Did somebody give me a Kem Arrow setup a while back? (7 Viewers)

[upNdown]

I have a Kem arrow setup, bridge jumbo, in a cardboard Kem box
- one deck open, the other is sealed. I assume they were a giveaway, because I never buy open Kems.
Anyway, I remember getting these and seeing that both decks were noticeably bowed. I immediately did the @Old State trick - put them in the box face up, with cut card and dealer button on top of each. Then I put them at the bottom of a stack of setups (to add weight to hopefully flatten them) and forgot about them.
I just checked them out for the first time since I got them, and they’re flat! Exciting! But I have no idea if they were sitting like that for 6 months or 18 months or what.

Does this ring a bell to anybody?

 

[RocAFella1]

The only way to keep KEM flat:

 

[TheBigTater]

Play them one session then store & flatten them for 18 months. Then you can play them a second session. Keeps the rotation fresh....

 

[Kam]

I have a Kem arrow setup, bridge jumbo, in a cardboard Kem box
- one deck open, the other is sealed. I assume they were a giveaway, because I never buy open Kems.
Anyway, I remember getting these and seeing that both decks were noticeably bowed. I immediately did the @Old State trick - put them in the box face up, with cut card and dealer button on top of each. Then I put them at the bottom of a stack of setups (to add weight to hopefully flatten them) and forgot about them.
I just checked them out for the first time since I got them, and they’re flat! Exciting! But I have no idea if they were sitting like that for 6 months or 18 months or what.

Does this ring a bell to anybody?

Yep, that was me. I bought them in March 2023 because I got trigger happy (shock horror) at seeing KEMs 50% off on Amazon, bought for ~$32 vs $64 a setup or whatever the price was then.

It wasn’t until they showed up that I realized I bought bloody BRIDGE size. Even took this picture to send to a buddy to show how small they look:

Anyway - think I opened one deck, shuffled a few times to see how they felt and then they lived in the KEM box in a cupboard for a couple of years unplayed.

You won these from me in a giveaway for your Tiger case contribution.

I checked Amazon to see when I bought these. They are now for sale for $96.35!!! WTF

*you owe me $96. Kthxbai.

Also glad to hear the flattening trick worked, stranged they bow even when in their box in a non humid environment (plus one still in the original plastic wrap).

Enjoy!

 

[Kam]

I like this one. It’s a little dark, but it sums things up well.

View attachment 1489915

You suggested the above, and ta-dah:

 

[RocAFella1]

Even took this picture to send to a buddy to show how small they look:

Yup small hands you have there.

 

[upNdown]

Yep, that was me. I bought them in March 2023 because I got trigger happy (shock horror) at seeing KEMs 50% off on Amazon, bought for ~$32 vs $64 a setup or whatever the price was then.

It wasn’t until they showed up that I realized I bought bloody BRIDGE size. Even took this picture to send to a buddy to show how small they look:

View attachment 1570062

Anyway - think I opened one deck, shuffled a few times to see how they felt and then they lived in the KEM box in a cupboard for a couple of years unplayed.

You won these from me in a giveaway for your Tiger case contribution.

I checked Amazon to see when I bought these. They are now for sale for $96.35!!! WTF

View attachment 1570063

*you owe me $96. Kthxbai.

Also glad to hear the flattening trick worked, stranged they bow even when in their box in a non humid environment (plus one still in the original plastic wrap).

Enjoy!

Ohhhh, right! Thanks again. And again, that case is cool!

Never be shocked by Kems being bowed in any conditions. It's not the first time I've seen them bowed while still wrapped. They're totally worth the maintenance though (to me) and it works. But they're totally not worth the price these days.

 

[Old State]

I have a Kem arrow setup, bridge jumbo, in a cardboard Kem box
- one deck open, the other is sealed. I assume they were a giveaway, because I never buy open Kems.
Anyway, I remember getting these and seeing that both decks were noticeably bowed. I immediately did the @Old State trick - put them in the box face up, with cut card and dealer button on top of each. Then I put them at the bottom of a stack of setups (to add weight to hopefully flatten them) and forgot about them.
I just checked them out for the first time since I got them, and they’re flat! Exciting! But I have no idea if they were sitting like that for 6 months or 18 months or what.

Does this ring a bell to anybody?

What is the date in the ace of spades?

 

[upNdown]

What is the date in the ace of spades?

I’m not sure how to read it. What does 1522 mean?

 

[Old State]

Jan 5th 2022

 

[Old State]

I’m not sure how to read it. What does 1522 mean?
View attachment 1570103

I don’t think they notate the day once they get to October…then it’s just the month. Very old Kems had 3 digits date codes with just the month and year. You see these on eBay sometimes

 

[RagahRagah]

Yep, that was me. I bought them in March 2023 because I got trigger happy (shock horror) at seeing KEMs 50% off on Amazon, bought for ~$32 vs $64 a setup or whatever the price was then.

It wasn’t until they showed up that I realized I bought bloody BRIDGE size. Even took this picture to send to a buddy to show how small they look:

View attachment 1570062

Anyway - think I opened one deck, shuffled a few times to see how they felt and then they lived in the KEM box in a cupboard for a couple of years unplayed.

You won these from me in a giveaway for your Tiger case contribution.

I checked Amazon to see when I bought these. They are now for sale for $96.35!!! WTF

View attachment 1570063

*you owe me $96. Kthxbai.

Also glad to hear the flattening trick worked, stranged they bow even when in their box in a non humid environment (plus one still in the original plastic wrap).

Enjoy!

Why would any cards cost nearly 100 dollars, let alone garbage cards like Kem?

It's kind of a rhetorical question, but not really.

 

[Kam]

Why would any cards cost nearly 100 dollars, let alone garbage cards like Kem?

It's kind of a rhetorical question, but not really.

Yeah, I think it’s probably resellers trying to make a quick buck similar to the vultures on eBay that try to sell Paulson mold chips at $10-$15 a chip.

Although most other ‘new’ KEMs I see are still in the $65-$75 range for a new setup which is crazy.

 

[RagahRagah]

Yeah, I think it’s probably resellers trying to make a quick buck similar to the vultures on eBay that try to sell Paulson mold chips at $10-$15 a chip.

Although most other ‘new’ KEMs I see are still in the $65-$75 range for a new setup which is crazy.

Dude, back when I first started picking up some setups and quickly realized how bad the issues were, I was upset that I paid 25 dollars, let alone 100. LOL.

 

[upNdown]

Yeah, I think it’s probably resellers trying to make a quick buck similar to the vultures on eBay that try to sell Paulson mold chips at $10-$15 a chip.

Although most other ‘new’ KEMs I see are still in the $65-$75 range for a new setup which is crazy.

They’ve been pretty solidly at $75 on Amazon for months. No cards are worth $75, but Kem cards are the best.

 

[RagahRagah]

They’ve been pretty solidly at $75 on Amazon for months. No cards are worth $75, but Kem cards are the best.

Some people have some strange criteria for what constitutes quality. Nothing with issues that consistent can be the "best," I don't care how good the cards "feel" for what few sessions you get out of them in good shape, if you even get any at all. Casinos have the disposal income to waste on this stuff, but I figure a lot of us don't. If that kind of money is gonna go towards flimsy-ass cards I can't see why not shoot for Angels instead.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Some people have some strange criteria for what constitutes quality. Nothing with issues that consistent can be the "best," I don't care how good the cards "feel" for what few sessions you get out of them in good shape, if you even get any at all. Casinos have the disposal income to waste on this stuff, but I figure a lot of us don't. If that kind of money is gonna go towards flimsy-ass cards I can't see why not shoot for Angels instead.