Unboxings and First Impressions

[Penthasilia]

Strange for me to have 2 new decks back to back. But I just received the Japardize from a dear member here and the opening was today.

 

Honestly- I don't want to write too much as I know this deck is OOP. But there are few times where I am truly humbled by the beauty of a deck, and this was one of them. I have no idea how I missed this is my previous tarot travels- but it is utterly beautiful and has a depth that I haven't seen in a while.

 

It also reads incredibly well, and shuffles like a dream. It is almost a polar opposite to the True Black- but both are amazing in their own ways. I won't necessarily say I like one over the other; however, the Japaridze is out on the bookshelf while the True Black is in the tarot drawer- so that is saying something.

 

I am very much enamored with this deck.  :love:

[ilweran]

The Anieth Nature Tarot arrived today!

 

First off I was a bit alarmed that the padded envelope was open, but luckily the deck was undamaged - very lucky as the deck came shrink wrapped and just in a rather flimsy bag. It will need a new 'outfit', as someone once described the tarot bags I'd just bought.

 

The deck itself is beautiful, not tried using it yet as the lwb appears to have little to do with the deck - the changed card titles aren't reflected in it, no mention of the animal on each card. I need to explore the website a bit as there is more information there.

 

Overall,  I'd say my first impressions of the deck itself are positive,  but the packaging and the lwb are lacking. Not so bothered about the packaging (except for the inadequate envelope) as I like to choose a suitable bag, but the lwb is disappointing.

[Grandma]

I am SO disappointed in the Everyday Enchantment Tarot. 

 

First, the cards.  They are undeniably beautiful and as symbol-rich as any I have ever seen, but the borders are much too wide.  Probably my fault for not doing better research, but most of the online pictures of this deck are without borders and the difference is amazing.  If I ever had the courage to trim a deck, this would be the one.

 

Plus, the cards feel sticky.  They do not slide against each other one single bit so dealing them into piles, which is my favorite way of shuffling, is aggravatingly hard to do.  I have to practically peel each card from the next.  They feel like they are coated with a fine layer of sticky dust.  I make sure my hands are clean before I touch my decks, but I have never felt like my hands needed washing after I used one until now.

 

Next, the book.  It seems chock full of well written interesting information but you couldn't prove it by me because the print is as small as the directions on a box of aspirin, which I haven't been able to read without a magnifying glass for 15 years.

 

And finally, the box.  About the third time I gently, carefully opened it, two corners totally split apart.  This is a beautiful seemingly sturdy box with a magnetic closure, clever ribbons keeping the top from falling back, and now, sadly, scotch tape mending one side.

 

I'm kind of heartsick over this one.  I have a feeling I will love reading with it eventually, but for now it's staying out of rotation.

[Grandma]

My sadness over the Everyday Enchantment is more than mitigated by two decks that also came last week - Pam's Vintage and de Maria Celia.  I am ecstatic over them both!

 

I chose the bridge sized deck of reall[/member]'s Pam's Vintage.  It comes in the sturdiest tuck box I have ever seen.  I usually discard tuck boxes and store multiple decks in pretty larger cardboard boxes, but this one is standing proudly on the shelf all on its own.  I've never used bridge sized cards and wasn't sure what to expect, and I am so happy with the way they nestle in my hands.  They are small enough to be adorable but large enough to show all their wonderful detail.  They are pleasantly but not overly slick, ditto flexible.

 

They look like very old, perfectly preserved cards, which I gather was the intention.  Job well done! And I like traditional Rider Waite imagery, but not usually coloring.  Problem solved!

 

Sometimes I like to lay a deck out in rows - all the aces, all the twos, and so forth - to study and compare.  With many decks this is unwieldy, while others are so slippery that they slide around on the counter.  I obsessively want them to stay in alignment, and Pam's Vintage is glad to comply.

 

And the Tarot de Maria Celia is just too pretty and too precious for words.  Everything about it - the size, the feel, the artwork (oh those little faces! oh that delicate shading! oh those pip cards which are as much fun to gaze at as the picture cards and not the least boring as pips can be!) - is delightful.  And as I've mentioned elsewhere, I am a sucker for any deck that comes in its own special tin.

