theory11
Theory11 is a privately held US e-commerce and community company that sells premium playing cards, magic tricks, cardistry instruction, and licensed puzzles to a global audience of hobbyist and professional magicians, cardists, and gift buyers, supported by an integrated creator marketplace and active 46,000-member community forum.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersMount Pleasant, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What theory11 does
Theory11 is a privately held, founder-operated e-commerce and community company headquartered in the United States that specializes in premium playing cards, magic tricks, cardistry instruction, and licensed puzzle products. Founded in 2007 and structured as theory11.com LLC, the company serves a global audience of magic hobbyists, professional magicians, card collectors, cardists, and gift buyers through its online storefront at store.theory11.com. The product catalog spans signature playing card lines such as the Monarch collection, downloadable and physical magic effects from a roster of named artists (including Blake Vogt, Calen Morelli, Apollo Robbins, Zach King, and Andrei Jikh), branded jigsaw puzzles featuring entertainment IP (Harry Potter, Star Wars, TMNT, SpongeBob), and magician gear. Beyond retail, theory11 operates The Marketplace, a creator platform where independent artists publish and monetize their own magic effects and cardistry moves, with theory11 taking a commission on sales.
The company's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer e-commerce, supplemented by a wholesale program for resellers and a niche B2B Magic Consulting service for television and film productions. The core technology is a web-based storefront integrated with a XenForo-powered community forum of approximately 46,253 members and 916,426 posts, organized around weekly Saturday Night Contests that drive engagement and user-generated content. Revenue streams include one-time physical product sales, marketplace commissions on third-party creator content, wholesale orders, and a recurring Elite membership program where members earn points redeemable for exclusive merchandise through 'The Archive.' Marketing relies on organic social presence across Facebook, X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, Tumblr, email newsletters, and video content. The company has received mainstream media coverage in the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly and operates with 11-50 employees without any disclosed institutional funding, indicating a bootstrapped, profitable operation.
theory11 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- theory11
- Legal name
- theory11.com LLC
- Website
- https://theory11.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Theory11 is a privately held US e-commerce and community company that sells premium playing cards, magic tricks, cardistry instruction, and licensed puzzles to a global audience of hobbyist and professional magicians, cardists, and gift buyers, supported by an integrated creator marketplace and active 46,000-member community forum.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
theory11 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Magic & Playing Cards E-commerce
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment) (CRALAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI), Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)
Keywords
Where theory11 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mount Pleasant
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
theory11 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Physical Product Sales: Revenue from selling physical products including playing cards, magic tricks, puzzles, games, and gear through the online store. Products include branded decks like Monarch, collaborations with artists, and licensed products (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob, JAWS).
- Marketplace Commission: The Marketplace allows artists to create and publish their own magic effects and cardistry moves. theory11 earns commission from sales of these digital and physical products created by community artists.
- Wholesale: Wholesale program for retailers and businesses to purchase theory11 products for resale.
- Elite Membership Program: The Elite Program offers members points that can be redeemed for exclusive products, signed items, and merchandise through 'The Archive' section.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual playing cards and tricks with various price points |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle and Save promotions |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Wholesale pricing for bulk orders |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
theory11 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Theory11 operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform that designs, curates, and sells premium playing cards (including the signature Monarch line), instructional magic tricks, cardistry effects, magician gear, and licensed pop-culture jigsaw puzzles. It also operates a two-sided creator marketplace where independent artists publish and sell their own magic effects and cardistry moves, and supports the community with forums, a video media hub, and an Elite loyalty/membership rewards program. Wholesale distribution and TV/film magic consulting round out the offering.
Product overview
theory11 is a multi-platform magic and playing cards company operating both an e-commerce retail store and a creator marketplace. The core offerings include premium playing cards (primarily under the Monarch Collection), instructional magic tricks and cardistry effects, licensed jigsaw puzzles featuring pop culture properties, and magician gear. The ecosystem includes The Marketplace enabling independent artists to publish and sell their own magic effects, a community forums platform, an Elite membership rewards program, and supplementary services including wholesale, consulting for TV/film productions, and beginner learning resources. The product portfolio spans downloadable digital magic effects and physical merchandise including playing cards, puzzles, and accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Playing Cards A curated e-commerce collection of premium, branded playing cards featuring themed decks, artist collaborations, and licensed editions targeted at hobbyists, collectors, and cardists.
- Magic Tricks Retail collection of instructional magic tricks and effects spanning card tricks, coin tricks, mentalism, and cardistry, sold as downloadable tutorials or physical products to amateur and professional magicians.
