NYC Neighborhood Tribute Mockup (1 Viewer)

[RudysNYC]

I found myself intoxicated the other night, eating at a neighborhood spot that's been feeding me my entire life. From some franks before to the movies around the corner with my parents and friends, to post-game franks throughout Little League, to offering the finest munchies Manhattan has to offer in early adulthood, I realized that Papaya King both predates me by decades and will outlive me by just as much. Joe DiMaggio used to eat Papaya King, and legend has it that Babe Ruth christened the joint. It's "the filet mignon of hot dogs" for a reason, and like I said, it will forever hold sentimental value to me.

Then... I realized it was the perfect vehicle to do what I wanted to do in re my custom relabel project. Without further ado, I present the roughest draft possible, which will likely be sent to a designer once I decide if I want anything else on it. On this front, I'm open to suggestions--I'm honoring my Yorkville/Upper East Side roots and what connects me to my dad's (he's a Queens boy, hence the 59th Street Bridge). Thanks in advance for taking the time to look at my dumb hot dog chip ideas!

In case it isn't obvious enough, it'll be "Poker King" in the same typeface

 

[Coyote]

Beautiful idea but way too much detail for a chip label. Think what you 're going to keep on it.

 

[RudysNYC]

Beautiful idea but way too much detail for a chip label. Think what you 're going to keep on it.

Realistically, you're right, but this is far more cluttered than it needs to be. I plan on having the bridge be a black/white vector art-style thing just in the background, and if I can get away with the street signs, I'd like to. The purple writing of mine is just instructions for the designer lol

EDIT: The Papaya King logo and "Poker King" will certainly stay, no question. How prominent the bridge art is is up to what can be done design wise, and I'm not married to the street signs

 

[allforcharity]

It's easy. Divide some of the graphic elements between front and back.

 

[wolfpack]

put it n a 43mm ceramic full face design.

 

[RudysNYC]

It's easy. Divide some of the graphic elements between front and back.

^this is more stomachable to me than

put it n a 43mm ceramic full face design.

^this

Dunno what it is about 43mm but I prefer them only for high denoms and in clay. Even my ceramic customs mimic inlaid chips lol

 

[allforcharity]

If you divide, I'd consider:

Side A: "Poker King" banner, crowned papaya logo, denom as main elements
Side B: Bridge and street signs, "Yorkville NYC", "Since 1997" as main elements, you can probably also work a denom in here

 

[ninedeuce]

@RudysNYC, as a longtime customer of Papaya King (and current resident of E 80th St!), will be following closely on your progress

First thoughts: I've been eating at Papaya King for decades, and for me it's the sign not the company logo that's iconic.

So, I'd ditch the logo in favor of using 'Poker' (or 'Poker King') with the same treatment as the neon sign, perhaps on a black label. This also gets rid of the rack of chips/deck of cards that you'd be hard pressed to see on the chip due to size.

I'd also ditch the bridge and street signs, and keep 'Yorkville, NYC' and a denom.

 

[Northman]

Cool project and backstory!
I have eaten at Papaya King multiple times and the hot dogs are still the best I have ever had...and this is not easy to admit as a New Englander

 

[Eloe2000]

@RudysNYC, as a longtime customer of Papaya King (and current resident of E 80th St!), will be following closely on your progress

First thoughts: I've been eating at Papaya King for decades, and for me it's the sign not the company logo that's iconic.

So, I'd ditch the logo in favor of using 'Poker' (or 'Poker King') with the same treatment as the neon sign, perhaps on a black label. This also gets rid of the rack of chips/deck of cards that you'd be hard pressed to see on the chip due to size.

I'd also ditch the bridge and street signs, and keep 'Yorkville, NYC' and a denom.

I am in big agreement. The neon sign is very memorable and is also graphic in a way that would be perfect for a chip inlay.

 

[Burke]

I have no nostalgia regarding the restaurant, but maybe doing the logo on one side with the chips/cards and the neon sign on the other would make a very nice poker chip. Would be great for color matching probably if you go that route as well

 

[RudysNYC]

@RudysNYC, as a longtime customer of Papaya King (and current resident of E 80th St!)

This is...bananas... I’ve lived on E 80th St my whole life and fully plan on dying on E 80th St. 100% chance we’ve passed each other unknowingly—I have a habit of leaving the house in casino hats and sweatshirts. If you haven’t tried it yet, 787 Coffee is the best coffee I’ve ever had—80th b/w 2nd and 3rd.

So, I'd ditch the logo in favor of using 'Poker' (or 'Poker King') with the same treatment as the neon sign, perhaps on a black label. This also gets rid of the rack of chips/deck of cards that you'd be hard pressed to see on the chip due to size.

I think this is a strong move, it will be heavily considered. I’m generally not a fan of black labels, but going with a sign-based design is a great idea. Thanks friend!

but maybe doing the logo on one side with the chips/cards and the neon sign on the other would make a very nice poker chip.

Coming around to the idea of two-faced chips... never thought I would but I am

 

[cpac54]

LOVE it. It's themes like these with personal connections and stories that make custom sets so great.

Agree with @RudysNYC re: the "POKER KING" styling - I'd definitely give it the same treatment as the neon sign with the green outline around each letter.

As far as using the Papaya mascot, I love the idea - putting a couple of playing cards in the hand works, but it's small (I did it with my Hoser Hut chips - the bear is holding 24o). Perhaps you could enlarge the mascot and use it on the reverse side of the chip. I love two-sided chip designs, personally.

