What annoys me about Lo Scarabeo decks

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kittaine	12 May 2004
(Not sure where to post this. I'm sure it'll be moved to where it should be) I started this thread on what annoys me about Lo Scarabeo decks because it annoys me enough and it's a shame that it does. Lo Scarabeo has some of the most wonderful Tarot decks around! Two things: first, the size! It's just not big enough for some people to really appreciate the art in all its splendor--unless you want a mini-deck, which I think La Scarabeo is close to becoming. It's a real pity! I want a deck that's as big as the Celtic Dragon; it's big enough for us to really enjoy the art, but it's just enough for those small hands to handle. Second, and most damning of all, that nasty border. If a card has a border, I'd want it to be empty, or contain just 2 words max. I'm sure that multi-lingual border is very helpful to a lot of people, but for those of us who speak just one language, it's an irritating distraction and a pock-mark on the deck's aestheticism. Trim the border (as Ravenswing does)? I've never tried that. I'm scared to do it, honestly. I just wish it wasn't there to begin with! :P Anybody else who share this view?

hyatt	12 May 2004
ok, I got to admit that I feel the opposite. I really like all the languages. I speak english and a touch of french, my husband speaks english, a some german and spanish so it's cool and we compair the words like the nerds that we are. The size I dig too. I've got big hands but they feel great in my hands. I have the large thoth deck which I love too but I feel like I am shuffling huge ancient stone texts. Great to study but not too practical. But each to his/her own. I guess that is why they come in so many sizes.

jog1118	12 May 2004
ey der kittaine!!! nice to see a new pinoy in the boards! i have 2 LS decks, hidden folk and celtic (as you may know already, variety here in the philippines is very limited...i buy my decks from powerbooks, how about you?) anyway...back to your comments...i do agree that LS can improve the look of their borders; re the size...i guess they can make it a little wider; length is fine with me... :smoker:

lionette	12 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Kittaine Anybody else who share this view? me ... A slightly larger size, say and extra half inch and reduced border space would greatly enhance all the LoScarabeo decks I own. Have begun to shy away from buying theirs these days. ps. must admit that despite these complaints, the finish and texture of the Leonardo da Vince deck does help me overlook the too small art!

BlueLotus	12 May 2004
Although overall I consider LS decks one of tbe best quality decks around, and I like the size as well, I do agree with your comments regarding the appreciation of certain images on some LS decks being lost, because of it . One example is the Journey to the Orient Tarot. Although a gorgeous deck, the artwork is so tiny at times that one will have difficulty appreciating it. However, the LWB irritates me more than the decks themselves , because I get impatient looking up the right entry, leave alone attribute the meanings to the images . I need an interpretation for the interpretations there often enough

Cerulean	12 May 2004
decks with Italian language instructions, an older format. I found the colors to be more brilliant and the size to be nicer for my hands and looking at as well. But I deal with tiny numbers and computer stuff all day, so the light feel of the cards and the delicate multilingual notes on top---I don't see them. I see the card scenes mostly, especially in the Secrets. Just my odd preference. Best wishes, Cerulean Mari

HudsonGray	12 May 2004
The LWB's, they're in 4 different languages & are so skimpy to fit into the alloted space, they're useless. But the different languages do annoy me too, on the card faces.

diane drizzy	13 May 2004
Hi Kittaine! Hmmmmm........Actually I have small handy dandy's so I like the size. I don't focus on the borders unless they're really distracting. :( I even like the multi-lingual titles, it is sort of a mini language lesson. But best of all I love Lo Scarabeo's smells!

Jewel	13 May 2004
It would be great if the decks were a little wider, but my main issue with LS decks is that they often times seem very "cold." Beautiful art, but no real connection. I guess my wish would be to see more decks where the artist and the tarot expert work close together and produce a deck/book set, like in the case of the Fey Tarot. The book to the Fey Tarot is really good, as is the deck. This deck is an excellent example of what LS can do and has done.

druid	13 May 2004
To me, a border is expected. It is what a frame does to a picture. It protects the image, as the edge is likely to wear off sooner or later. It also separates the text from the image. I don't mind borderless cards either as long as the artwork is appealing. I like variety.

