What are the jewels of your collection?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Lee	08 Sep 2003
What are those decks which you're particularly happy to have obtained? They may not be decks you necessarily read with or even look at often, but just ones in your collection that you particularly prize. Mine are: Elemental Tarot, 1st edition (The colors and printing are much superior to the current edition) http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/elementl.html Tarot of Prague http://www.tarotofprague.com/ Mountain Dream Tarot, 2nd edition (1st edition too hard to get) http://www.aeclectic.net/mountain-dream/review.html Prediction Tarot http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/predictn.html La Corte dei Tarocchi http://www.tarotpassages.com/filipas1.htm Healing Tarot http://www.tarotpassages.com/healing2.htm Tarot Maddonni http://www.tarotpassages.com/madonni.htm -- Lee

Maan	08 Sep 2003
nice question Lee and a great way to get other people jalous ;) Mine are: - Greenwood tarot - Tarot de paris - The shakespearian tarot - first print og the ancient egyptian tarot - ravenswood eastern - The norse tarot Love Maan

Little Baron	08 Sep 2003
I don't have any jewels, I don't think. The only one I have that is a little hard to get in some parts is the Pagan 2000. Having said that, the Phantasmagoric is a jewel for me, even though it is not rare; it's just a diamond because it is teaching me so much. Any deck that was a gift (Morgan Greer, Winged Spirit, Thoth, Buckland Romani) are also special. In terms of rarity and first editions, I don't have any ... oh, apart from that original old Visconti-Sforza that I can't get into and use as a doorstop. Never really worked very well with it but my mate who got sacked from the museum who aquired it for me was such a good chum that I can't part with it for personal reasons. He's in prison right now so havn't had much connection lately LOL Yaboot

Kiama	08 Sep 2003
Mine are: 1) Greenwood Tarot (OOP, very hard to find.) http://www.tarotpassages.com/greenwoodvsb.htm My boyfriend discovered the Greenwood sitting lonley on a shelf in a small New Age shop in Poole. He guessed that it was OOP and HTF, so he bought it for me. (I've got him trained well!) Sadly, it came without box or book, only with a plastic wrapping. 2) Universal Dali Tarot (Very expensive and Hard to Find. Is it OOP aswell?) http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/dali.html This one cost me alot of money and I found it on the web though I can't remember where now... 3) William Blake Tarot (OOP, HTF, Expensive!) http://www.tarotpassages.com/blake-vsb.htm I found this one by buying it direct from Ed Buryn, the guy who put it together. Cost me an arm and a leg, but it is definitely worth it. I'm a big fan of Blake. 4) Sugar Mystic Tarot (OOP, VERY HTF, Nobody's heard of it!) http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/images/s-decks/sugarmysticcards.gif Lots of people have heard this story... This deck was my first Tarot deck when I was 12 years old: I got it free with a magazine. I had been studying Tarot 3 years beforehand, so foun it quite easy to use, and my interest was fuelled by actually using a deck. Sadly, this deck got lost on a camping trip I think. A year or two ago, after lamenting on Aeclectic about my long-lost deck, Faunabay PMed me saying the deck was on Ebay. Needless to say I bid, and ended up paying just over £40 for a deck that originally came free. :eek: Again, it was worth it just for the nostalgia value. 5) HP Lovecraft tarot (Don't know if it's OOP, but its very hard to find.) http://www.tarotpassages.com/lovecrft.htm This was a gift from a very good Aeclectic friend. :D (Kisses to that friend! :*:*:*) 6) Tarot for Cats (OOP, HTF) http://www.tarotpassages.com/cats.htm Another friend on Aeclectic helped me get this one: I saw it on a webpage, but the webpage didn't ship outside the USA... 7) I Gatti Tarot (Limited Edition, HTF, don't know for sure if it's OOP.) http://www.tarotpassages.com/gbuffi.htm I found this one at www.playingcardsales.com :D 8) Shakespearian Tarot (OOP, HTF) http://www.tarotpassages.com/shakespearean-ec.htm I bought this one when I was about 14/15, before I realised it was hard to find, and before I became a collector. At the time the only reason I bought it was because it was so cheap! (£6) 9) Mary-el Tarot (Limited Edition of 250) http://www.tarotpassages.com/Mary-el.htm It's not in my hands yet, but I ordered it two days ago... It should be here soon! *Drools* 10) The Christian Bible Tarot (Nobody's heard of it, nobody can identify it,seems rare to me!) This deck I found on Ebay. It is a 78 card Tarot deck, with very shallow images on the Majors, and quotes from the Bible on each card relating to the meaning. I posted about it here a while back, but nobody could identify it or had heard of it. Given that, I'm holding onto it because it *might* be rare! 11) Knapp-Hall Tarot http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/knpphll.html Don't know if it's OOP, but it seems quite HTF, since I see so many people begging for it in the Trades section. }) I came across it in Glastonbury, where the Speaking Tree had several copies for sale for £5. :D 12) POMO Tarot http://www.tarotpassages.com/pomo.htm I had seen this one before in a shop in Poole, and it was only about a month later that I found out on Aeclectic that it was OOP and rare... I dashed back to that shop the same day, and discovered to my joy that it was still there. Needless to say, I bought it! :D 13) Kalevala Tarot (OOP, HTF) http://www.tarotpassages.com/kalevala-jc.htm I found this one by chance in a shop in Glastonbury, and I snapped it up fairly quickly... }) 14) Papus Tarot (OOP, HTF) http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/dbsearchengine.php?search_type=blob&pageenter=0 Another deck I found by chance in Glastonbury. This one was bought at the same time as the Knapp Hall, since it was on sale for £6, and although I wasn't sure I would like the deck and didn't know it was OOP at the time, for £6 I thought I'd grab it anyway. (Glad I did now!) 15) Ravenswood Eastern Tarot (OOP, HTF) http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/images/r-decks/ravenswoodcards.gif I haven't yet got this, but I've just ordered it from Amazon after doing a general search for Tarot decks... :D:D:D As for normal, not OOP, easy to find decks, my treasures are: 1) a triple Triple Goddess Tarot ;) 2) Celtic Wisdom Tarot 3) World Spirit Tarot 4) Black Tarot 5) Thoth Tarot 6) Tarot of Prague Kiama

