Early Conjuring Arts Erdnase - Cambric vs Ivory

[stelwibe]

Dont know if this is the correct place to post. Feel free to bump me if I need to put under different category.

New to collecting and looking at previously released Conjuring Art Erdnase decks. From what I can tell from researching (I actually did try to research so I would not catch too much crap for not doing so, but feel free to correct me if I have mis-researched), looks like the notation on the tuck box did not start until the 5th release (the Blue Smith Back No.2). So for the Black Smith Back, Green Acorn V1, Red Smith Back and Red/Gold Acorn, is there some sort of marking on Tuck box that would indicate without having to open? Or if buying on ebay/secondary market, are you pretty much just trusting the seller, not that you would not be trusting the seller to a certain extent anyway?

Also, does anyone know if the production amount was generally the same between ivory/cambric, or if there is typically more of one relative to the other?

[DelMagic]

There is more cambric than ivory.

As for the notation on the boxes, CARC handled it in two ways. If you bought a brick, then the brick box had the notation on it letting you know what was in it. If you bought less than a brick, the ivory decks came with some sort of sticker on them while the cambric were just plain.

Once the decks were removed from a brick box, if the owner didn't mark them somewhow, then there is no way to know which is which without opening them. It is annoying to say the least. I have purchased some from other collectors and there was no identifying marks on the boxes, so I can't really sell or trade them since I don't have good confidence in what they are.

[stelwibe]

Thanks for the information DelMagic. I agree, does not make a lot of sense from at least a collectors perspective.
Maybe it is not as big a deal when actually using the decks. Cant see that it would matter for poker.
Not a cardist so would not know as much about that. But in that case, you would be opening the deck anyway. Guess you would just have to make due with whichever it was.

Thanks again