ashjey Posted June 21, 2019 Posted June 21, 2019 Sometimes I see some out of print decks or rarer decks on ebay and decks for cheaper too. I have never bought anything on there though. Maybe it’s just me or does ebay seem really sketchy? Have any of you bought a deck on ebay before? How did it go?
DanielJUK Posted June 21, 2019 Posted June 21, 2019 You just have to be really clever about it, I have bought not mega expensive out of print decks and it's been fine but you need to check it over. - how does the price compare to other sales of the deck in other places? is it really cheap when it's normally 3 figures? is it cheaper in other places and they are selling for a rip off price? Often on ebay and amazon there are inflated prices on genuine rare decks. - check the seller, what are the reviews / feedback like on their profile? are people complaining about other tarot decks? what is their country? Be suspicious of Russian and Eastern European sellers because there is a whole deck knock off industry where they scan in genuine decks and print and pass off as real. They could be genuine but if they are selling 200 other listings of the same deck, that is clearly a copying deck industry being sold right from that seller. - check the wording and pictures in the listing. Does it show many cards / the backs? the box in photos? Does it say genuine or words like that in the listing! If someone says it's a genuine deck and they sell you a fake one, you can first complain to them and second complain to ebay as it did not match the seller's description. You can always email the seller with some questions or ask for more info about the deck. It can be sketchy but also a lot of people are selling old decks and entire collections on there. If I wanted a really rare OOP deck, I would check out people selling on tarot sites before ebay / amazon. Subscribers to this site get access to the tarot trading section and you can see people listing their decks to sell and also you can put out a request for what you want. I think it's much safer to use tarot communities first, there are other places in the tarot community as well. But you can get a genuine on ebay if you are very cautious about it 🙂
Wheel of Fantastic Posted June 21, 2019 Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) I have bought many, many decks on EBay including many expensive OOP decks over the years. I can say I've never had a bad experience but you do need to be careful. My top tips are: 1) Are there several pictures of the cards clearly showing their condition? If there aren't then avoid. 2) Do some research first so you know what the deck is supposed to look like. 3) Check the seller's rating. If the seller has a 100% rating and more than 100 sales you should be fine. I have bought from sellers with less than 100 sales but I would not buy from someone with no sales, especially if it's an expensive deck. 4) If there is some delay in dispatch or delivery make sure you contact the seller. 5) Be aware of pirate copies; EBay is flooded with them which is another reason research is important. If decks are being sold new, are very cheap compared to, say, Amazon and come from Lithuania, eastern Europe or China, then be careful. Going for the cheapest price for new decks is not always the best option. 6) When looking at pricey decks, check the going market rate on EBay - use the filter to see what completed sales of that deck went for. I used this some years ago to find an excellent condition early 70s Royal Fez Morrocan for £60 instead of the £200+ prices being asked for. These tips haven't failed me so I can recommend using EBay - with care. Edited June 21, 2019 by Wheel of Fantastic
Saturn Celeste Posted June 21, 2019 Posted June 21, 2019 I have bought from EBay once in awhile and everything @DanielJUK and @Wheel of Fantastic have told you are very true. I ended up finding an amazing Escaflowne deck that has been long sought after for a reasonable price and it is genuine. The decks I have bought have always had pictures of the box and several other pictures of the cards.
McFaire Posted June 22, 2019 Posted June 22, 2019 I've had good luck on eBay too. If you do your research and bide your time, you can snatch up good deals from time to time. You can usually tell a bootleg by the wording and photos, and the low price. Also, the cards may look the same, but the packaging often is not. As Wheel of Fantastic mentioned, the check box for completed listings is your friend. You can see what the decks have sold for in the past few months.
Lefty28 Posted June 22, 2019 Posted June 22, 2019 I just sold some in great shape one was the uncensored original Rohrig deck, and the prisms both in fabulous condition . I have had luck and love the idea of used decks . I think there is nothing wrong with a good old fashion hand me down. Win win!
Arcadia Posted June 23, 2019 Posted June 23, 2019 (edited) I have noticed lots of vintage decks going for reasonable prices on Ebay recently, my friend is looking for a vintage Thoth deck i saw one on there today half the price what i paid for mine. Edited June 23, 2019 by Arcadia
Eric13 Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 There are a lot of sellers and buyers who don't understand how to really or properly date a tarot deck on eBay and a buyer should be cautious of that. I don't think its intentional on the sellers behalf. ut I see the RWS decks being listed as from 1971 because they have the copyright date on them for '71. That actually means it's printed from 1975 or after, which is when they started putting the '71 copyright on the cards. Also the address of the particular company also tells of the year. If these kinds of things matter. I myself do like a nice vintage deck thats been used. Also the quality to me seem's to differ with the particular era. But if the buyer does their research on eBay, it can be a good, maybe the best source for vintage cards. Unless you have a lot of used book stores or antique shops around you.
katrinka Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 Ebay is people. Some people like to run a reputable business. Others are crooks. Everyone has given good advice here, I'd just like to add that Paypal gives you an extra layer of protection. I've had them refund me when sellers tried to jerk me around. It hasn't happened with cards, since I'm very careful buying vintage cards. But it's happened with smaller things that I wasn't so cautious about, and I always got my money back.
Guest Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 Another thing to consider is the publisher. I've seen Shadowscapes decks on eBay for cheaper, but these are printed by Chinese publishers who were granted the license from Llewellyn. So things like card stock, ink quality, etc will be different.