Dark_angel	08 Sep 2003
My treasured decks aren't particularly rare, or expensive, but mean a lot to me. My Adrian Tarot was my first deck, and I bought it when I was flat-hunting with my boyfriend (for a flat for me and my friend - my bf and i aren't at that stage yet, he's too messy!) so it has memories for me. My Vampire Tarot I just adore because it fits so well with my personality (I'm slightly weird, or so I've been told). The new jewel of my collection, though, has to be my new Vertigo Tarot 1st edition, which I haven't actually got yet, but it's waiting for me at my flat, so I'll have it next week. Yay! xxx

Le_Corsair	08 Sep 2003
[font=courier]Only three for me. 1. Tarot of Prague. 2. Ator Tarot 3. My original Aquarian Tarot (sentimental reasons, only.) Bob :THERM[/font]

Diana	08 Sep 2003
My jewels are all my Marseilles decks: the Grimaud, the Dodal, the Conver, the Vieville, the Hadar. (Only the Camoin I'm not very enthusiastic about - it seems a little "false" to me.) The link that follows is for a Grimaud deck: http://www.angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/tom.JPG And then the Lasenic deck, a Czech deck, which I absolutely treasure. http://www.volny.cz/minormajor/06tarotlasenic.htm I love my Tarocchi del Vetro, known also as the Crystal Tarot, although I don't know what's wrong with the Italian name: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/crystal/ My "I Gatti" Tarot is not for reading, but is absolutely charming. I treasure it too. http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/dbsearchengine.php?search_type=instock&pageenter=20 And then there's the Knapp-Hall which I just do not understand, but love the mystery behind it. http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/knpphll.html And I love my Oswald Wirth majors, even if the publishers obviously never bothered to read his book, because there are blatant mistakes in the colours and other details. In fact, I'm pretty angry with the publishers - makes me think that all that matters is making a quick dollar....... All they needed was to hire a French-speaking person, hand them a book and ask them to check. http://www.astroamerica.com/t-wirth.html That's about it.

