Vanda Playing Cards
Vanda Playing Cards designs, manufactures (via USPCC and Legends), and sells premium custom playing cards, poker chips, and accessories directly to collectors, poker players, and cardists through its Shopify storefront, Kickstarter launches, and Faire wholesale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vanda Playing Cards does
Vanda Playing Cards is a designer and retailer of premium custom playing cards, poker chips, and related accessories, founded in 2012 by David Goldklang and headquartered in Oakland, California. The company operates with a small team of 1–10 employees and contracts manufacturing to USPCC and Legends Playing Card Co., with fulfillment handled by Gamblers Warehouse in Grand Prairie, Texas. Its product portfolio spans the ACES line of 100% PVC plastic waterproof poker decks (including ACES Red and ACES 2.0), the Vanda Artists Series featuring collaborations with illustrators Bob Case, Joelle Wall, and Srdjan Vidakovic (Stories, The Planets Series, Centurio, Ren, ZERO, Winter Solstice, Equinox Light/Dark, Unicorn), a Vanda Curated Collection reselling hand-selected third-party decks, and adjacent merchandise including poker chips, apparel, and art prints.
Technically, the company's differentiation centers on specialty printing and finishing (gold foiling, embossing, metallic pantone inks, holographic foil), proprietary micro-textured finishes on plastic cards, full-bleed court card designs, 4-color suit systems for flush identification, and limited-edition runs of 500–2,500 individually numbered decks per design. Manufacturing relies on industry-standard playing-card production partners rather than in-house production.
Vanda's go-to-market is a multi-channel DTC model: direct e-commerce through a Shopify storefront at vandacards.com, wholesale distribution via the Faire marketplace, and crowdfunding pre-sales through Kickstarter for new product launches (including the Alice's Adventures and Stories Box Set campaigns). Pricing is unit-based at $13–$75 per deck, with volume discounts (e.g., 5% off 3 decks, 10% off 6 decks of ACES Red), free shipping on 12+ deck US orders, and limited-edition scarcity creating collector demand. Customers are individual hobbyists and enthusiasts across three primary segments: playing card collectors, poker players, and cardists. The company is bootstrapped with no institutional funding and no disclosed revenue.
Vanda Playing Cards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vanda Playing Cards
- Legal name
- Vanda Playing Cards
- Website
- https://vandacards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Vanda Playing Cards designs, manufactures (via USPCC and Legends), and sells premium custom playing cards, poker chips, and accessories directly to collectors, poker players, and cardists through its Shopify storefront, Kickstarter launches, and Faire wholesale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vanda Playing Cards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Playing Cards
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Poker Equipment & Supplies (Tables, Cards, Chips, Shufflers) (MPAEAEAL)
Keywords
Where Vanda Playing Cards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Vanda Playing Cards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through their own Shopify e-commerce storefront (vandacards.com). Products include playing cards, poker chips, and branded accessories. Individual deck purchases with volume discounts available.
- Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale channel through Faire marketplace, allowing retailers to stock Vanda products.
- Kickstarter/Crowdfunding: Product launches via Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, with pre-orders for new decks before general availability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Playing Card Decks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ACES 2.0 Premium Plastic Deck Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Poker Chips |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel and Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ACES Red Volume Discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Vanda Playing Cards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vanda Playing Cards designs and sells premium, artist-illustrated custom playing card decks (paper and 100% plastic waterproof constructions), along with matching poker chips, branded apparel, and art prints. Products are sold predominantly direct-to-consumer through the company's Shopify storefront and launched via Kickstarter crowdfunding, with additional wholesale distribution through the Faire marketplace.
Product overview
Vanda Playing Cards is a designer playing card company offering premium custom playing cards across multiple product lines: the flagship ACES plastic waterproof poker decks (ACES 2.0, ACES Red), the Vanda Artists Series featuring collaborations with external artists (Stories, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Centurio, Ren, ZERO, Winter Solstice, Equinox Light/Dark, Unicorn), and the Planets series of luxury illustrated decks. The company also sells branded poker chips (Planets, Bacon, Mustache, Lorcana), apparel (Royal Heart Hoodie/Tee), and art prints (Planets Poster/Print). Additionally, the Vanda Curated Collection resells hand-selected decks from other creators including 666 V4, Burger, Outlaw, and Seafarers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ACES: Premium plastic waterproof playing cards designed for poker and gaming, available in multiple editions including ACES 2.0 and ACES Red.
