADES CARDS TO SCARE THE VIET CONG DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

Playing cards didn’t just help American soldiers during World War II. They also assisted them during the Vietnam War in 1966, two U.S. lieutenants had an idea to create psychological warfare among the Viet Cong. The lieutenants knew three very important things: 1) that the French used playing cards to foretell the future, 2) that the Ace of Spades signified a forewarning of death, and 3) that the Viet Cong were very superstitious people. So, they decided to use this information to create a very methodical scare tactic for their enemies. After contacting the United States Playing Card Company, they coordinated a shipment of thousands of crates full of only Ace of Spades cards to be sent to the warzone areas of Southeast Asia and dispersed throughout the jungles to frighten the Viet Cong. They were successful in their scare tactic.

Want to learn more about playing cards and how to create your own customized card decks? Click below for details!

● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk