How many decks do you have?

[Page of Ghosts]

faerybraids, it's perfectly fine to have few decks! I have many decks because I fell into the "gotta find the perfect deck"-trap when I started out. It took me a while to give the regular RWS a chance and by then I thought I just should have gotten it to begin with (I was skeptical to it since there seems to be a big divide among people if they like it or not). I also like art a lot and enjoy seeing the different takes on the cards in different decks. Sticking with the 2 decks you have and learning everything about them seems like a good thing to me :)

 

I have 33 decks and I'm waiting for the 34th. 2 of them are oracles, 2 are Lenormand, I have 2 sizes of the Thoth as well as 2 RWS decks. I have 2 decks I'll happily get rid of so I'm considering treating myself to a forum subscription for next year so I get access to the trading sub-forum. The Deck of the Week-threads have been really helpful with making me work with most of my decks and realise that I have favourites among them :D

[Saturn Celeste]

Finally reached the 100 decks mark! Just waiting for a handful of decks that I've already ordered and paid for, then I'm imposing a hold order on my buying until September next year. I feel positively giddy with the sheer variety and number of the decks that I'm going to be working with. ;D

I know what you mean!  I tossed in a couple of decks as I was approaching my first 100 to get to 100 but I'm glad I have them.  One of those decks was the Baseball tarot.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baseball-lerner/

 

I actually really like this deck and have used it before on people.  I tried really hard to make sure the decks I did get to build to 100 were practical though some of them were insanely popular at the time (especially on the old aeclectic) and are not my favorite decks.  A couple of the decks I bought I had hopes would rise in value because they were close to running out of stock on amazon but until the deck goes out of print, it's still a crapshoot whether they appreciate or depreciate.

[Trogon]

I've added a couple more decks since my first post in this thread. I'm at 45 now and have the Gothic Moon coming along soon (I hope!), which puts me at 46.

 

faerybraids[/member]; I didn't start collecting for many years. I only had my RWS for a few years before I bought my second deck (Röhrig Tarot). After that I think it was like a year or two for my third. But even though I "collect", I'm not to avid a collector. And I do use all of mine for reading with and love rotating through them. I've only had a couple of decks which didn't really work well for me and I traded or sold those. Study and read with your deck till you feel that you are ready to delve into a second deck - don't push yourself. I feel that I really connected with my Röhrig Tarot so well, in part because I had taken the time to learn the RWS pretty well before I branched out.

[gingerblue]

Gingerblue: anything that makes you truly happy is a really wonderful thing. I am so glad to hear that tarot-collecting has that impact on you! I guess I am more of a user than a collector, even though I really like to study tarot art and symbolism, and I have a bit of an artistic side to me... So yes, I'm a bit of a mix, but leaning more towards using tarot cards instead of 'just' collecting them  :)

 

Thanks :) I'm enjoying the process a lot- discovering new decks, watching all the flip throughs and videos and researching all the chatter about the decks, and then possibly adding a few here and there to my collection if they really speak to me. And then learning about them and working with them! I love that this is such a multi-faceted process, and the possibilities are endless, in a way.

 

As my collection grows a little bit, I'm starting to realize there are some decks that I love to read and work with on a personal level, and some decks that I have that are really more about the art Bach Flowers deck comes to mind on this one!). I'm also finding myself becoming a little more picky about the decks I purchase- now that I'm getting more familiar with reading with my decks, I really look and see if the deck is something I can work with- if it's just appealing to me visually but just sort of "meh" or not really meant to be worked with (some Oracle decks are like that for me) then I'm starting to pass on those decks. Right now I'm trying to figure out whether or not the Amethyst Oracle is dynamic to read with- I LOVE the art, but I want to be able to use it, too.

[gingerblue]

 

gingerblue[/member] Thanks for that reminder as well. I think my current life situation's been distorting my perception a lot recently, which led to my aforementioned envy. I'm so glad collecting the decks is a healing process for you--finding something that sparks joy is such an amazing thing! I think I'm torn between being that professional car driver and being that collector: part of me says 'collect all the pretty decks!', another says 'wth no more than you need,' yet another says 'you don't have the money anyway.' Seems like something I should meditate on.

 

I hear you on the life situation distorting my perception- I have that going on, too. We had a rough year and tarot/oracle has been a little, unexpected burst of passion and interest for me so I'm letting myself indulge because it feels like this is more than a phase or distraction. I had a few decks as a teenager and was very interested in tarot, but then the school I went to (evangelical christian high school) really brainwashed me into being *scared* of the decks and the whole idea of anything "new age" or mystical- they made it clear that just by having the decks or even having an interest in them, I was basically inviting horrific demons into my life. That was REALLY scary for me and I got super suspicious and scared of the things I was interested in, so I shut myself down to any interests that weren't universally accepted (gardening=okay, but studying plant lore=not okay, etc.) . I held on to that fear for a while, and then when I became Buddhist last year all of that superstition and fear just went away and it was like a heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders and I was free to rediscover what I left behind.

