What do you do with your beautiful / expensive / gilded cards?

[That Filthy Casual]

I get the feeling this might come off as a ridiculous question, but I'm interested to know what each and every member on these forums, for those who buy them, do with their gilded cards?

I just received my first, the Madame Laveau Playing Cards. Didn't even realise that they were golden gilded when I ordered. Problem is, I feel too afraid to do anything with them other than look at them.

I definitely don't see myself playing Poker or Blackjack with friends or family with these things. And until I get good at Cardistry (get back to me in, say, 5 years from now), I don't feel confident that I won't damage them using them that way either.

Maybe it's because it's my first deck, but I honestly feel that they look too beautiful to actually do anything practical with them.

Interested to know how others approach them?

Honestly, I've bought around 30 decks in the last 6-8 weeks, and I'm not sure what to do with the more fancy and expensive ones, as I feel like playing with them would be like peeling paint from the Mona Lisa.

[GandalfPC]

Gilding when done right is a plus for me on a deck I’m going to use - if it handles well and wears well

I have a few open that are in the $50 range that I use - I rotate decks often so as to not wear any particular deck out too fast

The more expensive ones would at least require a special house guest, but they are not beyond breaking out any more than an expensive bottle of spirts

I know just the houseguest (and the resulting poker game) that I will break Madame Laveau out for…

[Adamthinks]

I collect cards mainly for the art and tend not to play with any of them. But the gilded ones in particular I'll just open and look through but never play with. Though most of my other hobbies are generally outdoors and sports related so most of my friends aren't really into playing card games. If that were different I wouldn't be against using my gilded decks in certain situations.

[Evilgamer]

I don't collect cards to play with them. I dont know why anyone would want a foiled and gilded deck for something they want to play actual games with.

I look at the cards, and then put them back in their tuck, usually in the same order they were packaged in and that will likely never change. I will occasionally reopen one just to look at it again but its purely a collection.

[Sinecure]

There’s no right or wrong way to collect but I remember a comment someone made once that said (paraphrasing): ‘there’s a pretty decent chance that when you’re dead and gone, your treasured deck collection will be thoughtlessly boxed up and tossed into land fill or the back of a mouldy basement.

Life is short. The cards are intended to be enjoyed. The more beautiful the cards, the more the enjoyment. I love to break out a fancy gilded deck for gameplay and daily carry. It’s a great way to share the joy of the hobby. If it’s an expensive deck, I’ll be a little more careful about where and when (and with whom) I pull it out - but it’s coming out.

I do get a tiny hold-my-breath moment when I cut the seal on an expensive deck (like I’m doing something naughty). But then I remind myself that I’m not buying them to sell them - and I’m not in the business of warehousing playing cards.

The only exception might be if I had an unsealed deck that had true historical significance - but I tend not to buy decks like that.

[hsbc]

There’s no right or wrong way to collect but I remember a comment someone made once that said (paraphrasing): ‘there’s a pretty decent chance that when you’re dead and gone, your treasured deck collection will be thoughtlessly boxed up and tossed into land fill or the back of a mouldy basement.

Are there any notable archival collections of modern playing cards? Yale's Cary Collection seems to have mostly (only?) older stuff, and I have no idea what may be in USPCC's supposedly-in-storage collection

[Sinecure]

Are there any notable archival collections of modern playing cards? Yale's Cary Collection seems to have mostly (only?) older stuff, and I have no idea what may be in USPCC's supposedly-in-storage collection

I’d be curious to know this too.

I take comfort that there seems to be a lot of modern collectors with many thousands of sealed decks to safeguard posterity.

In the short term I’m more concerned about the potential loss of p52 data and the possibility of 25,000 documented decks and images slipping out of memory even while the actual decks sit sealed in far flung collections. It would be really difficult to piece that all back together.

[hsbc]

In the short term I’m more concerned about the potential loss of p52 data and the possibility of 25,000 documented decks and images slipping out of memory even while the actual decks sit sealed in far flung collections. It would be really difficult to piece that all back together.

That's my main concern too -- I see people here and there talking about making a P52 competitor and I can't help but think they don't understand what a massive amount of decks are on there, and if you get very far past modern decks or well-known brands, there are countless decks missing

[That Filthy Casual]

Fantastic answers from everyone so far.

As was mentioned, I get that there isn't any right or wrong way when it comes to beautiful decks. Everyone is in a different situation and buys decks for different reasons. I think I'm still figuring out where I stand when it comes to card collecting, and everyone's perspectives help me figure out mine.

There’s no right or wrong way to collect but I remember a comment someone made once that said (paraphrasing): ‘there’s a pretty decent chance that when you’re dead and gone, your treasured deck collection will be thoughtlessly boxed up and tossed into land fill or the back of a mouldy basement.

Life is short.

Very similarly, I'll mentioned that I reside in Japan, a country where earthquakes are a regular occurrence. On several occasions I have been reminded that it only takes a single, heavy earthquake, to completely obliterate everything that I own, if not even take the lives of the people I love. Therefore, this is another reason why I'm hesitant to own decks, or anything for that matter, without good reason.

Furthermore, I sometimes refer to myself as a 'semi-minimalist', a side effect coming from a poor background for the entirety of my young life, so I personally don't feel comfortable owning stuff that doesn't get used.

