This was the original product entry for Tulipmania, the 2013 Spring Artefact Cards edition. It went badly wrong, though, and has therefore changed....
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Tulipmania was an economic phenomenon we perhaps know most about from Charles Mackay's 1841 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.
In 1636, tulip bulbs (specifically rare and beautiful ones) began to significantly increase in price in Dutch society.
There was futures market on tulips, and people would offer staggering amounts of money for fields of bulbs without knowing exactly how they'd turn out.
They were hoping for wondrous colours, delightful patterns, stunning varieties...
...fast forward a few centuries...
I remain fascinated that people would speculate so much on the potential contents of a bulb, on the potential colour of tulips.
So I've decide to do this...
TULIPMANIA... The Limited Edition Spring 2013 Artefact Cards
There will be things in the box that I could tell you about, but won't.
There will be things in the box that I'd like to to tell you about, but can't.
Because the cards themselves will be based on the colour of the Tulips.
Specifically, the tulips which haven't yet emerged in the Smithery Garden...
The Artefact Cards will be created by taking hues from the tulips (at least three different colours), matching them to a pantone colour, and making them in a short run down in Axminster.
And alongside the cards in each box, you'll find other things.
I could tell you now what those are.
I'm not going to though.
Instead, I'll offer you a few hints...
- There will be a present from Plumpton Green
- There will be something to help people
- In one in ten of the boxes, a special extra thing (selected at random)
Three final facts you need to know...
1. This limited edition will cost a bit more than previous editions.
2. There will be half as many of these kits as there was of the last seasonal one (Winter 2013)
3. I'm not going to reveal the colours or the contents until the last one has been sold
And that's it.
Of course, I've no idea how this will go
But that is the way with speculation.
Let's see what happens, shall we?
So what will / might you find inside...?
As always, Artefact Cards are 250gsm clay coated card, with 5mm rounded corners, individually platen-cut, all made at the Axminster Printing Co in Devon, and held in Moo's white label packaging. 90 cards per box / 180 cards in total.
Two Custom Sharpies
Two specially made black Sharpies, fine point (1.0mm). Sharpies are of course permanent markers, so you need to commit to your ideas.
One Vinyl Artefact sticker
A newly minted Vinyl Artefact sticker, redesigned for this box in the most robust material known to someone.