etal	08 Sep 2003
Only one, but it has repaid many hours of contemplation: The Vertigo Tarot by the gifted Dave McKean and our much-loved Rachel Pollack. It's a dark and deeply evocative deck, stimulating to me and to the few I have dared to use it with in (amazingly positive) readings. The second edition is--ain't it always?--inferior to the first, but at least it's affordable ($30) and still available in a few of the large record chains and smaller comic book stores. Meanwhile, I'm putting the quarters and dollars aside for the inevitable e-bay purchase of the 1st. et al http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/vertigo.html

galadrial	08 Sep 2003
For relative rarity, my gems are: Tarocco Fantastico, by Gaudio and Alligo www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/fantastc.html The Book of Chaos, by Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule www.tarotpassages.com/chaos.htm Kardz: Funny Animal Tarot, by various artists www.tarotpassages.com/kardz.htm Flowers of Life, Cerrithwen Genetti www.tarotpassages.com/flowerspg.htm Blue Rose, Paula Gibby www.tarotpassages.com/pgtar1.htm El Teddy, Melissa Townsend www.tarotpassages.com/elted.htm Kazanlar, Emil Kazanlar www.aeclectic.net/kazanlar/ (I just won this one on ebay and am waiting for it). Vertigo (1st. edition), by Dave McKean, book by Rachel Pollack www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/vertigo.html This was a gift from my husband for my 40th birthday:-) H.P. Lovecraft (2nd. edition), D.L. Hutchinson www.aeclectic.net/tarot/lovecraft/ Not rare, but also definately gems are: Templar, Allen Chester www.tarotpassages.com/templar.htm Margarete Petersen, S/T www.aeclectic.net/tarot/margarete-petersen/ Phantasmagoric Theater, Graham Cameron www.tarotpassages.com/phantas.htm Swedish Witch, Jolanda den Tredjes www.tarotpassages.com/swedishwitch.htm Tarot of Prague, Mahony and Ukolov www.tarotpassages.com/prague-lb.htm

Lee	08 Sep 2003
Would you all believe, I bought the Greenwood Tarot off a Borders store shelf about four years ago, didn't like it (dried flesh hanging off skeletons, yuck) and traded it away? :P -- Lee

Gerbear	08 Sep 2003
The top five percent of my collection; Fiori Divinatori Buddhistic Fantasy Tarot Tarot de Napoleon Rock n Roll Tarot/2nd edition Gilgamesh Tarot Dovilio Brero Tarot Engel Tarot Il Tarocchi di Sandro Pipino Le Tarot de Belmont Tarot of the Crone

Maan	08 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lee Would you all believe, I bought the Greenwood Tarot off a Borders store shelf about four years ago, didn't like it (dried flesh hanging off skeletons, yuck) and traded it away? :P -- Lee Auch that hurts...;) But well i bought my shakespearian at a sale shelf too for 9 euro 99. But luckely i did not trade it ;)

Nevada	08 Sep 2003
I wouldn't call myself a collector, per se, but I do love some of the Tarot that decks I own, and consider those the jewels. I mostly read with Thoth, until I began purchasing other decks, and then I still kept going back to Thoth for many years. However I recently acquired both Universal Tarot (based on RWS) and Goddess Tarot. The Goddess Tarot, while softer in nature and somewhat gender biased, has given me some of the most direct and focused readings that I've ever experienced. I'm learning to really love this deck and am drawn to it more and more! The Universal is also an exceptionally clear-reading deck for me, though I prefer it for different uses. For anything to do with relationships I go directly to Goddess Tarot. I've used both of these for creative writing readings, with great success. They're also beautifully designed and pleasing to use.

Tallarico	08 Sep 2003
Well, I only have 2 decks, so I guess you could say they are my jewels. Sacred Rose Tarot and Rock and Roll Tarot (1st edition, autographed, so I guess that's good) I haven't bought anymore decks because I kinda feel like I should get fairly decent at reading one before moving to another. And I'm really not that good. I always have to check the book!

