Dead Man's Deck

Jordan

Great deck, great detail. Price seemed high but I'm in Canada and that's the cost of currency exchange. Free shipping helps and as I'm a collector the prices really aren't that bad and the cards are of high quality. I will buy from this store again. Fast shipping!

 

John

Very pleased with item well on time excellent service well done to all the staff ?? will be buying again from this company 100% spot on

 

Alec

This deck is so awesome!! Great if your a collector in cards even handles very well to do Cardistry end better for magic tricks so many things you can come up with for tricks with this beautiful deck also came with a Gimmick bullet. Love this deck!

 

Mike

I’m not a big deck collector but I’m glad I got this. Very cool quality cards and while there’s no “routines” included persay, there’s a lot of applications / effects which could use it. I only wish they had made a matching deck with no hole through it.

 

Jack

This deck is cool. I love the musket ball that comes with it. I bought a second one so that I could set it aside and preserve the deck with the musket ball included. This is a great deck for doing a variation on Joshua Jay's Bullet Card.

 

Pasquale

A great deck of cards. This is the classic deck of cards, which creates curiosity, right from the moment you place it on the table to perform a trick. I received it a few days ago, I did some routin with friends, and I can guarantee that people were very intrigued and distracted, that while I was telling them the legend, I was exchanging cards in front of their eyes and no one was he realized, incredible. I will also buy the other version without the central hole, so you can perform more routines. For me a very recommended deck of cards.

 

Garry

A great deck, comes with two matching jokers off Wild Bill, on the face off the deck, you get the bullet holes, the black gun powder bullet burn smudges, and the blood splatters which looks different for each card, and you get the Ball/Bullet, this is a great deck to go with the cheating card routine, theres so much potential with this deck, and the deck handles as good as any other decent deck, considering the bullet hole, this doesn't interfere with the deck when handling it. On my mobile I use a gun app, choose your weapon and it has the loading the barrel sound as it turns, a firing sound, plus the gun flashes when you hold your phone.
Be cool to change the Face cards to, Wild Bill and famous outlaws.

 

Jim

I bought two decks; one to use and one to collect. Very impressed with the overall deck including the blood on some of the cards. Right now I cannot think what to do with the deck, but I will pull it out at my next poker game and it will an interesting talking point.

 

Braeden

This deck of cards is incredible. It has a great story, and it has a lot of uses in an eerie setting. Overall it has great potential in any mentalist's hands. The hole in the center can be annoying, but if you practice with them a little, you won't even know it's there.

 

Stuart

I love this deck, it’s such a cool idea.
Whether you build a story routine around the deck or just use it as a novelty it’s awesome. Great product for a sensible price. Love it.

 

Thomas

This is a very interesting deck at a nice price.And kudos especially for it's arrival only two days later.

 

Brian

I expected to see a hole and powder burns on some of the cards, but the hole is on all the cards. There is also fake blood on the cards. What really surprised me was when the lead minnie ball rolled out! I use it as a gag deck with my poker buddies.

 

Ady

I felt this deck was missing a fundamental part. A normal card with no hole to place on top of the deck. Very simple to do. I was shocked there wasn’t one in the pack. This deck is great to use if you have a team of creators to help you develop ideas on how to use a deck that always has a visible hole in it. Nice idea for a deck but very impractical for the average buyer.

 

Laurence

This is a nice, novel deck with an interesting premise but to me it misses the mark a touch (pun intended). The jokers, if you can call them that, don't match the deck but are an old photo image of Wild Bill and another card explaining the history. Two 'proper' jokers would have been nice and if one matched the deck without the hole then this deck would become more than just a 'nice to have and hold' item. Collectors though will love it. Magicians? Maybe not as much.

Community questions about Dead Man's Deck

Have a question about this product? It's possible others do too. Ask here and other Vanishing Inc. Magic customers will be able to respond with assistance! Alternatively, email us and we can help too.

• Rich asks: You show the deck first without the hall and then after he shot it as a whole?

