Open. Your. Decks. - by Jamie Morrison
The following post is made by our friend, card collector and owner of Curio Cards, Jamie Morrison.
Open. Your. Decks.
I don’t mean to come off as rude or as a bully (or maybe I do). I want to share a bit of my experience as a collector/producer and share why I open all of my decks and believe you should do the same.
Wearing my collector hat first, I can see the desire to keep a deck pristine. For some collectors, it’s an investment that could potentially turn a profit. It’s a calculated decision based on market research and a bit of gut instinct as to which decks may or may not increase in value. For other collectors, the tuck is the star of the show. They want to showcase that box in all of its shiny, embossed glory and keep it displayed much like a museum piece. For collectors like me, we want the full experience, from tuck to pip. This means unwrapping the deck and cutting open that seal to bring on the full artistic effect. This is an opportunity to see how everything ties together and to appreciate the deck as 52 or more pieces of incredible art.
Wearing my producer hat, I tend to scratch my head at collectors who choose never to open their decks. There was intention and specific choices were made to connect what is seen on the outside to the story within. The tuckbox is a preview of what’s to come and you can’t finish the story without opening the seal and soaking it all in. It’s like saying The Godfather is your favorite movie of all time when all you did was show up to the theater and look at the poster.
I’m not saying that keeping your decks sealed is wrong - it’s your prerogative as the consumer. As with any collectible hobby, the potential value is hard to ignore. I just wish that desire to keep a deck pristine was met with as much desire to experience everything inside. As for me, I am going to keep playing Cribbage with Junkanoo; I’m going to keep showing my kids the intricate foil on the backs of Crypt and the like; and I’m going to keep playing Solitaire with Room17. Are these decks valuable? Absolutely. Sealed, they could bring in a small fortune. The value for me is the experience and the feeling I get as I step into a tiny world of art. Do yourself a favor and free the pip. Get two decks if you have to, but don’t sell yourself short of a wonderful experience.