The contest begins when the clock hits 00:00:00:00!!
A link with instructions will be posted on September 16 at 12:01 am EST.
For review of the rules and mechanics click the comments.
Attention all Insider members!! The clock has been set and the countdown begins for the first contest.
The contest begins when the clock hits 00:00:00:00!! A link with instructions will be posted on September 16 at 12:01 am EST. For review of the rules and mechanics click the comments. Firstly, we want to thank everyone who commented and emailed their contest ideas to us. We have a lot of great ideas and we're working on them. So far, we have at least 8 contests lined up including a few major contests that could win you some really cool packaged prizes! September 16 is a special day and in light of it's noteworthy occasion we are going to launch our first contest on that day! Make sure you stop by here to see what the first challenge is! Everyone can join this contest so make sure you don't miss out on the fun! Every contest will be posted with the rules, the mechanics and of course the prizes. Once the contest is over, we will announce the winners on the same contest post. So we wish everyone the best of luck and see you all here on September 16!! :) Hey there! We want to pick your brain a little!
We know that not everyone in the community is a cardist or a magician. Many of you are collectors and we want to make our contests fair for everyone. While we already have ideas for contests (and one just around the corner too), we thought it would be great to ask you guys what kind of contests you'd like to see to make it a fair and leveled playing field for everyone to join. We want to make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to win some decks and other cool prizes. So let us know! We got a lot to give away! So either leave us a comment here or email us directly. Your feedback is important to us! We look forward to hearing from you! Have a great day! :) The Insider Here it is everyone! We're excited to finally reveal the design of the Mana Deck! Much thought has been placed on these beautiful pasteboards, we hope you appreciate them as much as we do. :) The back exhibits a combination of ornate flourish designs as a reflection of all three art forms with its flowing swirls and organic movement. This deck reveals elements of circles to represent focus and unity and the number 3 is incorporated into the design as it represents growth and good fortune. The tuck box design has a 3 of hearts card reveal on the side flaps as well as a latin phrase on the flap of the lid, "Magus Per Mens Et Manus". We have decided to stay with the traditional court card design with only one exception - the color ways. The Court Cards have been given their own respective colors - Spades are purple, Hearts are red, Clubs are green and Diamonds are silver and they are all combined with gold accents to give each suit its own spirit. The Ace of Spades is a combination of flourishing swirls that create the spade as a whole, representing unity. There are also elements of three in the design for growth and good fortune. The rest of the Aces have been given their own special framing in honor of these frequently overlooked and neglected cards. The rest of the pipped cards are traditional in design, however, the red cards are printed in metallic red to give it more vibrance and energy. The Jokers have been designed in honor of the Cardist with a visual display of 'The Oracle Cut' - a Sybil cut variation with an 'Angel' display, created by Erik Mana. There is also an 8 of Diamonds card reveal which also represents infinite wealth and good fortune. The Mana Deck is printed by The United States Playing Card Company. Unlike many limited edition decks in the market, we wanted to make sure the deck was up to par with performance and quality. The deck is printed on 325 card stock with USPCC's special magic coat performance finish - the same as the Titanium series of Theory 11. This means smooth fans and flourishes. They don't smell and they're not sticky! They're perfect for the true performer and cardist alike! Smooth as silk baby! It's hard to imagine so much awesomeness and sexiness in a small little box...but we did it! :) How many do you want? As you all know, the Mana Deck is a limited edition deck. There will only be 5000 decks printed. Out of that 5000, only 4000 will be released to the international community. 400 decks will be on reserve for prizes and promo incentives for both local events and international promotions. The remaining 600 is local stock in Cutting Edge's 6 retail outlets in Manila, Philippines. There will also be 100 uncut sheets. We have not decided how many we will be releasing but there will be a few for contests and promos. Its a good bet that these won't last very long in stock. But one thing for sure, we never forget who has been with us since the beginning. We might just do something crazy for our loyal members here in the community! ;) 'Mana' is believed to be the essence of which magic is formed. In several cultures, Mana is believed to be an energy or a power considered to have supernatural origins - an impersonal force existing in both living and inanimate things. And so, to have Mana is to have influence and authority, and efficacy - "...the power to perform in a given situation..." The Mana Deck represents power in your hands. Version 1 of the Mana Deck is called The Oracle Edition. The 'Oracle' represents several meanings to this deck of cards. An oracle is considered to be a source of wise counsel commonly sought out for divination and precognition, which in essence, honors the modern day mentalist. Moreover, in Greek culture oracles were known by another name... Sibyl (or Sybil), in light of this, the Mana Deck honors one of cardistry's most utilized and most fundamental cuts that is a staple in every cardist's repertoire - The Sybil Cut. The Mana Deck 'Oracle' naturally pays homage to the 3 art forms - magic, mentalism and cardistry. Many of you are wondering why we change the color from blue to silver. Actually we didn't really change anything. You see, we've decided to launch the silver Oracle because this will be a limited run and we wanted to make the silver a truly exclusive and rare deck.
