What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

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What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

Unread post by flashcards »

Dear friends, I am very new to collecting cards. I've noticed here on UC that there is a lot of discussion about tuck boxes. For me, in my current ignorant state, a tuck box is just container to keep the cards from being lost. While some are nice looking, I'm more interested in the cards themselves. What am I missing here? How does a tuck box add to the aesthetic "value" of a deck? What should one look for in a tuck box? What's the deal with foil? Why is that desirable? Please explain to a newbie everything he needs to know about tucks.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your responses. Let the education begin!
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Re: What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

Unread post by MagikFingerz »

There are those who does not open most of their deck, which means that the tuck box is all they see. Those types of collectors tend to be quite invested in the appearance of the tuck.

While I think the tuck box is "part" of the deck and should present it and compliment it, I also think it shouldn't be the main focus. I dislike seeing a tuck that's blinged out more than the cards, which leads to a feeling of disappointment when taking the cards out. But that might just be me, Theory11 cards seem to be selling well still.
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Re: What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

Unread post by Eoghann »

Ok, let me put it like this:

Image

Now let me elaborate:

- great card design
- metallic inks
- foil on backs
- great tuck design
- innovative tuck stock
- metallic inks on tuck
- foil on tuck
- printed tuck interior

You can mix and match however you like, and it works both ways where a tuck is incredible and the decks are bland, the decks are incredible and tuck is bland. We go crazy when the designers take care of enhancing everything in a deck. Inside and out. Like opening an exquisitely wrapped present during Christmas vs one wrapped in newspaper. To some the tuck is meaningless, while to others it's everything. It just depends on your collecting style. But many of us appreciate a well rounded deck.
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Re: What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

Unread post by chach »

The thing that I've never quite understood is printing on the inside of the tuck. Especially incredibly detailed printings a la maps or other such things. Heck we have already had foil on the inside of tucks ( Sherlock Ltd & Gnostic come to mind right away but I'm sure there's more) so I'm sure it won't be long until we have the interior design take the tuck's embossing into account as well as incorporate foil designs. Wasted efforts IMO.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see a cool little design when you open the flap, but I think it is just wasted cost to have the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel on the inside of the tuck case where it will never even be able to be fully appreciated unless you rip it open or are somehow able to buy an uncut tuck case sheet. I'm all for pretty boxes, but when it comes to printing on the inside I'd rather the artist concentrate their efforts elsewhere and lower the cost of the deck. Or just have a nice basic design. No need to be going crazy there.


Unless you're Daniel Madison or whoever it is that makes those Fontaine decks (brain fart, can't remember their name right now). Then please by Odin's will do something, ANYTHING, to set your decks apart.
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Re: What's the Deal with Tuck Boxes?

Unread post by Marcus »

Ah, but the interior printing is about attention to detail (and therefore the bigger picture). Sure, some designs will work well with a white interior, but some designs would just feel unfinished that way. The Hound of Baskervilles deck by Jackson is a perfect example of the latter. The red on the inside of that is a perfect example of how important it is to design every element of the project (even if that in some cases might lead to a white interior).
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