UnitedCardists.com - The forum for Cardistry, Magic, Custom Decks and All Things Playing Cards.

My understanding is that this deck is finished, so when can we expect to start seeing shipping notifications Lotrek??

Cheers,

Cardians wrote:My understanding is that this deck is finished, so when can we expect to start seeing shipping notifications Lotrek??

Cheers,

I don't think we will see any shipping until he closes the buy window today and then, if not all of them were bought, he will run a kickstarter, and then shipping will likely not happen until after that. I think we are waiting to find out if he will go to KS or not

There will be no KS as the deck almost sold out during the 24h presale. Pretty impressive! Only a few decks were left...
You will get your tracking numbers as scheduled, next Friday 24 March.

Thank you all!

And big thanks too, to Smeagol of Underbool ....

Thank you !

And once more Lotrek managed to fail on his word....

New shipping date: 31st March. Fingers crossed!!!

sms69x wrote:And once more Lotrek managed to fail on his word....

New shipping date: 31st March. Fingers crossed!!!

Lol at least he didn't say "guarantee" this time.

A week delay is completely within reason for the Lotrek process.
Most Kickstartists wouldn't even give an update if there had been a three week delay.

sms69x wrote:And once more Lotrek managed to fail on his word....

New shipping date: 31st March. Fingers crossed!!!

But the cards are improved even more plus he got help from his printer. It's a win for a week delay (hopefully last delay).

He does have to stop finding improvements causing delays and apply them to future decks.

It never ceases to amaze me that every time Lotrek comments on UC or sends out a mass email from his website, I hear an ever so slightly violin playing.

This update is total BS. Waits to the day of shipping to inform everyone of his imperfection(s). I read somewhere that he was a FULL-TIME card maker. Makes me wonder, are you sure?

This is the email I received when I questioned him regarding my shipment of the Red Misaligned decks.
When I receive an email like that, wait for his announcement to buy pre-sale and further read on March 17th that shipping will commence March 24th (only 7 days ago) to only find out there's NOW issues!?! Why couldn't this update come sooner. According to Lotrek's shipping update, he's been hand-polishing each sheet all week.

This is completely unacceptable and unprofessional on many levels.

I understand he wants to put out the very best quality for his decks and expects nothing less, but these continued delays, not with just this deck but so many others, is putting Lotrek in the same catagory of JR which is accountability. Can't believe anything he says.

I guess when your only producing 100-150 decks @ $90/deck, you can continue to take hits from your $10k+ budget to produce a deck.

Another week, another excuse.

Cardians said:

"This update is total BS. Waits to the day of shipping to inform everyone of his imperfection(s)."

-NOT imperfections. I just want to do the best I can for a $95 deck although the 5 foils even without varnish at all would be impressive enough. Since I see room for improvement, I cannot rest unless I do it. That's why I printed ICONS 5 times (if I'm not forgetting anything).


"to only find out there's NOW issues!?! Why couldn't this update come sooner."

If you consider the amount of work I had to do, I'm surprised I didn't send this update even later. Plus, I wanted to be as precise as I could giving the new shipping date. I cannot keep changing dates forever. I could "hide" and remain silent for a week until the decks were shipped, saying some BS like "I was sick" or "my auntie died". Not my style.
Improving something that is already good isn't what you would call "an issue". Misalignment, misprints, bad cutting, wrong pips etc are issues. None of these happens here.

"According to Lotrek's shipping update, he's been hand-polishing each sheet all week."

-Not polishing. That would be impossible. Just applying a thin sealing film of varnish to protect the foil from the press.

"I understand he wants to put out the very best quality for his decks and expects nothing less, but these continued delays, not with just this deck but so many others, is putting Lotrek in the same catagory of JR which is accountability. Can't believe anything he says."

-Unfortunately you have a point here and there is not much I can say to defend myself. No matter why, a delay is a delay and it sucks for all. But I believe you'll forget about it when the decks arrive

Some of the comments here seem a bit harsh. I'm fine as long as the deck is improved, and I guess Lotrek is still learning so hiccups are bound to happen. I don't mean to push any more buttons here, but what's the status on the grotest black mass, inferno and bronze editions?

Those who can, do.
Those who cannot, hyperventilate ....
Those who advocate calumny and deflection may go master their sorry selves, in private.