Dark Inquisitor	08 Sep 2003
So far , these are the jewels : vintage New York Tarot Greenwood vintage ltd. edition Aquarian vintage Hoi Polloi Tarot of Marseille, Heron edition Ancient Minchiate Etruria Visconti Gold Sacred Circle Victoria Regina Tarotphelia

Ruby7	08 Sep 2003
My "jewels" would be: 1. William Blake Tarot of the creative Imagination 2. Shakespearean 3. I have to say Phantasmagoric, there is something so special about this deck 4. Sacred Circle Ruby7

truthsayer	08 Sep 2003
ok, in no particular order: 1. nefertari 2. william blake 3. shakespearian 4. transformational by arnell arnot 5. mountain dream 2nd ed. 6. autographed 1st ed of rock and roll 7. hoi polloi in great condition 8. ananda 9. margarete peterson 10. tarot for cats 11. I gatti 12. this french cat tarot-can't remember the name 13. 1st ed of shining tribe 14. pomo decks i'm hoping to add one day: the crone and the amber but first my finances must improve!

Cerulean	08 Sep 2003
Nice to have, use sometimes: 1. William Blake in a trade for two that I didn't use and seldom valued. 2. Isa Donelli's book that came with the Giant Dotti and the Il Menghello small edition of the Dotti Tarocco. I use it every week and the small sizes are excellent 3. Corona del Ferrara for twenty five dollars to complete my 78 Di Gumppenberg reproductions from Solloene. The Di Gumppenbergs: Neoclassical 1810, Tarocco 1830-1840, Trade & Sites of Milano 1820-1830 and Corona del Ferarra somewhere maybe 1835. I use my Il Menghello and Lo Scarabeo reproductions. 4. Some Folchis that are still affordable. The prettiest was from Felicity's collection, my first was Mitilogical from Alidastore.com. 5. Swiss Thoth and Via Tarot. The Via is very well done as is but I keep adding costuming stickers and Japanese print details -- it's serving as a creative deck between my Ukiyoe roots to my enjoyment of Thoth-style art. Polished Stones: I am using my New Century and Rider Waite Smith workalikes for reading for others, Thoth-style for myself. The Italian Milan reproductions including the Visconti Gold seem really to capture my attention the most. Mari H.

firemaiden	08 Sep 2003
Fun question Lee! The jewels of my colletion... Ahhh the Margarete Petersen, the Margarete Petersen, the Margarete Peterse, the MARGARETE PETERSEN THE MMMMMmmmmmmghhrhhgh......aaaaaarhgmmmm (firemaiden is unceremoniously muzzled and escorted to the door by a dark figure wearing leather gloves)

Melvis	08 Sep 2003
I've been very lucky lately, having picked up a couple of these gems for half the sticker price! Greenwood Tarot Found this a few days ago at Half-Price Books! I just about died from excitement! Norse Tarot I believe this one is OOP, but I don't know how rare it is. I never was able to find it, though, so Half-Price Books came through for me again! Hoi Polloi Ebay. It's in great shape, which makes me happy! Rock & Roll Tarot, 2nd Edition, Signed Okay, it's the 2nd Edition, but they're still selling them on Ebay for $5 per card, so I think it's a good deck to have. Knapp-Hall Tarot I got this one from a trade with Faunabay...I think? The one problem with it: it's very stinky. Apparently it was sitting in someone's basement for quite a while before she found it! I've kept it in a container with some incense, so that's helped a great deal. William Blake I just love this deck! Also purchased from the artist. Shakespearean Tarot Thank you, Ebay! :D Tarokado by Robert Cadot I've never seen this deck anywhere online since I bought it a few years ago on Ebay. The LWB is in french, though, so my college french classes have come into play figuring this one out! Has anyone ever heard of it? There's supposedly an additional book..of poetry, maybe? that goes with it that I haven't been able to find. (EDITED TO ADD: Okay, now that I've said this, I do a search on Google and find Tarokado all over the place! Here it is on Tarot Garden!) (EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: Okay, now I feel stupid. I just found Robert Cadot's website, I think. It's in french, but it's cool because it is like a chain of pages with a piece of his artwork and some poetry on each page. Very cool!) Oooh...I would just love to get my hands on some of those decks you've mentioned! Gerbear, I recognize some of your decks from Tarot Garden! I just love to drool over their pricey decks! :) Yes, I am a very greedy Tarotholic, and my Tarot Gollum personality is showing through! Arrggghhhh! Precioussss! I would love: Mountain Dream Tarot, New York Tarot, Kazanlar, Transformational by Arnell Ando, Blue Rose, oh heavens! The list won't quit! Peace, Melvis :TSTRE PS: Oops! I forgot about the Healing Earth and PoMo! I got those very early in my collecting career, when the PoMo was still in print. The Healing Earth is without a box, but I still treasure it.

