Retro Bikes @ Target

[jerichoholic]

Someone found these at Target, looks pretty good. Apparently the faces are also fairly vintage styled.

[jerichoholic]

Nobody's interested?

[Eoghann]

Got a picture of the faces by any chance?

Are they like that "coffee stained" vintage that came out a while ago? Or would they be different? Guess I could stop by Target and see if there are any. I didn't like the coffee stained ones though.

[vasta41]

I like how the red and blue ones have "Bicycle" written in Tally-Ho font. Way cool! Too bad I probably won't see these any time soon- Boston area seems to always get these late, if at all.

[jerichoholic]

I believe the faces are pretty much white and not a dirty color. Don't have any good pics of them as I haven't gotten them yet

[CBJ]

I like how the red and blue ones have "Bicycle" written in Tally-Ho font. Way cool! Too bad I probably won't see these any time soon- Boston area seems to always get these late, if at all.

Some of the old decks had that font





Jay

[rousselle]

I'll swing by Target today to see if I can pick some up. Thanks for the heads up!

[ryansworld4]

Cool decks, I like the green deck a lot, to bad Target only lasted a month in Canada then went out of business, im sure ill be able to find some though

[jerichoholic]

Actually Target lasted over a year, not a month. Either way Canadian stores never have the good decks.

[ddorn]

Not sure if I am willing to pay the $5.00 they are asking, locally. I'll see if they go like the Rhapsody cards did. Much cheaper to get, after a bit of time for distributers to catch up on supply.

[nECr0MaNCeD]

I'll stop by Target on my lunch today. If they have them I will try to grab extras for those who can't find them. If I do I will post it here and sell them for cost of course. Thanks for the heads up Victor.

[rousselle]

So, the boxes play up the "Russell & Morgan Factory" in "Cincinnati, Ohio." Does USPCC still maintain any of the original equipment that they had in Cinci, or is this just repro art that is also, coincidentally, misleading? Nowhere on the decks on the outside does it say that it's *actually* printed in Kentucky (although on the bottom flap it does say that USPCC is headquartered there.)

Does anyone here have any insight on this?

[Mike Ratledge]

So, the boxes play up the "Russell & Morgan Factory" in "Cincinnati, Ohio." Does USPCC still maintain any of the original equipment that they had in Cinci, or is this just repro art that is also, coincidentally, misleading? Nowhere on the decks on the outside does it say that it's *actually* printed in Kentucky (although on the bottom flap it does say that USPCC is headquartered there.)

Does anyone here have any insight on this?

I understand the intent, but I also find it very misleading. The reason that they can't reproduce the finish of the Norwood (Cincinnati) plant is due to the fact that all the old equipment was replaced when they moved to Erlanger KY. These decks ought to have the Cinci indicator 'scrubbed' from the tucks, that's just not true. I think it's pretty lame of them to sell them indicating that they are anything but what they are, and these clearly are not made in Cincinnati.

[SBurk49]

I found them here in Austin, Tx.

The tucks are very nice. Embossing and everything. Love you old school pips as well. Handling and stock seem to not be traditional bike stock and finish. I'm not an expert, but they don't fan as well and the stick seems real stiff.

However I am disappointed in the $5 price tag. Even at Target. These are mass produced uspcc. I'm used to the $3-$4 range. Is $5 really a necessary markup?

[Mike Ratledge]

I found them here in Austin, Tx.

The tucks are very nice. Embossing and everything. Love you old school pips as well. Handling and stock seem to not be traditional bike stock and finish. I'm not an expert, but they don't fan as well and the stick seems real stiff.

However I am disappointed in the $5 price tag. Even at Target. These are mass produced uspcc. I'm used to the $3-$4 range. Is $5 really a necessary markup?

Since Walmart can sell double decks of "plain old" Bicycle branded cards for a dollar, what do you think? The paper costs about a quarter, well, times two. I'm not trying to guess what Target paid, just what they cost to make at the factory, and it's about $0.50 - maybe a little more, but you have to figure that they pumped out 10,000 if not 10x that many decks, so it's not much more - at all. In fact, that price is based on 2 kilo-tonnes of paper, and you know USPCC buys a whole lot of paper, certainly can get better prices than I can.

[JacksonRobinson]

So, the boxes play up the "Russell & Morgan Factory" in "Cincinnati, Ohio." Does USPCC still maintain any of the original equipment that they had in Cinci, or is this just repro art that is also, coincidentally, misleading? Nowhere on the decks on the outside does it say that it's *actually* printed in Kentucky (although on the bottom flap it does say that USPCC is headquartered there.)

Does anyone here have any insight on this?

As for the words Cincinnati and such being on the tuck is not misleading because any card collector is going to know that these are both vintage remakes and also that these are not printed in Cincinnati. Deck remakes are a dime a dozen nowadays and half of the draw of remaking decks is paying homage to the original makers/printers not trying bait and switch buyers.

As for USPCC having original Cincinnati equipment, yes they have a few of the original machines. However none that are printing presses. The machines that still cut the cards is from 1910 and still has the iron claw foot legs on it. Its actually pretty sweet to see this shiny Heidelberg next to an ancient machine.

[Marcus]

I honestly think USPCC couldn't care less about the Cincinnati/Kentucky thing, since it's less than 0.01% of their customers who are even aware of any differences, and not even all of those actually care much these days. It might still be considered misleading, but I don't think the issue has even crossed their minds.

[vasta41]

Misleading or not, I want them. Fingers crossed that MA Targets have them!