For all of those who liked the blue design - don't worry - we still have it, we're just releasing it at a later time. That's right! This is a series of decks we plan to launch! BUT!!! That all depends on the success of this silver Oracle. This is where your help becomes a major factor. By sharing the love and spreading the word out there, your help will play a huge role in making this series a reality and a success! Guys, we're overwhelmed at the response of this deck and even the concern for its colors. That means there are a lot of people out there that care and want to see this deck become a success just as much as we do! We hear you and we're listening! :) We thank you all for your support and understanding! :) Hi guys!
Just to give you an update on the progress of the Mana Deck. We know that you're all wondering when this will be released and more importantly, at what price. We can't give you a definite answer on the price just yet, because we're currently working out our shipping logistics, taxes and all that other "fun" stuff and once we have that all ironed out, we'll announce the price immediately! We really appreciate your patience on this. :) Currently, the Mana Deck is literally in the printing process as we speak! USPCC has given us a 6-8 week production and delivery time frame, which will most likely bring us into mid to late December as a release date (provided no other delays happen). Hopefully just in time for the holiday season which makes a perfect gift for your cardistry/magician friend who wasn't able to get one. ;) Anyway, that gives us two months to have some fun and to put out some contests. We're giving away at least 100 decks including two bricks, some uncut sheets and something really cool that we're sure many of you guys would just kill for! More on that soon. Until then, we'd like to thank all of you for joining the community and for your patience and more importantly, we thank you very much for your support! -The Insider Esez Campaña Artwork The Mana Deck was designed by graphic artist Esez Campaña in collaboration with Filipino-Canadian magician, Erik Mana. Both magician and artist worked together to develop a unique deck that would transcend time and would embody the true spirit of the performer. What they conjured was a fusion of old world elegance with modern day artistic flare to symbolize the new era of magic & cardistry with the respect and foundation of the magic of the past. The final design from the back to the tuck box and even the name was a product of over 10 months of research, design, redesign and trial & error to finally produce a deck of cards that possessed beautiful artwork and deep enigmatic meanings (only a few of which will be revealed to the world). The hard work has finally come to fruition and we are proud to present a truly unique and magical deck of playing cards unlike any other...The Mana Playing Cards, Oracle Edition. |
view imagesThe InsiderBOOKMARK THIS PAGE! production info...V1 Oracle Edition (Silver)
Print Run: 5000 decks Public Release: 4000 decks Uncut Sheets: 100 sheets Completion Date: Dec.13/11 Target Release Date: To Be Announced - 2012 Quality & Finish: Q1 Quality 325 Premium Card Stock High Embossed Magic Finish 5 Metallic Ink Colors Metallic inks on faces, backs and box. Designed by: Esez Campaña & Erik Mana Produced by: Cutting Edge Marketing by: The Legerdemain Group Distributed by: Cutting Edge The Legerdemain Group Shipping Origin: Manila, Philippines Manufactured by: The United States Playing Card Company. Made in USA. facebook...twitter...join the insider...Not yet part of the Insiders Community? Click here and sign up to get insider announcements to your email!
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