Lo Scarabeo published Radiant Wise Spirit Deck vs Llewellyn published one?

[GreatDane]

I saw the Radiant Wise on Amazon, the one published by Llewellyn.  But one of the reviews there said to get the Lo Scarabeo published one rather than the Llewellyn and gave an ISBN number.  I found it on Amazon, not easily, and it said it was 18 and change, quite a bit less than the Llewellyn published one.  An hour later, I looked at it in my orders and the price had gone up to over $40!  In an hour.  So glad I picked it up the Lo Scarabeo for so much less, timing is everything on Amazon,  Anyway, I was wondering for those who have both decks, do you prefer one printing over the other?

 

I'm getting it tomorrow, but I won't have the Llewellyn to compare to, so....thoughts?   

[gregory]

Llewellyn has not published ANY of these decks. They are simply the US distributor for Lo Scarabeo, and get to have their own ISBNs on the boxes. There is no such thing as a Llewellyn published Radiant Wise. There is no such thing as two printings to compare,.

 

All of them are published by LoS, who simply add a Llewellyn logo and a US ISBN to the US ones, and all are printed in the same places. That's one reason we in Europe can buy them so much earlier than you guys - yours have to cross the Atlantic. So fear not - yours will be exactly the same as mine, bought from the company when it first came out.

[GreatDane]

Intereseting, Gregory.  Different box images and peeps reviewing on Amazon said the LoS better.  I KNEW someone would know, not surprised it's you! 🙂  Well, feel lucky I got for less than the one that show Llewellyn or LoS.  18 and tax not bad for full size 🙂 

 

I read this review on the one that said Llewellyn so since they had different images on them, I searched under the ISBN and got what doesn't show Llewellyn for considerably less.  I believe you they're the same, you would know.   Maybe someone convinced themselves LoS was different because of the image on box.  THANKS, GREGORY.  I wasn't going to get them both to compare!

 

1.0 out of 5 stars Corners are flaking off

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is my favorite deck. But after only one year of very light use, the corners are flaking off. This is ISBN ending in 2364 or 2369.
See below for another reviewer’s advice.

Onewisewoman wrote in a 1 star review:

“This May 8, 2019 edition is the cheap Chinese printing and the card stock is horrible. Get the June 25, 2019 printing by A. E. Waite . You must google by ISBN number to get the right version on Amazon. It is 9788865275856. The A. E. Waite version looks the same but has far superior card stock.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gregory]

People writing reviews on amazon are  not the most reliable.... You can see how reliable "Get the printing by A.E. Waite." He's been dead QUITE a while.

 

 @Rodney can tell you as well as I can. I do WISH Llewellyn would stop saying they publish LoS decks... It causes so much confusion.

 

https://www.llewellyn.com/browse_category.php?product_category_id=192

 

where yu will find:

https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738762364

 

and note - IMPRINT Llewellyn. NOT published by.

 

https://www.llewellyn.com/partner.php?partner_id=1

Edited October 31, 2023 by gregory

[GreatDane]

I understand.  On Amazon it has the A. E. Waite, but shows publisher as Lo Scarabeo.  On the other deck with other image, it has Llewellyn.    And I understand re reviews.  That's why I said I believe you, and thought some might just be confused because there are different images on the boxes, different publishers listed and different publishing dates.  I wish they wouldn't do that since one is close to DOUBLE in price.  I'm just glad I got my deck for a lot less than either of them showed 🙂 and found out from you they're the same even though they have different info and images.

[gregory]

It was the REVIEW that mentioned Waite !

 

Of course there is one more ghastly possibility - as it was cheap. When you get it - check for a QR code. And a booklet.....

[DanielJUK]

If the deck comes from amazon themselves as a seller (not a third-party seller) it is normally okay for that price. If it's really a lot cheaper than the RRP and from a third party, it would activate my spidery piracy senses. People do sell fake decks on Amazon! They are normally extremely cheap (like $10) and as gregory said they will say "PDF guidebook or downloads", they are red flags! Mass-market decks come with a book, they seldom have a download officially.

I presume (speculating) there are more Lo Scarabeo branded decks globally than Llewellyn which is only for one market, so it could be all genuine.

