We always strive to get only the best and most unique goods for you. That's why Arrco playing cards from the new factory will never be available in our shop. We, however, still have some Ohio-made Arrcos in stock. Why so and what's the difference? 

Arrco is one of our favourite decks of all time. We always rated its neat back design and custom illustration of faces, reminiscent of other classic decks. What we were really excited about though was the finish of the cards. They were coated with a subtle layer of plastic (do not confuse with woeful 100% plastic coated decks), which offered unique tactile sensations when manipulating the cards. Besides, these decks were some of the most durable we've ever had the privilege to hold in our hands. Those who read the item description and bought a few can second that.

What happened next was unforeseeable - The United States Playing Card Company stopped being a 100% state-owned company and moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to Erlanger, Kentucky. Nothing foretold troubles - the factory just changed its location - let it be. But it turned out that the quality of almost all decks printed by the new factory has significantly deteriorated. Cards became softer and easier to mark. The inks used were bleak and for a period of time people noticed that pips and indices in Bicycle decks reduced in size. The whispers were pointing out that with its relocation to Erlanger and change of ownership to Jarden Corporation, the management started saving on manufacturing process big time and even sold the original card printing press used by the factory in Ohio. This difference might have seemed subtle and invisible for a casual gamer, however was a real cause for alarm for cardists and magicians alike.

We all ended up being hostages of the situation that took place at the beginning of 2010. However, things have levelled out with time. In six months, the majority of decks, including some of the most popular brands like Tally-Ho, Bicycle and Bee, have stepped up their game. They, however, will never be the same or rival those cards printed just a year ago in Ohio. This isn't a catastrophe at all, as we have personally checked each deck from the new factory and made sure that the cards pass our own quality control check and match their described features. They differ from 'old' cards though. It's a very vague and sophisticated thing, difficult to put into words - you just have to feel it.

While the rest of the cards get a 'pass', it's impossible to say 'approved' to the new Arrco decks. In fact, these weren't in plans at all after an unfortunate factory relocation, but have been reprinted per request of an eBay seller (what a deal, though) in four colours: traditional blue and red along with black and green (!). Reprints turned out woeful on all four occasions. Cards bent like a piece of putty, lost their shape within a half an hour of work and became extremely rough after a day of use (fanning with those is a crime against humanity). Immediately after discovering this we decided to withdraw the entire reserve of the new Arrcos from our shop for a sole purpose of using them in our private household needs. They aren't worth more than that. New Arrcos were the subject of angry complaints on US forums, and we bet you won't find a single person claiming they enjoy these decks. Reprints were rejected by everyone: even those who never handled Ohio-made decks didn't rate the new Arrcos.

How to distinguish the old decks from the new ones? Generally, all cards produced in Ohio are housed inside a box covered with a blue seal (with the exception of custom decks). Nowadays cards with a blue seal are hard to find and if you happen to snatch this gem of a find from the shelves of a magic store or some of these still collect dust on your very own shelves - take great care of them as you're holding a piece of history in your hands. 

USPCC moved to Erlanger almost a year ago and since then all decks notoriously feature a black seal. Obviously, it isn't a 'mark of death', and there's nothing wrong with it, until you bring up the case of Arrcos. New Arrco decks naturally have a black seal (note: all 'new' cards on all photos are pictured on the right side, 'old' on the left), text on the bottom of the tuck case is different (now there's info about the new owner), and the cards are almost identical elsewhere. But like we said before, they are fundamentally different handling-wise.

ATTENTION! Exclusively, we brought some good old Arrco from Ohio with blue seals. Quantity is extremely limited. Don't miss your chance.  

PS: Aladdin 1001 decks, widely considered Arrco's cousins, have also changed but to our surprise not for the worse. Smooth finish on a brand new stock feels quite peculiar. These won't fell like 'old' Aladdins in many ways, but they definitely didn't get worse. If you have a chance to compare the two, you can see it for yourself.