Looking forward to seeing how these turn out.

 

[RudysNYC]

As far as using the Papaya mascot, I love the idea - putting a couple of playing cards in the hand works, but it's small (I did it with my Hoser Hut chips - the bear is holding 24o). Perhaps you could enlarge the mascot and use it on the reverse side of the chip. I love two-sided chip designs, personally.

I think if I want to get the most out of the design elements I want, 2 sides is going to have to happen.

That being said, my latest draft hasn’t factored in the mascot/logo. I think this draft would look goofy with a cartoon papaya on either side, but I’m very much considering two-sided chips still.

Another idea I had last night, with this new draft in mind, was to have a different neighborhood place with sentimental value as the background watermark on each denom—things like the 59th St Bridge, my lifelong apartment building, where I went to college, and Epstein’s mansion (I’m kidding joking)

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[allforcharity]

Let me know what you guys think!

View attachment 659545

I think you're on the way to something awesome!

 

[RudysNYC]

Are these CDM 5s not the *perfect* chip for the theme? Happy to introduce what will (hopefully sooner rather than later) be Poker King $20s.

 

[RudysNYC]

Two updates:

1) I’ve sent Tim the drafts/desires/materials but he’s got a bit of a queue so he won’t get to it for a while. All good, because I don’t have all the chips yet anyway. Excited to see what magic Tim works.

2) I’ve got a draft for a DB. I plan on murdering a Paulson DB/extremely oversized chip for it. I just don’t know which one I’m going to send to its grave. I’m pretty comfortable saying the boat DB and the Palms/EP DB are safe and the Palms kill button and Paulson jackpot button work better color-wise anyway, but I don’t know if I have the heart to make a decision. I know I lean one way, but I’m interested in what you guys have to say. Pics attached.

 

[RudysNYC]

Here’s the current lineup as planned. Might swap out the 1k for HSI secondaries. Fracs and $1s TBD, but in order these would be $5/$20/$100/$500/$1k/$5k. The $20s are perfect because of the Papaya King brand colors and neon sign, and the edge spots on the $500s remind me of mustard and relish

 

[RudysNYC]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I have some $1s

 

[RudysNYC]

Aaaaaaaaaand I’ve got $5ks.

These probably won’t see the felt this decade, but I’m building this set so that I can use it for the rest of my life. Given that I plan to be a hotshot lawyer like @Hornet one day, I have to be prepared to host hotshot lawyer games

 

[RudysNYC]

I'm a shmuck... I'm asking for dirty stack issues aren't I...

Going to have 3 minty racks of the Hyatt Tahoe $1s to get rid of. If anyone wants to trade, let me know... Looking for 140 pinks I guess? And another rack of either the Pyramid/CDI98 $1s or the VLV $5s pictured below.

 

[RudysNYC]

GOD BLESS THE #1 COMBO

 

[gopherblue]

GOD BLESS THE #1 COMBO

View attachment 671618

Uh...ketchup?!?
No disrespect...but is your favorite NY pizza Sbarros?

 

[RudysNYC]

Uh...ketchup?!?
No disrespect...but is your favorite NY pizza Sbarros?

Mustard>ketchup, but mustard and ketchup > mustard alone.

Plus I have a strict rule, no relish after dark

 

[allforcharity]

Ketchup never goes on my hot dogs. I'm a mustard and relish guy.

 

[RudysNYC]

Ketchup never goes on my hot dogs. I'm a mustard and relish guy.

I am too, generally. I only came around to mustard and ketchup after my very non-ethnic friend did it with Romanian sausages when I took him to my favorite Romanian restaurant. Once you break the condiment barrier with ethnic fare, it’s easy to do it with other things

I’m comfortable subbing ketchup for sweet relish when I am trying to avoid bad halitosis

 

[cpac54]

I'm a shmuck... I'm asking for dirty stack issues aren't I...

Going to have 3 minty racks of the Hyatt Tahoe $1s to get rid of. If anyone wants to trade, let me know... Looking for 140 pinks I guess? And another rack of either the Pyramid/CDI98 $1s or the VLV $5s pictured below.
View attachment 671202

There’s a bunch of pink starbursts for sale on eBay atm. I’ll try and find the link.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/mint-starbursts.71807/#post-1456149

EDIT: pinks look to be sold, but there were a bunch of other colours too.

 

[RudysNYC]

There’s a bunch of pink starbursts for sale on eBay atm. I’ll try and find the link.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/mint-starbursts.71807/#post-1456149

EDIT: pinks look to be sold, but there were a bunch of other colours too.

Thanks friend, saw those but held off on buying. The CDI/Pyramid $1s came in, so I did a test stack with both Flamingo and Paris $1s, since they’re my only lite blue chips until the Hyatt’s come in.

Wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared... still not *ideal*, but they were certainly differentiable from the dark blues across a few different levels of light.

 

[RudysNYC]

Thanks friend, saw those but held off on buying. The CDI/Pyramid $1s came in, so I did a test stack with both Flamingo and Paris $1s, since they’re my only lite blue chips until the Hyatt’s come in.

Wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared... still not *ideal*, but they were certainly differentiable from the dark blues across a few different levels of light.

Here are some pics...

I believe the Hyatt’s will be a touch lighter blue then the flamingos-turned-HSI fracs but don’t know for sure. I might be playing with fire, but a very small one I think

 

[allforcharity]

A white based $1 might solve your problems, but I'm sure that's not where you want to go....