Decks and Regrets...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Dee	10 Nov 2003
Is ther a deck(tarot or not) that you regret having given away/traded/sold? I used to own the Soul Cards 1 & 2 and now I wish I had them ... I could be using them in a really creative way with clients - oh well - guess i will have to get them again. :)

WolfSpirit	10 Nov 2003
The Tarot of the Spirit. It was one of the first decks I bought, I liked the way it looked but could not read with it at all and traded it. A year later, I saw it again somewhere and I just wanted it back ! I will never part with it again.

Moonbow*	10 Nov 2003
Ive given away 4 decks and sometimes I regret it, but mostly I think the people Ive given them to will get more use out of them. My one big regret (sometimes) is getting rid of the Thoth.... yes I said Thoth. Long story but I was advised at the time to get rid of it.. strange things happening to me!!! But I loved the art work and the few readings I did with it were very acurate.

Majecot	10 Nov 2003
The one that I regret is Shapeshifter. I think I was just too new when i bought it and I could not read it. It is on my list of "to buy's" I regreted giving it away as soon as it was gone. :(

Logiatrix	10 Nov 2003
I sometimes I think fondly of the "Healing Earth Tarot." Then I remember how bulky and difficult it was to handle, which is why I finally passed it on. Still, it was a great find (OOP for $15!), and a beautiful, colorful, nature-centered deck. I agree with Moonbow*, in that whoever has it now will benefit from it more. :)

Dee	10 Nov 2003
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU GUYS THAT IF THE TRADE HAPPENED WHEN IT DID IT WAS B/C SOMEONE AT THE TIME NEEDED AND IS PROBABLY BENEFITTING FROM THEM NOW - :)

Cocobird55	11 Nov 2003
I gave my daughter my Glastonbury deck, because she really liked it. So I bought another one... Sue

dolphinprincess	11 Nov 2003
I sold off all my doreen virtue decks bc I thought they were too basic and I was devoting my energies to Tarot. Now I realize that there purpose is not necessarily for divination, but to communicate with my angels... and I really find that I miss them .. So I am re-acquiring them :o)

Jewel-ry	11 Nov 2003
Hi dolphinprincess, Thats really interesting. I have the Doreen Virtue 'Magical Mermaids and Dolphins' which I keep thinking of getting rid of for exactly the same reason. I really hav'nt used them at all. Bought them, opened them, stored them!! Perhaps I should take another look.............

dolphinprincess	11 Nov 2003
jewel-ry, doreen's message from your angels cards and her dolphin / mermaid cards are pretty specific... so its difficult to do more than a one card reading with each... however, the two healing decks (angels and fairies) only have a keyword.. so you can do spreads with them... they are all rather simplistic.. but i find that i miss that sometimes. they are 'feel good' alternatives to tarot... plus, i plan on using the decks together to try to get a more in depth readying.. (sorry to stray from the topic of this thread.... )

firestorm	11 Nov 2003
No, but I have 4 decks I regret BUYING. ;-) I'll probably wait a bit and see if the spirit moves me, if not, I'll trade them. Edited for typo.

Chronata	11 Nov 2003
The only deck that I miss giving away is the Robin Wood. Unlike the other ones I gave away, it's not rare, expensive nor out of print...so why don't I just get another one? hmmm...maybe I'm simply waiting for it to come back to me without having to spend any money. (This has happened a surprising number of times with other decks!)

Majecot	11 Nov 2003
Firestorm... name your decks!

Mystic Zyl	11 Nov 2003
Wow you people that trade or sell your decks are brave. I feel all my decks are like my children, some may have more faults than others, but I love them just the same. Once they have shared their mystery with me, unbreakable bond forms. When I die I want to be buried with certains decks. Sadly by that time I'll leave probably 950 deck to be orphans!

Majecot	11 Nov 2003
Mystic Zyl Giving them away is fullfilling and heartbreaking at the same time ;) It took me 6 years to give away my first deck. :( But I have visitation.

