Yet another independent Rider Waite

[FLizarraga]

This caught my eye: https://www.etsy.com/listing/555344785/pams-vintage-tarot-deck

 

 

I bit the bullet and bought it on Gamecrafter (the link is in the Etsy page, and it does save money). It's supposed to ship September 15.

 

 

Like the other recent Rider Waite editions that have been popping up on Etsy, Amazon and eBay, this one claims to be a reproduction of one of the very first editions. I'll wait and see.

[Trogon]

I am curious to see what you have to say about this deck. A couple of things strike me, the main one being that it is "bridge" deck sized. Seems small to me. But then, that would make it more pocket sized and portable I guess. And, I'm curious about the quality of the images, since they're scans of old cards. Look forward to your review.

[gregory]

That's from reall. Interesting...

[Little Fang]

Let us know how it is!  This interests me

[FLizarraga]

That's from reall. Interesting...

 

 

  Huh. I didn't know that. Now I'm less worried (I mean, even though Gamecrafter is pretty kosher, I was more than a little wary that it would be some kind of hoax) and more intrigued than it was before.

[gregory]

Look at the etsy store. Her name is right up there (as reall !)

[EmpyreanKnight]

It seems like the deck is now OOP. But just in case reall prints it again, how was it FLiz?

[gregory]

I wonder if USG went after her...

[katrinka]

Linen and bridge sized? PERFECT. I MUST have this.  ;D

 

[FLizarraga]

Sorry I haven't posted before. I'm really short of time these days. I received it a while ago, and, generally speaking, I like it.

 

 

It is marketed as a "restoration," which is not. It looks as if Seven Stars had distressed the USG Centennial edition. It has the heavily tea-stained, burned-up and curlicued-around-the-edges appearance of some of Seven's decks --one of the older Samhain Tarot of the Bastard editions, or her Paisley Lenoracle.

 

 

At some point I'd like to sit down and compare it side by side with other Rider Waite editions. For now, that's all I can say. It was a limited edition of 500 copies, so it could have sold it quickly, but I do suspect the ominous hand of You Know Who...

 

P.S. *whispering* FWIW, it's still being sold at Gamecrafter...

[EmpyreanKnight]

Thanks for the heads up FLiz! For those who are curious, THIS is the GC page he was referring to. A linen RWS with 10 extra cards and a free drawstring pouch at an attractive price point? Looks mighty tempting.

[katrinka]

The pouch looks like that cheap velveteen stuff.

But that's not going to stop me. I have a lot of places this deck could live.  ;D

[EmpyreanKnight]

The pouch looks like that cheap velveteen stuff.

But that's not going to stop me. I have a lot of places this deck could live.  ;D

 

Yup, it's a dollar-something so yeah. :P

 

I hope you enjoy it, katrinka! I mean the deck, not the pouch. :D

[FLizarraga]

Thanks for the heads up FLiz! For those who are curious, THIS is the GC page he was referring to. A linen RWS with 10 extra cards and a free drawstring pouch at an attractive price point? Looks mighty tempting.

 

 

THAT.

 

 

The drawstring pouch is nothing to brag about, but I'm keeping mine in it for now, until I find a suitable alternative. I already edged the deck in Vintage Photo, and added some touches of Walnut Stain and Black Soot for that lived in, aged, old-deck-found-in-a-drawer-after-a-fire look. (I blame MoonGypsy! She is the one who got me started with Tim Holtz Distress Ink...  ;D ) I will post photos when I get a chance.

 

 

The size and the linen cardstock really make a difference. Like I said, do not expect a bona fide restoration like the 1910 Rider Tarot Revived (https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Warez-Rider-Tarot-Revived/dp/B06XYFLDFH) or the Urania one that has gone MIA. I have not had time to have a sit-down and check for distortions or to see which RWS early edition it is based on. But, like I said before, it does look a lot like an extra distressed Centennial with the Roses and Lilies back.)

 

 

All things said and done, it is definitely a nice little deck to have, borderless and very portable, perfect for the fall season and for cozy readings by candlelight or next to a fire. I might even order an extra one to carry around in my coat pocket...

[katrinka]

The size and the linen cardstock really make a difference. Like I said, do not expect a bona fide restoration like the 1910 Rider Tarot Revived (https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Warez-Rider-Tarot-Revived/dp/B06XYFLDFH)

 

THAT'S the one I was trying to remember the name of recently! I was all set to buy it - until I saw those backs, LOL. A wejat on a third eye chakra on a nebula?  >:( >:(  WHY??? It would have been a HG deck if they'd just done pebble/crackle backs. I don't like idea of the Pentagram stamped on the bag, either (and it IS a Pentagram, not a Pentacle from the cards.) Not all card readers are Wiccan.

 

I like the look of the roses and lilies backs - they look like a darker blue than the "Original" RWS repro backs.  Very nice. I'm looking forward to mine.

[gregory]

It is marketed as a "restoration," which is not. It looks as if Seven Stars had distressed the USG Centennial edition.

It's not hers; it's reall's. Just saying (I have one on the way from DriveThruCards - she gave me a link. She has no idea what the stock is like, but with luck it won't get me hammered at customs..)

