Very interested in how this goes. They're probably desperate for business because of their recent history of printing issues that make the cards marked and easy to pick out due to different variations of colors in the printing process.
I realize I never circled back on this let everyone know about the outcome here, so here goes:
I wanted to order custom cards for a private club where I run a weekly game. I have used Modiano cards for years and I love the medium stiffness, texture, and durability. While I have occasionally found a new deck that is slightly warped right out the of box, the quality is generally excellent and the decks easily hold up for dozens of games.
I reached out to Modiano about getting custom cards printed. I provided our club logo and they quickly mocked up more than twenty possible designs, and they were fully willing to customize from there. It was a very smooth process. Initially they said the minimum order would be 400 decks, but there was some flexibility: I wanted bridge size cards (in paper) and poker size cards (in plastic), and decks should be sold in pairs (light blue/dark blue). Modiano was happy to do 100 pairs of bridge and 100 pairs of poker. There was a slight upcharge for this adjustment. The decks also come in custom-designed tuck boxes that look great with a white plastic tray inside, though for actual transport I actually prefer the black plastic Modiano boxes that the off-the-shelf cards come in.
The total cost to Modiano came to ~EUR 5,500, and shipping was another EUR 500. Unfortunately, when the cards arrived at JFK, we were informed that we would need pay
another ~$1,500 in import tariffs (not Modiano's fault). So all in we were in for more than $8,000, and we ended up needing to charge our members $45 for each set of two decks just to break even.
The cards themselves are beautiful and they play great, just like the off the rack Modianos. Everyone has been very impressed and many members have bought them for themselves or as gifts.
However, I have noticed that after about ten poker sessions (5-6hrs each), the printing on the plastic cards has started to flake - see the first picture with the red circles highlighting the issue. This flaking was subtle at first, but then the ace of hearts developed a noticeable chip on the ring around the logo, and we decided to retire those decks.
This flaking occurred slowly, so I am only now going to contact Modiano to see if this can be remedied or improved.
The cards looks fantastic, they play great, and Modiano was helpful and responsive throughout the designing/ordering process. However, the printing issue (along with the price) makes it hard to recommend.
I don't play bridge and I have not really playtested the paper bridge cards, so I can't speak to the playability or print quality of those. They look great though.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
