I'm really dithering - shoud I or shouldn't I?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

blackroseivy	05 Aug 2004
I really *want* the Alchemical - it's about $85 - do I or don't I??? (I have something that will pay for it on EBay, but it isn't sold yet!)

fyreflye	05 Aug 2004
Why are you asking us? Ask the Tarot.

blackroseivy	05 Aug 2004
What, read another deck? But it might be jealous! ;)

tao51	05 Aug 2004
Let me think...you are asking tarotholics if you should by a tarot deck...yes...yes...yes!---Tao

lark	05 Aug 2004
Now lets talk this through. What do you like about the Alchemical? Don't kill me but about 6 months ago I was at a half price book store and they had a new in the wrap Alchemical for $12.95. I looked at it a few times and I didn't buy it. I know, I know, I'm nuts..... It is to this day my biggest tarot regret. I really didn't know very much about it at the time. I researched it when I got home and then I went back to buy it but it was gone. So now all is lost because I'll never be able to pay big bucks for that deck after letting it slip through my fingers for $12.95. So if you love it buy it... But tell us why you need it first. It'll help if you talk it out before you spend $85.00

Cerulean	05 Aug 2004
if that store stocked it once, it may stock it again....or you may check abebooks.com or Amazon.com and find it within your price range. I found a used, older version of the Helena Patterson/Courtney Davis deck at a used bookstore for half-price. Once, oddly, the Prediction Tarot--an out of print deck--was about ten dollars via Amazon.com. I had bought the out of print deck book a few months previously at a secondhand store and actually had a set for awhile. This past week I saw the original out-of-print Elemental by Caroline Smith and John Alstrop (?) and a strange out of print deck mislabelled Element tarot--but it was actually called Elementary Tarot and it's an out of print deck from Caxton in Great Britain. I had checked abebooks.com and Amazon.ca (Amazon Canada). So keep checking and you may find it! My suggestion for used deck-book sets is to also email to make certain that all 78 cards are included and if the book is also intact... Cerulean P.S. I sometimes check the Magus Bookstore inventory (out of Minneapolis) online and also the Occult Bookstore on Abebooks.com (out of Chicago). Sometimes out of the way used bookstores have what you want!

dolphingirl	06 Aug 2004
I also saw this set at my local Half Price books not to long ago. I would try calling around to your local bookstores before paying $85, I one time went to an metaphysical bookstore and found a Norse Tarot set still wrapped for the orginal price just a few months ago so there is still hope for finding OOP decks in a store. Good Luck! Samantha

blackroseivy	08 Aug 2004
I have no local bookstores, I live in an out-of-the-way rural area with NO bookstores & NO car. I have to get what I get online. Yeah, I *still* don't know if I can pay that much. "abebooks" is new to me, I'll check 'em out. Thanx guys! :D

Nycelle	08 Aug 2004
I suggest letting this one go, and see how you feel. If you find yourself really regretting it afterwards, you'll know to snap up the next one! :) Just an idea, though - you may not need to test yourself to that extent.

blackroseivy	08 Aug 2004
Gotta love Amazon! I found it at Amazon.co.uk!!! It's still gonna set me back about $60 altogether, but that's still substantially less than about $90!! I'm doing a happy dance! :D BTW, to get back to a question: The artwork appeals to me so much because it is extremely esoteric & haunting. That's what *I* go for!! Not so much the theme, although I am *very* into alchemical images, so that's part of it. There's something riveting about Robert's imagery that just gets to me - that's why "7fold" is on my wishlist. I hope a *lot* of people put him on their wishlist, so that that deck gets published!

blackroseivy	08 Aug 2004
I went ahead & *bought* it - I feel exhilarated!!! :D Life has been impossible without this deck... *Now*, there's just the *waiting* for it... (4 to 6 weeks... YEARGH!!!)

Cerulean	10 Aug 2004
I'm glad you looked and found something closer. And yes, I am very interested in the 7Fold Mystery Tarot by Robert Place...someone wrote it's very much his design, which I think is very apt. Although the Buddhist Tarot and Alchemical decks are the two of his that I've kept and like the most. Still, when the 7Fold comes out, I think the mix of his prints and design will be very very interesting. I'm curious to see if his new book on tarot with the 7Fold card on the cover design references the new designs at all. Regards Cerulean

tabbycat	11 Aug 2004
I've just got hold of the Alchemical and I love the open, airy feel of the artwork, very clean and very simple, like a gentle breeze. His style reminds me of Brian Williams', which I also love. The book is worth reading cover to cover, from the story of the amazing way he was inspired to make a tarot deck and through all the history of alchemy, which is fascinating. Jilly

The I'm really dithering - shoud I or shouldn't I? thread was originally posted on 05 Aug 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.