Matthias720 obsesses over playing cards

[Matthias720]

For those of you either not on the forum's Discord server, or who have managed to miss it, I have fallen head over heels in love with playing cards in the past ~2 years. I've collected informally for over 20 years, but it's only been since 2021 that I've gotten serious about it.

So let's get the obvious question out of the way first: why playing cards? Well, first and foremost, a single deck of playing cards is fascinating on several levels. Mathematically, it has some exquisite properties that are interesting, if you like that sort of thing. Second, the form and design has become standardized over the past ~130 years, but within the past 10-15 years there has been a surge of new designers reimagining and reinterpreting just what a deck of playing cards can be. It's a wonderful medium of expression, being able to be molded into almost any theme you can think of. Third, there's a saying in the card collection community that a custom deck of cards is like carrying around 52 pieces of art in your pocket, and I have found this to be true. Some of my favorite decks I almost feel are too nice to be handled, but their beauty simply adds to the attraction. And finally, depending on the design, a deck of cards can be a unique form of expression that says a lot about the person carrying it, and what their individual tastes are. I say all of this because if you've only ever handled a deck of Bicycle Rider Back cards (or an equivalent grocery store deck), then give me the opportunity to open your eyes to what cards can really be!

I'm not intending this to be an exhaustive demonstration of my collection or anything. I have over 250 decks in my collection, and they all have something different to convey about the medium, but this isn't the place to share such things. Instead, I want to highlight bits and pieces of my collection to show off what a wide range of cards are out there, and to share what has become a deep passion of mine. So, to kick things off, here are some pictures of one of my favorite decks, Alice in Wonderland by King's Wild Project (aka Jackson Robinson).

First, a little background information. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite stories of all time. It's cerebral, it's weird, it's nonsensical, it's meta, and it takes itself way less seriously than its themes would imply in any almost other work of fiction. So when I first saw this deck, I knew I HAD to get it! It also ended up on several Deck of the Year lists for 2021, which speaks to its quality. Simply put, it's a beautiful deck that almost feel more like an art piece than a way to play games. If that has piqued your interest, check out the pictures below (they aren't mine, but I think they convey the essence of what I'm talking about):

The Deck Box

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The Aces

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The King, Queen, and Jack of Hearts

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The Number Cards

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[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Major! Ah'm zorta intae playin' cardz taae, zae Ah've gaet a number o' playin' card deckz taae- alzough nae az many az ye 'ave. Dae ye 'ave ze Bicycle Tragic Royalty deck? Ze different takez on ze clazzic playin' card dezignz are intereztin', und make fer a fun playin' experience. Or any o' ze Ztargazer deckz? Ah love ze zpace art in zoze!

Ah actually 'ad a dream zome yearz agae vhen Ah firzt gaet interezted in playin' cardz vhere Ah vaz gae tae make ze ultimate ace o' zpadez, und Ah juzt needed tae pull a lever, zae Ah vaz juzt aboot tae dae zat . . . und zen me dad voke me from ze dream. Ach...

[Luftwaffles]

Those are all incredibly cool, man.

Kinda wanna buy them all, even though I really shouldn't

[Matthias720]

Major! Ah'm zorta intae playin' cardz taae, zae Ah've gaet a number o' playin' card deckz taae- alzough nae az many az ye 'ave. Dae ye 'ave ze Bicycle Tragic Royalty deck? Ze different takez on ze clazzic playin' card dezignz are intereztin', und make fer a fun playin' experience. Or any o' ze Ztargazer deckz? Ah love ze zpace art in zoze!

Ah actually 'ad a dream zome yearz agae vhen Ah firzt gaet interezted in playin' cardz vhere Ah vaz gae tae make ze ultimate ace o' zpadez, und Ah juzt needed tae pull a lever, zae Ah vaz juzt aboot tae dae zat . . . und zen me dad voke me from ze dream. Ach...

I'm aware of the Tragic Royalty deck, but I don't own it, as it isn't quite to my taste. Stargazer on the other hand, I have the whole series. The colors and patterns are so...cosmic...and they make me happy. Stargazer New Moon is probably my favorite of the set.

Those are all incredibly cool, man.

Kinda wanna buy them all, even though I really shouldn't

That's the trouble with any hobby; you get started and then you want everything. I try and stick to one or decks a week to avoid going overboard.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Dae ye 'ave any 8-zuit deckz? Vhen Ah firzt gaet interezted in playin' card deckz zere vaz a vebzoite zat 'ad vone, but Ah never gaet it. Ah've looked on Amazon more recently, but 'avenae been able tae foind vone.

[Matthias720]

Dae ye 'ave any 8-zuit deckz? Vhen Ah firzt gaet interezted in playin' card deckz zere vaz a vebzoite zat 'ad vone, but Ah never gaet it. Ah've looked on Amazon more recently, but 'avenae been able tae foind vone.

No, but I have the 5 suit Janken deck that uses Rock, Paper, Scissors mechanics/

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ach- Rock, Paper, Scizzorz, Vater, und Lizard. Zat'z certainly zummat nev. 'Lizard eatz paper.' Zat lookz intereztin'!