Deck from circa 1935 on eBay

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Aure	10 Jan 2005
What deck is this? ebay link removed by forum moderator It looks like a RWS but never seen one like this.

Fulgour	10 Jan 2005
It's a magazine special from 1935. A little like the Colman Smith...

Lillie	10 Jan 2005
I asked exactly the same thing when I first saw it. I had my link removed too. Oops Since then (only a month ago) I have seen another three float by, unless it's the same one going round in circles, so I reckon not so rare really. It's amazing the things that get put away safe 70 years ago and then turn up again.

Gerbear	10 Jan 2005
This is the Thomson - Leng Tarot. It is a rare deck, much in demand by collectors. The three on ebay recently are separate decks. When a rare deck brings good money on ebay, other copies flock to the scene, hoping for a repeat.

tarotbear	11 Jan 2005
I missed this one - sounded interesting. I used to purchase a lot of decks on eBay -- now it's antique Mustache Cups (my birthday is in May - hint hint hint!). Word to the unwise -- never buy the first deck you see on ebay - there are always others if you search. If you are unaware, US Games Systems is very subtly selling some of Stu Kaplan's private collection of truely unique stuff - at reasonable to outrageous prices - seller listed as srkusgs, if anyone wants to try a search.

Aure	11 Jan 2005
I found a page displaying some of the cards on that deck: http://www.wopc.co.uk/tarot/ It says there that: "The Thomson-Leng Tarot Fortune Cards, like the Romany Fortune-Telling Cards, were published in 1935 for readers of women's magazines of the day and printed by The Universal Playing Card Company, Leeds."

tmgrl2	11 Jan 2005
We had another thread on this deck, some time ago...It really is quite lovely! terri

baba-prague	11 Jan 2005
I have another Thomson-Leng deck, but it's an oracle, not a tarot - not nearly as interesting, but a lot easier to find. The T-L tarot is one deck I'd really like to get hold of, but as everyone here has said, it goes for a lot of money usually. I have fantasies of one day finding it in a junk shop - but having had my junkshop find of a lifetime late last year (an original Wirth) I feel fate may feel no obligation to be kind again!

Gerbear	11 Jan 2005
tarotbear wrote: If you are unaware, US Games Systems is very subtly selling some of Stu Kaplan's private collection of truely unique stuff - at reasonable to outrageous prices - seller listed as srkusgs, if anyone wants to try a search. Stuart Kaplan mentioned that he planned to sell off his collection, at a tarot conference, a few years ago. It has come to pass, and there are plenty of good buys. I recently got a De La Rea, and Gentilini for almost regular prices. According to Bobbie Bensaid, his personal assistant, and director of ebay sales, there is; " tons of junk here..." They have nothing listed right now, but keep watch.

tarotbear	12 Jan 2005
Yes, I, too, did buy a couple of decks at prices close to the retail price, but there were some true beauties in there for beauteous prices! Bobbie Bensaid is one of the easiest people to deal with. If anyone writes her, tell her I said 'Hi.' She is also the agent for 'permissions' from USG.

The Deck from circa 1935 on eBay thread was originally posted on 10 Jan 2005 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.