Bicycle 809 Playing Cards - Mandolin Back Design - Premium Red Deck for Poker, Magic Tricks & Card Games - Perfect for Casino Nights, Family Gatherings & Professional Performances

A deck for 89 cents? Even with the nearly $3 shipping, that's a deal. The fact that this deck is traditionally cut, like the Rider Backs used to be, just sweetens the deal even more.These decks were made to get around certain copyright & trademark legalities with the Rider Back designs, and their use in custom decks. USPCC is protecting their trademarks by disallowing any future modifications of the back designs of their Rider Back cards, but also working to serve customers that would like to customize the decks; thus they created the Mandolin Back, specifically for this sort of use. For more information, I'd direct you to this pdf:http://www.murphysmagicsupplies.com/additional_files/MANDOLIN%20DECK%20FAQ.pdfAs for the cards themselves, these look like common Rider Backs, and only collectors and cardists would really even notice the difference; to the layperson, the difference is not likely to be seen. These are USPCC printed cards, so the same quality you've come to expect from them and their Bicycle cards is present here. In fact, it's even more so, since the current Rider Backs are no longer traditionally cut; these cards ARE traditionally cut, and this is something that many cardists prefer. These cards are currently marketed towards cardists and the magic industry, but over time, you can expect to find them in other outlets a little more frequently. Will they become as popular or common as the riders? Hard to say. Purists probably won't give them a chance, while the general public will probably not care.Personally, I like the design; it's both familiar and different. I've recently become somewhat of a collector myself, and I like the variety; they fit in nice with the riders, and several other designs I have. I've noticed Amazon now has the blue versions as well, so I'll be picking one (or more) of those up soon as well.