- Puzzles & Games Licensed jigsaw puzzles and activity books featuring pop culture themes including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, Yellow Submarine, and OBEY artwork, sold to consumers and gift buyers.
- Gear Accessories, practice tools, and magician essentials sold through the theory11 storefront to amateur and professional magicians.
- The Marketplace A two-sided creator marketplace where independent magic artists and cardists publish, distribute, and sell their own digital magic effects and cardistry moves, with theory11 earning commission on transactions.
- Elite Program A loyalty rewards membership program that lets members accumulate points through forum engagement and purchases, redeemable through The Archive for exclusive merchandise, signed items, and limited products.
- Wholesale Program A B2B wholesale purchasing program that lets retailers and resellers buy theory11 playing cards, puzzles, and gear in bulk for resale, with pricing available on inquiry.
- Magic Consulting for TV & Film Professional consulting service offering magic expertise, prop design, and performance consulting to television and film productions.
- Monarch Collection The signature theory11 line of premium playing cards, comprising multiple Monarch editions and collectible variants aimed at collectors and cardists.
- OBEY Jigsaw Puzzle A licensed jigsaw puzzle featuring OBEY brand artwork, sold to consumers and gift buyers.
- Harry Potter Self-Coloring Book A licensed Harry Potter self-coloring activity book sold through the theory11 storefront to consumers and gift buyers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 46,253 active forum members with 916,426 total posts
Companies that use theory11
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
theory11 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
theory11 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
theory11 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ellusionist (alt entry skipped): Placeholder removed - using Dan & Dave already listed above.
- Ellusionist: One of theory11's closest direct competitors, Ellusionist sells premium playing cards, magic tricks, and downloadable effects online to the same hobbyist and professional magician customer base. Both brands compete head-to-head for collectible playing card enthusiasts.
- Penguin Magic: Long-standing online magic retailer and tutorial platform selling magic tricks, instructional videos, and downloadable effects. Overlaps with theory11's e-commerce and instructional content offering for amateur and professional magicians.
- Vanishing Inc. Specialty magic retailer and publisher producing original tricks, props, and playing cards with a roster of professional creators. Directly comparable product mix and creator-led content model to theory11.
- Murphy's Magic: One of the largest wholesale and retail distributors of magic products globally, serving both amateur enthusiasts and professional magicians. Comparable to theory11's wholesale program and retail offering across playing cards, tricks, and props.
- Art of Play: Specialty retailer and publisher of premium playing cards, puzzles, and curated magic objects aimed at collectors and hobbyists. Directly comparable curated retail catalog and collectible playing cards positioning.
- Dan & Dave Industries: Cardistry-focused brand producing premium playing cards and flourishing tutorials, with deep roots in the cardistry community. Overlaps with theory11's cardistry forum, Monarch-style collectible cards, and cardistry tutorial products.
- House of Playing Cards: Online retailer specializing in premium, limited-edition, and designer playing cards targeting collectors and cardists. Competes with theory11 in the high-end collectible playing cards segment.
Broad incumbents
- TCGplayer: Largest U.S. marketplace for trading card games with a broader catalog and significantly larger scale than theory11's marketplace. Relevant for benchmarking theory11's two-sided marketplace mechanics in a related but broader trading card category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
theory11 social profiles
Digital presencetheory11 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
theory11 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
theory11 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
theory11 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about theory11
What does theory11 do?
Theory11 operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform that designs, curates, and sells premium playing cards (including the signature Monarch line), instructional magic tricks, cardistry effects, magician gear, and licensed pop-culture jigsaw puzzles. It also operates a two-sided creator marketplace where independent artists publish and sell their own magic effects and cardistry moves, and supports the community with forums, a video media hub, and an Elite loyalty/membership rewards program. Wholesale distribution and TV/film magic consulting round out the offering.
Is theory11 a public or private company?
theory11 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was theory11 founded?
theory11 was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is theory11 based?
theory11 is headquartered in Mount Pleasant, United States, in the North America region.
How does theory11 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Physical Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commission, wholesale and elite Membership Program.
Who are theory11's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ellusionist (alt entry skipped), Ellusionist, Penguin Magic, Vanishing Inc., Murphy's Magic, Art of Play, Dan & Dave Industries and House of Playing Cards. TCGplayer is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does theory11 have an API?
No public API is recorded for theory11.
What industry is theory11 in?
theory11's product category is Magic & Playing Cards E-commerce. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAB, Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment), with a secondary code of CRALAFAI, Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 459120 and its SIC code is 5945.