Logiatrix	08 Sep 2003
My "jewels" are now the decks I use: Visconti Gold, Royal Fez, Brotherhood of Light, Animal-Wise, and the Zerner-Farber...plus a few others that are still a tad new to me. When I had a collection, it was always the shiny ones that I kept boxed up and treated preciously: Mantegna, Golden T. of the Tsar, Kazanlar. The OOP decks, too: Healing Earth, PoMo, Jungian...but, no more! Traded them all away at the local second hand bookstore. If only you were all close neighbors--goodness, what a fun tarot give-away that would've been! :D :D :D :D :D :D Quote: Originally posted by Lee Would you all believe, I bought the Greenwood Tarot off a Borders store shelf about four years ago, didn't like it (dried flesh hanging off skeletons, yuck) and traded it away? :P -- Lee Me, too, Lee! Yep, four years ago... Might've even been the same Borders! :D

Nevada	08 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Tauni If only you were all close neighbors--goodness, what a fun tarot give-away that would've been! Oh, a whole Tarot-reading village! That would be a fun place to live.

divinerguy	08 Sep 2003
Mmm, probably my: Swedish Witch Tarot (Jolanda den Trejdes) Yeager Tarot Kalevala Tarot Set

tabbycat	09 Sep 2003
Tarot for Cats, which I just got. The Beasts of Albion, a nice oracle set. Not OOP, but I love Brian William's decks, the Renaissance and Minchiate. The books with them are treasures in themselves and have really got me interested in historical decks - I have the Mantegna on order. I'm trying to get a PoMo, but I'm noy sure about the Ship of Fools tarot. Anyone have that one? Opinions? I had the Solleone, but just didn't like it, so it got sold! Jilly

Kaz	09 Sep 2003
a limited edition soprafino deck i got from alidastore.

Mimers	09 Sep 2003
I have the same Soprafina deck that Kaz has. I bought it at a little shop in Mystic, CT. I love this little deck. It is beautiful and very sturdy so I don't worry about using it and wearing it out. I also have the Tarot of Prague. I was really not too interested in this one, but I ordered it anyway. I am so glad I did. When I broke it out and did a few readings with it, it spoke volumes to me. Now I just can't stop looking at it. I am seriously thinking of buying another just to keep and look at and use the other for readings. Eventually this deck will be hard to find and I don't ever want to not be able to read with it. I also have a William Blake Tarot and a limited edition Visconti Tarot that I don't use much. I keep them because I know they are rare. My favorites that I would never get rid of are the Ancestral Path, good old URW, and my Thoth large Swedish version. I use these the most, although the Tarot of Prague has been taking over lately. Mimers

felicityk	09 Sep 2003
The undisputed jewel of my collection is Folchi's Felicita Tarot! After that, the Knapp-Hall took the most effort to acquire, and while in terms of artwork it is not one of my favorites, I find the symbolism fascinating. Felicity -- http://home.comcast.net/~felicityk/tarot/