[nECr0MaNCeD]

I didn't make it to Target on my lunch break yesterday, I will try today. Anyone who wants some of these please reply or PM me and I'll be glad to grab some.

[CBJ]

I didn't make it to Target on my lunch break yesterday, I will try today. Anyone who wants some of these please reply or PM me and I'll be glad to grab some.

I'd be up for a set of the 4 different decks

[nECr0MaNCeD]

I didn't make it to Target on my lunch break yesterday, I will try today. Anyone who wants some of these please reply or PM me and I'll be glad to grab some.

I'd be up for a set of the 4 different decks

Sure thing CBJ.

I forgot to mention cards and shipping will be cost of course.

[CBJ]

Sure thing CBJ.

I forgot to mention cards and shipping will be cost of course.

Thanks!!

[LouCipherr]

I went to a Target near my work (Columbia, MD) and they had one deck. ONE! And to top it all off, it was the ugly brown one.

That being said, of course I picked it up but apparently I'll be out on the road this week looking for other Targets to raid.


I have to agree with the others here - the tuck boldly advertises in large letters at the bottom, "U.S. Playing Card Co. Cincinnati USA Russell & Morgan Factories" which is misleading. I doubt the average person knows or cares about the difference, but it certainly seems odd they went with a big Ohio statement on the tuck even though they're not made there anymore. I mean, I know the design is supposed to be "retro", but...

I have yet to open them (still at work, boss probably wouldn't appreciate me practicing when I should be working) so I have no idea how they handle. I'll report back once I crack them open and work with them a bit.


**edited to add: They were $4.99/ea

[vasta41]

Guys, who really cares about what it says on the tuck? If they remade a nice old design and replaced whatever old printing co. it was to "Erlanger" it would be a monstrosity. No one cared when CARC/D$D came out with the Bee Squeezers and it said "N.Y. Consolidated" all over it. And guess what? We knew it came from Erlanger because we're not dumb and the people who didn't know probably didn't care anyway!

/rant

[MagikFingerz]

Guys, who really cares about what it says on the tuck? If they remade a nice old design and replaced whatever old printing co. it was to "Erlanger" it would be a monstrosity. No one cared when CARC/D$D came out with the Bee Squeezers and it said "N.Y. Consolidated" all over it. And guess what? We knew it came from Erlanger because we're not dumb and the people who didn't know probably didn't care anyway!

/rant

If the USPCC had managed to make their cards better or even as good as the ones they printed in Ohio, then this probably wouldn't be an issue at all. But they haven't, and thus Ohio-printed cards are now sought-after as a result. For someone new to the scene with this information, having Cincinatti, OH printed on new decks can definitely be misleading.

N.Y. Consolidated existed so long ago that nobody would make the mistake (1962). The move from Cincinatti was barely 6 years ago.

I really don't see why they WOULDN'T just remove it or replace it with something else. Do reproductions need to look exactly like the originals? No. In fact, they shouldn't.

[nECr0MaNCeD]

I went to a Target near my work (Columbia, MD) and they had one deck. ONE! And to top it all off, it was the ugly brown one.

That being said, of course I picked it up but apparently I'll be out on the road this week looking for other Targets to raid.


I have to agree with the others here - the tuck boldly advertises in large letters at the bottom, "U.S. Playing Card Co. Cincinnati USA Russell & Morgan Factories" which is misleading. I doubt the average person knows or cares about the difference, but it certainly seems odd they went with a big Ohio statement on the tuck even though they're not made there anymore. I mean, I know the design is supposed to be "retro", but...

I have yet to open them (still at work, boss probably wouldn't appreciate me practicing when I should be working) so I have no idea how they handle. I'll report back once I crack them open and work with them a bit.


**edited to add: They were $4.99/ea

Wow. I didn't realize you were in my area. I live in Silver Spring.

The Target in Rockville near my job had nada. Just the same Club Tattoo decks they've had forever. I'll check the Target nearest my house when I get a chance and some others as well.


BTW Loucipherr... If you're ever in Rockville on the Pike stop into Microcenter and ask for John "the tech".

[LouCipherr]

If you're ever in Rockville on the Pike stop into Microcenter and ask for John "the tech".

I've been to Microcenter quite a few times! A friend of mine lived out in Gaithersburg for years and we would stop by there once in a while. Talk about a small world. I live in Anne Arundel County so I'm quite a distance from SS and I don't get out to that area very often, but next time I am I'll look you up.


I checked another Target near my house. No luck. Same thing: tons of the club tattoo decks, plenty of 2-packs of standard Bikes, a single zombie deck and nothing else worth mentioning.

It's interesting: I travel to the panhandle of West Virginia near Martinsburg quite often and I check the Target there all the time just to see what they have in stock. I don't know what it is, but they are always wiped out of most of their cards too, save the odd two-pack and a Prestige deck here and there. Either Target doesn't stock up on their cards very often, or people are wiping them out of their decks constantly.

[4.of.Clubs]

I didn't find the Retro decks at Target. But I picked this up when I went today. It was about $10 after tax for the pack so a pretty good deal! Although nothing can beat the costco deal when a brick is $10.

[flyers3003]

Question to any Portfolio52 members here - What name do we want to use for these decks when put into the DB? I have the Green and Brown ones which are Autobike #3 backs, and the Blue and Red ones are Chainless Backs, so do we call them "Autobike #3 Back Green [Bicycle]", "Chainless Back Blue [Bicycle]", etc. with the distributor as Target?

[edit] Nevermind, I see Victor already added them.

[CBJ]

these have popped up on the target website


http://www.target.com/p/bicycle-retro-p ... ying+cards" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;