Let us collect, or no, but spare us yer synthetic sincerity.

Discuss.

I'm happy to receive Lotrek's decks, I have several of them in my collection and I'm proud of them. So far, I received all the decks I have pledged for and I like them. That's the only thing that matters for me. If I'm not wrong I was supposed to receive tracking info a couple of days ago and now I read here that there will be a delay. Well, I'm not upset or worried, I will just wait the new deadline.

pablo19 wrote:Some of the comments here seem a bit harsh.

I think Lotrek get's the most allowances from this community out of all of the creators that make mistakes. I have seen much worse for much less. I think Lotrek has justifiably earned himself a reputation for being unreliable in delivery, right next to the reputation he has earned for quality. Both are equally earned, both are equally valid. Both are to be expected from his projects

Justin O. wrote:

pablo19 wrote:Some of the comments here seem a bit harsh.

I think Lotrek get's the most allowances from this community out of all of the creators that make mistakes. I have seen much worse for much less. I think Lotrek has justifiably earned himself a reputation for being unreliable in delivery, right next to the reputation he has earned for quality. Both are equally earned, both are equally valid. Both are to be expected from his projects

I agree. Which is why I've been saying for years now that he should PRINT the decks before he sells them. He will not be creating decks in vain because we will buy every last one of them so money shouldn't be an issue. Golden OATH was almost that but hopefully his next projects will have a few less early leaks/teasers until the decks are 100% ready-to-go.

I agree 100% about a deck being 100% ready to go. All the bugs, kinks, mistakes, extras can be added and tried out before announcing the project so on release date, it's perfect.

This may been mentioned but Randy Butterfield is great at this. Having the release date, order the cards, get a tracking number and boom, get your decks already.

I understand artist want to have their work best as possible. For us collectors, buyers, etc. we don't need to know the whole process of the deck being created. Some designers want us to feel like we're witnessing the creative process or the magic happening during or before something is funded but it's not always necessary. The final product is what matters. No problem with showing us the proofs or actual tuck cases but that's when the deck is near completion.

Bikefanatic wrote:For us collectors, buyers, etc. we don't need to know the whole process of the deck being created. Some designers want us to feel like we're witnessing the creative process or the magic happening during or before something is funded but it's not always necessary. The final product is what matters. No problem with showing us the proofs or actual tuck cases but that's when the deck is near completion.

I'd rather have updates like Gio's or Lorenzo's, and others creators, so I know the project is moving along and get to see any changes they make for the better. No updates cause me concern.

Justin O. wrote:

pablo19 wrote:Some of the comments here seem a bit harsh.

I think Lotrek get's the most allowances from this community out of all of the creators that make mistakes. I have seen much worse for much less. I think Lotrek has justifiably earned himself a reputation for being unreliable in delivery, right next to the reputation he has earned for quality. Both are equally earned, both are equally valid. Both are to be expected from his projects

Unfortunately, I agree 100%. My goal is to keep the reputation of quality only and get rid of the other one. The main reason for my problems is that there is no playing card industry in Greece. So I have to supervise almost everything but still, problems may occur. For which I don't know where they came from. For example, in Liturgy Treasure I had no problem in varnishing the foiled back. In Golden Oath, I had. I used exactly the same foil, same quality stock, same foiling workshop. No idea what happened. So I had to go through this crazy "hand sealing" process. Tomorrow I'm getting the cut decks and I'll start preparing packages for Friday.

But all of you who say I must have the decks 100% ready before I announce the sale, are totally right. This is what I plan to do from my next self-funded deck. It's an OATH!

Lotrek wrote:This is what I plan to do from my next self-funded deck. It's an OATH!

Plans and promises. You're scaring me Lotrek.

Did anyone receive tracking from Lotrek?

Friday March 31st has come and gone unless it's still Friday in Greece (somehow).

Guess the April Fool's joke is on us. What's going to be the excuse this weekend...?

Cardician_82 wrote:Did anyone receive tracking from Lotrek?

Friday March 31st has come and gone unless it's still Friday in Greece (somehow).

Guess the April Fool's joke is on us. What's going to be the excuse this weekend...?

Mike made an announcement that Lotrek has come down with a case of pneumonia.

