Are the Bicycle Standard Cards a one way back design!?

[PabloFreyG]

I saw on the book " Encyclopedia of Card Magic" on the "one way deck" section that the standard bicycle playing cards are a one way design but anyone know where is the "mark"? Also if you didn't knew most of the bicycle decks are a one way deck: Guardians (The backgroud), Skull (there is a white line on one of the skulls), Dragon Back (the head of one dragon is more thick and the eye is more closed that the others & the aristocrats (that i will not tell you where is the mark )

 

[DominusDolorum]

I'e read that they were a one way design but I could never tell. The book is old though so it's completely possible that minor changes have taken place in the design over the years. Hopefully someone on here will know for sure.

I did not know that about the Dragon Backs though, so I'm going to take a closer look at that deck when I get home.

 

[RealityOne]

I'e read that they were a one way design but I could never tell. The book is old though so it's completely possible that minor changes have taken place in the design over the years. Hopefully someone on here will know for sure.

I did not know that about the Dragon Backs though, so I'm going to take a closer look at that deck when I get home.

I've looked too and couldn't find anything -- except when the deck is cut badly and the borders are uneven.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Standard Bikes are not a one way design. You can easily mark them and make them a one way design, but they are not straight out of the box.

Bicycle has gone through many back designs over the years and the "Standard" design has changed over the years as well. Whether this means it was a completely different, or just slight changes in the design. It was probably something like the Oak Leaf or Oak Fan design. Maybe even something totally different. I'm willing to bet that the design has changed from the ones back in 1937

 

[PabloFreyG]

Here is an image of the old bikes, and yes they were a one way back deck tell me if you can find the mark that makes them a one way deck!

 

[obrienmagic]

Here is an image of the old bikes, and yes they were a one way back deck tell me if you can find the mark that makes them a one way deck!

You best not be trolling Pablo! Lol gunna make me stare at this deck for like 3 hours!

 

[Stu-pendous]

You best not be trolling Pablo! Lol gunna make me stare at this deck for like 3 hours!

You and me both buddy. I'm hoping for a secret that will blow my mind. I've looked up close to practically every part of the design.

 

[ID4]

. I'm willing to bet that the design has changed from the ones back in 1937

With my non extensive research the design change without the one way back occurred in 1970.

tell me if you can find the mark that makes them a one way deck!

I found it, but you sure didn't make it easy. I had to do more searches to be sure.

You best not be trolling Pablo! Lol gunna make me stare at this deck for like 3 hours!

Pablo wasn't trolling, but the picture is either purposely difficult or just a coincidence. Thankfully it didn't take that long but I needed to do more research to be sure. All in all, I probably took 90 minutes, but now you dont have to.

https://imgur.com/i9fuD79

 

[obrienmagic]

With my non extensive research the design change without the one way back occurred in 1970.



I found it, but you sure didn't make it easy. I had to do more searches to be sure.



Pablo wasn't trolling, but the picture is either purposely difficult or just a coincidence. Thankfully it didn't take that long but I needed to do more research to be sure. All in all, I probably took 90 minutes, but now you dont have to.

https://imgur.com/i9fuD79

lol i still don't see it :/ I'm either blind or not very good at these things lol

 

[Antonio Diavolo]

Yea I'm not seeing it either. Can I get a hint?

 

[ID4]

Yea I'm not seeing it either. Can I get a hint?

"The cards Mr. Annemann recommends for this trick are Bicycle Rider Backs. The distinguishing mark is near the upper left corner. There is a loop which ends in a curl at one end of the card and a white dot at the other end." -Encylopedia of Card Tricks by Jean Hugard

But the image of the card I posted is UPSIDE DOWN! The Loop described is closest to the edge of the card. Find the two loops nearest where the upper left angel's right ear would be if the angel had ears, then look in the opposite corner of the card to see the difference.

 

[PabloFreyG]

"The cards Mr. Annemann recommends for this trick are Bicycle Rider Backs. The distinguishing mark is near the upper left corner. There is a loop which ends in a curl at one end of the card and a white dot at the other end." -Encylopedia of Card Tricks by Jean Hugard

But the image of the card I posted is UPSIDE DOWN! The Loop described is closest to the edge of the card. Find the two loops nearest where the upper left angel's right ear would be if the angel had ears, then look in the opposite corner of the card to see the difference.

Lol that wasn't the mark i was talking when i posted the photo but yeah that is another mark

 

[PabloFreyG]

Here is an image of the old bikes, and yes they were a one way back deck tell me if you can find the mark that makes them a one way deck!

In the top angel you can see that the lower left bird has a dot on the bottom that is the old OG mark of the bikes

 

[PabloFreyG]

In the top angel you can see that the lower left bird has a dot on the bottom that is the old OG mark of the bikes

The cool thing is that that "dot" is easy to recreate using a knife or something and is really easy to see once you know that is there.

 

[ID4]

Lol that wasn't the mark i was talking when i posted the photo but yeah that is another mark

It's not another mark, its the mark your first post in this thread requested. JEEPERS.

 

[Jason England]

Virtually all of the old Bicycle, Tally-Ho and Bee cards were one-way cards when they were originally produced. That elaborate scrollwork was engraved by hand on the original metal plates and tiny variations inevitably were introduced. As the USPCC slowly became aware of these tiny flaws over the years, they were removed as subsequent printing processes came (and went). One of these engraving artifacts persisted into the 1980s on the Bicycle Ace of Spades. I don't recall offhand where the mark was, but the AS could be distinguished from the other cards by looking at the backs.

These days one-way backs are rare, since modern software allows you to just create half of an image and then flip it upside down to fill out the full image. However, they still crop up from time to time, even in the casino industry.

Jason

 

[ID4]

One of these engraving artifacts persisted into the 1980s on the Bicycle Ace of Spades. I don't recall offhand where the mark was, but the AS could be distinguished from the other cards by looking at the backs.

Jason

Darn it Jason, I was planning on going to bed. But now...

 

[ID4]

Would the Bicycle Secret Weapon Deck have the mark?

 

[Jason England]

That deck has been printed several times over the years. I have one from the 1990s (Gulf War issue). The flaw had been corrected by then.
Any Secret Weapon deck that pre-dated the 1980s might have it though. I'm not sure. As I said, I don't remember where the flaw is, only that it was there. There is a famous story of Roger Klause fooling Steve Forte by identifying this flaw in the late 80s in Las Vegas. Roger asked Steve to spread out several AS along with some normal cards face down on a table. Roger had his back turned during this procedure. When he turned around, he reached over and flipped over all of the Aces in rapid succession. Steve was impressed and fooled all at the same time!

 

[ID4]

That deck has been printed several times over the years. I have one from the 1990s (Gulf War issue). The flaw had been corrected by then.
Any Secret Weapon deck that pre-dated the 1980s might have it though. I'm not sure. As I said, I don't remember where the flaw is, only that it was there. There is a famous story of Roger Klause fooling Steve Forte by identifying this flaw in the late 80s in Las Vegas. Roger asked Steve to spread out several AS along with some normal cards face down on a table. Roger had his back turned during this procedure. When he turned around, he reached over and flipped over all of the Aces in rapid succession. Steve was impressed and fooled all at the same time!

That's all I managed to find out as well (that the flaw(mark) existed). Cool story, thanks for sharing.