- Stories
- The Planets Series
- Vanda Artists Series
- Vanda Curated Collection
Products and services
- ACES 2.0 Playing Cards Premium 100% plastic waterproof playing card deck engineered for high-frequency poker play, with 4-color suit system for easy flush identification, proprietary micro-textured finish, and narrow poker-room size; sold as a 2-deck box set (green + purple).
- ACES Red Edition Playing Cards Collector's edition plastic poker deck featuring 100% waterproof PVC construction, 4-color suit design, proprietary micro-textured finish, and holographic foil black tuckbox; recognized as Collector's Deck of the Year.
- Stories Playing Cards (Vanda Artists Series) Luxury illustrated deck in the Vanda Artists Series with dual-sided narrative court illustrations by Srdjan Vidakovic, available as individual Red, Blue, Green, Black (monochrome), and limited-edition Purple (gilded edges) decks, plus a 4-deck box set limited to 1,000 numbered units.
- Centurio Playing Cards First deck in the Vanda ancient civilizations series, featuring artwork by Victor Kevruh inspired by ancient Rome, with intricate court illustrations, gold/red/white foil embossed tuckbox, and interior gold foiling; limited to 2,500 individually numbered decks printed by USPCC.
- Jupiter Playing Cards (Planets Series) Fifth deck in The Planets series featuring one-eyed bull-like creatures on court cards, representing Jupiter in the Vanda Artists Series designed by Srdjan Vidakovic.
- Saturn Playing Cards (Planets Series) Sixth deck in The Planets series featuring goat-like beings representing Capricorn, designed by Srdjan Vidakovic as part of the Vanda Artists Series.
- Uranus Playing Cards (Planets Series) Seventh deck in The Planets series featuring zodiac constellations incorporated into court card clothing designs, designed by Srdjan Vidakovic as part of the Vanda Artists Series.
- Neptune Playing Cards (Planets Series) Eighth deck in The Planets series featuring monster-like sea creatures on a freezing watery surface, designed by Srdjan Vidakovic as part of the Vanda Artists Series.
- Ren Playing Cards Minimalist vintage pip-style playing cards showcasing the form in its purest expression, inspired by historical decks that displayed only pips without indices.
- ZERO Cardistry Playing Cards Pre-numbered special edition cardistry deck featuring bright magenta borderless sunburst back design, graphic court cards, and edge design optimized for fans and spreads; printed by USPCC on Bicycle stock with embossed finish.
- Winter Solstice Playing Cards Celestial-themed 4-color playing cards with modern woodcut-style illustrations, pantone neon inks, and borderless back design suitable for poker, bridge, fanning, and standard gameplay.
- Equinox Light Playing Cards Light-edition celestial poker deck featuring modern woodcut-style illustrations with light color palette, borderless back design optimized for fanning, and 4-color suit system.
- Equinox Dark Playing Cards Dark-edition celestial poker deck featuring modern woodcut-style illustrations in a dark color palette, suitable for poker, bridge, and standard card games.
- Unicorn Playing Cards Cardistry-focused deck featuring innovative full-bleed court card designs with rainbow color palette and unicorn motifs; back border carries a 360-degree rainbow stripe that produces four different fan colors.
- Vanda Poker Chips (Planets, Bacon, Mustache, Lorcana) Themed poker chip sets sold across multiple designs — Planets series chips (from $125), Bacon chips matching the Bacon deck, whimsical 4-color Mustache chips, and Lorcana card-game chips (from $23) — intended to complement Vanda playing card decks in home game settings.
- Royal Heart Branded Apparel (Hoodie & Tee) Branded apparel featuring the Royal Heart design, including a hooded sweatshirt ($49, available in white and black) and a t-shirt (available in white and black).
- Planets Art Prints (Poster & Print) Wall art reproducing artwork from The Planets playing card series, including the Planets Poster (sale priced $20) and the Planets Print.
- Vanda Curated Collection — 666 V4 (Cyan) by Riffle Shuffle Third-party curated playing card deck produced by Riffle Shuffle, featuring foil tuckbox design and custom line art on the back design, courts, jokers, and ace of spades; resold by Vanda as part of the Curated Collection.
- Vanda Curated Collection — Burger Playing Cards by Fast Food Playing Card Co. Third-party curated playing card deck by Fast Food Playing Card Company, featuring food-themed tuckbox and card-back line illustration with custom aces and court illustrations; resold by Vanda as part of the Curated Collection.
