The Genii Forum

The subject says it all.

Wow. That’s a curveball.

Wow. Could be good.

? http://www.cartamagic.com/

Bob Farmer wrote:Wow. Could be good.

Right. Perhaps a better focus on consistent quality.

All packs traditionally cut?...

Whoa! That's a surprise!

Any of their other products have that texture and finish we rely upon when doing magic?

Several years ago, I ordered some special cards from Cartamundi and they arrived in perfect condition. Also, several years ago, I ordered some special cards from USPCC and they were unusable--the edges were burred and rough--a real mess. It took some time to get replacements but they eventually came through after several months.

Jonathan Townsend wrote:Any of their other products have that texture and finish we rely upon when doing magic?

Their Ace cards are every bit the equivalent, or better, of standard Bicycle cards.

Thanks Bill, that's a relief. After the fuss with Piatnik cards I was worried all our cards would go that route.

Anyone have any items from their card magic offerings? How are the online instructions?

USPCC is a small part of a much larger company. The parent company has had a strategic plan to divest itself of certain companies. This is quite common in the industry right now. A former employer of mine is doing the exact same thing right now. They are a global behemoth and acquired a number of companies over the years and when they don't perform to expectations or "fit the mold" anymore they sell them off. There is also consolidation going on in many industries, not just playing cards obviously. Choices will continue to shrink until there are just a few large companies left if the trend continues.

Regarding quality, apparently Cartamundi has really grown into a formidable competitor to USPCC and others when it comes to the features we magicians like. Their Copag 310 cards are supposed to be excellent. They also make the Cohort Classic which is on a thinner stock. there is a internet poster called "Endersgame" that has written up some great information about Cartamundi and how it compares to USPCC in terms of quality and handling characteristics.

Here's the official press release from Cartamundi: https://cartamundi.com/en/press/cartamu ... d-company/

I didn't realize this, but though based in Belgium, Cartamundi already had a US division and US manufacturing facilities. From the press release, it sounds like USPCC is going to be a wholly owned subsidiary.

If that is true, I sort of doubt that quality of the USPCC produced stuff will markedly improve, but there is always hope. What is good is that the back designs I know and love will likely persist.

I wonder if they'll change the rules on what they will make for gaffs?

In my experience with other companies that have made similar acquisitions there has been change but that change happened over a period of time, not all at once. The parent company generally tells the acquisition that nothing will change and that they should relax and just do what they had been doing. They do that so that folks don't get nervous and split. I'm in the midst of dealing with two companies now where that happened. Some didn't even wait for the ink to dry on the offer sheet. They saw the first opportunity to jump ship and jump they did. Sometimes it is a huge mistake. Sometimes it is better to get while the gettin' is good.

In this case I doubt there will be many changes in the immediate future. They will likely let the company run and observe the performance. They might try to bring the company online with their other operations computers and operating software. They might merge departments where there is overlap such as HR, Safety, etc. They may try to combine purchasing and by buying more, save on raw materials. This could affect quality should they decide to unify the types of paper stock used at all of their domestic plants. But maybe the existing Cartamundi plants will actually start looking more like USPCC. It doesn't have to be the other way around.

In the end, companies buy companies to make money. If the ROI isn't what they expected then changes will ensue in pursuit of improving the return. Time will tell.

Coming to every deck of cards you buy in the future:

Made in China

Anybody want to bet against it?

Coming to every thing you buy in the future:

Made in China