I am a Card Back Lover!

Perhaps I'm not the only one. Perhaps I'm just neurotic like that.

Lately, I've found that some of the decks that I love working with have great card backs. I really don't discriminate as far as style goes. My card back love runs the gamut from pretty floral patterns like the Victorian Romantic, to the slightly creepy in the Gothic Tarot of the Vampires. In fact, the back has now become a MAJOR factor in deciding whether I'll buy the deck or not. I'll find a deck I'm interested in, and look online for card scans, if I like the deck, I look for the back of the cards. If I like that I may decide to buy it.

As an example, I recently went and ordered the Taiwan edition of the Der Jen China Tarot so I wouldn't have to look at the backs that are on the LS edition. They're the same images, slightly different border and maybe slightly smaller, with a larger price tag.

In the end, I feel it makes some sense. When you have the deck together on the table, what are you looking at? The back. I shuffle with the backs of the cards facing me. I deal the cards face down, so when I'm reading and I haven't come to a card yet, what's there? The back again. I mean it helps if there's something nice there to look at.

Well, okay. Enough of my rant. Let's here a roll call! Card back lovers unite!!!

do you know recently ive been commenting on the back of some cards... I cant list any off the top of my head... but there have been a few decks Ive thought is that a card or the back

I love card backs as well. I especially like the Deidre of The Sorrows tarot deck back. I just love the black background along with the gold celtic design. It looks so nice when I have them fanned out for a reading!

My fave card backs would be and are in no particular order ~

Hanson Roberts, I looove celtic knot work

The Gilded has an awesome Sun design

The Far Sight Tarot has a powerful and fierce looking Ouroboros

The Rohrig has the most beautiful sort of outer space/nebula thing going on . . . I can stare at it for ages and ages!

\m/ Kat

The Buddha Tarot has the Wheel of the Law on the back. It really sets a high tone for a reading, I'll tell you.

M_M~

I've found that I don't really like card backs that reveal whether or not the card is reversed. I don't know that it would prevent me from purchasing a deck, but it is a "turn off" for me. I can't really explain why. It's not like I will put the cards back if I see that they are reversed, and it's not like I use the card backs to pick and choose the cards. *Shrugs* It's just one of those things.

I'm a bit neurotic about card backs too! It can often make or break a deck for me.

For example, I used to loathe the RWS back design (the horrid cheap-looking blue lines) so much that I wouldn't use the deck. However ever since I got the so-called 'Original' RWS (with the tudor-rose backs) it's now one of my favourite decks. Just a change of back design makes the deck feel so much more special.

I also love the Halloween tarot back design (even more than some of the front images).

Count me as a life-long back lover too!!!

Some of my all time favourites are:

Waking the Wild Spirit-Gorgeous, hypnotic...a waterfall of colour when you shuffle.

Victorian Romantic - Those intricate details and scrolls in gold and red!

Fairytale- The animal and fairy faces peeking out of that elaborate swirly design

Morgan-Greer- I've always loved those quirky uneven stars

Circle of Life - Just got this and the yellow and white swirly stencil type etchings are gorgeous

Halloween - Just plain stunning!

Kitty Kahane - Very whimisical with weird colours in an argyle

Pearls of Wisdom - Makes me happy just looking at it with it's rainbow, candles and pearls.

Old English - Very pretty criss-cross

Tarot of Prague - The sepia on ivory with that old worlde charm around the edges is amazing, looks mystical and ancient

Sacred Rose - The 5 roses, vines and roots are a meditative mandala

Sheridan-Douglas- Deep purple and gold diamonds, LOVE it!

Vampire - The swirly curly Q's look so Tim Burtonish...black and red rock and are unusual.

And I've seen the backs of the Bohemian Gothic and with those intense memento mori skulls and gothic chapel ceilings it's just WOW

Those are just a few favourites!! I do wish more publishers took backs more seriously and chose them carefully to fully compliment the deck images.

I prefer my card backs to be reversable, although I don't care as much about that as I used to.
Some that I like include:
Golden Tarot of Klimt
Universal Fantasy
Halloween
Archeon
Albano Waite (simple and effective)
Gilded
Thoth
Golden Botticeli
Vampire
Original RWS
Radiant Waite
Universal Waite
LS Universal

Some I hate:
Aquarian (the horrid blue and white mishmash of patterns that don't even coordinate with the fronts)
Legend:Arthurian (could have been so much better)
Standard RWS (reminds me of some of my grandfather's old ties)
Lo Scarabeo (one big product placement)