I am SOOO angry!

[Aldor44]

>:( >:( >: >:(

 

So.. recently I have purchased two new decks to enlarge my very modest colelction - namely the Classic llywelyn tarot and the llywelyn tarot ( the cletic inspired one)

 

I got both and was very happy especially with the second one ( even thought the classical started growing on me as well)- All was well until I have decided to start shuffling them a bit.. It wasn't more then 3 min into the shuffling that I saw some cards already had dints- some to a point where it was obvious.. even after trimming the second deck and reshuffling some cards again had dints- and I don't shuffle agressively - in comparison my Robin Wood deck which I have been using for months now- is perfectly fine..

 

So, What am i supposed to do now? I want to use the decks, I paid money for them- but one is already a bit dented and the other also shows some signs- and this only after a few shuffles and like 1 /2 uses.....

 

I am especially mad about the llywelyn one since I really like it.. especially after trimmed...

 

Help... :bugeyed:

 

[Raggydoll]

Well there is not much you can do with a deck that is trimmed. But you can complain about the deck that isn’t trimmed. Bring it up with the vendor that you bought it from. A lot of places will replace a deck that has flaws to it. My advice is that you make sure to check any new decks thoroughly before you start using them so that you notice any issues with card stock or printing errors. I know that Llewellyn has a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to cardstock. People complain that it feels thin and cheap. I don’t have many (if any?) Llewellyn decks so I wouldn’t know. I think us games and Lo Scarabeo produces good card stock for the price you pay. Indie decks are usually my favorite though (especially those with a matte finish) but they are much more pricey and harder to come by, so I get why they simply aren’t an option for some people.

[gregory]

Llewellyn stock has indeed never been great... Just saying. But trimming does tend to make decks more vulnerable.

 

How do you shuffle ? Maybe switch techniques.

[Raggydoll]

Llewellyn stock has indeed never been great... Just saying. But trimming does tend to make decks more vulnerable.

 

How do you shuffle ? Maybe switch techniques.

 

It also matters which trimming methods you use. Scissors give a cleaner edge than ordinary paper cutters (they almost seem to tear up the sides) but it’s harder to get perfectly straight lines with scissors. I use a rotary style paper cutter which gives really crisp and clean edges with no fraying. But those are generally more expensive so, again, not an option for everyone.

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

Are the dents towards the center? Some cardstock will dent from fingernails when shuffling. And some show none...can you clarify where you are seeing them?

[Aldor44]

Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough..

 

The cards came fine.... But once I shuffled a bit- the edges at places became white... like small white dots where the card or something peels off a bit.. after like 2 shuffles!

[Raggydoll]

Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough..

 

The cards came fine.... But once I shuffled a bit- the edges at places became white... like small white dots where the card or something peels off a bit.. after like 2 shuffles!

 

Oh, I see. Lousy cardstock I think. I get why you’re upset!

[Saturn Celeste]

Llewellyn stock has indeed never been great...

Gregory is right, Llewellyn does not have good cardstock and it's only gotten worse.  I have the classic deck too but I don't have actual chips on the paper.  They are just really thin to shuffle.

[Grizabella]

I don't understand why it's so terrible for a deck to show wear. Any deck will do that in time. Some do sooner than others, it's true, but it's not the end of the world. In fact, I'd feel more confident getting a reading some someone with a worn deck than from one whose deck looked like it came right out of the box. A worn deck shows me that the reader has some experience and is serious about Tarot.

 

I love my Llewellyn and it's not flimsy. I can't stand a deck that feels thick like cardboard. I've had mine since it came out and I've used it a lot over the years. It's still holding up just fine. A little wear and some fingernail dents is to be expected with any deck.

 

What I'll say next, since the written word sometimes can come across as snarky when it isn't meant that way, let me say right now that I don't mean this that way. If you want decks to stay pristine, maybe you should get one to use and one to just put away and keep like new. That's more spendy option, but you could get a deck and work with it to see if it's one you'll want to work with a lot. Then, if it is, you can get the second one to keep pristine and like new.

 

Why does it make you angry to see that a deck shows wear?

[gregory]

Showing wear is one thing. A deck will not stay pristine in use, no. However, the surface coming off after two shuffles is not OK. That's not worn, that's moving towards unusable.

 

But - for instance Llewellyn's Animal Totem tarot would be destroyed if used frequently, the stock is so bad. Lo Scarabeo decks aren't like cardboard; they are whippy and shuffle well, but they hold up. Recent Llewellyn decks really don't. My Llewellyn is fine. But I have seen someone else's more recent print and it really isn't.

[Raggydoll]

Showing wear is one thing. A deck will not stay pristine in use, no. However, the surface coming off after two shuffles is not OK. That's not worn, that's moving towards unusable.

 

But - for instance Llewellyn's Animal Totem tarot would be destroyed if used frequently, the stock is so bad. Lo Scarabeo decks aren't like cardboard; they are whippy and shuffle well, but they hold up. Recent Llewellyn decks really don't. My Llewellyn is fine. But I have seen someone else's more recent print and it really isn't.

 

I agree. A deck should not show signs of wear after this short amount of time, that just points to the paper quality being so low that they simply will not hold up for normal use. So this is not about aesthetics but about poor quality and not getting value out of your money. And money is a big thing for most people so I would also be sad and angry if I bought something and discovered it was breaking apart after only two uses. That’s just not acceptable to me. But I also want to point out that I like older well-loved decks that are showing signs of wear. I often buy vintage/pre-loved decks and I do not mind them to be worn (I often prefer them that way to be honest). So for me there really is a difference. Aldors deck will probably never survive long enough to age in a lovely way and provide use and insights over a long time. And that is what you would expect from a deck.

[Guest Night Shade]

What I'll say next, since the written word sometimes can come across as snarky when it isn't meant that way, let me say right now that I don't mean this that way. If you want decks to stay pristine, maybe you should get one to use and one to just put away and keep like new. That's more spendy option, but you could get a deck and work with it to see if it's one you'll want to work with a lot. Then, if it is, you can get the second one to keep pristine and like new.

 

This is good advice; I've actually done this a couple of times.  Or, I'll get the mini version of a deck to use, and the standard version to keep.  I don't just do this to keep one deck pristine (although that is part of it) - I also do it in case the first deck wears out completely, and it turns out it's out of print and not available anymore.  Basically, as a back up deck.  But like Grizabella[/member]  said, it's pricey, so if you do this, make sure it's a deck that you know you'll still care about years later, when and if the first deck wears out. 

[gregory]

Trouble is in THIS case, the deck to use will be just as bad :(

[Guest Night Shade]

Trouble is in THIS case, the deck to use will be just as bad :(

 

Good point. Maybe it's best to just let this deck go (or at least try to get a refund).