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Article: How to spot a fake deck and why it matters


Raggydoll

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52 minutes ago, AJ-ish/Sharyn said:

well they are obviously only reading the backs so safe from deviants, and they've both drawn the same hands. Photoshop..and a world full of idiots. 

Yes and I am pretty sure the girl just said “go fish!” 😁😉

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And they're both holding the exact same cards in the exact same order in their hands!  People fall for this?

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I don't think he actually means for people to think it's real. If you look at the other shopped photos on his site, you get an idea of his sense of humor. 😉

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Oh, I thought that photo was one he found at a counterfeiter's site.  You're saying he created it to make his point?

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15 hours ago, geoxena said:

Oh, I thought that photo was one he found at a counterfeiter's site.  You're saying he created it to make his point?

Don't worry, I also missed the point. It's the back of the class for us.

Edited by devin
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Maybe the Cigany Kartya I bought lately from Hungary (eBay) is a fake.

Looking at a few reviews on Youtube I saw that the back has no white borders on the videos, mine has. The cardstock is unusual otherwise, no lamination at all for the backs, but the other side is slightly laminated (not much, varnished). It's always possible that the publisher changed a bit the back though.

 

Well, when it came I thought it could be normal since I saw that the back of cards wasn't wonderful for this one and I didn't expect a great quality, but...

For the instructions which comes with it it's a copy-pasted of the Piatnik's LWB!

 

cigany%20kartya.JPG

Edited by Decan
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This blogger has one with the borderless backs and says: "The cards themselves are thin stock and the front only is coated, the back feels definitely uncoated which probably adds to the flimsiness."

It's hard to day for sure, though. Is there a publisher named anywhere on the deck?

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I’ve had a genuine deck that had one uncoated side and one coated. I can’t remember which deck it was (I suspect it’s no longer in my collection). It got badly warped because of the partial coating. That really bugged me. I think it must have been an indie deck. I wonder why on earth they do that. Maybe it’s cheaper? 🤷‍♀️

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1 minute ago, katrinka said:

This blogger has one with the borderless backs and says: "The cards themselves are thin stock and the front only is coated, the back feels definitely uncoated which probably adds to the flimsiness."

It's hard to day for sure, though. Is there a publisher named anywhere on the deck?

Yes, KVIZ a hungarian publisher I didn't know.

But what you mentioned fits, it's the cardstock I have, and the image definition is good. Maybe I become a bit paranoid and the publisher just changed a bit the design for the backs.

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1 minute ago, Raggydoll said:

I’ve had a genuine deck that had one uncoated side and one coated. I can’t remember which deck it was (I suspect it’s no longer in my collection). It got badly warped because of the partial coating. That really bugged me. I think it must have been an indie deck. I wonder why on earth they do that. Maybe it’s cheaper? 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely it's odd to do that!

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Piracy is a huge problem across a lot of artistic fields. I used to design cross stitch designs but packed it in because the pirates had them uploaded mere hours after they were released. Some people just don’t care that they are stealing from artists.

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Since the deck I bought is an inexpensive one I bought another copy to another seller (in my country this time) to be sure.
I received the same deck than the previous one, so with white borders on the back of cards.
Same odd cardstock (uncoated backs).
My conclusion is that it isn’t a fake but the new version of this deck by the publisher.

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Nice sleuthing. And good thing it's an inexpensive deck, since you bought a second one to make sure the first one is real! 😁

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@Decan don't worry im sure your deck is not pirated just rolemodeled by piatnik & they obviously don't mind this twin?!:)

also reason you may find different cardstock/lamination etc is bc license for these small size 36card deck is super affordable (if I remember correctly from my piatnik conversation few years back it's 3digit sum€ easy pocket from any decent printer to obtain right to print whole year & pays off as these cards are popular in europe!;) wonder would LS be interested to license their sibila cards so we can finally get better cardstock?;)

 

eta: I also had these from my local shop days & depending on seller there are usually small variations in cardstock & lamination but always not great!;) & prefer piatnik!;)

Edited by reall
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jupiterchild

This was really helpful especially for online purchases!
 

My first Rider-Waite deck seemed like a counterfeit since I got it for a discounted price. I didn’t know any better at first. Although I’ve seen a couple who used small-sized decks so I didn’t think much until I was observing the prints on the card itself. Still couldn’t let it go as I learned understanding tarot when I didn’t have any other deck to use and learn from.

 

Somehow, I’ve found a local store that sells authentic ones and have been buying from them since. Plus, I have a weakness for gold trimmings on cards which I don’t think counterfeit ones would have printed on them. 😂

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On 7/5/2020 at 5:46 AM, jupiterchild said:

 

Somehow, I’ve found a local store that sells authentic ones and have been buying from them since. Plus, I have a weakness for gold trimmings on cards which I don’t think counterfeit ones would have printed on them. 😂

I’m not so sure that is the case either. Many of the images of fake versions of my decks shown on on Amazon, Wish, Etsy etc  show golden edging. Now I’m not sure if they actually are, but that’s how they are advertised. So you won’t know until it actually arrives.

Of all the clues, the most obvious that suggests a fake is still the too good to be true price. Unless it’s specifically stated that it’s a used deck. Maybe I’ve just become cynical now. But I believe that the vast majority of fakes are bought, in full aware that they are what they are. So while informing each other on how  best to spot and presumably avoid purchasing such decks is positive and well intentioned step, ultimately it’s a gesture not a meaningful  solution. I’m not sure there is a solution. Piracy exists because there is a demand for what it offers and that demand comes from the tarot community. A rather sad assessment but a reality.

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And until more countries have enforceable laws on copyright there is very little anyone can do. Awful.

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I think that a discussion like this is important because it makes it clear that there are a great deal of people in the community that do not condone the counterfeit market. By not talking about it I think some might get the impression that it’s socially accepted to knowingly purchase fake decks.

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I agree, and I welcome that it is being discussed and made clear. But “how to spot A fake” is not the problem or the solution. As you suggest the issue is fundamentally a moral one not one of confusion of what is being bought.

Im personally grateful for social media references and discussions to this topic. And  it may serve to make some people feel a little more guilty and resist the temptation of saving some money on the bargain deck...... Maybe....But as i said, im now cynical.  
 

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6 minutes ago, cirom said:

I agree, and I welcome that it is being discussed and made clear. But “how to spot A fake” is not the problem or the solution. As you suggest the issue is fundamentally a moral one not one of confusion of what is being bought.

Im personally grateful for social media references and discussions to this topic. And  it may serve to make some people feel a little more guilty and resist the temptation of saving some money on the bargain deck...... Maybe....But as i said, im now cynical.  
 

I get what you are saying and I totally understand why you feel that way. I am saddened to know of what has been done to you and to so many other artists and deck creators. I would personally never want to read with a counterfeit deck. My decks are important spiritual tools for me, but they are not essential. By that I mean that I do not have to have a tarot deck. And I certainly don't have to have any more than I already do. So if I cannot afford a deck then that is not the end of the world. I know that there are those that say that they simply cannot afford genuine decks. To them I have one thing to say: You only need one deck to be a great tarot reader. One. And if you absolutely cannot afford to purchase one deck then I am 100% positive that there are people out there that would gift you one of their spare decks. I see it happen all the time, people are generous with their excess. But to be honest; I think that for 98% of the people that say they cannot afford genuine decks, it is a question of wanting ALL the decks and wanting them cheaply. But somehow, someone will have to pay. Mass market decks are really cheap if you start to think about it. So for me, the true question is: who is having to pay the price for you, and do you care? 

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