Limited Editions?

[Archerfire]

I'm a new collector and have a question about some decks advertised as limited editions. I apologize if this has been asked and answered. I tried to do search, but no luck.

Sometimes I see decks offered as a "Limited Edition", but then the ad never says how many decks it's limited to and there's no 50 /1000, etc. On the deck. I've seen this quite a bit so I'm thinking it's a normal practice. Are these decks really limited?? Is there a way to find out how many a particular deck is limited to? It seems odd to me that something would be limited and not say limited to what. Then again, maybe I'm odd. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks!

[bdawg923]

Limited is usually just marketing. It usually means this print run is limited to x decks, and won't be reprinted. Limited used to mean limited to a low-ish number such as 500 or 1000 decks. Nowadays, even David Blaine says his gator decks are limited, but the new decks I think get around 10000 printed. So, technically limited to 10000. If a creator says a deck is limited, they could still tweak something and then call it v2. Since it's not a reprint, the original was therefore limited. Limited implies low numbers, or it used to, but not necessarily anymore.

You can either check the x of y on the label if it's a numbered deck, or check on Kickstarter if it's a Kickstarter deck (usually the creator will say this is how many are printed), or ask the creator, or sometimes you can add an enormous number to your cart on the site, and it says how many are available so you can estimate a print run. Like on the first day of sale, if you add like 80,000 red gators to your cart, it says you can only add like 9,874 so the print run was likely 10k.

[Archerfire]

So, it's sounds like if it's says limited with no print run listed or stated, one shouldn't really get too excited.

Thanks for the great info. Much appreciated!

[Fes]

Every deck with the exception of the few standards you know about, Bikes etc, are Limited Edition. Everything is limited to it's print run. When that print run sells out they're gone and they have to make another print run. Most don't make another un-modified print run. Most also don't point out the version of the deck. Usually that's something collectors do. Example, Red Monarchs are just Red Monarchs never mind that there have been to my knowledge three print runs. They aren't labeled as version 1 - 3, they're just Monarchs. Collectors and card nuts like us decide to differentiate between the various editions so that we can tell them apart for our own purposes. So we know that one version is embossed and the other version is debossed on the leaves for example.

A print run may be as low as a series of Prototype decks under 50. It may be as large as a however many roll web press run they want and each roll is over 10,000 decks well over depending on the paper smoosh. (USPCC)

Print runs for custom playing cards have gotten smaller than ever in recent years. You can see on this forum comments about it years ago and the excitement some folks had over 1,000 copy runs down from 2,500 copies. Most of the older (pre-kickstarter) decks that people chase today are from 5,000 deck runs as the 2,500 deck runs were extremely limited. In some ways the world has gotten smaller and in others the world has gotten larger. One thing that remains constant is time having an effect on the scarcity of an object and playing cards are no different.

[JacksandJokers]

Limited editions may also refer to slight variations in the cards and/or tuck boxes.

Most Kickstarter campaigns now offer Limited Edition decks where the Limited edition has some form of upgrade over the standard edition: a different tuck box / back design / extra jokers / gilding etc. In most cases the face cards will remain the same.

Bicycle Full Moon springs to mind (https://tinyurl.com/yylxreav).
There were 3 versions - Standard, Limited Edition & Special Edition. All 3 versions had the same cards but each version had a different tuck box with the Limited Edition also incorporating Silver Foil.

Likewise Albino Dragon's Name of the Wind deck (https://tinyurl.com/y2g82e9l) also had 3 editions: Standard, Limited and Taborlin.
Again all 3 versions had the same card faces whereas the Limited and Taborlin editions had a slightly different Tuck box and card backs.
The Limited edition was a recolour of the standard edition whilst the Taborlin edition had a new marked back design.

[Harvonsgard]

So, it's sounds like if it's says limited with no print run listed or stated, one shouldn't really get too excited.

Thanks for the great info. Much appreciated!

Basically yes. But even if a deck is limited with a certain print run announced, there isn't really a reason to be excited.
For example newcomers often advertise with the rare and limited nature of their deck as if it makes the deck more desirable, truth is though, there isn't really a demand and if they could, they would love to sell 10,000 instead of 1,000 decks.
Publishers like Riffle Shuffle push out 2,500 limited deck print runs like from the assembly line. Nothing special either.
Some creators love to have the best of both worlds. They try to sell as many standard decks as possible and offer a tuck swap (same cards different tuck box) which then will be limited.
Some put at least a bit more effort into it and ad a different back design, gilding and/or metallic inks to their limited version.
So it's buyer beware. Check what you get for your buck or if it's just hot air and you're better off with the standard version.
Always remember buzz words are the bread and butter of marketing and as long as people crave for this artificial bubbles they will be used.

[MagikFingerz]

Every deck with the exception of the few standards you know about, Bikes etc, are Limited Edition.

I'd say there's a difference between a deck being limited, and being called/named "Limited Edition". Yes, any deck that isn't constantly being reprinted is technically limited, but if the creator specifically calls a deck "Limited Edition", they're stating that the deck WILL NOT be reprinted in the future (V2 etc notwithstanding). Thus, decks without this label are potentially unlimited, or at least potentially less limited.

I mean, if I had created a deck a while back, printed 1000, no numbered seals or promises of not reprinting, and the deck suddenly got highly sought after, then I would have no qualms about printing another run to cash in on the deck's new demand.

[theCapraAegagrus]

Unless the "limit" is advertised on the box/seal, I personally don't consider it "limited".

Some very rare exceptions: Federal 52 V1 and Gold Cert, and 52+ Joker decks.