I'm looking for an inexpensive source for high quality blank playing cards (such as those at http://www.newtscards.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=MUR-BF). Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a cost under $5.50 a deck (vs. a bit over $1 a deck for standard cards). Anyone know of a cheaper supplier (shipping to the US)? (I'd be willing to buy at least 20 decks, possibly as many as 100...)
Inexpensive blank cards...
Wed, 07/21/2004 - 19:03
Wed, 07/21/2004 - 19:33
#1
Inexpensive blank cards...
I've been looking for that for a while too. I asked a while ago here. The best seems to be a 100 pack for $4. They don't have the rider back though.
If you find anything, let me know.
Jason
Fri, 07/23/2004 - 08:16
#2
Re: Inexpensive blank cards...
Joe_Huber wrote:
I'm looking for an inexpensive source for high quality blank playing cards (such as those at http://www.newtscards.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=MUR-BF). Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a cost under $5.50 a deck (vs. a bit over $1 a deck for standard cards). Anyone know of a cheaper supplier (shipping to the US)? (I'd be willing to buy at least 20 decks, possibly as many as 100...)
If they are primarily for prototyping and don't need to have perfect registration with each other, the cheapest way is going to be to have your local print shop take 14 pt. C2S stock, cut it, and put it through their corner rounder. You can get a ton for cheap. If you are going to mass order some, Haines House of Cards (magic supplier) is probably a good place to go.
Tue, 08/10/2004 - 13:32
#4
Inexpensive blank cards...
I'm not sure if you're still looking for inexpensive blank cards, but I came across this link that has a wide variety of blank cards available. It's a company in the UK, the cards listed (scroll to bottom of page) are 88mm x 56mm (just slightly smaller than bridge sized). They show a box of 1000 blanks (pattern on back) for £12.95. Not sure of the quality, but it might be the best way for to go for blank cards.
Tue, 08/10/2004 - 14:29
#5
I just tried PlainCards
I don't know if they're my favorite cards in the world, but they work okay for prototyping. They're priced at 360 cards for $36.50, which seems pretty pricy to me... I'm using them now for playtesting a card game, and the reaction to them has been very positive.
Their website is at www.plaincards.com.
Tue, 08/10/2004 - 17:11
#6
Inexpensive blank cards...
Thinking more about it, you will want to ask the company (in my previous post above) that supplies the blank cards if they are capable of taking ink from an ink-jet printer. They may be assuming that you will be writing on them with a permanent marker or something.
Wed, 08/11/2004 - 12:38
#7
Inexpensive blank cards...
The HUGE advantage to PlainCards (linked above) is that they come in 8.5x11 sheets of 8 pre-perforated cards. You can print to them, finish them (they sell the card finish in spray cans), then just punch them out. (I haven't tried them yet, but I'll be ordering some very soon.)
Wed, 08/11/2004 - 13:24
#8
...
Chaplain wrote:
The HUGE advantage to PlainCards (linked above) is that they come in 8.5x11 sheets of 8 pre-perforated cards. You can print to them, finish them (they sell the card finish in spray cans), then just punch them out. (I haven't tried them yet, but I'll be ordering some very soon.)
However the huge disadvantage, other than the price, is that the backs com preprinted (at least the last time I checked). Does anyone know the thickness of these cards? If they are playing card quality, then how in the heck do you get the sheets to feed through a normal everyday inkjet printer without jamming or choking entirely?
Darke
Wed, 08/11/2004 - 15:32
#10
Re: ...
Darkehorse wrote:
However the huge disadvantage, other than the price, is that the backs com preprinted (at least the last time I checked).
They have ones now that are blank on both sides. It's $11.75 for 144 cards (18 sheets of 8). The ones in the protoparts store are cheaper, and provide more space for bleeds (at 6 per sheet). I don't know about the thickness/texture of either.
Jason
Thu, 08/12/2004 - 13:14
#11
Prototype store
I'll be trying the prototype store when I run out of these. The plaincards work, but I agree with Joe - the quality is somewhat lacking. For the game I'm currently playtesting (a western-themed card game), the pre-printed back worked great. After a couple plays, the deck looks and feels like an old cheap beat-up poker deck (at least from the back). That was great for my purposes.
Having said that, they're worlds better than the blank business cards I was using to test games - I was actually getting mocked for those.
Thu, 08/12/2004 - 14:12
#12
Inexpensive blank cards...
Hmm. I'll have to take a closer look at options. Right now, I'm using extra-heavy (110lb) cardstock and a cheap paper cutter, but once I slip them into plastic sleeves, they are durable and stiff.
Has anyone tried PlainCards with the plastic finish coating?
No, they wouldn't be for prototyping in this instance - for that, I'm more than happy to use standard cards. I'm looking for a decent way to do a micro-print run, and am coming to the conclusion that it can't quite be done - at least not in any of the ways I wanted to do it...
Joe