Is Kickstarter oversaturated with tarot decks?

[RavenOfSummer]

I was just perusing Kickstarter, and it looks like MANY of the deck campaigns currently underway are likely to fail. Of course, there are many wildly successful campaigns as well...but I wondered whether people think Kickstarter has become oversaturated with tarot decks? That there are just too many decks and not enough people interested in funding them?

 

I know some people have also mentioned their wariness of crowdfunding platforms...so maybe these creators could reach a greater audience by taking a different approach to funding their decks?

 

 

[DanielJUK]

nah you can never have enough  :) :thumbsup:

 

Most decks I have seen, have either made the minimum amount to fund them or would be made whatever happens and they just add better rewards the more people buy it. I think it's a good thing, it challenges the big mass market companies and there are some wonderful smaller decks out there! Almost anyone has the opportunity to sell a tarot deck now to the world! I see that all as a positive.

 

My worry is negative experiences, mine are very few from crowdfunding but some people have had them. I am not sure I have seen anyone not get their decks after the funding closed but I know some people got an awful end product or waited a year or so for it!

 

Tarot is really popular at the moment, I posted that link a while ago about tarot sales and RWS has sold more decks from mid 2017 to mid 2018 than any point since it's creation in 1909! Astrology and Divination are very in fashion currently! It could be a problem in future though if people buy less decks but let's ride the wave currently of so many great decks coming out  8)

 

Crowdfunding is always a risk though, so becareful what you put your money in and make sure you read everything and like the deck  :thumbsup:

[RavenOfSummer]

nah you can never have enough  :) :thumbsup:

 

Most decks I have seen, have either made the minimum amount to fund them or would be made whatever happens and they just add better rewards the more people buy it. I think it's a good thing, it challenges the big mass market companies and there are some wonderful smaller decks out there! Almost anyone has the opportunity to sell a tarot deck now to the world! I see that all as a positive.

 

My worry is negative experiences, mine are very few from crowdfunding but some people have had them. I am not sure I have seen anyone not get their decks after the funding closed but I know some people got an awful end product or waited a year or so for it!

 

Tarot is really popular at the moment, I posted that link a while ago about tarot sales and RWS has sold more decks from mid 2017 to mid 2018 than any point since it's creation in 1909! Astrology and Divination are very in fashion currently! It could be a problem in future though if people buy less decks but let's ride the wave currently of so many great decks coming out  8)

 

Crowdfunding is always a risk though, so becareful what you put your money in and make sure you read everything and like the deck  :thumbsup:

 

Oh, I completely agree, Dan! I'm a big fan of Kickstarter, and love that it makes the market accessible to creators who don't have a company behind them. And so many wonderful decks have come from it!

 

It just seems like there are more decks not getting funded these days, and I wondered if something has changed, but maybe I have the wrong impression. You bring up a good point about the popularity of divination right now!

 

And yes, it does seem like the bad experiences, as well as customs prices, may have scared some people off. Like you I've had only positive experiences to date...I hope it stays that way!

[Grizabella]

I think the market in general is flooded with Tarot and other kinds of divination.

 

Since I've started painting and doing all kinds of art work again I was toying with the idea of making a Tarot deck but then I got the Everyday Enchantment and that settled it---I couldn't add anything to the market or add anything useful to the Tarot world that Poppy hasn't covered in her new deck.

[gregory]

I have only twice had a crowdfunded deck go pearshaped. That said - I am giving up on backing them because of the UK's terrifying import charges - the worst bit being the £8 extra the post office charges to collect very small amounts of VAT due :(

 

But the place that I think is oversubscribed - if you can call it that - is gamecrafter. Anyone can put anything up there, and they don't have to wait to get the support. And several of the decks up there are utter dross. (I am NOT naming any one in particular, in case their creator is here, but...)

 

At least with Kickstarter, if your deck is dire, you probably won't get funded (that said, I do have one I backed there which - well, let's say it was my most disappointing purchase of whatever year I bought it in !)

 

But creating your own deck - you do learn SO MUCH from doing that. Don't do it for selling; do it for what you get out of it - don't even show it to anyone, if you feel you can't top other people's work. It's not about competition or about "the market"; it's about what you get from the whole process.

[Faye]

But creating your own deck - you do learn SO MUCH from doing that. Don't do it for selling; do it for what you get out of it - don't even show it to anyone, if you feel you can't top other people's work. It's not about competition or about "the market"; it's about what you get from the whole process.

