Well, since the English edition of the Buckland Romani Tarot they sell seems the one from Galde Press, these are clearly fake decks since there is no white border all around the cards with this edition, just for the titles above.

With regard to the Russian edition it’s something really difficult to know, at least for me. They take advantage of the particularities of the several editions that we don’t necessarily know, unless if we have the original decks to compare!

But I get screwed myself with this one 1 or 2 years ago (wasn’t vigilant enough, and I actually suspect that the seller is the one who pretends to ship the deck from the US, because there was something like that which misled me, with the 100% positive profile).

Edited July 28, 20205 yr by Decan

The Galde one only has borders at the bottom, just as in your picture. The rest of the white is the background of my scanner ! I have to go out, but I'll check my Llewellyn one later. Tarotgarden shows the Llewellyn with no borders:

 

Just wanted to let you all know that sadly the Sasuraibito tarot has now been counterfeited and is sold on both wish, alibaba and amazon. So beware! When in doubt, don’t! It’s an indie deck and best bought from the creator (in this case, Stasia Burrington, who also sell lots of other goodies in her shop) or from reputable vendors that specialize in indie decks. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGghsXQp6o_/?igshid=1pix1nwa087mg
 

Didn't she use the same printer that Magic Realist used ?

53 minutes ago, gregory said:

Didn't she use the same printer that Magic Realist used ?

If you mean the company they used for the Victorian Romantic version that got counterfeited, then yes I believe its the same company. But I do want to point out that Magic Realist didn't actually accuse that company for stealing their files (in fact they made it quite clear that they were not accusing them), they just confirmed that it seemed to be the same company that was being discussed. This was all because of a post started by Ethony on facebook. She was warning people about a printer that used her name to advertise, although she had actually fired them. Though it seems that not everyone has had that same experience with this company. Some speak highly of them. One salesperson for that company did approach me on facebook, in regards to my own deck project. They advertised their services by naming several of the decks (and creators) that they have produced in the past. Stasia and her Sasuraibito tarot was among them. A couple of others, very big names were too. They did not use Ethonys name and I believe that stopped after she complained to them about it. I am not naming this company as it stands because that would imply that I think they are involved in this nasty business. I honestly have no idea. It is possible that the counterfeit Sasuraibito decks are poor scans and not made from original files sold on the black market. Either way, its very sad. 

Crap here's another - Anima Mundi.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fangteke-Tarot-78-Card-Desktop-English/dp/B08CR2ZVWH/ref=pd_sbs_21_2/257-5842725-3942060?_e

This is all so disheartening.   I really appreciate this thread being here and able to keep up to date on this topic.  I had no idea until I joined TT&Y how much of an issue this was until I read it.  

Great read.  I actually inadvertently came across a counterfeit when I bought my Prisma Visions deck.  I originally purchased what I thought was a bargain at $15CAD from Wish, but canceled that order and got a refund when I saw a post by the creator basically outlining what a real deck looks like, and that the genuine product is only available from his website and participating brick and mortar retailers (none of which are in my region).  So...I went to the official site and purchased the real thing, which ended up setting me back roughly $89CAD between shipping, tax and the exchange rate, and a lot more than I initially intended to spend.  But, I also wanted to support the creator and get a quality product.  I even sent links to some counterfeit postings to James R. Eads so he could try and get them taken down.

 

In the end, I ended up with what's easily the best quality deck I own.  It comes in a nice little box, and the silver-edged cards are of a sturdy, top-notch card stock that has held up really well to repeated use.  It's not the only one I have and use, but I think it was definitely worth the purchase.  Had I gotten that $15 counterfeit version instead, I would have saved money but I also wouldn't have gotten nearly the same quality product, and that's to say nothing of how my conscience would feel.  I don't currently own any counterfeit decks, and don't plan to.  Now I know how to spot a fake listing too, so I'm glad this site has such a discussion.  

Yes, for something that's going to be used repeatedly, quality is the way to go. Most things are like that - cheap things tend to be shoddy, not perform well, and wear out quickly. I'm not trying to be elitist. You actually save money by buying quality, since you're not constantly having to replace things. 

Decent quality doesn't have to be super pricey. I've purchased decks from publishers like US Games for $20 or less, and while they're not what I'd call sumptuous, they're serviceable and they last a long time. From what I gather, you can't say that about a Wish or Aliexpress pirate deck. 

Indie decks run higher, of course, but there are reasons for that involving time and overhead, obviously. If you enjoy a deck and use it often, it's worth the higher price. 