Emily	09 Sep 2003
My jewels would have to be:- Ancient Italian Classic tarot These two decks are the first pip decks that I have been able to use, read and understand lol - The Majors are so pretty, it makes using them a pleasure. Rohrig This was a deck that caught my attention because of the art, I saw the Lovers card and that was it, I'd ordered it and it was on its way. I do use this deck to read with, but its really the beauty of the cards that pulled me, I wouldn't be able to part with this deck. The Universal Waite and Thoth because both of them have moved me along in my tarot studies. The Tarot of the Spirit because when I first opened the deck I disliked most of the Majors and Court cards, set the deck aside meaning to send it back the next day but when I came to package the deck back up I found that once I had really looked at the deck, it spoke to me on a level that none of my other decks did - still not too sure of a blind Hermit, and some of the other cards that don't seem to have eyes but this deck is special - again another deck that I wouldn't be able to part with :)

full deck	10 Sep 2003
Thanks to Mari's comments on the Gumppenberg decks, I have recently acquired the Gumppenberg 1810 (Solleone) and the Gumppenberg "Tarocco di Della Rocca". The artwork is lovely and I like reading with the 1810. I'm really hesitant to purchase anything that is too rare, unless I can get two because I hate the idea of a deck sitting around just as a collectable. It's like buying a wonderful piano and not playing it! The others I have aren't really rare but they are so nice that I count them as gems anyway. I am finding that I must store some with some weight upon them to keep them from warping a bit.

Aerin	10 Sep 2003
At the moment, and not to do with rarity or otherwise.... Tarot of Prague Fey Tarot Mary-el Hallowquest Arthurian are the ones I love best. Aerin ps I have the Greenwood, and I am very glad I have. It makes it into my top 10 definitely. pps *waves at tabbycat* I have Beasts of Albion too. I like the Celtic Animal Oracle (Carr-Gomm) better though in terms of the artwork

jema	11 Sep 2003
Transformational tarot by Ando that is the only really rare deck i have, i think. but some of those i consider "gems" are also these: Glastonbury Gill Spirit and Kazanlar and finally my very first deck the Fournier Marseille and i really need to buy a new swedish witch deck. i seem to trade them away the whole time:)

Kissa	11 Sep 2003
my jewels are: Greenwood Songs for the Journey Home Hadar's Marseilles Swedish Witch Deck Tarocco Italiano Dotti Tarot for Cats (edited to add) and last but not least ... the Zerner Farber I didn't fancy much and traded to a netty, then awfully regretted because it was a present bought from me from the states and was lucky enough to trade it back from my fellow nettie. This little deck has travelled a lot, at least three times crossed the atlantic! I don't use it but i am glad it is home with me ;-) Kissa

Shade	13 Sep 2003
My only gem or hard to find deck (of my 35 or so decks) is the Fantasy Showcase Tarot http://www.tarotpassages.com/fanshow-thrysse.htm It isn't a deck I can use but I do like having it.

Khatruman	15 Sep 2003
My biggest jewel has to be the William Blake deck. It was a surprise treasure in that I bought it for $5 from a discount rack at Borders, and that it was the deck which brought me back to tarot, after years of thinking that it I had to fully understand everything astrological and numerological to even touch the cards (I thank Emily Peach for that!!!). Being an English Scholar, it resonated quite wonderfully with me. And cjtarot made me a gorgeous bag to hold both the deck and the book!!! My second jewel would be my Shakespearian... it was hard fought on eBay, but I managed to get it at a wonderful price!!!

WolfyJames	15 Sep 2003
I only have one tarot deck (The Enchanted Tarot by Zerner-Farber), but I've seen many: I would like to have some more decks along with the one I have. Of all I've seen, it is the prettiest. Unfortunatly, the screenshots on the Internet never do it justice. The lace, the embroidery, the collage, the painting, the richness of cloth, all add to the beauty of the deck, giving to it a precious look, a gem. I have done embroidery, and I know how difficult it is. It must have taken weeks just to do one card! It's breathtaking! And more, even the pips have well done and meaningful images just like the major arcanas. The first time I saw it, I fell in love with it. I couldn't buy it though because the deck was expensice (60$CA taxes included) and I didn't have the money. I cried over it. Lucky me, I saw it again a year after that in a bookstore shop window, let's just say I didn't hesitate and bought it. I had the money this time.;) I have never regretted it.