[DanielJUK]

Post the Amazon links if you like, we can check it out 🙂 

[gregory]

The one to which that weird review is attached is this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Radiant-Wise-Spirit-Tarot-Scarabeo/dp/0738762369/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?i

 

Which has the genuine box that LoS puts out. I've never (yet) seen a dud wit those boxes.

 

I have no idea if there was a dodgy print run at some point - but the comments about the line work are fair enough - it's famous for that ! If you do get a dodgy print run though - LoS customer service is second to none. Email them.

[GreatDane]

they both say shipped and sold by Amazon.  Here is the link that comes up when you type in Radiant Wise Spirit

Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot: Lo Scarabeo: 9780738762364: Amazon.com: Books

 

 

THIS is the one I purchased.  It will not let me pull up or link.  I went into my invoice.  But this is it.  The price has gone from 18 to 43 to 27 dollars within 48 hours.

 

Here's another reviewer that searched for it and it wouldn't just come up.  I don't know what magic portal opened for me to order it, but it doesn't come back up for me using title or ISBN

below  maybe it will for you.

 

It says Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot Cards  JUNE 25, 2019  

 

• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8865275856

[GreatDane]

Sorry here is what another reviewer posted on the invisible Radiant Wise Spirit!

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Best version of the Radiant Wise Spirit

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

This A. E. Waite version by Lo Scarabeo is far far superior to the cheaper, made in China, Llewellyn version. I've had both. This version has far superior card stock that is a dream to shuffle. The cheaper version is thick stiff cardboard with thick white edges. This A. E. Waite version is thinner but more flexible and you can see the coloring of the cards even on the sides of the deck. It is beautiful. Don't waste your money trying to save money on the cheaper deck. Get this one.
For some reason this edition does not come up in Amazon search. What up with that????

[GreatDane]

JUST got it!  One person said that you can see the colors on the side of the cardstock on the Lo Scarabeo one, but not the one that says publisher is Llewellyn (and I get publisher isn't really Llewellyn, but says that on the Amazon page).  I don't know if that's true, since I don't have both.  I realize the one I got shows the image of the Magician on the Amazon page, the one that has Llewellyn shows the Fool side.  Just really strange they have different publish dates, one lists Llewellyn as publisher on Amazon page, one lists Scarabeo.  One is almost impossible to find (the one that has the June 2019 publish date) and the price is going up and down ... a lot.  I just grabbed it when it said 18.  Love the look of the deck, but find this all such a mystery as both say same title, both shipped and sold by Amazon.  Never had this happen quite like this with a deck, and I have gotten many on Amazon.

Truly stunning.  Love it.  Cardstock is really thick.  I don't riffle shuffle, so hoping lamination won't peel.

[gregory]

Any marketplace seller is subject to the mad amazon algorithm which adjusts the price according to what it thinks others are getting. But I'm glad you got one that you like. IIRC the two sides of the same box have different images. Mine is definitely 2019.

 

MAYBE Llewellyn shows a different date if that was the date the print run with their logo on  went through ? LoS have had some printings done in China - I do know that - and I believe they don't any more.

[GreatDane]

LOVE IT, GREGORY!  And couldn't say no to the price.  Oh you are so right!  Those Amazon algorithms are sneaky!  I have clicked on something a few times and watched the price drop. They have it DOWN to literally a science!  Which is probably why they're so successful at selling stuff 🙂    The box says it's printed in Italy.    My only issue is geez it's a thick deck, even with long fingers, the thickness of this  deck is a challenge.  

But gorgeous!

[DanielJUK]

I pre-ordered a mass-market deck last year on Amazon and each country's Amazon had a different scheduled release date! So it has a different release per territory! So it's possible to not have been released on the same date and maybe that changes that area's published date?

[GreatDane]

oh good question, Dan!  And what was also confusing, and I don't know about Amazon.uk, but here it's almost impossible to look up under the isbn number for the one that says published by LoS vs the one that has Llewellyn all over the page and says published by Llewellyn and different prices.  It's just weird!  BUT loving the deck!  I've been shuffling it to loosen it up a bit.   I don't have big hands, but good thing I have long fingers!  It's a thick puppy!