Warped decks

Bhavana

I have bought 4 or 5 Llewellyn/Lo Scarabeo decks in the past few months. Three of them have been warped. You know, the entire deck, cards don't lay flat either as a deck or individually. Drives me crazy. I like my cards to be perfect, especially when new. I wrote to Llewellyn about the first deck, and they replaced it....but what a hassle. I may not buy any more cards from this company.

That being said, I am sure in both new purchases and trades, some of you have gotten decks in less than perfect condition. What do you do about warped cards? Besides putting them under a big old pile of very heavy books for a few weeks - which hasn't worked so well for me.

I'd appreciate any advice or ideas.
 

DaughterOfDanu

I usually just work with them in the hopes that they eventually straighten out.

My Heart of Faerie deck came packed with no bracing so the cards were sliding around freely in the box. Upon unpacking I found half the deck was bent one way and the other half another like so: )(. They spent a few days under a bunch of books but in the end I grew impatient and mixed them in with my Faeries oracle and with time they straightened out.
 

AJ

I've heard that comment about Llewellyn decks a number of times here.
I think I have six Llewellyn decks (that is what I see looking at my shelves at the moment) and none of them are bent.

Maybe...it is because they are in their boxes when not in use
and I shuffle from the front and the back and the front so they get bent in equal proportions.

Unless it causes problems with the actual shuffle I don't see the problem as I don't have my unboxed decks just sitting around in order to notice a curve. :)

I've often wondered if it is more to do with the humidity of the area where the decks live. We almost never get muggy weather here.
 

Bhavana

AJ said:
I've heard that comment about Llewellyn decks a number of times here.
I think I have six Llewellyn decks (that is what I see looking at my shelves at the moment) and none of them are bent.

Maybe...it is because they are in their boxes when not in use
and I shuffle from the front and the back and the front so they get bent in equal proportions.

Unless it causes problems with the actual shuffle I don't see the problem as I don't have my unboxed decks just sitting around in order to notice a curve. :)

I've often wondered if it is more to do with the humidity of the area where the decks live. We almost never get muggy weather here.
Click to expand...

well, I am in a humid area...year round. I do keep my cards in their boxes when not in use. and try to shuffle all over the deck for the same reasons as yourself - but these decks are brand new, so I don't think it is anything I have done. And like yourself, I have bought many Llewellyn decks that don't have this warping. Really, it isn't a problem - I mean, the deck is still usable, I am just particular about some things, and one of them is flat cards. Let's face it, some of these decks aren't cheap. The most recent warped deck was $32, probably because it came with some piece of junk bag - but at that price, I expect the cards to be pristine.
 

Stark Raven

I am a deck collector so I run into this often. When it's possible to straighten them, which is most of the time, this is how it works for me.

I have one of those super huge and empty Canadian Club whiskey bottles, it's half full of change. I get two hard-cover books, hopefully the same size. I place the warped deck in the middle of one book which is lain flat on a very flat surface, this surface is well out of the way in a dry area. I put the second book over the first, because they are the same size, I can still tell where the middle is because I align them.

I put the huge heavey bottle of pocket change on top of the top book, I leave it for at least a week. If not straight after a week I shuffle them and put them back. I have only had 2 decks that this didn't work 100% on. They were straight enough for normal usage when done though, this is more than I could say before.
 

gregory

Just another reminder. Lo Scarabeo decks are NOT published by Llewellyn; they are simply DISTRIBUTED by them in the US, in their original packaging. I've no idea what Llewellyn do to their stock - but I buy all mine direct from Lo Scarabeo and have NEVER had a SINGLE warped card, never mind deck.

Now, Llewellyn's own decks are something else - the packaging is SO bad, I can see why they would warp - no proper box for the deck, which slams around in the big kit box which often gets smooshed in the mail :mad:
 

Bhavana

gregory said:
Just another reminder. Lo Scarabeo decks are NOT published by Llewellyn; they are simply DISTRIBUTED by them in the US, in their original packaging. I've no idea what Llewellyn do to their stock - but I buy all mine direct from Lo Scarabeo and have NEVER had a SINGLE warped card, never mind deck.

Now, Llewellyn's own decks are something else - the packaging is SO bad, I can see why they would warp - no proper box for the deck, which slams around in the big kit box which often gets smooshed in the mail :mad:
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thanks for that info, I was not sure about the connection between the two companies. I have had this problem with Llewelyn and with Lo Scarabeo....most recent Lo Scarabeo decks I bought are Art Nouveau (warped) and Magical Forest (perfect)...so it isn't ALL their decks, but it has been more than one. BTW, Magical Forest came with it's own box, but the Art Nouveau came in a bigger box, shrink wrap only, with the fancy drawstring bag.
 

Bhavana

wiccanfaeriefey said:
I am a deck collector so I run into this often. When it's possible to straighten them, which is most of the time, this is how it works for me.

I have one of those super huge and empty Canadian Club whiskey bottles, it's half full of change. I get two hard-cover books, hopefully the same size. I place the warped deck in the middle of one book which is lain flat on a very flat surface, this surface is well out of the way in a dry area. I put the second book over the first, because they are the same size, I can still tell where the middle is because I align them.

I put the huge heavey bottle of pocket change on top of the top book, I leave it for at least a week. If not straight after a week I shuffle them and put them back. I have only had 2 decks that this didn't work 100% on. They were straight enough for normal usage when done though, this is more than I could say before.
Click to expand...

thanks for this....! I have been using the book method, with some success, perhaps I need something heavier.
 

Elendil

I had the same problem with Oracle of the Divine from Ciro Marchetti when they first arrived in July - but the cards have pretty much straightened out now (having spent a couple of nights under some heavy books). They were never unusable so I didn't feel the need to complain. The deck comes very well packaged - so it wasn't a packaging issue... I have a 'Fifth Tarot' that is much worse. It is still warped. The cards come in two sections and they are warped in opposite ways so they NEVER shuffle properly...

E.
 

Cerulean

Wash and warp

Four new oracle decks in boxes tucked into a cotton velvet lined bag by

Frances Cartes...
Piatnik
Lo Scarabeo

and a tiny gift book on card games. They were in the wash and rinse cycle...

All drying as we speak..I will report back if I can flatten.

The Frances Cartes cards are drying flattest and the paper manual is quite readable. I have never tossed decks in with laundry before, but it was this midnight thing before work the next day...the Lo Scarabeo oracle deck was the softest absorber, we will see...

Yes, warping happens when moisture collects. Would plastic shoe boxes help keep moisture out of your stored decks? Wood, paper and cardboard can dampen easily with less than dry fingers...
 
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