So besides the ethical reasons for avoiding pirate decks, there are purely selfish reasons - like getting a decent looking deck that doesn't fall apart!

One marker to spot them is sellers  who have LOADS of copies....

10 hours ago, AlbaTross said:

Great read.  I actually inadvertently came across a counterfeit when I bought my Prisma Visions deck. 

 

This seems to be one of the most counterfeited decks around. I bought one of those on eBay a while ago because it looked kosher --but it wasn't.

10 hours ago, FLizarraga said:

 

This seems to be one of the most counterfeited decks around. I bought one of those on eBay a while ago because it looked kosher --but it wasn't.

Yeah, and I was very close to getting a counterfeit too.  You'll know the real deal when you see it though.  It is masterfully crafted.  

Baba Studio posted today a link towards a video which shows a fake of their Fantastic Menagerie Tarot (not the cold stamping one but the previous one).

I post below the video in order that people can see what looks like a fake on the market, but here honestly both the images and the cardstock are really really bad, it's not only about a quality that would be a bit less good, it's quite obvious imo.

 

 

Edited December 3, 20205 yr by Decan

1 hour ago, Decan said:

Baba Studio posted today a link towards a video which shows a fake of their Fantastic Menagerie Tarot (not the cold stamping one but the previous one).

I post below the video in order that people can see what looks like a fake on the market, but here honestly both the images and the cardstock are really really bad, it's not only about a quality that would be a bit less good, it's quite obvious imo.

 

 

 

"Comments are turned off for this video."
It can still be downvoted, though. I'd encourage everyone to downvote it. It takes a special kind of stupid to make such a beautiful deck into something shoddy and cheap-looking.

 

OH HO! There's a 'Report' button!

 

The print quality looks horrible, the fine lines are all blobbed together. This looks like one of those cheap Ukraine knockoffs where somebody is printing from deck scans  rather than files.

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

The print quality looks horrible, the fine lines are all blobbed together. This looks like one of those cheap Ukraine knockoffs where somebody is printing from deck scans  rather than files.

Oh yes! Quality looks awful here!

Prisma Visions, Shadowscapes, and the Dragon Age: Origins Box tarot are *wildly* pirated. I come across sellers on Etsy offering those all the time. I've reported them constantly but Etsy is sadly very lax in taking down anything if you're not the actual content creator. Sigh.

15 minutes ago, Niobium said:

Etsy is sadly very lax in taking down anything if you're not the actual content creator.

Yes, you usually need to be the copyright holder. I do understand this in a way.

 

The Light Seers is another I see a lot of clearly pirated versions of.

1 hour ago, Niobium said:

Prisma Visions, Shadowscapes, and the Dragon Age: Origins Box tarot are *wildly* pirated. I come across sellers on Etsy offering those all the time. I've reported them constantly but Etsy is sadly very lax in taking down anything if you're not the actual content creator. Sigh.

True, a lot of places are like that.
We'll see if youtube does anything.

The Light Seer deck is being wildly pirated, too. I said in the Postie thread about looking for a second hand deck because of this, and found someone in England who was selling one. Turned out to be a more expensive counterfeit.🙄

Does anyone have experience buying from "Shop4Top" on eBay?? 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/UNIVERSAL-FANTASY-TAROT-DECK-CARDS-ESOTERIC-FORTUNE-TELLING-LO-SCARABEO-NEW-/264667986598?hash=item3d9f70faa6

They have a big selection of decks.. The price is around the same as on Lo Scarebo's site but they have free shipping, and also discounts for buying several decks. Any educated opinions before I take the leap?

Knockoffs, I bet - the quantity is suspicious to me. Anyone with decks in that quantity is deeply suspicious.

 

Also my genuine copy has borders....

 

Look at what else they are selling - that Dali sure as hell isn't genuine. I wouldn't touch them.

LoScarabeo is very responsive to email, write and ask them. I did once on some Russian decks and was told the seller had permission. 

Even so - in those numbers - and when you look at the seller's other stuff... They have Deviant Moon - and I don't believe USG would have given permission.

The free shipping comes with the caveat that delivery  is "estimated between Thu. Jan. 7 and Fri. Feb. 5" And there's a long list of excluded countries. 
The Book Depository offers free shipping, you get legit decks and they generally arrive in about a week. https://www.bookdepository.com/

 

That ebay store has a lot of bad feedback. https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/gifts-shop4top