Looking at the thread, nowhere is it mentioned by ANYONE that Lotrek has come down with pneumonia. I understand the severity of this infection and wish him well, but this information should be coming directly from Lotrek himself if it involves the completion and shipments of already purchased decks. I understand Mike may be involved with Lotrek on a consist basis, but he's not in Greece working beside him and/or can tell us when completion and shipment will commence.

And you think he got a lung infection from hand-varnishing each sheet?? I'm sure if your handling/inhaling any kinda chemicals your immune system is going to fail and bound to come down with something.

Never ending story with this creators decks...

pablo19 wrote:

Cardician_82 wrote:Did anyone receive tracking from Lotrek?

Friday March 31st has come and gone unless it's still Friday in Greece (somehow).

Guess the April Fool's joke is on us. What's going to be the excuse this weekend...?

Mike made an announcement that Lotrek has come down with a case of pneumonia.

Oh, that's bad... is the announcement here on UC?

You make accusations of lying, misrepresentation and fraud ?
You simply set yourself up as an insufferable fool ?

You defraud yourself.

*sighs*

Riccardo yes .... see site announcments thread via Board index

Cardician_82 wrote:Looking at the thread, nowhere is it mentioned by ANYONE that Lotrek has come down with pneumonia. I understand the severity of this infection and wish him well, but this information should be coming directly from Lotrek himself if it involves the completion and shipments of already purchased decks. I understand Mike may be involved with Lotrek on a consist basis, but he's not in Greece working beside him and/or can tell us when completion and shipment will commence.

And you think he got a lung infection from hand-varnishing each sheet?? I'm sure if your handling/inhaling any kinda chemicals your immune system is going to fail and bound to come down with something.

Never ending story with this creators decks...

Give Lotrek a break Cardician_82! The man is a perfectionist always pushing the envelope for the best cards possible. If you can't be patient with a man who has to deal with 12 different vendors to create a deck of cards, I asked him in a message and he told me, of which most of them he oversees their work so it's not screwed up then don't buy a deck from him.

Read the pneumonia info here viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9769.

RichK wrote: Give Lotrek a break Cardician_82! The man is a perfectionist always pushing the envelope for the best cards possible. If you can't be patient with a man who has to deal with 12 different vendors to create a deck of cards, I asked him in a message and he told me, of which most of them he oversees their work so it's not screwed up then don't buy a deck from him.

Read the pneumonia info here viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9769.

I think you mean, be patient with a man who still has 12 different decks to produce & fulfill to his LOYAL customers that have been waiting patiently with him on more than one occasion.

Like I said early, I did not know Lotrek had come down with an infection that put him in the hospital. Maybe that update should've been given to in this thread instead of Mike creating a new thread on a different index board. Would've helped me and some others.

Lastly, I respect all Lotrek does for the card community, but when something is purchased directly from his website and it's not stated anywhere it's a "pre-order" then customers have every right to question statements made from the creator himself on this board.

Condemnation for perfection you yourself are incapable of producing.
How patently insufferable you must be to your own self.

edit.
Next it will be requesting reason from others in the face of your initial lack of it.
You want reason ?
Look for it from yourself then.

I guess that I assume too much. Most of us long timers use the "New Posts" function to keep up, and I didn't think it was appropriate to post that note in two, three or four places, so I put it where it made the most sense to me.

Lotrek & I are business partners, so I do keep up on an almost daily basis. The Dondorf #1000 restoration is the first of what is hopefully many classic decks to come from Chromografix, our collaboration.

One thing he didn't really point out is that he's truly a one man band, and dependant on things working correctly. Some really minor things that anyone else would ignore (or not even notice) have caused delays and reprints where anyone else would have let it go.

Perfection birders on lunacy at times.

Cardician_82 wrote:Like I said early, I did not know Lotrek had come down with an infection that put him in the hospital. Maybe that update should've been given to in this thread instead of Mike creating a new thread on a different index board. Would've helped me and some others.

No offence, but if you frequent an internet forum and never check a section called "Announcements", then you're doing it wrong.

Guys, I'm back!

My pneumonia is cured, however the doctor said I still have to be very careful and most important I have to rest. I will but first I had to send the Golden Oath decks

All decks were sent today and tracking numbers will be provided on request. I'm just too tired to do it for all this time, so if you want your tracking# just send me an email.

Thank you for being once more so patient with me. I hope you'll find the shiny foiled babies worth the wait!