 

So true!! I’m designing one at the moment just because I’m enjoying the exercise of putting down the cards exactly as I feel them... but I’ve also gone for a much rougher design than I usually do (my norm is smooth, clean, space agey design). I honestly can’t tell whether it’s the right call yet, because I haven’t gone very far beyond prelim sketches and a few cards... but I’m loving the process, especially deciding what to keep/add/remove! :thumbsup:

 

If I finish it, I’ll probably just print one set for myself, I’m not sure it can add much to what’s already out there tbh ^-^

[gregory]

I'm quite sure mind didn't. But it did me the world of good.

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

her brain is as big as a watermelon, I'm sure that helped but I have been really impressed with Benebell Wen's deck from inception to market. Perhaps not the path for everyone but she is so open about the process, anyone using any path to market can not help but end up with a better product if following her care.

 

progress: https://benebellwen.com/spirit-keepers-tarot/

 

after print she laid out all the costs involved which I'm pretty sure thee and me would never have considered.

 

 

[Siavahda]

No way! I adore Kickstarter (I'm a total addict) and I really love getting to be even a teeny tiny part of some amazing deck becoming something you can hold in your hand. Not to mention how many creators keep you updated on the process post-campaign - so far every deck I've backed has been created by someone that really invited the backers along for the ride, whether that means seeing the new artwork as it's completed or, if all the cards are already drawn, the process of actually publishing them.

 

To my mind there ARE two issues with the crowd-funding system. Number one is the same problem many self-published writers have - being able to write an incredible book does not mean you're great at marketing, and the same holds true for tarot creators. I've been heartbroken once or twice, seeing campaigns fail because the creator just didn't know how or where to let people know about the project - really good, gorgeous decks that would have been funded in hours if the creators had known the right corner of the internet to promote them in.

 

The second issue is that few (maybe no?) creators allocate any of the campaign funds for themselves. Artists of all kinds are criminally underpaid, and I think there's a stigma around saying 'yes, some of this money will be going into paying for my time and effort'. I've seen way too many indie creators work themselves to the bone to get their deck to backers, while also having full-time jobs and families and everything else! As a community/society, I think we need to be a lot better about paying artists for their time and work, not just the cost of materials that make up the finished product. You know?

 

My two cents, anyway. But I definitely won't stop watching Kickstarter for decks any time soon. The unique approach to Tarot, all the wonderful weirdness you never get from traditional publishers, but which the indie community is full of...that's priceless to me.

[Queen of Nothing]

Not taking into account that some a lot of people don't feel safe crowdfunding or are unwilling to pay customs and such, I feel like there's a twofold problem to Kickstarter decks failing. Either they didn't do a successful marketing campaign, or they're doing a novelty deck that is really, super niche that isn't really attractive to the kind of people that are willing to fund decks.

 

There was one particular deck I had funded, but it failed because she did absolutely no social media campaigning at all. The artist realized this, did some Instagram campaigning, and then relaunched the project. It still didn't succeed, though I didn't mind as the I was no longer interested in that deck (the longer I stared at the art, the more busy and muddied it looked). But I've funded several decks because they had wildly successful marketing campaigns and they kept popping up on my Instagram feed, like the Blood Moon and Children of Litha. One of the reasons that the Marigold Tarot was so popular was because the artist had already gone viral with her Shitty Horoscopes zine. Even non-tarot users were buying it simply because they loved her art and wanted to support her career.

 

Then there's the super specific decks that aren't really attractive to a wide audience. A casual browse at the current live projects, and I can see that there's one that won't make it because it's geared towards people who know about the upcoming super blood moon. Or the stick figure deck that's also up, it seems like a good beginner deck, but I feel like the people who trawl through Kickstarter for decks are usually experienced and wouldn't really want that deck in their collection.

 

That said, I've seen failed projects go up on makeplayingcards.com so if they really want to put it out there, they can.

