Unknown vintage deck: HELP!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kissa	21 May 2004
Hi all, there is this vintage deck on ebay: see here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19271&item=4169164573&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW It looks really great, very close from the RWS but the colours are much more appealing IMHO. Does someone know what's the name of that deck? It seems that the cardback is blue with sun and moon designs, if i see the picture properly... Ring a bell for anyone?? Thanks in advance! Kissa

Nycelle	21 May 2004
Haven't a clue. . . but am curious as they are really nice!

Le_Corsair	21 May 2004
Francois Tapernoux's Golden Rider Tarot. It is still in print, so don't pay retail for it on eBay. Bob :THERM

Le_Corsair	21 May 2004
I'll post a second reply. From reading the LWB, Tapernoux worked in oil paint to get the rich colors on this deck. He left some details out, and his technique is sometimes a little lacking, especially on the Swords, which sometimes lack straight lines and definition. The faces on the cards are occasionally coarse, also, due to the medium of oil paint. The back you describe might be an older version, the backs on my deck are a dark bronze Maltese cross on light bronze background, with a mauve circle in the center of the cross. My own deck was flawed by paint streaks here and there, most noticeably on the Hermit. At least one other member of Aeclectic has reported this, so I would guess that the publisher (AG Mueller) is less than careful in the quality control department. I find it to be a deck with lots of potential which falls just a little short of its goal. Still, it's an attractive deck. Bob :THERM

punchinella	21 May 2004
If you go for RWS decks, this one is pleasant . . . the images are simplified, almost childlike. My guess is that the blue 'backing' w/ the moon on it is actually the front of the book being sold with it, not the back of the cards (which in my deck are as Le Corsair describes, an attractive gold/bronze cross pattern). Again, don't get hyped up & pay too much for this deck, it's in print & readily available :)

dolphingirl	22 May 2004
I am pretty sure this is the Golden tarot :) Samantha

Kissa	22 May 2004
Yes, the Golden Tarot of Tapernoux was my first guess too, but i wasn't sure as this blue picture with moon and stars confused me (i remembered that the Golden cardbacks are yak!... not my taste... ;) ) I have e-mailed the seller with my question, or, to be precised, i ask them to tell me about the cardbacks. Waiting for an answer that i will post here of course! Thanks for your answers, all of you! :) Kissa

Kissa	22 May 2004
Thanks for the review Bob! The only scans i've ever found were not attractive, the oil paint doesn't look good on them, maybe the lighting was too crude? In the picture on ebay, there are very nice colours on the Knight of Pentacles and the Page of Swords (look closely at the sky). I had always thought the Golden Rider was just about some golden paint laid randomly on a very close reproduction of the original drawings but there is obviously more than golden paint about it... Yes the deck is available for 20 bucks on tarotworld.com, as you mentioned. Then, if this is an older edition with nicer backs (also judging from scans, the actual ones are a pain in my eyes) prices can go high ...? Kissa Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair I'll post a second reply. From reading the LWB, Tapernoux worked in oil paint to get the rich colors on this deck. He left some details out, and his technique is sometimes a little lacking, especially on the Swords, which sometimes lack straight lines and definition. The faces on the cards are occasionally coarse, also, due to the medium of oil paint. The back you describe might be an older version, the backs on my deck are a dark bronze Maltese cross on light bronze background, with a mauve circle in the center of the cross. My own deck was flawed by paint streaks here and there, most noticeably on the Hermit. At least one other member of Aeclectic has reported this, so I would guess that the publisher (AG Mueller) is less than careful in the quality control department. I find it to be a deck with lots of potential which falls just a little short of its goal. Still, it's an attractive deck. Bob :THERM

Kissa	22 May 2004
Ok kiddos, don't bother anymore: this IS the Golden Rider by Tapernoux. I've searched it and watched lots of scans, they look similar to the ebay item. As i looked closer at the ebay picture, i realized that the blue design i thought was the cardbacks is bigger than the cards themselves so i bet this is a book that comes with it (i am only aware of a german language set version of the Golden Rider, it might be another general tarot book?) covered with nice wrapping paper by the owner to prevent damages on the cover. So, thanks again everybody, you were all right, we have a nice copy of the Golden Rider for sale. It is BTW listed new on amazon.com for $20 and Europeans can buy it from the publisher (AG Mueller) on tarotworld.com for the same amount... Conclusion: the deck might be vintage but not hard to find or out of print. Don't bid too high on that one! Kissa

The Unknown vintage deck: HELP! thread was originally posted on 21 May 2004 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.