Encarded First Edition by Paul Carpenter
The Encarded First Edition is a limited edition of 2,500 designed by Paul Carpenter and manufactured by the Expert Playing Card Company.
Designer Paul Carpenter, founder of Encarded Playing Card Co. and who is "dedicated to exploring new ideas in playing card design", has had numerious successful Kickstarter campaigns as well as the honour of designing 52 Plus Joker's 2015 club deck.
The Encarded First Edition deck (reviewed here) was released in 2014, positioned as a practical deck for playing games as well as cardistry. Carpenter's deck could now be considered an early emergence of a luxury collectable deck, because it has many of the features that these decks are now known for.
The Encarded First Edition deck has a limited print run of 2,500. On the design process, Carpenter explains "each deck I produce is inspired by something new, perhaps a trip I took, or a fragment of a design I saw in a museum, or a concept that I hadn't seen explored before. I take a long time to ponder a design and work out every little detail, and I try to infuse each with it's own spirit. I also promised never to reprint a design and each is quite limited in nature, so the collector can be assured that if they get an Encarded deck, it's a guaranteed collector item and won't be replaced by a new printing".
The deck is printed by the Expert Playing Card Company, based out of New York with their manufacturing partner in Taiwan.
The First Edition's box features silver foil and embossed details, which EPCC says are "stunning and made to perfection". Carpenter adds that "I like to push the design limits, these days many cards use foil but back in 2014 I don’t think anyone was doing foil on cards."
EPCC continues "this is the first edition of a special series of small runs. Each time a design in the Standard Edition series sells out, Paul’s intention is to redesign the deck and re-release it with a new deck color, so that there is always one of these beautiful decks in production. This should turn out to be quite a series!"
The Expert Playing Card Company focuses on producing luxury decks for collectors as well as decks for cardists, adding that the Encarded First Edition has "perfect borders, smooth edges and amazing handling customary to every EPCC deck".
There are 54 cards in the deck: 52 playing cards, 2 jokers.
References
By Adam Wintle
Member since March 15, 1997
Adam has been involved in developing the site as well as reviewing new decks and conducting research. He is particularly interested in innovation, Kickstarter and East Asian cards. He is a member of the IPCS and webmaster of the EPCS.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Tarot for Baby
This board book simplifies tarot archetypes into accessible affirmations for young children.
Poker Lusso
Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.
Music playing cards
Portraits of 13 classical music composers.
Star Trek II • The Wrath of Khan
This deck is a vibrant photographic tribute to "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," one of the most be...
Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII
Luxury pack for the Spanish fashion house Loewe, with 17th century costume designs by Margot Hamilto...
Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards Past Masters’ Association Presentation Pack, 2013....
Norfin® Trolls
Troll dolls with gaudy hairstyles in a multitude of different costumes.
Impressionist Art Cards
Details of 13 paintings by 8 different Impressionist artists on elongated cards.
Safety playing cards
Safety playing cards designed to reinforce the “Think and Be Safe” concept.
Politicards 2016 & Politikids 2016
Politicards™ 2016 & Politikids 2016: twin decks of satirical playing cards produced by Peter Green f...
K Deck
“K Deck” political playing cards, USA, c. 2004.
Tuxedo playing cards
Stylish ‘Tuxedo’ playing cards with animal faces created by Natalia Silva, USA, 2016.
The Deck of Hillary
‘The Deck of Hillary’ with quotes and photographs of Hillary Clinton, USA, 2003.
Shakespeare playing cards: Insults
Shakespeare Insults playing cards with portraits by Jan Padover, USA, 2005.
Shakespeare playing cards: Quotes
Shakespeare playing cards: Quotes, the first volume of a double set published by Prospero Art of San...
Old Testament playing cards
Old Testament playing cards with illustrations by Jan Padover, USA, 2012.
Politicards 2008
Politicards ’08 with caricatures cast as characters from classic movies, USA.
Starz behind bars
Starz behind bars playing cards with mug shots of the rich and famous under arrest, USA, 2003.
House of Cards: Deck of Bush
House of Cards: Deck of Bush playing cards presenting reasons not to re-elect President Bush for a s...
Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort whiskey playing cards, USA.
Holy Trinity Church playing cards
Holy Trinity Church commemoration playing cards, USA, 2011.
Batman® playing cards
Characters from Batman: The Animated Series on a pack issued in 1992.
FDR New Deal Deck
Facsimile of ‘FDR New Deal Deck’ of 1934 re-published by Bill Schroeder, USA, 2010.
Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites
Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites, USA, 2008
Politically Wild John McCain
“Politically Wild John McCain” published by Newt’s Playing Cards, USA, 2008.
Mohegan Sun playing cards
Mohegan Sun playing cards published by Gemaco for Mohegan Sun casino.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! playing cards
Strange facts from Robert Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’ books, in the form of cartoons.
Undressed deck
Undressed deck created by Edi Rudo and Néro Catineau, USA, 2020.
Fate fortune telling cards
Fate fortune telling cards published by Merrimack Publishing Corporation, USA.
Politicards 2004
Politicards 2004 with satirical cartoons by the award-winning illustrator Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1971
Politicards 1971 for the presidential election in which Richard Nixon won a landslide victory.
Politicards 1996
Politicards ’96 with satirical caricatures on every card by Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1984
Politicards 1984 with caricatures by Donald Gates, published by the Kamber Group, USA.
Politicards 1980
Politicards 1980 in which Ronald Reagan defeated the incumbent Jimmy Carter, with caricatures by Kei...
Card Tricks
Stereotypical representations of gay men and men they most admire, in a 1981 pack from San Francisco...
Royal flash playing cards
Royal flash playing cards with non-standard suits, USA, 1974.
Ms. playing cards
‘Ms. playing cards’ promoting votes for women, USA, 1975.
Old Met playing cards
Old Met playing cards published by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, USA, 1986.
Don Quixote playing cards
Don Quixote playing cards designed by Nam Tibon, USA, 2016.
Calaveras De Azúcar
Calaveras De Azúcar playing cards produced by Natalia Silva, USA, 2017.