Woof	11 Nov 2003
I give or trade decks regularly. If I'm not going to use it for readings or for reference (Thoth & Marseilles) I don't see the point in it collecting dust with me. I tend to feel guilty not using it and that it's being wasted. I really liked the Goddess Tarot but wasn't using it so I gave it to a friend. She was thrilled! The good feeling I got from that was way worth giving the deck away! Woof

lark	12 Nov 2003
I regret giving my Cosmic Tarot away for a very different reason than any stated here. The poor thing is being abused. I gave it to a very good friend who just fell in love with it the minute she saw it. She wanted to buy her first deck so I invited her over to look through my collection. I always have a few decks that I call the 'orphans' because I'm looking for homes for them. And she adopted my Cosmic. I have since come to find out it has been thrown across the room on numerous occasions by her husband, who can't stand the thought that she might know more than he does. I have asked for it back but she begs to keep it. I think she sees it as an object of independance for her. Like,"He's not going to tell me what to do." That sort of thing. I have even done a reading for the husband to calm his fears. But it didn't help. So my friend hides the deck, he finds the deck, he throws the deck around and they have a big fight. Anyone want to come with me and do an intervention and rescue?

purplelady	12 Nov 2003
I regret giving away the Power Deck by Lynn V. Andrews. It's an oracle deck, not a tarot deck, but I really connected with it. (Back when my collection consisted of 3 tarot decks and the internet was a thing of the future!) After doing a reading for a friend , on impulse I gave her the deck. I seriously doubt she even took care of it, and it's probably laying at the bottom of a trash heap somewhere, after having been chewed on by some 3 yr olds!I would love to get ahold of another one, along with the book it came with. But I am not willing to pay a large amount for it. At the time I gave it away I think it was still in print and I just didn't really think it through. But now it's been oop for quite some time. I heard there may be a reprint . I really wish she would issue a reprint but I don't think it's happened.

Myrrha	12 Nov 2003
The only trade I regret... I have edited out the rest of this post because it turned out to be a misunderstanding for which I was as much to blame as she was. We have cleared it up now and I think we have reached an agreement where we are both happy! So now, I can truly say "I have no regrets" Well, except years ago (before the internet, and trading) giving my copy of The Magickal Tarot to the Goodwill because I didn't like the faces on it! --Myrrha

divinerguy	12 Nov 2003
I have a love/hate relationship with the Daughters of the Moon Tarot. I love the primitive artwork and the bright colors, but I loathe the anti-male discrimination of the authors. I traded it away because I was angry with the authors. Now, I wish I still had it, so I can enjoy this deck's wonderful spirit.

firestorm	12 Nov 2003
Art Nouveau (Castelli) Gendron Tarot of the Sephiroth Spiral I don't regret buying my Large Thoth, but I prefer the smaller one, I think I'm gonna trade that one too.

All Is One	13 Nov 2003
Myrrha ~ I don't know the exact cost of the Greenwood Deck, it is on my wish list, and (of course) I will rush to check on it after I post this... But I have bought (and also traded or given away) most of the decks you gave the person in trade and they are not cheap decks! I have the NJ and adore it. She / he sounds like they are not very generous in spirit and trading, tarot and life are all going to run dark and nasty for people in that place, until they can find their way out. I have gone through short periods of some of that meanness of soul and it always hurt me more than it hurt anyone else. I see your point, also, and that would turn me off trading completely! All my trades have been joyful experiences, with no regrets on both sides (as far as I know) and I would return a deck if someone wanted to undo a trade... depending on how they approached the matter. Wouldn't most of you?

