Box-Rant

Although I know this has been discussed many times over, I just received a deck of cards in the mail today that were intended to be a gift. To the vendor's credit the deck was well packaged and cushioned but the box looks like it was beaten within an inch of its life! Then for good measure when I opened the deck box to try to get it back in shape, it tore.
Now please tell me-is this a conspiracy to buy tarot bags and boxes? Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to match a deck with a bag, but that should be my choice.
Cards can be truly expensive. Oddly enough some of the more reasonably priced or light hearted decks (Vanessa, Gummy Bear) are well packaged in tins. Although I am now retired, I worked very hard for my money as we all do or have done. I feel that I deserve a sturdy box for the money I pay! Good grief, Crayolas and candy come in better boxes than some of my decks.
I guess I'm just venting and this isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last......

Yes it can be very frustrating. A lot of junk out there.

I just got a deck today that came by mail. I was feeling it on the way up from the mailbox and I was surprised that it did not feel like there was a box in there.

When I opened it the cards were divided into 4 sections, one next to each other, held together simply by a thin paper band around the center of each. The box WAS there but it was folded up inside the envelope it all came in.

Maybe it was an attempt to ensure that the box did not become damaged during shipping, I don't know. But I did assemble the box, but when I went to put the cards in, it was like it was too small. I really had to force then to get them all in.

Then I thought that that was just no good. It was so tight and I really had to force them, I thought it would damage the cards with prolonged use. So I put them into a box I had left over from another deck until the pouch I did order for them arrived.

But I was rather surprised by it. I have never had a deck come before that was not inside its box, and I have 60+ decks. And yes, what you said. Suppose it had been meant to be a gift I wanted to give to someone.

Babs

So they're kind of damned if they do, damned if they don't. LOL If they put the cards in the box and the box gets damaged in transit, it's wrong. But if they arrange it so the box arrives pristine along with the cards, then that's wrong, too.

I guess the solution would be to put more decks in tins and wooden boxes, but are we prepared to pay the higher---probably much higher---prices for them then? I suspect there would then be a big uproar that the prices were too high and that customers should be allowed to choose their own containers.

Personally, I don't care very much about the boxes. I'm not a collector, for one thing, and even if I were, I know I'd never be likely to get any big price out of my decks nor would my family when I'm gone because they're just too available and popular for another. I used to just get rid of the boxes but more recently I've been saving them in case I trade one. I thought it would be considerate for my trade partner if I put them back in their original boxes, even though they're taking up a lot of space here. But then I've moved so much in the past couple of years that I don't know where they are anyway. And since we've made my house the collection point for Mouse packages, I've decided to donate my decks that I don't use to that cause instead of trading them.

from my experience, if you want your box to be nice, then either buy from your local bookstore or a reputable internet seller like amazon, who will put your item in sturdy cardboard box with foams to go with it.

now, if you go for the cheapest online seller, then expect the seller to pack your goodies in envelope, foam or not doesn't matter, and ships it media mail, which will travel far and long and finally arrive dirty and beat up. of course, the cards will still arrive nicely. it's only the box that will be damaged.

if you buy from amazon, then you can always send it back at its cost for an exchange. where as your local bookstore will allow you to exam the box before you buy. if you go cheap, then you need to lower your expectation.

midnight eye-
9 times out of 10 I do purchase from Amazon and the last deck was from highly reliable AT endorsed site.
My issue is with the poor quality of the packaging deck box itself. Even if the boxed deck arrives in pristine condition, just the act of opening the box can become a major surgery. Torn corners, not being able to reclose the lid properly and so on.
Your point is well taken, however and I do seek out quality vendors.

Grizabella said:

I guess the solution would be to put more decks in tins and wooden boxes, but are we prepared to pay the higher---probably much higher---prices for them then?

Click to expand...

Ive changed my mind on tins. I thought they were a great idea until I received the Halloween tarot in a tin (from a reputable seller. Not amazon) and it was dented all over the place and the bottom had caved in.

Give me cardboard boxes any day...