[FLizarraga]

It is marketed as a "restoration," which is not. It looks as if Seven Stars had distressed the USG Centennial edition.

It's not hers; it's reall's. Just saying (I have one on the way from DriveThruCards - she gave me a link. She has no idea what the stock is like, but with luck it won't get me hammered at customs..)

 

 

Oh, I know. Even if I didn't know it was reall's -- which I didn't until you pointed it out -- I knew if wasn't Seven's. I was speaking about the style, which is very similar to Seven's, at least in the decks I mention: the first and/or second edition of her Samhain Deck of the Bastard, and her Paisley Lenoracle.

 

 

I don't know if the cardstock will be the same, but the GC printing's is linen, and very nice, if a bit frayed on the edges. Which doesn't bother me, as it suits the deck.

[katrinka]

I'm waiting for mine. I love linen.  :D

Posted about it at another board, and people were like, "Linen? Are you sure it's linen? I don't like GC stock...have they changed to linen?" Such bliss as people are almost afraid to accept, lol.

 

I only have one other Gamecrafter deck, that first Game of Hope Lenormand with the backs by Ciro Marchetti. The one that came out kind of mottled green. A lot of people complained that their cards were badly cut, off center. Mine was cut OK, but the stock is nothing to write home about.

 

Hopefully GC has gotten their act together since 2013.

[FLizarraga]

I'm waiting for mine. I love linen.  :D

Posted about it at another board, and people were like, "Linen? Are you sure it's linen? I don't like GC stock...have they changed to linen?" Such bliss as people are almost afraid to accept, lol.

 

I only have one other Gamecrafter deck, that first Game of Hope Lenormand with the backs by Ciro Marchetti. The one that came out kind of mottled green. A lot of people complained that their cards were badly cut, off center. Mine was cut OK, but the stock is nothing to write home about.

 

Hopefully GC has gotten their act together since 2013.

 

 

I have several GC decks newer than 2013, and I can assure you that their usual cardstock wasn't linen, either, or even anything remotely memorable. Just meh.

 

 

So I didn't believe that this deck would be linen, and I still can't believe it, but it is...  ;D

 

 

[katrinka]

Tracking says it's expected to be in my hot little hands on Friday.

Will update. ;D

[gregory]

I've never seen TGC use linen either. PS does and so do MPC.

[FLizarraga]

The size and the linen cardstock really make a difference. Like I said, do not expect a bona fide restoration like the 1910 Rider Tarot Revived (https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Warez-Rider-Tarot-Revived/dp/B06XYFLDFH)

 

THAT'S the one I was trying to remember the name of recently! I was all set to buy it - until I saw those backs, LOL. A wejat on a third eye chakra on a nebula?  >:( >:(  WHY??? It would have been a HG deck if they'd just done pebble/crackle backs. I don't like idea of the Pentagram stamped on the bag, either (and it IS a Pentagram, not a Pentacle from the cards.) Not all card readers are Wiccan.

 

 

Well, the bag is pretty meh, anyway, and it's not like you have to pay extra for it. So I don't even think about it. The backs' design, though, is amateurish to an extreme, and looks at first sight like a random Hubble image. (On second thought, that probably IS a random Hubble image.)

 

I like the look of the roses and lilies backs - they look like a darker blue than the "Original" RWS repro backs.  Very nice. I'm looking forward to mine.

 

 

Yes, the blue is a little darker, and all that artful distressing suits them just fine. Not bad at all.

 

[katrinka]

It's here. OMG yes, linen:

 

 

I'm normally not a fan of faux aging, but the brown used has a bit of a reddish cast, almost a drying blood color. That sounds gross, but it's actually very pretty. With the blue and white backs, it reminds me of found shards of Delft pottery.

 

 

I expected the added curlicues in the corners (in most cases, they're in every corner but the lower right, where Pam's signature is) to grate on my nerves, but they don't. They're hardly noticable.

 

More card pr0n  ;D  -

 

 

More found Delft:

 

I've used a lot of RWS decks over the years, but this is the first one I've really loved since the old University Books one printed decades ago. (Sorry, Mr. Kaplan - c'est la vie!) I hope this run doesn't sell out before I can order a backup. :love:

[EmpyreanKnight]

Oh but those are so beautiful, katrinka. And linen at $20 - whut? Too bad I just ordered two RWS-inspired Tarot sets, so I'll be backing off for now .

[FLizarraga]

Katrinka, thank you for getting me of the hook! That's a lot of pictures, and I can't help but agree with everything you said. The "found Delft" comparison is a great one!

 

 

I have some small gripes: the way the images are cropped, the scanner line on the left side that many cards show (all of the majors and a good many of the minors. I cannot see the line in your pictures, so I'm wondering if it's just my copy.) But it's hard to find too many objections to a deck this cute, with linen cardstock, at this price point.

 

 

EmpyreanKnight, I wouldn't wait long if I were you, as this is a very small run, and besides I'm afraid that the far-reaching wand of You Know Who could pull an Avada Kedavra on it at any minute --like it happened with the Urania deck and the blink-and-you-missed-it Lo Scarabeo one. Just my two cents.