[reall]

Ha!:) wait till you see *playing cards ks!:) lol

 

imo crowdfounding Tarot/other card games just lost it's meaning with so many Print On Demand services that are easy to set up & let you print your deck for yourself or 2 or 1000 of people who like it!:) & it's especially taxing waiting for shipping date when you can simply wait till it's *officialy published then order?:) only appeal see is social media marketing aka simply spreading the word deck exist by posting it on ks?:) & sure fact they are not doing paypal is not helping getting more people in!XD personally as selfpublished tarot artist I would never go with ks/anyother form of crowdfunding for regular deck i can print with POD?x.x facepalm lol

 

gregory[/member] i'm with you in dreading extra charges (hopefuly these are off now but i still pray not to be charged *import service 25€ & post office won't poke my golden deck with needles to test for suspicious substance like they did once!x/// facepalm lol

 

BUT disagree about gamecrafter(drivethrucards/mpc& ps btw last two need better search engine!XD lolz please mention it! promotion never hurts!;) as old art rule says;

"THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO WILL FIND MOST HIDEOUS ART(in someones opinion!) AWESOME!" as *beauty is in the eye of beholder?!;D XD lol & see it can get funded too!;)

 

AGREE NOTHING CAN MAKE YOU OPEN YOUR EYES MORE & LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF as creating your deck (Tarot or Oracle!:) but as ANY ART YOU WILL WANT TO SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD!:) so publish it with POD if you are printing 1deck for yourself why not making it possible for other people to know about & order if they like?:) even if only few people buy it (like was the case with my 1st oracle/lenormand decks!:) you'll still feel happy getting mails your deck is shipping worldwide to different people who will enjoy it (or swap with someone else who will?;) & even if you earn only few$ it's still nice pocket money you can treat yourself a coffee or something thinking how great that was! & Legacy idea that someone will *discover & post great notes about your deck even when we are long gone?!;)

 

point is; do it for yourself, something you'll enjoy doing & once it completed show it to the world & let EVERYONE decide how bad your art is!xD fact is some of us are more selfcritic than others!:D

& if nothing it WILL ADD to someones CHOICES!XD what's better than that?;)

 

Faye[/member] I come to conclusion rougher lineart + worse art/misprint is better in Tarot as those original older decks set those rules!;) lolz

 

@Aj ish agree BW is marvel!:) can't wait to see sepia 2nd edt!:)

[Faye]

reall[/member] that’s something I hadn’t thought about before! I started making this deck because I wanted something bright and quite simple, but maybe one or two other people will see it and decide it’s not a steaming pile of rubbish, and will want a deck too ^-^ now that you’ve said it, the idea of spreading the joy is pretty fantastic!

 

And hey, if I contribute to someone else’s tarot shopping addiction, I guess I get to be both a victim and an enabler, go me lol X-D

 

Oh yeah for sure, I love the decks which are a little odd, imperfect, unconventional or colourful! I started with something which was my usual art style, but it was way too inorganic for Tarot (think Terminator meets Alice in Wonderland), so then switched to black line drawings, which I love... but I wanted more colour. So now we have something which is both simple and bright, and I’m trying to decide whether it looks like a grade school project, or whether it’ll be fine as a whole :bugeyed: we may go through another transformation...

[reall]

exactly my point! just post us pic on creation thread when you are ready & we'll all help with critic!XD & you'll see many more people will like it then you expect it!:)

[Faye]

exactly my point! just post us pic on creation thread when you are ready & we'll all help with critic!XD & you'll see many more people will like it then you expect it!:)

 

Haha a fab idea, thanks! It’s still a while away from completion, but maybe I’ll do a post in a bit so I can get feedback before getting in too deep lolol :biggrin:

[RavenOfSummer]

So many great points in this thread. It does seem like it would make a lot more sense for those who are doing really niche decks especially to go with a POD option rather than a crowdfunding campaign. It's not to say their decks aren't great, but maybe just have a smaller audience. I wonder if there is not a wide awareness of print on demand services? And also, I guess it's hard to judge how popular your deck will be, especially for someone who has a great passion for what they are working on.

 

And it does seem like the amount of work that people have put into their projects and campaigns ahead of time varies wildly. Some people have the deck basically completed before they start a campaign. Others have only a couple of cards done. Some people already have a good plan for getting the deck printed etc, others haven't really thought much about it. Of course it makes sense that those who have put the work in ahead of time are more likely to succeed. People want to know what they're getting, and feel like the person providing it knows what they're doing.

 

And like others have said, it definitely makes a huge difference if the creator has a large social media following to promote. Although I have seen decks fail by creators that did have a large following, too. So nothing's a sure thing, but I think you can better your chances.

 

Great points about the experience of creating a deck and how it's really for you, as well. I hadn't thought about it that way. I've toyed with the idea of creating a deck, maybe now I'll think about it more seriously.

