Currently funding on Kickstarter, the DeLand Centennial project brings two decks of marked playing cards back to life. Originally printed in 1919, the Daisy Deck and Nifty Deck were created by Theodore DeLand. In celebrate their 100th anniversary, the team at Penguin Cards has recreated these ingenious decks from the ground up.
Theodore was a genius creator and innovator in the magic world. DeLand lived from 1873 to 1931. Before departing this world, he left behind an enormous collection of mind-boggling creations. His best-known work is the “Dollar Deck”, a groundbreaking marked deck of cards. Few are aware that DeLand actually created many marked deck designs in addition to countless magic tricks. Originally offered in 1919, the Daisy Deck and Nifty Deck appear to be simple, innocent cards at first glance – but each deck holds many secrets waiting to be decoded.
Renowned magician, graphic designer, and marked deck expert, Phill Smith re-create these stunning Centennial Editions. We were told on the project page that these are not simply reprints – each deck has been painstakingly redrawn and enhanced by Phill with new art and new features.
Each deck has a full-bleed borderless back design which have been recreated to be faithful to the original, while making small changes to make the decks more useful for the modern performer. The Daisy Deck has been designed in a deep Burgundy and the Nifty Deck is dark Blue.
Both the Daisy Deck and Nifty Deck have gorgeous custom vintage faces based on designs from the early 20th century. The faces have been completely redrawn for modern printing, but completely capture the essence of vintage designs, including subtle asymmetry and small imperfections. The Ace of Spades and Jokers are faithful recreations of DeLand’s classics.
The tuck boxes feature all-new designs. The Classic Edition tucks will be printed with ink on a traditional stock. The Collector’s Edition decks will have their tuck stock upgraded to a natural Kraft paper and will have the design stamped in foil. Each tuck delivers a vintage vibe that has been elevated with a touch of modern elegance.
Every deck comes with an instruction card that will teach you how to decode the markings. The systems are hard to detect but are simple to learn and can be mastered with moderate practice. All backers will also receive a video download that teaches the marking system and the special stack order.
The decks will be printed by the US Playing Card Company on a Classic stock. The decks will be traditionally cut. Pledge starts at $24 for a pair on Kickstarter!
