As a massive paisley fan (I make no apologies for THAT!) I cannot believe I let the Dapper Deck from Vanishing Inc pass me by. This is a really attractive deck with the paisley inspired back design picked out in the detail of the Aces too. I’m not sure I would perform with them since they may seem too unusual for a spectator – but a thing of beauty to collect! £7.50

If you like the concept but want something that would be more understated for performance, there is a NOC release which maintains the signature NOC plain back, but the paisley accent appears on the aces and on the inside of the tuck case. £7.99  And if it’s not too early to think about Christmas, what about this Deluxe Set for that special someone in your life? Both colour ways of the Dapper Deck, plus a beautiful matching handkerchief and tie, all in a gorgeous wooden box with built in practise mirror! £136.99 (only 400 sets produced)

Sticking with the elegance theme, the beautiful Bicycle Aurora Playing Cards are well worth a look. For those of you who aren’t classicists, Aurora means ‘dawn,’ and the golds of dawn and silvers of dusk mark out the court and spot cards respectively. Nicely realised with an embossed tuck case – another good one for the collection. £13.99

I’m not always a fan of solid colour faces on playing cards, but the striking fan designs you can achieve with the Bicycle Red Castle playing cards more than make up for my slight reservations about this approach. There’s a clear heraldic influence with strong court cards – but it’s that borderless back design that really grabs me here. £9.50

If you enjoy the world of the Ancient Egyptian Gods, and are looking for a classy and luxurious deck, you would do well to consider the Osiris and Anubis decks. They’re not cheap decks, but with the gold ink and foil and embossed tuck cases they look the part. Each £16.99

And for a similar ‘luxury’ feel, but at almost half the price, then you may wish to consider Theory 11’s recent release – the Tycoon Playing Cards. They are available in Ivory and in Black and are inspired by the elegance of the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel. Check out the skin tones on the court cards which are Fournier designs. £9.50

That’s surely enough to keep you going for now?! Look out for more close up and card magic news and reviews coming soon…

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