Dee	13 Nov 2003
I also regret selling my symbolon - what i've learned is that i need to struggle with some decks before they truly become mine - and an even greater lesson is that unless i am 100% willing to part with them i should look beneath that struggle to see what the deck is trying to tell me or what i am i not yet ready to see.

dolphinprincess	13 Nov 2003
This is my second post here, but figured some of you would appreciate this .. I first discovered Tarot a few years ago.. but I just wasn't 'ready' for it yet. While I in NO way associated tarot with evil, many of the images SCARED me bc I didn't really understand the cards well enough to go beyond the image.. - I eventually became fearful of reading for myself... .. I thought every sword card I pulled meant sure demise .. Immature, yes... but maybe more ignorance.. In any case, I then sold off a very nice tarot collection (when i first got into it, i wanted to "collect" decks.. so i went a little crazy with the buying). World Spirit Wild Spirit Vision Quest Two Limited Edition Amerigo Folchi Decks Robin Wood Goddess Tarot Moon Garden Hanson Roberts Celtic Dragon Celtic Tarot Ancestral Path Medicine Cards (not even sure why I sold this one) Whimsical Tarot Fairy Tarot LOTR Tarot Merryday New Orleans Voodoo Nigel Jackson Osho Zen ..maybe more.. ??? There are a few on there I wish I still had... I've only repurchased the Medicine Cards.. I'm approaching Tarot very differently this time - focusing on learning and trying to acquire decks that I really like and plan to use... (although we all buy a few that collect dust ... )..

Majecot	13 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer she offered it back to me but the trade value she put on it was higher than what i placed on it for her. in short, i couldn't afford it back so now someone else has the deck. Truthsayer... I am sad for you. That just doesn't seem right to me :(

Mystic Zyl	18 Nov 2003
I though I would never say this (never say never it hauts you bites you in the butt everytime). I regret the $15.00 I spent on MERLIN deck and book. It is not standard tarot as know it. R J Stewart has his own version...........too old to learn new Pips, lol.

Majecot	18 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by firestorm I don't regret buying my Large Thoth, but I prefer the smaller one, I think I'm gonna trade that one too. I dunnoe ... you might want to hang on to that. My friend has a large deck that was passed down to her by her mother... we calculated that it is 25 years old.. kinda makes me want to hold on to all of mine now.

Owl	19 Nov 2003
I regret recently buying the "Egyptian Tarot" deck ..Worst piece of crap I've ever seen..It's brown and white,and very lifeless. And,it's very hard to read,I didn't understand any of it..I took the loss and threw it away,and I don't miss it at all :( Owl

All Is One	20 Nov 2003
Mystic, I would love to take the Merlin off your hands - my copy is bowed backwards from shuffling, and tired. PM me if you would like to sell it or trade. I have about six deck and book sets available to trade :)

lilsher	20 Nov 2003
The first deck of cards I got were Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards that I got from a used book store. I saw them and had to have them. I was 14 or 15 at the time and begged my mother to buy them for me. Luckily she was a sucker for me and bought them right away. My second deck was a Rider Waite that I bought when I was 18. Unfortunately, a couple years later I found my new little family desperate for money and sold them both on eBay.

Marion	23 Nov 2003
All is One, You can have my copy of the Merlin Tarot. Send me a PM. I no longer have the original Rider Waite which I learned on more than 30 years ago. I moved away from tarot for a large number of years and it got lost somehow. sniff. Traded away the Shapeshifter and then traded for it back. :) Traded away the Gendron and never regretted it. Traded away the Thoth and am now in the process of reacquiring it. Gave away the Sacred Rose. Nice deck, I never got it. Other person seems to like it. Recently traded Tarot of the New Vision (HudsonGrey deck), LoTR, POMO. So far feel these were good trades. Since I will never be able to get two of those since they are oop, I hope I stay happy with it.