 

And last but not least, both decks are easy and fun to read with.  They are not particularly deep or insightful, but I don't need them to be.  I have plenty of other decks when I want to be heavy.  These two additions to my collection are perfect for when I want to be light!

 

 

[EmpressAdora]

Of course, it is THAT deck! The one where the minors can be laid out together to form a complete scenario. Yes, it’s the Prisma Visions tarot! I’ve been wanting this deck for quite some time. It has such a unique vibe and I just love the color scheme!! (And I must say that it is even more beautiful in person!)

 

I actually recently purchased this deck!  I can’t wait to get it!  Your picture makes me want it even more!

 

I recently picked up the vice versa deck. It’s really beautiful and I love how it demonstrates two sides to each card. I do find it a little distracting to read with for personal use though when I can see the cards while shuffling.

I have pictures but I’m not sure how to add them.  Hopefully this works haha

[reall]

Grandma[/member] Thank You for mentioning my Pam's Vintage!:) Bridge size my fav!:)

 

I just got my *backups from dtc along with test prints for my new Pam's Original Art Only Tarot size deck & Ethernal Sand of Time (my recoloring of Egypt Tarot! ) available as Tarot & Bridge size will be out soon as well so stay tuned!:)

 

in short; luv cardstock & box! & colors ended up much better printed than expected!:) So Yes for selfpublishing with drivethrucards!^^ lolz

 

p.s will add vid reviews later!:)

[reall]

more pic for size restriction in 1 post!:)

[reall]

more pic for size restriction in 1post!:)

[reall]

last one!:)

[Hemera]

Rackham Tarot (LoScarabeo) just arrived!! :party:

 

This deck is SO much better than I had expected! I'm so happy!

This deck is the usual high LoS quality. I love the cardstock and the size is just perfect. At LoS they seem to insist on making the LWB in all those languages, which seems a bit unnecessary but that's for another discussion. The cards themselves have no text, just the usual symbols and numbers. The border is narrow -it’s actually just at the top and bottom of the cards, so the cards almost feels borderless. (Yay!)

 

The pictures have been rather well chosen which is excellent. (As we all know, this is not always the case in decks that have been put together from some long gone artist's work..) Some mistakes have crept in, though. I suspect the pictures were chosen without any knowledge whatsoever of the stories they were drawn to. For example the 10 of Cups depicts mermaids under a lovely rainbow and the picture may look like the happy conclusion of the Cups suit. But as far as I know, the picture was painted to illustrate a poem where "Rhine's fair children, bewailing their lost gold weep". So, not a very good choice for the 10/Cups, is it. There are other mistakes like that, and some picture choices strike me as a bit odd. I would have chosen some cards differently (e.g the Sun, the Tower). But what the heck..I can live with these.

I highly recommend this deck to all you Rackham fans out there. This deck makes me really happy and it was really worth the wait. I’m sure this will be my number one working deck as soon I get all the pictures properly studied.

 

LoScarabeo shop (shop.loscarabeo.com) surprised me with their speed of delivery. I received no confirmation e-mail which was puzzling at first - but the deck was at my door in about a week, well before I began to worry too much about it.

 

[Day Soleil]

Rackham Tarot (LoScarabeo) just arrived!! :party:

 

This deck is SO much better than I had expected! I'm so happy!

This deck is the usual high LoS quality. I love the cardstock and the size is just perfect. At LoS they seem to insist on making the LWB in all those languages, which seems a bit unnecessary but that's for another discussion. The cards themselves have no text, just the usual symbols and numbers. The border is narrow -it’s actually just at the top and bottom of the cards, so the cards almost feels borderless. (Yay!)

 

The pictures have been rather well chosen which is excellent. (As we all know, this is not always the case in decks that have been put together from some long gone artist's work..) Some mistakes have crept in, though. I suspect the pictures were chosen without any knowledge whatsoever of the stories they were drawn to. For example the 10 of Cups depicts mermaids under a lovely rainbow and the picture may look like the happy conclusion of the Cups suit. But as far as I know, the picture was painted to illustrate a poem where "Rhine's fair children, bewailing their lost gold weep". So, not a very good choice for the 10/Cups, is it. There are other mistakes like that, and some picture choices strike me as a bit odd. I would have chosen some cards differently (e.g the Sun, the Tower). But what the heck..I can live with these.