- Vanda Curated Collection — Outlaw Playing Cards by Kings & Crooks Third-party curated playing card deck by Kings & Crooks featuring custom artwork, line-work illustrations, and rugged textures; resold by Vanda as part of the Curated Collection.
- Vanda Curated Collection — Seafarers Commodore Edition by Joker and the Thief Third-party curated playing card deck by Joker and the Thief featuring nautical-themed custom line art illustrations and luxurious tuckbox; Commodore Edition resold by Vanda as part of the Curated Collection.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reviews indicate cards maintain quality through heavy use including spills and greasy fingers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Vanda Playing Cards
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vanda Playing Cards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Vanda Playing Cards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vanda Playing Cards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Cardistry Touch: Cardistry Touch is a creator-led playing card brand focused on the cardistry community, offering custom decks with flourishes-friendly designs. Comparable to Vanda's cardistry-oriented products (Unicorn, ZERO, Winter Solstice) and cardist customer segment.
Direct peers
- Fast Food Playing Card Company: Fast Food Playing Card Company is a creative-led custom playing card brand (Burger Playing Cards sold via Vanda's Curated Collection). Comparable as a small-batch designer targeting collectors with themed decks.
- Ellusionist: Ellusionist is a long-established premium playing card company marketing to magicians, cardists, and collectors. Directly comparable to Vanda across product (premium custom decks), customer segments (collectors, cardists, magicians), and premium pricing model.
- Riffle Shuffle: Riffle Shuffle is a creator-led custom playing card brand (666 V4 deck is sold via Vanda's Curated Collection). Comparable as a niche premium deck maker serving the collector/cardistry community.
- Joker and the Thief: Joker and the Thief is a premium custom playing card creator (Seafarers: Commodore Edition sold via Vanda's Curated Collection). Comparable as a creator-led boutique deck maker serving collectors and cardists.
- Legends Playing Card Company: Legends Playing Card Co. is a premium custom playing card maker and also Vanda's secondary contract manufacturer. Comparable as a creator-led premium deck brand with similar production model and target audience.
- Kings & Crooks: Kings & Crooks is a boutique playing card creator whose deck (Outlaw) is even sold through Vanda's Curated Collection. Highly comparable as a creator-led custom deck brand targeting collectors and cardists.
- Theory11: Theory11 is the largest premium/artisan playing card brand, designing and selling luxury decks (often themed around films, magic, and fashion) and accessories. Directly comparable to Vanda in target market (collectors, magicians, cardists) and business model (DTC e-commerce, limited editions, artist collaborations).
Broad incumbents
- United States Playing Card Company (USPCC): USPCC is the dominant global playing card manufacturer (Bicycle, Bee, Tally-Ho) and is also Vanda's contract manufacturer. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the broader playing card space, against which Vanda competes as a premium niche brand.
- Cartamundi: Cartamundi is a global playing card and games manufacturer producing both mass-market and specialty decks. Comparable as a broader incumbent serving the playing card industry, with a wider portfolio but less premium niche focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vanda Playing Cards social profiles
Digital presenceVanda Playing Cards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vanda Playing Cards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Vanda Playing Cards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vanda Playing Cards 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 Vanda Playing Cards
What does Vanda Playing Cards do?
Vanda Playing Cards designs and sells premium, artist-illustrated custom playing card decks (paper and 100% plastic waterproof constructions), along with matching poker chips, branded apparel, and art prints. Products are sold predominantly direct-to-consumer through the company's Shopify storefront and launched via Kickstarter crowdfunding, with additional wholesale distribution through the Faire marketplace.
Is Vanda Playing Cards a public or private company?
Vanda Playing Cards is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vanda Playing Cards founded?
Vanda Playing Cards was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vanda Playing Cards based?
Vanda Playing Cards is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vanda Playing Cards make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution and kickstarter/Crowdfunding.
Who are Vanda Playing Cards's main competitors?
Cardistry Touch is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Fast Food Playing Card Company, Ellusionist, Riffle Shuffle, Joker and the Thief, Legends Playing Card Company, Kings & Crooks and Theory11. Broad incumbents are United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) and Cartamundi.
Does Vanda Playing Cards have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vanda Playing Cards.
What industry is Vanda Playing Cards in?
Vanda Playing Cards's product category is Playing Cards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEAEAL, Poker Equipment & Supplies (Tables, Cards, Chips, Shufflers). Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.