Lo Scarabeo Tarocchi di Klimt ‘first run’

[KiMo]

Hi all, I’d be grateful for some advice regarding a deck I’ve come across on a second hand selling site.

It’s a copy of Tarocchi di Klimt by Lo Scarabeo, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s a genuine copy or not. It comes in a tuck box with no ISBN that I can see, and has no guidebook. The deck title on the box is in Italian only. The cards look very convincing and according to the seller, have the expected gold detailing on the cards.

 

Having done some research I’ve come across information about an initial run of the deck that Lo Scarabeo produced and limited to distribution in Italy only (if I’m understanding correctly) and then expanded with a revamped version for international distribution. Is anyone aware of this was actually the case?

[DanielJUK]

Others might have better knowledge about this and know about this deck

I searched Aeclectic and couldn't find any threads discussing the Italian first deck which is strange, but there was this old thread about 2 versions -

 

https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/golden-tarot-of-klimt-what-color-borders.179060/

 

The Anglicised version of the name is Golden Tarot of Klimt. Lo Scarabeo decks are resold in the US by Llewellyn and often are different with different box art. They have a different ISBN and tend to be in English / Spanish. The Lo Scarabeo European / Rest of the World decks are multilingual.

 

Maybe someone knows of this deck if it's genuine

 

 

[KiMo]

Thank you very much @DanielJUK, it’s quite confusing! My first reaction would usually be to think it a counterfeit copy, but I have seen clues here and there online referring to ‘rare’ and ‘vintage’ copies of Lo Scarabeo decks that were almost used as test runs of sorts… I’ve also read elsewhere that they didn’t come with little white books but sometimes you just don’t know what to believe 🤷‍♀️ 

[DanielJUK]

Lo Scarabeo do sometimes do limited edition collectors runs of decks before they go mass-market. But they tend to be really talked about in threads on forums and online. So that bit I find weird.

I do own one of a different deck. It was a kickstarter special edition before going mass-market and had huge discussion and interest about that deck here at the time - https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/2470-lo-scarabeo-visconti-modrone/ We were all signing up to it aka enabling each other! 🙂

So that is why I find this weird, although possible. Although the mass-market Klimt deck was first published in 2005, so maybe there was no discussion about it then.

 

Maybe someone will know of this, so we can't rule it out entirely.

[KiMo]

1 hour ago, DanielJUK said:

Lo Scarabeo do sometimes do limited edition collectors runs of decks before they go mass-market.

This is exactly how the same deck has been described on another selling site that I spotted… In the mid 2000s Lo Scarabeo collaborated with Fabbri to create a limited edition collection of a number of decks, of which the Klimt Tarot was one. They then went on to publish a mass market version internationally.

 

I’m so conflicted, my finger is hovering over the ‘buy’ button but I’m so nervous it’s a fake 😂

[gregory]

I have what I think was the first edition - published in 2005, by Lo Scarabeo. It has both the Italian and the English title, according to my database. I'm sorry, but I'm packing to fly and I haven't time to dig it out. I THOUGHT the Fabbri collaborations were later than the originals, as you might say - they were put out to be given away "free" with a magazine. Email the company - they are generally very helpful. Or if anyone has that lovely book with pix of all their decks up to that point, and their history - again, this was the worst time to ask, as I really haven't time...

[DanielJUK]

Great advice from @gregory, safe flying ❤️

Contact their customer service @KiMo. They are always very friendly and ask if they had this early deck.

Then do let us know what you find out 🙂

[KiMo]

Thank you very much @gregory, that’s really helpful, although I’m sorry to have roped you into this while you’re trying to pack 😅 Happy travels!

 

35 minutes ago, gregory said:

they were put out to be given away "free" with a magazine.

This is interesting as that’s exactly what the deck looks like it would be for, having a very simple tuck box with none of the usual embellishments. I’ve had a look and the seller has other, different decks in exactly the same style of box so that would make complete sense. They look like part of a set.

 

Thank you again for your help @DanielJUK, I’ll get in touch with Lo Scarabeo and will let you know how I get on!

 

[gregory]

There's a review on AT that mentions the collaboration - of their Crystal deck, but still - scroll down.

 

https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/crystal-tarots/

 

This is the magazine in question - it's included a variety of their decks over the years - there's one in my supermarket just now with their Golden Art Nouveau.

 

https://www.totaltarotcollection.com/index.html

 

I can post between finding things to pack, just NOT going to shift the chests on casters in my tarot room to get at Drawer no 16 - that is more complicated !)

Edited June 18, 2023 by gregory

[KiMo]

Thank you for the info @gregory! As it happens I also hope to get my hands on a copy of the Crystal Tarot and have a go at trimming it. The artwork is gorgeous but I’m not a fan of the borders.

 

Back on topic, call me foolhardy but I went ahead and bought the Klimt deck, deep down my gut was telling me that it wasn’t something to pass up. Once I have it in my hands I’ll update the thread. 
 

Absolutely no need to move the chests around, your knowledge has been more than helpful!

[Chariot]

Interesting thread.  I'm not a collector, as such, and don't care about first editions, etc, but I only recently learned about the fake/counterfeit market, which I would never knowingly support.  Glad this issue is being so helpfully addressed here.  Yikes.  Nothing is safe from fraud, is it?

 

[KiMo]

It’s dreadful @Chariot, and no amount of reporting on selling sites seems to make any difference. I see plenty of sellers also attempting to sell fake decks for three times the price they would have bought them for, it’s gross.

 

In terms of this deck, I’d had the Klimt Tarot on my wish list for some time and how the deck I found looked really threw me. Anyway, thank goodness for all the knowledgeable people on this forum! I hopefully got myself a usable and genuine deck, and learned a bit of tarot history along the way.