I highly recommend this deck to all you Rackham fans out there. This deck makes me really happy and it was really worth the wait. I’m sure this will be my number one working deck as soon I get all the pictures properly studied.

 

LoScarabeo shop (shop.loscarabeo.com) surprised me with their speed of delivery. I received no confirmation e-mail which was puzzling at first - but the deck was at my door in about a week, well before I began to worry too much about it.

 

I looked quite a bit at this deck on the Llewellyn site - it says it's not available until June this year in the US. Good to know you loved it!

[GreatDane]

THANKS for sharing regarding the RACKHAM!  I AM A BIG RACKHAM fan and want to see more about this deck.  Wondering if Amazon will offer it at discount if you pre order.  Running over to Amazon....

[GreatDane]

FYI re AMAZON and the RACKHAM deck....it's at 24.95 for pre order, but don't think that's a discount?  It says released in June...

[Day Soleil]

I'm so happy I found this site! Honestly, I've learned so much in terms of selecting decks. For the past two years, I've only had the traditional Pamela Coleman Smith Rider deck and Linestrider, both of which I still love. Last fall I bought two more: the Ceccoli and the Dreamkeepers deck. I bought them based solely on the appeal of the artwork in both those decks. I still love the art, but have had trouble using them for readings because they are both pretty funky. I wanted to find something more true to the RW symbolism, and I also wanted something very simple/intuitive/contemporary. I researched and looked, and read posts and card favs and put about 30 decks in my "wish list" before narrowing down to two to purchase.

 

I am sooooooooooo happy with both my purchases. I'll do a post for both since I don't know how to get two photos attached.

 

The Hip Chick deck came in a lovely box with guide book. The cards are on the big side, like oracle cards, and they are so sturdy and vibrant. This is by far the highest quality deck printing I own, lol. I love the matte finish. I love the contemporary artwork and diversity of representation. I love the intuitive naming of the suits and the simplicity that lends to instant insights. I love everything about this deck.

 

 

[Day Soleil]

The other deck I bought was the Thelema Tarot, which I feel like everyone on this site is probably already familiar with, but I'll share a photo of some of my favorite cards anyway. These cards are more like playing-deck size, and are thinner, so easier to shuffle. Although I can tell the printing is not the best (artwork is a bit dark and some details are lost) I don't mind a bit, because I think this deck and I are going to become best friends. I feel like this is going to be my go-to deck, I love the blend of fantasy and realism so much. My Personality card is The World, and I always check that depiction in every deck now to see if it jives. This one really does.

[Canid]

Of course, it is THAT deck! The one where the minors can be laid out together to form a complete scenario. Yes, it’s the Prisma Visions tarot! I’ve been wanting this deck for quite some time. It has such a unique vibe and I just love the color scheme!! (And I must say that it is even more beautiful in person!)

 

I actually recently purchased this deck!  I can’t wait to get it!  Your picture makes me want it even more!

 

I recently picked up the vice versa deck. It’s really beautiful and I love how it demonstrates two sides to each card. I do find it a little distracting to read with for personal use though when I can see the cards while shuffling.

I have pictures but I’m not sure how to add them.  Hopefully this works haha

 

I absolutely adore Viceversa! It’s been my main deck for nearly a year now. So WHY do I keep ordering more? AT corrupted me. I got Everyday Enchantment also & I’m gonna trim it. Pam’s Vintage (also bridge sized) is perfect, & came with 10 extra cards by Pixie! Now I’m waiting for the Dark Mansion & the Romantic Tarot. And thinking about actually using my Vic Romantic, but I just don’t like it! Maybe it’ll grow on me? It’s been collecting dust for 10 years...

[Saturn Celeste]

I feel like this is going to be my go-to deck, I love the blend of fantasy and realism so much. My Personality card is The World, and I always check that depiction in every deck now to see if it jives. This one really does.