Rusty Neon	15 Sep 2003
A jewel to me: (1) The 1971 Rider-Waite deck in the yellow US Games box (as opposed to the Rider-Waite deck currently being sold in the yellow US Games box). The 1971 has the nice card titles, not the ugly fonts of the current. Not a deck, but still a jewel: (2) The book _Le Tarot de Marseille_ by Paul Marteau. I would have paid regular but there it was in a store out of town, when most of the inventory was on sale for half off. Decks which I have which may be jewels to others: (a) Hoi Poloi in the original box, near mint. Couldn't pass it up in the used bookstore, since otherwise I could probably never see it in person but only on ebay. I said no initially, so as to test my resistence. Three weeks later I went back to the store, finally succumbed, and miraculously it was still there. (b) slightly water damaged but complete Servants of the Light set. Couldn't pass it in the used bookstore when I heard it went for so much on ebay about a yr ago. I couldn't afford not to get it as it was a store out of town. (c) Shakespearian Tarot (Nowicki). Heard it was out of print, so I couldn't pass it up when I saw it at the store.

MystiqueMoonlight	16 Sep 2003
Ancient Minchiate Etruria 1725 :smoker:

VGimlet	17 Sep 2003
Amber Tarot - in addition to being hard to find etc. more importantly it has a lot of very sentimental meaning for me. Mary-el - An astonishing deck, and while I knew I would love it from the first image I saw online, the actual hold-it-in-your hands deck blew me away. Rock & Roll 1st ed - Another deck I loved immediately, so much so I got a copy of the 2nd edition so I could read with it. Also the POMO, Shakespearian, Greenwood, Marvel and Fantasy Showcase decks.

Woof	17 Sep 2003
I had the POMO but I gave it to a friend (who is not a regular reader) because I wasn't crazy about it and would not have read with it. I also gave this same friend Tarot for Cats (she's a cat person). I traded away the Wise Women Tarot. To me my gems are those I can use or learn from: Universal RW, The Alchemical, The Haindl, The Shining Tribe, The Thoth. Or those that I just find special: The Hadar Marseille, El Tarocco Bizzarro, and the Ator. Woof

wolfen045	17 Sep 2003
The only rare deck I have is the Poet's Tarot which I never use. My two that I really LOVE are the Vampire and Halloween decks.The moment I saw the vampire tarot, I said someone has Me in mind: a tarotholic who is heavily into the whole vampire mythos. I alo love my Masonic deck... Blessings,wolfen

darwinia	17 Sep 2003
My number one treasure is my Portal Tarot which is one of the 3 original decks that Traci made by hand, and being a kindred spirit in art that means so much to me to have something she so lovingly crafted, Plus I love David's skill at interpreting and creating digitally. After that my William Blake and Songs for the Journey Home. Of the three I suppose I use the William Blake the most, I am always reading and writing with it. Always exploring new things and new information with it, which I guess is the point. I like the way Ed Buryn emulated Blake and adapted Blake to contemporary ideas in the same way Blake emulated and built on the ideas of John Milton. It's really wonderful to see and absorb that creative connection. We each build on it in our own way, and on and on it goes......

Cocobird55	18 Sep 2003
Here are my current jewels -- Artists' Inner Vision Mountain Dream, 2nd edition Rock and Roll, 2nd edition Tarot of Prague PoMo Gendron Most of my jewels are non-commercial decks. I enjoy having decks that are privately printed, because I enjoy supporting the artists who create them. Sue

pentunen	18 Sep 2003
My jewels are the Robin Wood, which I requested and got as a birthday present last year (thanks guys :), the Kalevala, which I found in a New Age store in Tampere, Finland, and the Tarot for Cats, which I was absolutely thrilled to have found thanks to eBay :) - pentu

jmd	20 Sep 2003
I suppose each of my decks is in some way a Jewel... If I had to mention those I value in quite distinct ways, I would have, of course, to mainly list my Marseilles decks. Of these, the one which shines out the most is undoubtedly my Tarot de la Felicité by P. Pinot. Close-by are the Dodal and the Noblet reproductions of J-C Flornoy, at letarot.com... Each of these, it should be mentioned, are Major Arcana decks only... and none of these are 'commercially' printed. Hence their particular quality.

full deck	20 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by jmd Of these, the one which shines out the most is undoubtedly my Tarot de la Felicité by P. Pinot . I see why. The Tarot Garden has excellent examples of the Felicité and it is magnificent! The detailed textures of the clothing is lovely indeed.