Centaur	13 May 2004
I have to say that I really like the size of the LS decks. And I like the different languages too. :)

RiccardoLS	13 May 2004
Hello (I'll be brief. No time. Hurry hurry rush rush :) ) Size: 66 x 120 mm It can't be changed. It optimize size/cost. Increasing size will increase too much costs. There will be in the future major only decks of much larger size. Languages 5 or 6 languages. Again it dramatically cuts costs. So, it would probably not change. Booklets We are working on it. It is something that will need to be really improved. Backside we are improving to full colour (it was decided today) Best, Ric

Jewel	13 May 2004
Riccardo, what about more collaborations like yours and Mara's for deck book sets?

Emily	13 May 2004
I'm another who likes the size of the Lo Scarabeo decks, I do have small hands and find it irritating if I have a deck that I have to really stretch my hands to shuffle - if its hard to shuffle, unless its a deck that I've really wanted, then I usually find my enthusiasm goes very quickly - the Rohrig and the Thoth are the exceptions to this lol. All the LS decks I have are pretty much the same size. I also like seeing the different languages in the borders, I don't notice the borders too much anyway so it doesn't matter. The card stock always seems to be the same, good quality and flexible - I've not had a bad or misprinted card yet with a Lo Scarabeo deck but I have with others US Games, Llewellyn.

Le_Corsair	13 May 2004
The only time I have a problem with the multiple language titles is on the reproduction versions of antique decks, such as the Ancient Tarot of Liguria-Piedmont. Such antique decks suffer from modern touches. Bob :THERM

lunakasha	13 May 2004
I really do love the size of the LoS decks, and the multi-lingual borders don't bother me too much.... BUT what I would love to see is some more attention to the LWB's, and also more deck/book sets like the Fey. I was pleased to hear Riccardo mention that these suggestions are being considered and that they are trying to make some changes.....thanks RLS!!! :D Luna

Tarot Sparrow	13 May 2004
I definitely see where you're coming from, but personally I don't mind those features, I actually quite like them. Small borders are indeed nice, but I like the fact that they have so many different languages to accomodate many different readers. I also don't find the pictures too small, and I love how the decks seem to fit so PERFECTLY in my hands due to their slightly unique sizing (a little bit taller and a little bit skinnier than usual). Of course it would be nice to have bigger pictures :D but then I'd have trouble shuffling. It doesn't bother me. I actually quite like Lo Scarabeo and have no complaints of their decks to date. I think everything about them is very nice.

Maan	14 May 2004
I love most lo scarabeo decks. The only tiny problem for me is the backs..don;t like them..most of the time. The size i find nearly perfect and the languages i like..probebly cause it does not happen often that i have a deck speaking my language too instead of the common english. Love Maan

Umbrae	03 Sep 2004
Love Lo Scarabeo decks…but the four language indices ruin most of them for me. Italian alone would rock - or German - or Dutch - or French - or Magyar - or even Latin! but just stop with the quad-lingual PC stuff...best is no indices.

blackroseivy	03 Sep 2004
I actually feel identically, Kittaine, just hadn't gotten around to voicing it yet! US Game Systems really tries to stay true to the artwork, & at a fair size, I have found. Llewellyn has problems with the books (IMHO), but the decks are beautiful & well-sized. As an artist myself, I find *tiny* decks (that aren't deliberate minis!) to be irritating in the extreme - my main problem with my Vision deck. Oops, speaking of which, I forgot to add that to my list for my website! Back later! :D