 

As far as deck collecting, I'm not big into having a lot of stuff (mostly a minimalist) but the decks don't take up much space and I'm frugal in other areas of life so it works out. I have gone a little overboard since I gave myself permission to invest in some of the indie decks that are a little more expensive, but I can feel that "I want ALL the decks" energy kind of tampering out as I've realized that not all the decks will be actually useful for me as tools for insight and awareness. I really do want to be able to use them- I'm starting to find a lot of decks that really resonate with me visually, but then when I see other people reading with them, I realize "that wouldn't work for me" so I say no- especially if it's not a mass market deck that is inexpensive.

[Saturn Celeste]

 

I really do want to be able to use them- I'm starting to find a lot of decks that really resonate with me visually, but then when I see other people reading with them, I realize "that wouldn't work for me" so I say no- especially if it's not a mass market deck that is inexpensive.

That's something I do, watch a ton of YouTubes about different deck reviews and readings and see how I like them.  I always wanted the Thelema deck but I don't have a lot of beautiful women decks.  But when I saw Nicholas Ashbaugh do a reading for my sign (him and Alexandra are the only 2 readers I'll watch a couple times a year for Aquarius readings) it was striking to see the cards in play.  The way the colors melded from one card to the next was lovely so I said pretty women or not, I'm getting the deck.  I just used it last night for a reading, I love it!

 

Nicholas

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCio_A3reqrvISsXBmX0M6cA

 

Alexandra

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrDTl2XF8GEtU8avjpgunA

[Raggydoll]

I agree that YouTube videos are super helpful when looking into new decks. I am fairly picky (a.k.a. one of those people where one 'bad' card can ruin a deck and stop me from purchasing it). I often start looking at a review and get really excited about a deck, and then a few minutes later decide that this is not the deck for me (usually based on some small detail that really annoys me). But sometimes I also find my self warming up to a deck that I previously dismissed and with time I am willing to overlook some things that initially bugged me.

[KitKat]

I have three tarot decks (Starchild Tarot, Sun & Moon Tarot, and a tiny RWS) and two oracle decks (Kuan Yin Pocket Oracle, Rumi Oracle). I used to have a lot more, but I've been giving them away to friends and acquaintances who have an interest in tarot. I wanted them to experience the tarot with me and realized it was time to part with many of them.

[EmpyreanKnight]

Finally reached the 100 decks mark! Just waiting for a handful of decks that I've already ordered and paid for, then I'm imposing a hold order on my buying until September next year. I feel positively giddy with the sheer variety and number of the decks that I'm going to be working with. ;D

I know what you mean!  I tossed in a couple of decks as I was approaching my first 100 to get to 100 but I'm glad I have them.  One of those decks was the Baseball tarot.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baseball-lerner/

 

I actually really like this deck and have used it before on people.  I tried really hard to make sure the decks I did get to build to 100 were practical though some of them were insanely popular at the time (especially on the old aeclectic) and are not my favorite decks.  A couple of the decks I bought I had hopes would rise in value because they were close to running out of stock on amazon but until the deck goes out of print, it's still a crapshoot whether they appreciate or depreciate.

 

Oh, but I loved each and every deck that I collected upon purchasing them, and didn't buy them just to cross the 3-digit threshold. I actually shot through the finish line - I have 101 decks now, with 2-3 that I'm still waiting to arrive. I hope I'd get them before Christmas, tho New Year's is a more likely date. :)

[Raggydoll]

Those of you that have these wonderfully large collections - would you not like to share some pictures with the rest of us so that we can get inspired (and perhaps drool a bit?)  :D

[Saturn Celeste]

Those of you that have these wonderfully large collections - would you not like to share some pictures with the rest of us so that we can get inspired (and perhaps drool a bit?)  :D

 

When I get back to working on my website, I'll have a gallery of all of my decks.  I'll post a link when it's done. ;)

[EmpyreanKnight]

I have almost all of my decks slumbering in some nice protective boxes, so I'd have to unload them in batches. I think it's a good idea to have pics of them tho since I don't get to see all of them too often.

 

However, I'd only post mine after you guys have uploaded yours. :) Some of you have such juicy collections I can't wait to gawp at them with my mouth hanging open. :o Tho if this is really going to be a thing, maybe we should open another thread?

[Linfang]

I have 337 Tarot deck and 132 Lenormand and Oracle decks (all catalogued). I bought my first deck in 1990, but only started collecting later in life. After ATs shut-down my acquiring rate slowed down, probably because there aren't so many enabling threads anymore. 

 

Though I do not a lot of my decks as reading decks, I love comparing cards when I do an in-depth card study. I can totally understand those of you who reduced their deck collection to those decks they really use, but for me my collection offers me a wealth of study material. Would never get rid of any deck, unless our financial situation would leave me no option.