Shadow Wolf	20 Sep 2003
I have to say I have 2 absolute favorites The Motherpeace and Vision Quest Thanks for asking !!!!

arcanalefait	21 Sep 2003
It was really fun examining everyone's treasures! My jewels are the Rock N Roll (2nd edition) and the Shakespearian. One I paid quite a bit for and the other I got for almost nothing. I would love a Greenwood and a Servants of the Light. Also Mountain Dream. I saw the poets deck on ebay once--way cool also. I have a lot of non-rare decks that I love as well--Songs for the Journey Home, Ancestral Path, and lately I've really been into the Wheel of Change. Arcana

WolfSpirit	25 Sep 2003
Greenwood Tarot for Cats Thoth (large vibrant colours) Tarot of the Spirit Merryday I could go on but this is the top for me. Only the first two are difficult to find, but for me they are all jewels as they are not just practical decks but loved in another way, mainly for the artwork.

Riversea	29 Sep 2003
My rare decks are: The Greenwood- got it in June from a friend clearing out bunches of stuff that she didn't want anymore. She gave me three or four boxes of books and decks. Also, in the same box as the Greenwood was the Psycards, Dreampower Tarot, Andrew's Power Deck, and Crystal tarot. Kalevala- Happened on this one new in a New Age store about 1 1/2 ago. Tarot for Cats- Ebay at a good price Kazanlar- Ebay, good price, unfortunately no book. Would love to know the various myths tied to this deck. Vertigo (1st Ed.)- Pre-ordered and got this when it came out being a fan of Sandman. Saw several half price ($25) a year later, I kick myself now for not snapping them up! :( Il Gatti- Bought from Tarot Garden 22 Amazing Fortune Telling Cards- Kipling West's majors only deck for children. Bought very cheaply from a seller on Amazon. Those are probably my hardest to find decks or the ones I worked the hardest to aquire. But my WORKING gems are: Universal Waite Halloween Victoria Regina

Melvis	30 Sep 2003
The PoMo Tarot. On Ebay. Right Here, right now. And it's still cheap at this point! Go get it, guys! :D Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Gerbear	30 Sep 2003
My list is on page two, but since I just picked up the Minotarot, I just have to make room for it.

Cerulean	01 Oct 2003
Hope you got it for a good price or it was just what you wanted. The MinoTarot in pictures seems to have fun and humor in its retelling of a classic tale. I only know what I see from the Mystic Eye website. The limited color palette seems pretty interesting in this deck--strong design, probably. Mari H.

Ironwing	02 Oct 2003
Thea's Tarot is one of my favorites and is my only rarity. It was a trade (for the original drawing of the Fool card in my own deck!). Lorena/Ironwing

Logiatrix	02 Oct 2003
I must re-submit my listing of tarot "jewels" because I've been evaluating my inventory as I pack. I've decided that my fondest decks are basically all the works of Brian Williams: PoMo, Renaissance, Minchiate, and Light and Shadow (he wrote the book--oh, and Thank You, VioletLotus!). I still need the "Ship of Fools"... I like the Renaissance set so much, I got an extra copy to have the book for my bookshelf! :)

Marion	02 Oct 2003
Tarot for Cats. This is a fun deck. Always gives me a chuckle when I use it. Tarot of Prague. ah, wonderful, enchanting. And, well, it isn't exactly hard to find, but for me World Spirit is a jewel of a deck. The Fey Tarot. Lifts me up just to handle the cards. I guess none of them except maybe the first are that hard to find, but worth a lot to me.

Requiella	02 Oct 2003
Tarot of Transformation would be my gem. It's not a rare deck, but it's quite unusual, and extremely uplifting.

The What are the jewels of your collection? thread was originally posted on 08 Sep 2003 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.