Progress update - files submitted
over 1 year ago – Tue, Jan 03, 2023 at 05:56:54 PM

Hello backers, 

We didn't want to miss a detail so we took the time to fact check every item on every card and they are finally ready to go! We have submitted the card files to the folks at USPCC and Gambler's Warehouse, and hope that production will be underway very soon. 

We'll be in touch again soon with more updates, but in the meantime, it is not too late to update your BackerKit survey or visit the pre-order store to order extra decks, including the Kickstarter exclusive premium edition: 

As well as extras like signed uncut sheets: 

The Fall of Communism postcards: 

And the Weapons of the Cold War handbooks: 

Thanks for all of your patience and support, and we look forward to getting the cards into your hands before too long!

Best, 

Justin Baird & Helios House Press

Not all playing cards need to be fact-checked (but the cool ones do)
over 1 year ago – Sat, Nov 19, 2022 at 05:41:07 AM

Hello backers, 

Many apologies for the long silence. We have been making sure to dot every i and cross every t in our fact-checking about all of the unusual and fascinating weapons we are highlighting in these card decks and the associated passport booklets that many of you have added on to your orders, a process which has taken a bit of time. But we are ready to proceed and hope to be in touch very soon with an update about the printing, both of the cards and the booklets, and should have some cool behind-the-scenes peeks at the production process to share then as well. 

Thank you so much for your patience as we work to make sure we are bringing you products of the highest possible quality. 

All the best, 

Justin Baird & Helios House Press

We're almost ready to print!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Sep 08, 2022 at 10:09:49 PM

Hello backers, 

We are just checking in to let you know that we are continuing to make progress. The art is done, and now we are fact-checking the passport booklets and cards to make sure everything is accurate and properly coordinated as we get ready to submit final art to USPCC for review and subsequent printing. 

We hope to be in touch very soon to let you know that printing is underway. In the meantime, if you have not completed your BackerKit survey, providing us with key information including, most importantly, where we should send your stuff, and giving you an opportunity to add on extra decks or other goodies, you can find it by entering the email address you used for the Kickstarter campaign here. 

All the best, 

Helios House Press

BackerKit Surveys
over 1 year ago – Tue, Aug 02, 2022 at 07:39:51 AM

Hello everyone,

There was a slight delay in sending them, but you should all be receiving your BackerKit surveys (emails which will link you to the BackerKit Pledge Manager) over the course of the next week. Some of you started receiving them last night. This is how we confirm your rewards and how we know where to send your stuff, so it's crucial that you complete it.

The survey, in addition to asking you to provide your shipping address and confirm the items you ordered during the campaign,  will give you the opportunity to add on more items if you want, including more copies of the book, all of the add-on items from the campaign, some new Covert Cards items, including pins and patches, and some other Helios House titles. 

We are also offering one additional PVC patch, and a portion of the sales from each one sold (USD $8/CAD $10) will go to Ukrainian relief. 

Please note that we have adjusted the shipping rates for add-on items, including those added during the campaign, to be a little lower overall and to allow combined shipping for multiple items. As a result, some of you may see a credit in your BackerKit survey, which you will be able to apply to other add-on items if you like. 

The surveys will remain open for a little while, but we really appreciate your quick response to them, as getting the addresses and your add-on orders quickly helps us to plan out our logistics for the production and fulfillment of your orders. You will still be able to make changes to your order and your address information until we lock the surveys - and we'll notify you in advance before we do that - so it's perfectly OK to submit your information now and update later if needed.

If you don't receive yours right away, no need to worry! We will send another update after everything has gone out letting you know how to contact us if you have not received yours.

That's all for now! Thanks so much for your support for Covert Cards.

- Justin Baird & Helios House

Check out Helios House latest project here: Grace Parr's Anglo-American Cookery. Grace Parr was a Philadelphia heiress, an assured cook, a world traveler, and a remarkable woman, and we are introducing her to the world in a book by renowned culinary historian and ethnographer William Woys Weaver that is part biography, part history, part ground-breaking 18th century recipe book, and part modern cookbook. 

Thank You, and Next Steps
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 16, 2022 at 12:19:39 AM

Thank you!

I am so grateful that each of you helped me to meet ourfunding goal, and even hit a few stretch goals, and I am really excited we get to bring these cards out into the world. Thank you! 

What happens now?

Now, we know you all have a lot of questions about what happens next, and we have a lot of information to share on that subject. We will of course be busily working with Gamblers Warehouse to produce all of the cards and tuck boxes and other goodies in the coming weeks, but we wanted to let you know what to expect on your side. We will make sure to keep you updated via Kickstarter updates as the project unfolds, but here is a quick overview of what will be happening soon:

First, you will be charged by Kickstarter soon if you have not been already. If there is an issue—a typo in your card number, you used an account that has since expired or been closed, etc.—you will receive a notice from Kickstarter. Please keep an eye out to make sure that if you get such a notice, you are able to address the issue.

Next, you will receive an email from BackerKit, a company we are working with that assists in the fulfillment process. This email will prompt you to complete a "survey" and contains a link to that end. This is not an opinion survey or market research or anything like that; it is an essential questionnaire that provides us with key information like your address. If you don't complete it, we won't know where to send your stuff! If you're anything like us, this email will be buried in your inbox within a day or two, so we recommend filling it out as soon as possible—you will be able to make changes later if needed. The emails from BackerKit will be sent in a staggered fashion over the course of the week beginning 25 July.

Miss something during the campaign?

BackerKit will also allow you to manage your pledge, meaning you will be able to upgrade to a higher Kickstarter reward tier or add on additional items. As access to the pledge manager is only for Kickstarter backers, all items will still be offered at the original Kickstarter backer rates. We will have more details on this process in coming updates, but we can tell you that when you get into BackerKit to manage your pledge, you will still be able to add on more card decks, more half bricks, more uncut sheets, more art prints, more passport handbooks, more Fall of Communism card sets—again, all at the original Kickstarter backer prices—and we might have some additional goodies to offer as well, so keep an eye out for these updates!

Once again, thank you—each and every one of you—for believing in this project and helping us bring Covert Cards to life.

Endlessly grateful,

Justin Baird & Helios House