Flavio	03 Sep 2004
I like multiple languages in Lo Scarabeo decks, and recognize it as a way to help improve sales in different places. As for the size, I have big hands and can shuffle without trouble but I recognize many Tarot readers are women so they have smaller hands and need cards they can use easily, but then we have to consider smaller area means less art... :( we can not have everything.

yve	03 Sep 2004
I think that it goes without saying, that many beautiful decks out there are not justified in having borders, and many decks would be better appreciated by being larger or oversized....

purple_scorp	03 Sep 2004
Hello everyone. I only have one Lo Scarabeo deck - The Fairy Tarot. It was the first Tarot deck I purchased and I fell in love with the artwork. In the shop when I was flicking through different decks, I felt this one call me, but I've struggled ever since to get a connection with it. For some reason, I can't read intuitively with this deck and the information in the LWB (well, tiny little fold-out pamphlet) was very scanty. But Ricardo has given me the ISBN for the new accompanying book. (No Ricardo, I haven't bought it yet....been focussing too much on Osho Zen deck. Poor little fairies are away resting.) I was interested to learn in another AT thread some more information about the artist. I didn't realise that some of the card images had been taken from larger pieces (so you can put the cards together to form the full picture). I don't have a problem with any part of the physicality of the cards (size, quality etc). Actually, I find that the deck is really nice to handle. Just need to track me down that book now. purple_scorp

firemaiden	03 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae .. but just stop with the quad-lingual PC stuff...best is no indices. You know, I have to agree, now that I think about it, the titles are not really necessary -- I like the Tarot of the Imagination, it doesnt have titles, just numbers and suit symbols. The courts have symbols like different kinds of crowns. Its great. I love the Lo Scarabeo decks though, the size, the smells, the texture, its all fine. I have kind of a fetisch for them, actually...

Rusty Neon	03 Sep 2004
A thing that I like about Lo Scarabeo decks is that seem less prone (if at all) to warping, unlike US Games for example.

tmgrl2	04 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Love Lo Scarabeo decks…but the four language indices ruin most of them for me. Italian alone would rock - or German - or Dutch - or French - or Magyar - or even Latin! but just stop with the quad-lingual PC stuff...best is no indices. This is the part that annoys me, too. I wish they would leave them blank, rather than use four. terri

Lee	04 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by tmgrl2 I wish they would leave them blank, rather than use four. The Gay Tarot must be a record -- it has six! :D -- Lee

tmgrl2	04 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Lee The Gay Tarot must be a record -- it has six! :D -- Lee Ouch.... Don't know why, but words on Tarot cards bother me, in general. Sacred Circle and Thoth are wonderful decks...I own them. They are lovely. The words bother me though. The card titles not as much as the ones guiding interpretation. You deck is exquisite, Lee...I also love the Bruegel despite all the languages. terri

VGimlet	04 Sep 2004
I like the different languages too. I haven't really found anything I don't like about any one Lo Scarabeo deck, however I have noticed that none of my primary reading decks are from them. That may change after my Marseille studies. I don't really notice the borders. Before I did my in-depth Thoth study, everyone kept talking about keywords on the cards, and I finally had to go look at my deck, because I didn't remember any...:P I tend to just ignore keywords on decks, and go with my own ideas.

Lee	04 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by tmgrl2 Don't know why, but words on Tarot cards bother me, in general. I don't mind regular old-fashioned card titles, but I do think decks that have no words at all are very intriguing, such as the Royal Fez Moroccan or the Tarot of the Crone. -- Lee

tmgrl2	04 Sep 2004
I have to agree, Lee. The deck that I just got into looking at more closely, The Bruegel, has the titles in six languages and I am not distracted by them, because of the pictures themselve. I am distracted when a card has a meaning on it. I think that's why I haven't explored some decks in more depth. terri

purple_scorp	05 Sep 2004
Hmm, though I feel that some decks (like Osho Zen) actually gain meaning with their title. p_s

The What annoys me about Lo Scarabeo decks thread was originally posted on 12 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.