  • 1. David Matkin answers: Touche Ehrin... I would add... spell check too!
  • 2. Ehrin answers: Oh safe space now?
  • 3. Michael answers: No the deck itself is not an effect it just part of the design.
  • 4. rex answers: Oh and to David Matkin....you are a perfect example. Touche is not used to congratulate someone for making a good point you moron. It's used when YOUR OPPONENT MAKES A GOOD POINT AGAINST YOU and you concede said point. So next time you think it's funny to make fun of people learning the English language, while you can't seem to string together a coherent sentence and/or still use pretty basic words incorrectly, just know it's not the person you attempted to make fun of who looks stupid, it's.........well let's see if you can "feel" (it's "fill" you complete idiot) in the blank _________ (hint: the answer is Y-O-U, David Matkin).
  • 5. Morris answers: Perhaps English is not this guy's first language, a little grace goes a long way.
  • 6. danny answers: When you're a poor Magician you can always point out someone's spelling and feel better about yourself
  • 7. rex answers: wow - I am sorry for these jerks man. Just because English is not "up to par" as it applies to these jerks, don't let it get you discouraged. These guys can't spell magic if it wasn't for spell check and I am guessing most are uneducated morons who jump over anyone who makes a mistake they can spot because typically, they are the ones who get made fun of. Not to mention, their "magic" is probably about as good as my 3 year old. Again, people like that are letting us all know that deep down, they are sad, feel insignificant, and are questioning the decisions they have made; either their significant other isn't very significant, their kids are an embarrassment, they live with mommy & daddy, they can't seem to find someone that finds them attractive, or all of the above (all of the above would be tough but not impossible). Anyway, I felt compelled to write this as I hate bullies. Keep up your magic my friend. All the best!

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• James asks: Is the musket ball steel, or ? I could see some cool applications with that hole, the ball, and a decent gimmick (like a ring or similar)

  • 1. Michael answers: If the ball is lead or alloy could a steel core not be added for pk effects. I learnt many many years ago a effect with a marble/steel ball if a spectator is asked to cross two of there fingers whilst there eyes are close the magician guides there fingers other the marble/steel ball and the spectator will think/believe he feels two.

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• Eugene asks: Was the bullet that killed Wild Bill actually a musket ball? I thought the gun was a .45 caliber revolver which, of course, did not use musket balls. But maybe you did better research.

  • 1. Craig answers: A few things about Wild Bill and his murder. He was a Lawman and a gambler, not a cowboy. He was shot from behind in the head, not the back. On that fateful day he wan’t able to get a seat at the game with his back to the wall. Hickok killed by a bullet from a revolver that used a cartridges, not a musket ball. Interestingly enough, the bullet that killed Hickok lodged in the wrist of another player at the table. It remained there until his death and made for an interesting story. The cards are interesting, but I don’t think I’d use the musket ball as part of the story.
  • 2. Andrew answers: According to Wikipedia you are correct. However, I have purchased this deck as a piece of intriguing art to build a story line around for a multiple revelation effect. Might I suggest that if your audience is more concerned with the ballistic accuracy than the cards or your magic then something is awry? ;-D But yes, if you want to make a play with the 'bullet' then there appears to be any amount of fake props available on the internet which will be relatively easy to source. This fascinating deck of cards could be a rare one-off opportunity.
  • 3. Andrew answers: Wild Bill.. I portrayed him in Deadwood S.D for a couple of summers... Hickok carried a pair of .36 cal Pearl Handled Navy Colts. As far as McCall's weapon, it was likely he also carried a cap-lock revolver as the newer cartridge weapons were to expensive for an ordinary citizen.. as an old west historian and Re enactor... on last thing.. decks of that era did not have numbers in the corners... only pips on the cards.
  • 4. Josh answers: Is everyone so critical about a perfect re-enactment of history? I am rom SD, still live there, and couldn’t care less about if numbers or just pips were on the cards, if it was a .45 or a musket from the 1700’s. If I’m at your magic show, then I just want you to entertain me...not educate me about the specifics on history of some dead guy from my state and even I don’t much care about. BTW, SD is Probably the most poorly represented and guaranteed state in politics, most underfunded for its Native American population, and often combined with ND as just “Dakota” in some American people’s minds, so I think nobody is going to care about Bill’s history. The cards are cool, and I want you to send them to me if you don’t like yours....just saying.. :)
  • 5. Craig answers: The gun Jack McCall used was a single-action Colt .45 army revolver.
  • 6. Ehrin answers: You did not portray him!! Lol wtf

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• Roy asks: is there a actual routine or video for this deck i bought??

  • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds: This is a deck of cards - not a magic trick.
  • 2. Craig answers: I've always like the idea of the cap gun. It just needs to be done under the right circumstances and conditions.
  • 3. Andrew answers: Look into the issue 33 of JINX..it has a routine of Dead Man's Hand.. and about Wild Bill.. I portrayed him in Deadwood S.D for a couple of summers... Hickok carried a pair of .36 cal Pearl Handled Navy Colts. As far as McCall's weapon, it was likely he also carried a cap-lock revolver as the newer cartridge weapons were to expensive for an ordinary citizen.. as an old west historian and Re enactor... on last thing.. decks of that era did not have numbers in the corners... only pips on the cards.
  • 4. David Matkin answers: Yes just a deck... but OHHHH so many many possibilities.
  • 5. Rob answers: Check out Scarne on Card Tricks ... he has a trick recounting the story of Wild Bill and using the dead man's hand. This deck could make that trick a performance piece.
  • 6. Bob answers: The routine in "Scarne" is a no-sleight, watered-down variation of the Henry T. Christ "Jinx" routine (which is on pages 209 and 214). In fact, Scarne recommends not even using the actual "Dead Man's Hand," lest it unsettle the spectators. [??] The original Jinx routine is shorter and stronger, but with an ending inappropriate for the society we live in. When the spectator turns up the cards he's been dealt, revealing the "Dead Man's Hand," Christ recommends firing off a cap gun or small blank pistol to startle the spectators. Nah, I don't think so.

• Ralph asks: Why does the deck come without a celophane wrapping?

  • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds: Because the decks are finished by hand and not a machine.

• Steven asks: Is the hole symmetrically placed? Meaning, will it still line up perfectly if a card in the middle is turned around or flipped over?

  • 1. Garry answers: The holes do line up if you reverse some cards. But the smudged black around the outside off the whole is more so on one part of the hole compared to the other, So it could look off centre.
  • 2. SGKYDUYEN answers: I'm not sure about that, my Dead Man's Deck is not like that. The hole is not in the center of the card

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• Dale asks: Is there a way to stay on the Vanishing email list, but get OFF of the 'oh look, another 'collectable' (because we printed short on purpose) artsy deck" list?

  • 1. Richard answers: Artsy card decks are magic’s “Beanie Baby” fad. Caviat emptor.
  • 2. Morris answers: now that's funny
  • 3. rex answers: lol. that's funny...I don't care who you are

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• Jeffrey asks: If the hole is not symmetrical, a reversed card will be exposed.This limits applications. Is the hole symmetrical? Are gaffed cards available?

  • 1. SGKYDUYEN answers: The hole is not symmetrical, I think this deck suitable for a collector not for magic trick.

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• Steven asks: Hi.DMD is beautiful. Is there another deck with same back design w/out the hole??? thanks

  • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds: We do not. Sorry!

• Joseph asks: Is there any possibility of another run of these being printed?

  • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds: The best think to do is to keep an eye on our newsletter, if we have plans we will announce them there first.

• Luke asks: Can this deck be used for poker, I heard it has a hole in it and I was wondering if it can actually be used in play or if it is just a novelty

  • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds: It's a normal deck but if you prefer it without the hole, you can take a look at the Unharmed Edition. https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/playing-cards/dead-mans-deck-unharmed-edition/

• Richard asks: Is there a difference between the first run and this run? If not, how is it a limited edition of it’s just a reprint and you will keep reprinting them after this?

  • 1. Tod answers: I would have to guess the difference between this offering (reprint) is different from the first just like books. A First Edition collectable is typically much more valuable (either personally or monetarily or both). Then again, to retain the value, they'd have to be unopened and unused... so not something used for anything but collecting if that's why they're purchased.

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• Jim asks: I noticed that the backs can be used as a one way; nice touch. What do the initials on the back of the cards mean (PC, JBH, DT, DW)? (I'm guessing "JBH" stands for James Bill Hickock).

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