What were you drawn to when you started collecting and how has it changed?

Maybe this should be a different thread, but I'm interested in what you were drawn to when you first started collecting & how it's changed. Some of the decks that I see recommended by people who have been collecting for quite some time are frankly ugly to me right now. But then I haven't been 'collecting' as long, & I don't consider myself a collector per se, I just like looking at different styles of art. Although I got my first deck in the early '70's, it was only recently (past 2 years) that I knew how many decks were actually available. It's still mind boggling to me. And when I say they're 'ugly' to me right now, I also realize I'm in my infancy as regards to taste & style because those have both changed drastically just in the past 2 years. Some decks that I'm drawn to now would have totally turned me off 2 years ago, so I know my tastes are definitely changing. I guess what I'm curious about is how have the decks you're drawn to now changed from when you, say, saw your first deck ever. I think a lot of people are at first drawn to the 'beautiful' decks, those with art that's pretty & pleasant to look at. It was that way with me but now it seems I'm starting to appreciate more 'grit', if that makes any sense. Can someone enlighten me? How your tastes have changed thru the years?

It was definitely the artwork that compelled me to start accumulating tarot decks! Waite, Barbara Walker, Ibis, Egipcios Kier, Elemental, Neuzeit, Zieguner... Bright colors and exciting minors were a real draw for me, as was anything Egyptian. I can think of a number of decks that I didn't care for in the early days that I love now: Thoth (I thought the artwork was monotonous), Voyager (I found this one chaotic and impersonal), Shining Woman, Motherpeace, and Kalevala (the artwork on these seemed crude and childish). How things have changed! I love these decks now, not just because they read so well, but because I have come to enjoy the art, too. One thing that really turned my mind around was hearing James Wanless talk about tarot-- that gave me so much enthusiasm and insight for the Voyager! I still can't bring myself to think of all my decks as a "collection" but it is certainly true all the same. I love experiencing all the different appearances and perspectives.

canid said:

I think a lot of people are at first drawn to the 'beautiful' decks, those with art that's pretty & pleasant to look at. It was that way with me but now it seems I'm starting to appreciate more 'grit', if that makes any sense.

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Makes perfect sense, and I've had the same experience -- I was initially drawn to pretty and colorful artwork like that of the Robin Wood and Llewellyn, but recently I've added more challenging decks to my collection that I found totally off-putting at first, and I'm beginning to find some of the prettier decks lacking in depth. Still love the DruidCraft, though, for both depth of meaning and artwork, and I think it was my second deck after the RWS.

I don't consider myself a collector - I have decks that I like. When I first began buying decks, I wanted those with "pretty" art - Lisa Hunt's decks, Arthurian Legend, cute LS decks - and pagan themes.

Then I left my teenage-ness behind, and found out that I couldn't read with most of pretty decks. Then my "collection" began to change. I began to get expressive decks - that's that spoke to me, even if they were ugly.

I found out that my taste differs from most of people's, at least from the people here at the forum. While everyone drools, kills and dies for MRP decks, I think they are just pretty. And overrated. Pretty & overrated isn't enough for me anymore. The decks have to have "substance".

But of course, I have the silly decks I like, such as the Sensual Wicca and the Oracle Tarot, lol.

I also changed my apiritual path, leaving paganism behind (I found it too northern-hemisphere oriented for my tastes, and the rituals didn't make sense for me...), and this also changed my decks. Nowadays I tend to lok for decks with a gnostic approach (or christian gnostic). I still love the Druidcraft though.

I have some decks I keep because of the art (like my Emma Garned and my Urban Trösch subcollections), but most of them are also "readable" to me. The only artist/deck creator that is my pokémon nowadays ("gotta have 'em all", lol!) is Robert Place.

Ta-da. This is my story. I've been studying tarot for nearly 10 years, but I only started accumulating decks in 2005. Before AT I only had two decks (Enchanted Tarot & Mythic Tarot) and thought it was enough... pfft... then I found AT and began paving my road towards bankruptcy.

It's weird... With me, it has kind of gone in three phases;

I found very few attractive. Most hideous.

Bought all the ones I found attractive and then suddenly the others seemed less hideous.

Finally (or rather, the phase I'm in now) feeling that my collection is really very well-rounded and reflects not so much the many aspects of my taste, but the many aspects of tarot and its potential.

I didn't have a lot of options when I first starting buying decks. So I purchased based on more on what I could get. And at first I only had a couple.

Then I paid to have a couple of readings. Every time I had a reading I HAD to find and buy the deck. Not because I liked the art, but because I wanted to see how they read what they read. Kind of weird, I know. I would buy the deck and lay down the cards as they were in the reading and study them.

Then I started buying decks so I could compare the images and symbols. I still buy decks for this reason. It fascinates me to no end. About this time I took a tarot class from a woman who had something along the lines of 2,000 tarot decks. She gave me links to a few sites where I could actually look at the decks and read reviews of decks! Oh, the internet, such a devil you are.

And then I found the addiction, er, beauty of independently printed decks, decks found in other countries, limited signed number decks...

So, I guess I haven't actually changed that much. I buy decks because I am fascinated. Although I am consciously trying to round out parts of my collection, I have purchased some decks on "should have" as opposed to just "want".

I think I'm still attracted to the same types of decks.

I like decks with thick books. I like crisp black line drawings rather than muddy, dreamy pictures.

I abhor decks with books with shame and blame meanings and decks with sarcastic pictures. Bad news is totally different than rubbing a sitter's nose in their troubles.

hunter said:

I like decks with thick books. I like crisp black line drawings rather than muddy, dreamy pictures.

I abhor decks with books with shame and blame meanings and decks with sarcastic pictures. Bad news is totally different than rubbing a sitter's nose in their troubles.

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I like decks with clear drawings, mostly because my eye sight isn't the best.

But I don't understand what you mean by "sarcastic pictures". Can you give an example? I'm curious now

At one point I had about 60 decks and sold almost all of them. I had a bit of everything just to have it. Now I only have a few decks, ones that I'm drawn to use that really talk well through me. I bought my first really pretty deck, the Shadowscapes deck and I love it, if you would have told me 20 years ago I would buy a deck with those kinds of drawings I would have said you were nuts.

My new collecting rule. If I won't read with it at least once a week, I won't buy it. It's not fair to my husband who likes to save money, or the deck to sit unused just to say I have it.

I used to be drawn to Rider-Waite clones, becase that was what I knew. Then I discovered a love of collage decks. Then I branched out into historical decks, especially Minchiates, and then any one that I like the artwork on.

It was at that point that my collection got very unwieldly!

Now, while Rider-Waite style decks still form the bulk of my small collection, I have a small representation of more rounded styles and traditions.