Right now, I think this one gilded deck is the only one I will own, for a while at least. Maybe I'll use this one to show friends and colleagues just how fancy playing cards can be. At least it will get use that way.

Still interested to hear other people's perspectives, for those who haven't chimed in yet.

[Adamthinks]

In the short term I’m more concerned about the potential loss of p52 data and the possibility of 25,000 documented decks and images slipping out of memory even while the actual decks sit sealed in far flung collections. It would be really difficult to piece that all back together.

That's my main concern too -- I see people here and there talking about making a P52 competitor and I can't help but think they don't understand what a massive amount of decks are on there, and if you get very far past modern decks or well-known brands, there are countless decks missing

Does the wayback machine have P52 on it?

[Timmargh]

Does the wayback machine have P52 on it?

Yes, but it's broken.

[Harvonsgard]

I use almost everything. I'm pretty unison with @Sinecure in that regard.
Proper gilding is to expand the longevity of a deck because it protects the edges where otherwise the paper fibres - due to the cut - would be exposed to air, grime and sweaty fingers/palms. If I had two decks worth the same money - one gilded and one not-gilded. I'd rather break out the gilded one for a game night. Kinda the same applies for foiled decks.

[Honeybee]

I am very much like you Filthy. It is not earthquakes for me - rather bushfires (that I cannot get out of my psyche). We lost everything and I mean everything in 2009 in what Australia refers to as Black Saturday. After that I thought I would be a semi-minimalist too but I have the 'collector gene'. Having to evacuate last week (now 3½hrs from where we used to live but same problem) and then 2 days ago having the fires seem to follow us again as we saw the start of another fire on our trip to Melbourne and heard that the town where we lunched was evacuated a couple of hours later - I am over them!

Consequently everything is for enjoying and using. I do however like to have 2 or more of the really good ones in order to keep one pristine (but opened)

My rather portable storage system which I posted about last week is probably a result of being semi-minimalist and very 'fire aware'

[th4mo]

That sounds really awful, HB. Stay safe!

[That Filthy Casual]

Proper gilding is to expand the longevity of a deck because it protects the edges where otherwise the paper fibres - due to the cut - would be exposed to air, grime and sweaty fingers/palms. If I had two decks worth the same money - one gilded and one not-gilded. I'd rather break out the gilded one for a game night. Kinda the same applies for foiled decks.

Interested, I didn't think of this. Sorry if this is a ridiculous question, but don't the gilded edges chip away the more you use them? If so, I suspect the cards would start to look pretty silly under that scenario. I guess the other questions would be - how many decks are properly gilded? I liked the idea that it protects them for longer. But considering the prices that gilded versions cost, anywhere from double to 5x the price of regulars, I would perhaps questions whether it would be more cost effective to just buy multiple packs of regulars.

Again, sorry if this comes off as extremely ignorant.

[GandalfPC]

One well gilded pack vs several un-gilded on a “cost effective” basis is pretty hard to go by.

Its not just the edge that wear on decks - its the stock and the varnish - effecting the flatness, spring, and handling

and they take in and release moisture from the atmosphere - more so if ungilded

So - if you are going to use a deck heavily, you are going to wear it out - regardless - the question is how long will it last and how much will you enjoy using it.

For how long a deck will last - every stock and varnish, every gilding put on each different stock each different way - different results that only using the deck will tell you

I tested decks for durability when I started - and found that Grinders were one of the more indestructible overall - but not a nice enough deck to be my favorite to use by a long shot - both in look and feel (plastic)

Butterfly silver gilded are excellent - but a touch hard to faro and the silver is hard on my eyes for the markings

So when it comes to finding a deck I really like to handle a lot and that will give me a long enough life to justify its use - it does come down to non-gilded decks. I keep a few gilded around that I enjoy - but they aren't going to win the “daily driver” contest.

[That Filthy Casual]

Thanks for the penny of thoughts.

Yeah, will stick to non-gilded unless a deck I really like.

[rousselle]

Some gilded decks are much more affordable than others. As such, I've been getting increasingly comfortable opening the gilded decks in my collection and as a general rule, the gilded decks really do feel soooo much better in my hands for normal game play. Shuffling has a better feel; gilded bikes (when the gilding is of a decent quality), for example, are still supple, but also more... authoritative, for lack of a better word. They feel sturdier as you squeeze in from the sides, but still riffle and bridge just as soft as you please. I play card games with my kids most nights as part of the bedtime routine, and recent favorites have been the gilded Honeybees by Randy Butterfield and Penguin Magic, which we've been playing with for years at this point. Not every day, certainly (maybe once every few weeks? I have a *lot* of decks in the current rotation), but wow, those suckers are holding up so much better than non-gilded decks we've been playing with for just as long.

YMMV, but while -- like many collectors -- I love to save a sealed deck or two or twelve for the collection, I nonetheless feel that the point of the decks is to enjoy. Some enjoy keeping them in their sealed tucks in a hermetically sealed set of drawers. As for me... the art decks I love to just open up and admire from time to time, while the playable decks I love to shuffle up and deal.

Oh, and regarding wear along the edges: yes, gilding can eventually wear along the edges. Better gilding often means the wear process takes much longer to be noticeable. But, playing for the same amount of time, non-gilded decks will start to also get kinda smudgy and worn at the edges sooner than their well-gilded counterparts, in my experience.