Enchanted Tarot---2 publishers--help!

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

Ruby7	08 Nov 2003
I have discovered that the Enchanted Tarot by Amy Zerner is now published by two different companies. My question is for those of you who have the original deck by St.Martin's Press. Do the cards have the same vibrant colour tones that the pictures in the book have? I just bought the Enchanted Tarot published by another company in China and the cards look a bit washed out (pale) compared with the pictures in the book. I might return this and try to get the other version if it is not washed out so please somebody take a look and help me out. Thank-you, Ruby7 p.s. I'm so disappointed!

lark	08 Nov 2003
It's such a disapointment when you wait and wait and it doesn't live up to what you expect. I hope I can help you out here. I have the St. Martin Press set printed in New York. I can't compare how washed out your cards are to mine but in the set I have the cards are very close to the pictures in the book. But not exactly they are certainly a little lighter. But not so light that it has been a disappointment for me. I never even really noticed untill I saw your question and took them out to compare. Now, I also have a small version of this set from U.S. Games System and it's printed in China ( ISBN 1-57281-073-4) the cards are 21/4 in.by 4 in. Sweet little deck. It is lighter and the ink colors are even different. I'm comparing the Ace of Wands and the pinks on the card are totally different. One is vibrant almost hot pink the other is a light rasberry color. So if this is the difference you're seeing then yes, I think you would be happier with the St. Martins Press set. There is a set called The Instant Tarot Reader that has the small deck in it. I know of a site where it sells for $7.95 for the set. If you're interested in having the smaller set too I can check if it's printed by St. Martins Press and post back. Hope this helps. Namaste The set I mentioned is printed by St. Martins Press. But I don't know if they ship to Canada.

bangbang	08 Nov 2003
I have The Saint Martin´s press version printed in China and it really dissappointed me , the book is by far much better than the deck, it should have been otherwise, the cards must were bigger ,brighter and the cardboard feels so bad. If I were the author I would be really angry forwhat the publishers did with this great work. My only reason for keeping this deck, it´s because I live in Mexico and to ship it to someone else isn´t just worth it.

WolfyJames	08 Nov 2003
I have the french version of The Enchanted Tarot and I bought it ten years ago. The cards are as colorful as the images in the book. My edition is Éditions Solar, Paris, 1991, and it was based on this edition: Eddison Sadd Editions, London, 1990. I've seen it a few months ago in a bookstore, it seemed to be the same editon than mine. That's very sad for you. I have this deck and I love it, and it's infortunate you can't enjoy it as much as I do.

Ruby7	08 Nov 2003
Thanks everyone. I had another look at the cards and the difference is not horrendous. The colours are just slightly less vibrant, but since it obviously really bothers me I will return the set. The cards are in three separate shrink-wrapped piles which I have not opened yet so I'm sure that Chapters will take it back. I have a bad feeling that the card stock will not be good, but I will never know unless I take them out of the shrinkwrap and then I probably wont be able to return them. What a dilemma! So i will go with my gut feeling and return the set and be done with it. Ruby7

baba-prague	08 Nov 2003
I have the US Games deck and actually I was really sad when I got it. Not sad for me, I am really glad to have this deck (many moons ago I used to do textile art and it's something I love) but for the artist. The work is really lovely I think and it NEEDS larger cards and better printing. If I were her I would be disappointed. As it is, I feel like I have an indication of the deck, but not the "real" deck as the artist imagined it. I'd love to hear what she thinks. Maybe she wouldn't agree, who knows. But personally I want to see all the detail and true colour - and in this version I can't. I was really interested to see in this thread that other people feel much the same.

Ruby7	08 Nov 2003
I have sent an e-mail through the artists webiste www.enchantedworld.com to express my disappointment and asking which in her opinion is the best published version. Ruby7

lark	08 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Ruby7 I have sent an e-mail through the artists webiste www.enchantedworld.com to express my disappointment and asking which in her opinion is the best published version. Ruby7 Please post back if you hear from them. I'd love to know how they feel about this.

Ruby7	08 Nov 2003
I will do that Lark. If she doesn't respond, and it is possible since she may get too many e-mails, I will try the St.Martins press version, and let you know what i think. The colour difference is very slight but it does make a big difference for this deck. I might be able to live with it if I knew that the card stock was good, or if i knew that this was the best possible deck available. thanks again, and will let you know, Ruby7

WolfyJames	09 Nov 2003
I didn't know so much people were not satisfied about this deck. I must be one of the lucky few who got a very good deck in excellent condition then. The cards are very large and helps see all the details on the cards, the cards are also thick and solid, the kind that last.

Emily	09 Nov 2003
I bought my book and deck set from a bargain book shop, I didn't keep the outer box because the deck wouldn't fit back into it so I have the deck in another box, the box must have had the ISBN number on it because the deck and book doesn't. The book seems to be the Eddison Sadd Editions 2000. I've just checked the cards against the book and the colours are the same. Very vibrant, hardly any colour change at all. They are also the large cards, the card stock is excellent. I don't use this deck very often but I did keep it because it was very colourful and the cards are so busy. Maybe you just got unlucky and ended up with badly printed decks.

WolfyJames	09 Nov 2003
My edition is Éditions Solar, Paris, 1991, and it was based and translated from this edition: Eddison Sadd Editions, London, 1990. I guess Eddison Sadd Editions did a good job at printing the deck. Maybe you should buy this deck from this edition then, from England. There's probably an online store there who sells this deck, you should make a search.

Ruby7	09 Nov 2003
Thanks again but I have had no luck in tracking down a deck by that publisher. I did take a chance and have won a set on E-Bay that was published in 1990 by McClelland Stewart in Canada. I have my fingers crossed that this will be a good deck. So now we know of at least four publishing companies for the Enchanted Deck, how frustrating. On the artist's website they also sell the deck but do not list who the publisher is. Ruby7

The Enchanted Tarot---2 publishers--help! thread was originally posted on 08 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.