They announced earlier this year that they were raising the prices due to increased packaging costs, which doesn't make a lot of sense since they nearly doubled in price. They cost $60 per setup, which also makes no sense when you can get a setup of Copag for $20. I don't think I've seen a single PCFer saying they were willing to keep buying Kem at that price. If there's anybody crazy enough to overpay for poker things, it's PCFers. So I can't imagine how they can continue selling to the consumer. Maybe casinos can absorb that price or maybe casinos get a better price. But who would pay that price for their home game?
I almost think there's a conspiracy that USPCC doesn't want to make them anymore, i don't understand how tariffs effect the price as much as they say it has if it's all made in the US. Sure maybe tariffs add something, but last year price hike doesn't add up if that's the case. Seeing someone on the form post the official announcement that increased cost included them, but they are made in the US. So what is happening? The boxes seem to be made in China just like the bike prestige boxes, but the plastic or cards should be from the us. But if it's assembled in the US that's not made in America like the ace says!
Like if you think about it too hard your head explodes, 2 price hikes in 2 years and they can't even give you a nice box anymore. It's alao tragic seeing how much they've discontinued even over the last few years, i love the paisley design. I hope it doesn't come off rude but to me poker players might grab arrows over paisley (most of the time, just arrow backs feel like a poker/casino deck Vs the casual floral pattern), and with Paisley being such a classic design or appeal to an older more casual crowd. It's tragic they stopped making Paisley jumbo index, outrageous when sets are as high as they are yet can't keep more than 1 design in 3 back color sets in 2 sizes and 2 indexes. Shoot i don't know what will sell out next, i wish i had paisley jumbo as it's ao classic. I bit the bullet on paisley 4 pip like a crazy person, they were a lot cheaper than the standard index. Afew days ago i saw them for 15 bucks more at 69.99. Infuriating cards already in stock are more expensive because they "have" to be, i also believe the "kem buyers will pay anything" is true for sure. And it's sad i love them, skipped on some sweet backs in the late 10s. I'll death grip my Barnes& Noble exclusive kems that were 24 bucks in a retail bookstore, not the thread to go into the love hate of them. They just hit chimp brain just right that no other brand does
jumbo paisley just gives the vibe of a wood panel basement at Grandmas, trying to learn bridge or playing euchre. So if you wanted your childhood card you can't because selling 75 dollar cards can't let you have a good catalog.
But it's sad that we can get dal Negro here okay, but outside the use no one really bought kem or the name was never well known. And became very hard to buy them at a reasonable price, and they'll never go down ever. If they do drop to 24 like a gift from above , I'm throwing away my uncut playing card sheets and selling my car to buy as many as i can.