Hummingbird Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 Great advice everyone. I havent bought anything from Ebay but I have looked. I will keep all this in mind if I find something I like.
katrinka Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 6 hours ago, Anesiadora said: Another thing to consider is the publisher. I've seen Shadowscapes decks on eBay for cheaper, but these are printed by Chinese publishers who were granted the license from Llewellyn. So things like card stock, ink quality, etc will be different. A lot of deck creators have had trouble with China printing decks without permission. If they have scans of it, you can be sure that it will be printed there. If you're not sure if a deck is legit or not, you can send the ebay link to the creator and ask. Deck designers are well known among people like us, but it's a niche market. They are not so famous that they won't see your message, it's not like trying to talk to Johnny Depp or Beyonce. People like Karen Mahony, Patrick Valenza, and most others can be contacted through facebook or their websites, and they appreciate a heads up!
Saturn Celeste Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 1 minute ago, katrinka said: People like Karen Mahony, Patrick Valenza, and most others can be contacted through facebook or their websites, and they appreciate a heads up! Great suggestions, Katrinka! Thank you for the information.
Grizabella Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 I haven't read all the posts on this thread, but I have a pet peeve about eBay sellers. The people who stick the word "Rare" onto all their posts just to try to get someone to buy when the deck isn't rare at all. Or other item, I might add. If the seller puts "rare" in the ad, then that's the last person I'd trust to buy anything from. I advise to take care, especially if the ad includes that word "rare" anywhere in their ad. I've even seen that word used on other sites. When I see it, I recognize someone who is not exactly the person I'd trust.
fire cat pickles Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 Window shopping for Minchiate decks today, I noticed some listed as *Rare* that actually are "rare", believe it not. I know this is seldom the case. It is definitely a case of buyer beware on ebay, though, agreed. We should all be doing our homework!
Barleywine Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 2 hours ago, fire cat pickles said: Window shopping for Minchiate decks today, I noticed some listed as *Rare* that actually are "rare", believe it not. I know this is seldom the case. It is definitely a case of buyer beware on ebay, though, agreed. We should all be doing our homework! I want the one you posted on another thread! Was that an ebay purchase or is it available at retail?
Arcadia Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) On 6/26/2019 at 11:25 PM, Grizabella said: I haven't read all the posts on this thread, but I have a pet peeve about eBay sellers. The people who stick the word "Rare" onto all their posts just to try to get someone to buy when the deck isn't rare at all. Or other item, I might add. If the seller puts "rare" in the ad, then that's the last person I'd trust to buy anything from. I advise to take care, especially if the ad includes that word "rare" anywhere in their ad. I've even seen that word used on other sites. When I see it, I recognize someone who is not exactly the person I'd trust. I have seen some listings on ebay saying rare when they actually mean OOP, I wouldn't necessarily be put off by that if the seller as good feedback. Edited June 28, 2019 by Arcadia
gregory Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) I think it's like anything else in life - be sensible and wary. Check feedback, Use paypal. As to those who say rare - ask them. Most of them email back and say something like they couldn't; find it anywhere so it must be rare. They often simply have no idea what they have. @Barleywine I can't find the one he listed on another thread.... Where ? Oh WAIT - this one ? https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b105161123 It's the Baragioli Fiorentine, isn't it ? The Meneghello reprint (mine has backs in blue rather than red...) seems to be still available from Tarotgarden. Edited June 27, 2019 by gregory
JustPeachy Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 I've also had good lucky with Ebay, but then I've been buying off Ebay since 2006. I guess you learn a lot about sellers in that time. Cross reference what you are looking for, look at the sellers feedback and listen your instincts. I also second what @katrinka said about PayPal! It does add another layer of protection and it works. Today, I completed my 6th deck purchase and those have been a mix of used and new and I've been very happy with them all.
Grizabella Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 I should have been more clear. I didn't mean only buying decks. I mean anything that's listed saying "rare" isn't rare in many, many, many cases. For instance, I see something on Amazon that's an item currently for sale and being produced now. It will show up on an eBay listing as rare or vintage when it's not. It's an item that's currently being manufactured and sold. Naturally, we who use Tarot are usually up to date on what decks are truly rare but aren't really. Also, I very seldom buy anything on eBay. It's been literally years since I have. I know there are lots of sellers there who are outstanding and honest but I needed to vent about that. I do use Paypal, by the way. I've seen the magic word used in Etsy ads, too, and a couple other places.
Eric13 Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 Everyone here really is right, however, @Grizabella is right on about the word "Rare" being thrown out there like oxygen on the moon. When you see a RWS deck, with bar code, Stamford, CT address and recent copyright markings that's listed as "Rare, this won't last long! Made in 1971!" it is rather comical and maybe unfortunate because someone may actually believe it.
Wheel of Fantastic Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) Yep, 'Rare' gets a raised eyebrow from me. Occasionally, the deck really is rare but usually not. The inflated prices sellers attach to decks just because they are OOP gets a smile from me too. Supply and demand should determine prices; the OOP deck that no one cares about probably isn't going to sell for £££. I like vintage 1JJ Swiss decks - they're not in huge demand and I managed to find a mint condition 1960s pre-US Games copy for £9.95. Bargain! Seller had common sense unlike some for the same deck. Edited June 27, 2019 by Wheel of Fantastic
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