Llewellyn cardstock

Is it just me or is Llewellyn's cardstock quality getting worse every year? I just got BM's Steampunk Tarot yesterday, and seriously, I don't think I'll be using it, much to my chagrin. The cards are way too flimsy. Almost feels like they could easily tear in half like a sheet of paper....

If it's like the Lisa Hunt Fairytale card stock, that's my favorite kind of card stock. It's very durable and it's a dream to shuffle. I don't like the thicker stuff. US Games card stock is sometimes like trying to shuffle floor tiles.

Grizabella said:

If it's like the Lisa Hunt Fairytale card stock, that's my favorite kind of card stock. It's very durable and it's a dream to shuffle. I don't like the thicker stuff. US Games card stock is sometimes like trying to shuffle floor tiles.

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Steampunk deck feels flimsy compared to what I've seen from any of the Lisa Hunt decks.

I love U.S. Games cardstock and have no issue with shuffling them.

I don't have the Lisa Hunt Fairytale, so I can't make a comparison.

Lokasenna said:

I love U.S. Games cardstock and have no issue with shuffling them.

I don't have the Lisa Hunt Fairytale, so I can't make a comparison.

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Will check some other decks later but The Steampunk to me is not even my newest Llewellyn deck but the card stock does feel flimsier than any other deck of theirs I have.

I find this a little surprising. I fell in love with the Steampunk and used it for months before switching it out a couple of weeks ago. The cardstock felt very normal to me, not particularly flimsy.

Alta said:

I find this a little surprising. I fell in love with the Steampunk and used it for months before switching it out a couple of weeks ago. The cardstock felt very normal to me, not particularly flimsy.

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It does seem flimsy to me in comparison to other decks. Mainly because it doesn't have as much lamination on it as others do.

It's definitely flimsy compared to my Tarot of the Elves, and it is also a Llewellyn issue, just a few years old.

Anyway. Just thought I'd ask. Thanks for your replies, everyone.

I like a lot of Llewellyn's decks but the cardstock they use is cheap. I'll state it bluntly - it sucks! The only times it's good is when they partner up with Lo Scarabeo.

Tarotwolf said:

I like a lot of Llewellyn's decks but the cardstock they use is cheap.

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I think it's more to do with the finish they use. I'm a graphic designer & worked with many printers for a couple of decades. Like Griz said, I hate the decks that are so stiff & finished with an extreme lamination that they cut your hands. They don't bend, at all. I think they're like Twinkies; they wouldn't degrade in a landfill for a thousand years. On the other hand, my Druidcraft lost its luster after a few shuffles, & my Llewellyn decks do the same. C'mon, Ciro's decks are so beautiful, the Magician shouldn't have a chunk off his cheek after only 10 shuffles. There has to be a happy medium. I truly don't think it's the 'card stock', but the final finish, & that can be very costly, so the publisher is trying to cut corners with the printer.