EarthAngel2911	25 Nov 2003
Hello all! There are a few decks that I've traded when I first started collecting that I wish I had kept. Now I'm trying to reacquire them! Decks I've traded that I regret: Morgan-Greer Haindl Tarot and both of the companion books LS Celtic Tarots Karma Tarot Decks I've traded that I don't miss at all: One World Tarot Starter Tarot Dragon Tarot Zerner-Farber Tarot Shapeshifter Tarot Witches Tarot Tarot of the Saints New Affirmations Tarot Tarot of Northern Shadows Now I am very reluctant to trade any decks. I've learned that what I don't like at one point in time, I will appreciate later. Plus, I acquired these decks when I first started learning tarot. As my experience has grown, so has my appreciation for different decks. Here's a funny story about the Morgan Greer. Let me know if anyone else has had this experience! I traded my Morgan-Greer because I just couldn't connect with it. I thought I would like the bold colors illustrations all the way to the edge, but as time wore on, I just didn't want to use it at all. Recently I saw this deck on eBay for a decent price, used of course. For some reason (can't remember why now) I placed a bid on it and won. My deck came in the mail just the other day. The box is quite worn, but the cards are in decent shape. They feel used but not abused. The funny part of the story is that upon first holding this used deck in my hands, the energy from it is so gentle, I instantly fell in love with it! I know I should cleanse it of another's energies, but I think I'll just appreciate it for a while. Isn't that weird? Blessings, Karen

sunflowr	25 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by EarthAngel2911 New Affirmations Tarot What is the New Affirmations Tarot? Sounds interesting! :)

EarthAngel2911	25 Nov 2003
Oops! Sorry, I actually wrote down the name wrong. It's Tarot Affirmations Deck. You can actually see some picture samples at this Tarot Garden site: http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/dbsearchengine.php?search_type=blob&pageenter=0 Well for some reason the link I supplied didn't bring you right to the page. So, just search on Affirmations, and you'll see the deck by Sally Hill, designer. It's actually a nice deck, but I never read with it. I scanned the cards so that I have the affirmations, but I didn't want to waste the deck since I didn't use it. :) Oh, and back to my list. It seems that now I'm intent on finding the Haindl deck again! I get upset with myself that I traded this deck, because I had the book and deck set, and both companion books! Aargh! Well, that's ok. Things happen for a reason. I'm sure the person that received the deck really enjoys it. :) Blessings, Karen

joya250	25 Nov 2003
The one deck I occasionally regret for giving away is the Robin Wood Deck. It was one of my first decks and a gift from my step-mother. I gave it away, along with the accompanying book, to a friend who had expressed an interest in tarot. However, it was only mildly received, and I now realize that it's probably gathering dust somewhere. Ah well. It was given in love...

sunflowr	22 Apr 2004
I regret selling my Morgan Robbins tarot (the hippy black and white one with the funny sayings on them). I hope it's not OOP, because I'd love to get it back.

dolphingirl	22 Apr 2004
I regret trading my Morgan Greer deck which was one of the first tarot decks I ever got (about17 years ago i think) I finally went back and repurchased it but the finish is different on the new deck, which is ok. The only other regret that I have is a trade where I sent two tarot deck/books and spent about $20 in postage and the person wrote that they got them but I never got anything back. Oh well I have had so many wonderful experiences that they more than make up for that one time.

anjocoxo	23 Apr 2004
I've traded only one or two decks, but I didn't regret at all. One of them was Thoth, the other the Renaissance (by Williams). I didn't like both, and I'm not sorry for the trade. anjo

firestorm	23 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by dolphingirl The only other regret that I have is a trade where I sent two tarot deck/books and spent about $20 in postage and the person wrote that they got them but I never got anything back. Oh well I have had so many wonderful experiences that they more than make up for that one time. That is absolutely awful, and in my book, no different from stealing. Did they just ignore you after they received your decks? That is so incredibly sleazy! Hopefully, what goes around comes around.

crystal cove	23 Apr 2004
Wow. I'm sorry that happened to you, Dolphin Girl. That really was pretty low. I hope if it happened through this forum, that the person involved isn't allowed to trade anymore.

All Is One	24 Apr 2004
I read somewhere in the thread above that someone was able to just throw a deck away that didn't work out for them. I have to laugh at the image of me actually putting anything at all in the garbage that is not actually trash. I must have that malady that leads to the apartment lined with stacks of old newspapers and balls of used string... (I don't save that stuff, just stuff stuff) I love trading and have had nothing but fantastic experiences with trades, but can't imagine discarding a deck. Speaking of trades ~~ Starsong, if you see this, I'm working on it! See PM.

