Guardians v1 vs v2 (Theory11)

We received an email query from Sam Tan earlier on this week asking us about the difference between Guardians v1 and v2, and we wanted to share the answer we gave him with you as well!

To start off, there are three different versions of the Guardians - one made by USPCC and two by Theory11. We will be using those made by Theory11 for our illustration purposes today:

Theory11 v1 vs v2

v1 is on the left, and v2 is on the right

v1 is on the left, and v2 is on the right

Front and Back: You can tell from the front and back of the tuck casing that the v2 is printed using a lighter metallic shade as compared to the v1. The v2's tuck case is also embossed, which means when you run your fingers over the surface, you can feel the words Bicycle and Guardians "pop-up" so to speak. 

v1 is on the top, and v2 is on the bottom

Sides: The second difference is on the right side of the tuck case. The v1 was printed in Ohio, while the v2 was printed in Kentucky, as stated clearly on the box. The other side simply shows "Air-Cushion Finish. Made in USA" for both versions.

v1 is on the top, and the v2 is on the bottom

Bottom: The last difference can be found on the bottom of both tuck cases. To begin with, the Theory11 logos are printed on opposite sides (right for v1 and left for v2). The logos are of different colors as well - the v1 has the trademark yellow circle with white 1s, while the v2 has taken on a total metallic emblem. The v1 also comes with a barcode, while the v2 says "Card design (c) 2011 theory11". Lastly, the metallic emblem of the v2 is also embossed as well.

USPCC vs Theory11 v2

We apologize that we are unable to provide any illustration for the comparison between the USPCC version and the Theory11 version. If anyone has both these versions and is willing to take some "comparison photos" for us, please do send them in! We'll be more than happy to have your photos posted up here, credits to you. 

Okay, moving on. The main differences lie in the tuck cases, while the finishes and designs of the cards remain the same.

Front: The USPCC version is printed using a darker shade of black as compared to the Theory11 v2, just like above. 

The USPCC version does not have any embossing, unlike the Theory11 v2. 

Just above the word Guardians on the front of the tuck case, the USPCC version says "Playing Cards - Cartes Á Jouer", while the Theory11 version only says "Rider Back".

Sides: On the left side, the USPCC version says "Air-Cushion Finish - Fini Coussin D'Air", while the Theory11 version says "Air-Cusion Finish - Made in USA". 

On the right side, the USPCC version says "Made in USA", while the Theory11 version says "The US Playing Card Co. Erlanger, KY 41018".

Top: The USPCC version says "Standard Face - Face Classique", while the Theory11 version simply states "Poker". Both seals are black in color.

Bottom:  The USPCC version does not have any Theory11 logo on it, nor any barcodes, but instead lists down all the trademark information. The bottom of the Theory11 version looks like the one in the photo above.

Back: Flipping the decks to their backs, we will see that the Theory11 version shows the actual back design of the cards, while the USPCC version does not.

Lastly, the USPCC version was also printed in Ohio, just like the Theory11 v1, while the v2 is printed in Kentucky. The Theory11 also comes with an additional Ad card inside.

If any of you would like to add a Theory11 Guardians v2 to your collection after reading this, just drop us an email and quote us this discount code - "GV2" to get the deck for just $8.50 (U.P. $9).

Just a gentle reminder to credit The Card Collectors should you wish to use the information or photos here. Thanks again for reading!