Every card player I know could always use another card deck. Whether that’s you or whether you’re hoping to buy something special for another card player in your life, here’s a look at some of the most eye-catching (and some of the weirdest) card decks that I could find for sale on This is Why I’m Broke.
This is Why I’m Broke lists plenty of unusual items for sale, and it’s one of the best sites to go for pop-culture indulgence. For example, a look at their page of new things lists a Batarang letter opener, a Friday the 13th-themed mask, a levitating surround sound speaker and a killer whale submarine – I kid you not – that goes for $100, 000 (just in case you’d like to try your hand at being a Bond villain).
Please note that outside links, available under the header, link directly to the website where the deck is for sale – usually Amazon (and some Kickstarter), while all of these items were found on the website This is Why I’m Broke.
Here’s what a search turned up.
Black Light Playing Cards
(Link)
If you’ve ever wanted a set of playing cards that lights up under ultraviolet lighting, here you go. It’s great for a poker or bridge game in a nightclub with the right lighting (but I’m not sure how often that actually happens). What it’s terrible for is any card game played in a hotel or the average living room, where you really don’t want things like a 20 year old bloodstain on the carpet that you didn’t know about to light up at the same time.
Programming Playing Cards
(Link)
A lot of bridge players also happen to be programmers, and this might very well be one of the best possible gifts if you know (or are) one of them. Here’s a card deck that’s sure to make any programmer smile, with appropriate snippets of code written on each card. Each bit of code, of course, describes what’s on the card in a language only programmers will understand.
The Rick and Morty Deck
(Link)
Rick and Morty is an extremely popular series. Inappropriate at the best of times, too, but popular nonetheless. If you know any Rick and Morty fans that haven’t been quite introduced to bridge yet, then this themed deck makes for a great gift.
The X-Ray Deck
(Link)
The X-Ray deck makes a great gift for anyone who loves darker-themed decks (or, well, someone who has gotten a lot of x-rays – which probably describes a great deal of bridge players out there). Each card has an appropriate x-ray of a human skull, printed in black.
The Solitare.exe Deck
(Link)
Know someone who played far too much Windows Solitaire? I think everyone does. Here’s the perfect card deck designed for a nostalgic throwback, with images straight from the classic older versions of Solitaire that was bundled with Windows.
The Giant Card Deck
(Link)
Large-print card decks are useful – but what do you do when you want to go even larger? The giant card deck is your answer, giving you an unusually and comically large card deck that’s great for a novelty bridge game or a party.
The Glow in the Dark Deck
(Link)
Perhaps a far better idea than the ultraviolet deck, this deck glows in the dark – and of course, glows with eerie images of skeletons that are hidden under the cards in normal light. This is perfect for Halloween-themed parties, or perfect for scaring everyone when the cards in their hands suddenly transform when the sun sets. Use it as you wish…
The Super Mario Deck
(Link)
A lot of game-players grew up with the classic form of Super Mario. Here’s an appropriate deck to remind them of days when graphics were simpler – and it might even get a few video game players to explore card games!
The Bruce Lee Deck
(Link)
If you know a die-hard fan of martial arts flicks, then the Bruce Lee deck is the perfect purchase for them. It’s even great for card games accompanying a movie night.
The Carbon Fibre Deck
(Link)
A project from Kickstarter, the carbon fibre deck promises to be impossible to destroy – and makes a surprisingly good travelling deck for when you don’t know what kind of conditions you’ll be travelling to and might not want to take a vintage deck along.
The Zombie Deck
(Link)
Know what goes really well with playing cards? Zombies. (Okay, maybe not, but it’s still a great deck for a Halloween-themed party- or for your next bridge game where everyone’s sense of humour is wayward enough to enjoy this one.)