Aure	24 Apr 2004
I didn't exactly throw away my mini Connolly... It just got lost in my room... :rolleyes: I believe it was over ten years ago when I had it and couldn't make sense of it and the deck just disintegrated.. I kept finding cards under by rug and between the bookshelf and the wall for years... I bet there are still a couple of them floating some place.. Maybe I have to look when I visit my parents. I don't know if I regret losing it, but in a way it would be nice to have it in my drawer, just for the sake of memories.

laura_borealis	24 Apr 2004
The only deck I really regret getting rid of is the first deck I had. It was a plain old RWS, used, given to me by a boyfriend. When my mom found out I had it, she freaked and made me give it back. (I was living under her roof at the time.) I wish I'd stuck to my instinct and kept it -- or had a friend keep it safe for me until I could move out again. If I'd kept it and kept working with it, I might be further along in my study of tarot now. Since then I've given away a Celtic (the Courtney Davis one) and didn't regret it, because I wasn't connecting with it, and the woman I gave it to was delighted with it. I traded a Victoria Regina also because I wasn't connecting with it. Both are beautiful decks, just not right for me. And I lost my first Thoth because I left it at the house of a friend, and he was in a bad mental state at the time; I didn't get my Thoth back before he decided to fire me as a friend. Then he was arrested and went to jail for a few years (yes, it was a very bad mental state he was in) and I gave it up for lost. I wouldn't want it back now, anyway. My friend has since gotten out of jail and is in NA and staying straight, so that has all turned out okay (I cross my fingers and hope for his sake).

Silverlotus	25 Apr 2004
I regret trading away a few decks. I traded my Witches Tarot and it's two books for the Mythic Tarot set, I think. Shortly afterwards, I traded away the Mythic set for the Witches Tarot and one book. :) (If I am remembering the trades correctly.) Honestly, I was glad to have the deck back, but I would really like to have my original copy. I miss all its little imperfections. Also, when I first joined Aeclectic I traded away my Spiral Tarot. I didn't like it from the day I opened it. A few months ago, I traded something else away for another Spiral. I still didn't like it, so I traded it away once again. That's when I knew it was time to stop trading. So just recently I sent out three decks I'm not using in exchange for one deck, TotOP, which I had actually traded away about six months ago. *sigh* I'll be glad to have it back too. Now I have only one deck, Osho Zen, that I'm not sure about but I would only trade it for some very specific decks.

All Is One	25 Apr 2004
Silver Lotus: That is amazing, all the trading involving the same decks. I have more than a few decks I bought or got in trades that I know are not for me, but I hang onto them like a Gollum with his precious. I am a hoarder, but I am also going to trade off the Osho-Zen eventually, as well as the Shape Shifter. Just not right now (lol)

ros	25 Apr 2004
Sometime ago I bought these decks. Why, I have no idea. My deck set regrets: The Visual I Ching The Lovers' Tarot The Oracle of the Goddess Goddess Card Pack

Cerulean	25 Apr 2004
I am still working on a short story that builds a little on a small concept inspired from the Arabian Nights--not really, just something about the genre and Aladdin's wife exchanging the old lamp for new and what happened afterwards. I did it from a modern view if someone unexpectedly acquired an old lamp and a more modern Aladdin was trying to find the recipient. It seemed to me there was a deck that had a few related scenes or the intermix of cultures...and I remembered the Kazanlar of last year that was 'traded' for shipping costs. I was curious if it would take some time to relocate the deck. I found one on abebooks.com and an Edmund Dulac Arabian Nights reprint that actually cost as much as a new Kazanlar listed in one of the more expensive online booksellers. It seems I have the last one available for a lower price according to some of my searches and this time, it comes after some Marseilles study...and a new book to me from an artist that I like. So it works out better this time around. Cerulean Mari

The Decks and Regrets... thread was originally posted on 10 Nov 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.