So.. why would anyone take a rare, hard-to-find Elephant Deck and convert it into a STRIPPER DECK or more so... who would want to buy it ?
The answer is this: no one would suspect such a deck being gimmicked. I once took a deck of vintage cards and converted it into a STRIPPER DECK and repeatedly fooled a group of Magician. The "oldness" of the deck misdirected any attention to a tricked-out method or prop.
Lesson: misdirection can be "built" into a prop --- Tools For The Thoughtful Magician.