Oh I love this deck!!  I do use it much of the time.  I'm happy you like it too, Day!  :love:

[GreatDane]

CANID!  HI X/ <3

 

I saw you mentioned the VIC ROM.  That deck and I never resonated.  LOVELY deck, but just no for me.  I RESONATE with the BOHO GOTHIC, the VIC ROM, KNEW we weren't not going to be besties or even casual acquaintances and moved it along to someone who would love it years ago.

 

LOVING this thread!  It gives me a preview and a review!

[Rose Lalonde]

AGM Tarot of A.E. Waite standard size in English

 

It's old news that the images are sharp; there's no copyright symbol on the cards, and the card stock is great. So I'll just say that I agree with all of those things now that I have it in hand.  (I prefer it to my Centennial, which was a bit of a suprise.)

 

 

purchased on amazon.de  - 'shipped from and sold by Amazon'

 

 

ACK - my scan looks blurry. Seriously the art is so clear!  I fail at scanning.  ::)

[Flaxen]

I have that RWS too, Rose and like it a lot. The colour palette and crackle backs are a real plus.

[GreatDane]

THANKS for sharing those pix, Rose Lalonde.  As someone whose fav deck has been USG's Pamela Commemorative deck with extra goodies, I must take a closer look at this one X/

[Rose Lalonde]

THANKS for sharing those pix, Rose Lalonde.  As someone whose fav deck has been USG's Pamela Commemorative deck with extra goodies, I must take a closer look at this one X/

Sure thing!  :) I didn't say a lot, because this deck has been out for a while (or at least it has been in German; I think the English version has only been out since 2016), but I love the colors and crisp, Pam A drawings.

 

You can see more on a youtube flipthrough

(although in her vid the colors look a bit lighter/whiter than it does to me in hand.)  It's definitely a brighter deck than your Commemorative, especially the yellow, but the whole thing looks classic to me instead of garish.

[Iona]

I have the Tarot of A.E Waite and love it, really feels good and the colours are so clear.  It just feels like a really good quality deck.

[queenofwans]

I just got the Shadow Light Tarot (and its accompanying mini twin, the Wander Light Tarot), and I'm in love!

 

I love the images on each and every card. Everything is so beautiful and magical and intricate. I love how there are so many details waiting for you to find.

 

I think one of the most special aspects of the Shadow Light is that the entire Major Arcana and every suit each form an infinite panoramic, meaning that every picture connects to the picture before and after it, and the last card connects back with the first card, to form a gigantic panoramic. In the second row of the Shadow Light cards, you can see part of the panoramic for the Pentacles suit.

 

The card stock of Shadow Light is nice — a good weight and easy to riffle shuffle and gilded with silver on the edges.  Originally, the artist intended the card stock to have a linen finish, which I probably would have preferred, but most people preferred a card stock that was a tad heavier with the gilded edges.

 

The Wander Light, in contrast, does have a linen finish, which I really like. It is so tiny and cute! The images on the Wander Light take the central figures on the Shadow Light and superimpose them on a black background. The Wander Light (as well as the Shadow Light) comes with a whole host of additional cards, such as a Tree of Life, one card for each element, one card for each planet (including Pluto!), and a separate Sun and Moon card (that are not the same as the tarot Sun or Moon card).

 

I'm loving this deck so much!  <3

[queenofwans]

On the same day I got the Shadow Light Tarot, I also got the Crow Tarot. When I saw it in a local metaphysical shop after work, I just HAD to get it. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, as I’ve always been intrigued by crows and their incredible intelligence, but I hadn’t ever seen the deck in person — only on various social media. I know there was a little bit of controversy with the indie version, but people who had this mass-market version by U.S. Games seemed pretty happy with it.

 

The Crow Tarot comes in a beautiful two-part matte box. I love the box. It seems sturdy and well-made. (The indie version comes in a tuck box.) Inside, there is a nice little mini book.  The cards are pretty large in size, but very stiff with little give and are difficult to riffle shuffle. I can overhand shuffle easily though.

 

I have seen several side-by-side comparisons of the U.S. Games version and the original indie version, and I have to say I like the look of these more. The only thing I might like more in the original version is the font used, but that’s about it. I like the elegant and classic backs of this version better.

 

I'm really loving the art of this deck, and the deck gives off a very calm and wise energy thus far.