"Card" games and paper stock...

[daMoose_Neo]

Considering that.
But yea, the recieving organization can cut the order. For the most part, a deck is going to be 20-30 prints to trim down, and believe me they have worse orders than that. I tested it, took me a couple extra minutes to cut that down.
It'd be at LEAST $4 for the cost of the printing. For experimental purposes, with the releases that are out now, I can run that as an introductory rate to test this whole thing, and advertise that as such for anyone interested. Later releases, if I persue this avenue, would need a small hike to cover the costs of producing the images in the first place (time laying out & testing, artwork, etc) to make it worth anything, else I'm essentially giving it away.

[Martin Higham]

As a consumer, is a stock equivalent to photo paper a functional or downright poor choice for "card" stock? Would you sleeve such a deck to play? I currently charge $8 USD per deck that I sell - costs of this printing method would allow for 1-off, true POD printing, and *cost* $4 to print. Would an $8 price point on this POD deck with weaker stock affect a decision to purchase? Would knowing the cost to print, and what I as a designer would need to recoup on other expenses affect a decision? Would the "cards" need backside printing, or is that negligible?

I too am unlikely to sleeve cards for a card game. I've printed out cards on to inkjet specific photo stock in the past and it just isn't good. The only way to play with such cards is to sleeve and you can't force customers to do that. Many players of rpgs or card games wont even have sleeves. Downsides of inket photo stock:

• Its semi-transparent, even the 300gsm version. When holding cards in your hand people can see through - not in detail, but they can see through
• It's sticky so doesn't shuffle well
• Its not set - water makes it go funny, even sweat from peoples hands
• You can't print on the back, it never sets

.

Martin

[daMoose_Neo]

Hmmkay, I understand standard inkjet material is poor. Very poor. Hence why it isn't being used and is not even considered an option. Just to repeat: this is not inkjet printed in any way, shape, or form, so no inkjet level stock, no inkjet level printing, and certainly no other assembly required.
As for the other, I would disagree that card players wouldn't have sleeves. For the most part they're cheap enough for one, and for two CCG players do seek to protect their investment.

[Veritas Games]

Nate, great to meet you in person at GENCON.  Chiming in, I've got to say that most adult CCG players have sleeves if they play in tournaments.  Magic the Gathering's marked cards rules are so ridiculous that it's practically impossible to play in Magic constructed deck tournaments without sleeves.

[daMoose_Neo]

Too, sleeves are available rather cheaply. So between the cost of obtaining them in the rare event a player doesn't have them to how common they actually are among players, I'd say their use isn't an incredible burden.

Awesome meeting at the show too ^_^ DJ says hey as well, as unfortunetly he was unable to make it~