RWS - which edition comes in this box?

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

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Could someone tell me which edition of the RWS comes in this box? Love Sulis x

Rusty Neon	10 Apr 2005
It depends. You should ask the vendor. Sometimes the deck inside might even be cards that are made by AG Muller and distributed in the U.S. in the U.S. Games yellow box, i.e.: once I asked a vendor and he indicated that the cards had the U.S. Games 1971 copyright notice; yet other times, a vendor would confirm that the cards had no copyright mention. I don't know if those no-copyright mention cards are early U.S. Games distribution product or made by Waddingtons or Rider.

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Thanks RN - I've tried to ask but no reply so far. So this could be an AG Muller and it could be a US Games. So that means it will have a plaid back. Love Sulis xx

Rusty Neon	10 Apr 2005
In both cases personally (U.S. Games 1971 copyright indication on the cards and not), the vendor indicated a plaid back. But you might luck out on a different edition of cards, with a non-plaid back, inside that same design of box.

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Thanks RN :D Just out of interest. What type of box does the University Press edition come in? Love Sulis xx

Rusty Neon	10 Apr 2005
I've seen early editions of University Press decks in brown cases. However, the later editions (such as the one I have) came in flaptop cardboard boxes, with the Fool card on the front of the box and with mention of University Books Inc., of Secaucus, N.J. on the bottom flap, on the top flap, on both side flaps, and on the back of the box. They really wanted people to know it was theirs. :)

Rusty Neon	10 Apr 2005
By the way, I've come to the tentative assumption that the box design scanned in Sulis' post #1 to this thread was a design for boxes housing decks distributed in Britain (as opposed to the U.S. and Canada) but that the version (and manufacturer) of the actual cards inside the box could vary depending on year of packaging. I'd still like to know though. Did anyone ever see brand new Rider-Waite decks sold in the U.S. inside a box like that?

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Thanks Rusty Neon, that's very helpful :D Love Sulis xx

Fulgour	10 Apr 2005
I have that box right here, the very same one... maybe we could compare notes? * Edited to add: Not the box in the photo, but the 'same' box, printed for Rider & Co.

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Fulgour, what are the card backs like? Are they the blue plaid or something entirely different? Sulis xx

fyreflye	10 Apr 2005
I agree with Rusty. This looks like scans I've seen of the RWS deck published (or distributed) in the U. K. by Waddington's. Since these were first issued in the late 30's when the Rider copyright expired it might be collectable though not particularly valuable.

Fulgour	10 Apr 2005
[center]Distributed in the U.K. by INQUOT LTD. 1 Holmes Road London NW5 3AA 01-485 4226/2188[/center]

Fulgour	10 Apr 2005
Rider & Company 17--21 Conway Street London W1P 6JO Card backs are the "Tarot-Tee" magical fantasy plaid. Front margins bear the unhappy © 1971 U.S.Games * The instruction book politely informs us it has been: Printed in Great Britain by George Over Limited

Lillie	10 Apr 2005
I've seen loads of them boxes on ebay. (UK) I enquired about a few. They are published by Rider, have the blue diagonal backs and date from the 70's, usually. They ought to be the same as the US games cards from the same period. I think that they are the British edition of that deck. I don't know how long they were published like that for. Sellers usually say they date from the early 70's, but that could just be a copyright date on the box or booklet and have nothing really to do with when the cards were sold. They come up pretty frequently, often with the tag line of 'rare' or 'vintage'. Usually sell for between 5 and 10 quid. Thought I'd say 10 was a bit high if I was buying. Though it does depend on condition and postage.

Sulis	10 Apr 2005
Thanks everyone. Love Sulis xx

Rosanne	10 Apr 2005
Just read this thread- The first Rider Waite I bought was the plaid backed in a blue Box. They are in my scrapbook now. They came via England to NZ not via USA. The Deck I use now has blue and white floral table cloth on them and they came via USA in 1993. ~Rosanne

The RWS - which edition comes in this box? thread was originally posted on 10 Apr 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.