Case Study: How a Custom Deck of Cards Raised $2.1M on Kickstarter

For many creators, launching a campaign on Kickstarter is an opportunity to bring a dream to life. For artist and YouTuber, Ten Hundred, it was more than that—it was a chance to turn his idea into a viable product for his community. His custom playing card campaign raised an astounding $2,143,826 USD from 23,147 backers, reaching his $10,000 funding goal in just three minutes — taking the title of highest funded card deck on Kickstarter.

We recently spoke to Ten Hundred about his campaign and approach to storytelling, community engagement, and record-breaking campaign.

A Deck of Cards as a Canvas

Ten Hundred’s Kickstarter campaign, Vivid Kingdoms - Playing Cards, was built around a simple yet powerful concept: a deck of playing cards featuring his unique artwork. With 54 opportunities to showcase original designs, the deck became more than just a product—it became a fully immersive artistic experience.

“I thought a deck of cards was an amazing way to present a full collection of artwork,” Ten Hundred explains. “I love how physical games like a deck of cards can bring people together in the real world.”

The project wasn’t just about selling a product; it was about creating a tangible, shareable form of art that could reach new audiences beyond traditional prints and paintings.

Why Kickstarter? The Power of Crowdfunding

Despite having an established audience on YouTube, Ten Hundred saw Kickstarter as an opportunity to expand his reach beyond his existing fan base. Specifically, he wanted to tap into the custom playing card collecting community—a passionate group that thrives on unique, high-quality decks.

By choosing crowdfunding over direct sales, Ten Hundred was able to:

• Build momentum before launch
• Leverage Kickstarter’s built-in audience
• Generate excitement through stretch goals and community participation

The Strategy That Paid Off

The secret to Ten Hundred’s massive success? His deep engagement with his audience. Before launching the campaign, he took his community along for the ride by documenting the creative process in a ten-part YouTube series. Each video gave fans an inside look at the design journey, and—most importantly—allowed them to participate.

“With each step in designing the deck, the fans got to vote on important decisions via polls and provide feedback in the comments, By the time the project launched, they felt connected to it because they had watched the whole series.”

The result? Immediate, overwhelming support.

Within the first hour, it had surpassed $100,000. By the end, it had raised over $2.1 million from 23,147 backers, making it the most successful playing card campaign in Kickstarter history.

Beyond the Campaign: The Impact of Success

“The transparency of Kickstarter was a huge advantage,” he says. “That big number at the top showed the world how much support the project had. If I had just sold the cards on my own website, people wouldn’t have known how successful it was. That social proof opened doors.”

One of the most significant outcomes? The financial success of the campaign allowed Ten Hundred to scale his business in a way he hadn’t imagined.

“I was able to move out of an old framing shop I was renting and purchase a warehouse to convert into my art studio and merch operation,” he reveals. “That directly came from my Kickstarter campaign and allowed me to grow my business further.”

Lessons Learned: What Ten Hundred Wishes He Knew Before Launching

Even with all the success, Ten Hundred acknowledges that there were challenges. The overwhelming demand led to unexpected production and fulfillment delays, which frustrated some backers.

“I thought I was going to make a few thousand decks of cards and have a small project,” he admits. “Instead, I had over 20,000 individual backers. The sheer quantity of items I needed to deliver set record order sizes for many manufacturers I was working with.”

The biggest lesson? Setting realistic timelines.

“I wish someone had told me how long it would really take,” he says. “I learned that frequent, transparent communication with backers was crucial, but it was still stressful feeling like I was letting people down. If I could do it again, I’d build in way more buffer time.”

Advice for Future Creators

For anyone considering launching their own Kickstarter campaign, Ten Hundred has some key takeaways:

• Involve your community early. Engaging fans throughout the creative process builds excitement and increases backer commitment.
• Be transparent and communicative. Frequent updates keep backers informed and help manage expectations.
• Plan for unexpected growth. Success can come faster than you expect—be ready for it!
• Give yourself extra time. Always add more buffer time to your estimated delivery dates than you think you’ll need.

Final Thoughts: The Kickstarter Effect

Ten Hundred’s story is a testament to the power of Kickstarter not just as a funding platform, but as a launchpad for creative careers. His campaign wasn’t just about selling a deck of cards—it was about building a movement, growing his brand, and transforming his artistic vision into a sustainable business.

For aspiring gamers or artists, his journey serves as an inspiring reminder: with the right mix of creativity, community engagement, and strategic planning, Kickstarter can be the springboard that takes a project—and a career—to the next level.