First up are two new decks by Art of Play. I really like the blend of old and new in the Blue Wheel Playing Cards. They take a nod in the direction of the classic Rider Back, incorporating elements of a bicycle in the design, but have created some fun contemporary court cards which really appeal. A good looking deck which could be used in a variety of settings. £11.99 Their second deck, the Jungle Playing Cards, is less appealing to me. It is bright, verging on the garish. Even the indices are busy. £14.99

We normally shy off the ‘novelty’ Bicycle Cards but I can actually see the Bicycle Denim Playing Cards fitting in a kind of street magic context. The Denim look also works well in a spread/fan. £12.50 Similarly the Bicycle Wood Playing Cards actually deliver a little more than we would expect. The overall impression of this particular deck is of age – so they could fit in to various bizarre type routines or plots based around the past. And they have a subtle one-way feature built in which would again have various applications in magic. £14.99

The Don Quixote deck is a thing of great beauty. The court cards have been beautifully drawn to represent characters from the classic Don Quixote novel. They’ve been printed on a premium card stock, and the tuck box is an elegant statement in its own right. I think these are going to appeal primarily to collectors due to their limited print run, but I could also see a creative story-telling magician getting great value out of these. £14.99 There is also a ‘Don Edition‘ of these cards with a black face which provides a different look again. £14.99

And finally, we spotted this Bicycle Disruption Deck. I’ll be honest, I don’t like the design of this that much, although there is something quirky about the court cards. However, the idea of a jumbled deck which messes with your mind could be really powerful in conjunction with a mentalism plot – so I can see some applications for this deck. And in a limited run of 1000 it is also very collectable. £14.99

What new decks have taken your fancy?

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