[FLizarraga]

nah you can never have enough  :) :thumbsup:

 

 

Truer words have never been spoken!  X/

[reall]

exactly my point! just post us pic on creation thread when you are ready & we'll all help with critic!XD & you'll see many more people will like it then you expect it!:)

 

Haha a fab idea, thanks! It’s still a while away from completion, but maybe I’ll do a post in a bit so I can get feedback before getting in too deep lolol :biggrin:

exactly! just do it! & if you have instagram you can also post some pic there & see how people like your art!?:)

 

RavenOfSummer[/member] that's exactly what i'm trying to do; spread the word how easy & cost free is to selfpublish your deck with POD!;) best part you can keep it small (i.e tgc let you enable your deck for sale without publishing so only peple with link can see it!:) or promote as much as you like!:) & they do all job from printing to sales & shipping so it's a best you can get!:) also ks have that *chance factor you can never be sure you'll get your deck or not, as even artist/publisher intentions & plans are perfect RL can always find ways to prolong publishing date ab infinitum (I know by making my own Tarot for over a year now! facepalm lol ;) so best advice I can give is DO it instead of thinking about it! once you have it all at least rough sketches/completed decide what to do about it?:) also keep notes/journal on each card & idea you'll need it!:)

[Faye]

reall[/member] I was actually thinking of setting up an instagram account for my design stuff... I already have one to promote my photography (when I actually have time for it), so I should probably set that up :thumbsup:

 

And RavenOfSummer[/member] you totally should give it a go! I’ve just done my Emperor, and it turned out MUCH more fiery and earthy than I expected! I was going to go with a whole card as stone vibe, but it felt wayyyyyy too cold and I ended up bringing in elements I didn’t even realise I associated with him, but felt completely right :thumbsup: it’s been a seriously interesting project for that if nothing else!

[reall]

Faye[/member] I hear 2nd ig acc is must!;) I have 1 for my decks news but considering 2nd as I luv to take art challenges & doodle comic cartoony style that may not be everyone cup of tea!:)

& agree one of bast part of creating your deck is watching how your interpretation change in progress not to mention you'll notice how much your art skill develop after you paint say 50cards!XD ;)

[chongjasmine]

Just curious: Any christian-based tarot cards out there?

[gregory]

Loads - but not, on the whole - on Kickstarter.

 

Have you seen the Influence of Angels ?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1572818549/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

You might like it. And it is beautiful, which quite a few decks really aren't.

 

There are also several listed on Aeclectic: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/christian.shtml

[Thoughtful]

l do not look at Kickstarter as a rule, but someone mentioned a deck last year on Kickstarter which sounded really lush  'The Visconti Modrone'.  This will be my first order through Kickstarter, and the deck is due to arrive next month.

It is a deck by scarabeo so l felt safe in ordering it in.  In fact l can't wait to have this deck it looks so sumptuous.  Just hope delivery goes well and there are no extra, hidden charges.

[reall]

l do not look at Kickstarter as a rule, but someone mentioned a deck last year on Kickstarter which sounded really lush  'The Visconti Modrone'.  This will be my first order through Kickstarter, and the deck is due to arrive next month.

It is a deck by scarabeo so l felt safe in ordering it in.  In fact l can't wait to have this deck it looks so sumptuous.  Just hope delivery goes well and there are no extra, hidden charges.

Exactly my point! now we wait! in my case I hope post office won't poke it with needle to test for *true gold!?x,x facepalm roll roll

[Faye]

Faye[/member] I hear 2nd ig acc is must!;) I have 1 for my decks news but considering 2nd as I luv to take art challenges & doodle comic cartoony style that may not be everyone cup of tea!:)

& agree one of bast part of creating your deck is watching how your interpretation change in progress not to mention you'll notice how much your art skill develop after you paint say 50cards!XD ;)

 

reall[/member] I can only imagine the difference a solid 50/70 odd drawings can make! I’ll probably have to start it all over again for consistency.... and then again..... and again... wheel of fortune style!

 

Lol but yes! You and I should start our second Insta accounts ASAP, as the old adage goes: New year, new Instagram accounts ;)

 

chongjasmine[/member] I’ve not been focused on looking at Christian decks, but if I come across a lovely one in the future I’ll post it here :thumbsup: but gregory[/member] probably has them covered with those amaze links :))

[DanielJUK]

Thoughtful[/member]  we should be okay because Lo Scarabeo is European based, so probably they will come from them in Italy but if it's no deal or we are then outside the customs union, who knows what it will cost to get them in! But it should hopefully come fine! You just have to watch American decks especially from North America, I always get customs charges ugh!