What made you start collecting decks?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Jun 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

HearthCricket	09 Jun 2005
We all seem to have something in common, here. We collect Tarot decks. Whether it is for readings or artwork, or another reason, or whether we collect lots of decks, or only a few, we still collect. So, why do you collect Tarot decks? I went from "owning" a few decks to "collecting" decks when I noticed the variety of styles, starting to come out, in the 80's. Just when I thought I found a deck that seemed "perfect" in my eyes for reading and pleasure, something else would come up that I desperately wanted! And I am pretty particular in what I purchase. This has progressed to really searching for other wonderful decks, especially because of this website, and hearing reviews from others. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate everyone here, and especially Solandia for creating this board and the whole Tarot site. I find myself collecting decks for three reasons. One-to have a nice variety of decks to read from for myself and for others. Two-to have something to feast my eyes on and learn how different artists portray each card, which helps me expand my horizons in reading. Three-it is such a fun hobby and a very spiritual and intellectual one, at that. :D So, why do you collect?

innermoo	09 Jun 2005
Hi HearthCricket I think you summed it up perfectly with your three reasons, although mine are in a different order: 1. I just love them 2. I like the variety of reading with new and old decks 3. I love the way they help me find new insights great thread!

Fudugazi	09 Jun 2005
you touched a sore-happy point! Before tarot, there were only two things I "collected": books and shoes. I say "collect" because it is a pretty face I put on accumulation. Now I have three... And all come from a deep-seated acquisitiveness and love of touching something beautiful and tangible. I don't know why only these three areas of my life are affected - maybe to make up from my indifference to buying, owning or keeping other stuff. For almost 10 years I was happy with never more than 2 decks at a time. When one no longer appealed, I gave it away. I blame Aeclectic meeting my acquisitiveness and my love of fine decks... (if this sounds like a 12-step confession - IT IS) Oh - I read with most of them, at some point. But I still only have 2 regular reading decks at a time. Actually - at the moment I have 4! Talk about stability ;)

magpie9	09 Jun 2005
FIRST & STILL: Because I love them. SEARCH FOR PERFECTION: I think for me it started with the search for the "perfect" deck, when new decks opened up in the 70's. I have long since let go of the perfect deck idea. I love then each for thier differences, as well as thier tarot-ness. LEARNING TOOLS: Most of the time it has been great curiosity about how this artist sees that card, and what that teaches me. OPERTUNITY FOR EXPANSION: And then came the massive flowering of new decks, and I was like a kid in a candy store....so many choices.....so many hard decisions! I got to about 30 decks and held it there for years. and I did read with all of them, just not all the time. They were still all tools, beautiful, fascinating tools. TEMPTATION & COMMUNITY: AT opened that world up furthur, and I came into a bit of (temporary!) money, and ended up with about 100 decks, counting both tarot and Oracle and a few duplicates. And it was so much fun discussing and studying a myriad of decks with others. :) PLETHORA: I really don't want to get more at this point, it is an embarresment of riches. I'm always feeling guilty for not spending time with this deck or that...but there are a couple of decks I would like, just a couple, really! :D And the dance goes on....

Alta	09 Jun 2005
I pretty well blame my fellow Aecleticians for my bad habits. :D :D I mean, it couldn't be my fault could it now??? Why? I like them. I like reading and I like having a selection of decks. I am slightly bananas.

sarahava	09 Jun 2005
My reasons seem to be the same as most others. :) 1) I love the artwork and the different designs 2) I just can't narrow it down to only one or a few. :grin: 3) I like to be able to compare them, or use different decks depending on my mood and what I'm reading them for 4) When I read for family and friends, I like to have a few that they can choose from so they can also feel comfortable with it, and I also think it makes them feel like they're "part" of the whole process (which they are anyway), but they're more actively involved, instead of just being read to. For example, I used the Housewives deck for my sister during my last visit to her, and she was even able to read them! It's a deck she really liked and connected with, even though she doesn't read (or own) tarot cards. :)

Emily	09 Jun 2005
I started collecting decks because I was looking for that 'one' special deck - the other decks I was buying were all very nice and for a while they would fill the space that was waiting for that 'one'. I have found my one deck in the Morgan Greer but followed closely by the DruidCraft. Before I knew it I had a sizeable collection of very different decks, different styles and themes, all very much loved but some not, for me, readable. Then I realised that even the ones that I couldn't use very easily all had one thing in common, the artwork appealed to me. I collect because I love the different styles of deck and the artwork on some of them is amazing. It took me a while to admit that I was a collector but with 50plus decks in my collection now, that is what I am. Although these past few weeks I've been buying up decks on my wishlist and last night ordered the last of these decks - the Gilded. I won't be buying any more decks for a very long time. I think I need to sit back, take a breath and appreciate the ones I have.

tmgrl2	09 Jun 2005
At first I was looking for the "right" reading deck for myself. Then, I started seeing decks that simply looked beautiful...I wasn't sure I would use them for reading and I can't tell until I have them and look at them and shuffle and work with them. Then, some I feel I just want to own. I bought the Gilded Tarot Limited Edition for that reason. Of course, I had to have various Tarot de Marseille decks...to read with and to use for study. I have about 35 decks, I guess. I use about 6-7 for reading. I will use some of the others eventually. Some that I bought, left me flat once I had them. So...I don't buy just any deck. I'm too old to "collect." I'm trying to downsize everything. terri

WolfSpirit	10 Jun 2005
What made me start collecting ? A deck I wanted :D And then another one. And another one... I never thought of getting a collection together but if you keep buying decks, that is what you will end up with. And the reason I bought these decks: - I loved the artwork so much that was reason enough to want it - I like a lot of decks with animals or nature themes and I find it hard to pass by on - I wanted them for further study (Marseilles, Thoth) I have now 60+ decks and I don't buy so much anymore; there are still two decks I want to buy this year (both with animals :) )

Moonbow*	10 Jun 2005
I prefer the word accumulate :D it seems to relinquish me of some of the responsibilty for having all the decks that I have. :) My intention was never, and still itsn't, to collect as many as I can, but I find that as I want to know more about a subject, I start looking towards decks that may have their imagery based on that subject... particularly if there is a book with the deck. It's more of a desire to learn for me. I first came to Tarot through enjoying artwork and for a while the decks I collected were because of the art. I felt certain that one day I would find a deck that resonated so well with me that I wouldn't want any other, but then I saw Marseilles deck and realised that Tarot is not just about artwork, it's a whole education. So now I dabble in various decks depending on my mood and what I need to learn at the time.

tarotlova	10 Jun 2005
When I was going through my divorce I had my first Tarot reading at the local market, she used the rider deck and I went away with alot more questions then answers, but knew I couldn't afford to get them all answered so I thought I'll buy my own and learn myself, I didn't know then that there were other decks other than the rider so that was the one I brought, and then I found out there were "other" decks out there and 5 years later I have about a dozen or more decks now with a few Oracles thrown in, and I plan to buy some more. I have a carefully chosen list that I mark off when I purchase one of them, I also have a book list too!

HearthCricket	10 Jun 2005
I keep a list, too, which usually is created by the bad influence of all of you, this website, and the lists on everyone's profiles! :D That is a study in itself! It is fun to hear why everyone else is collecting, or "accumulating" (hehehe, Moonbow). It is also exciting to see what is coming out next month, or next year. That list keeps getting longer! Just when I think I am fairly settled in my collection, about 6 more come out that I know I must have. Thus, the addiction begins...

Vadella	10 Jun 2005
This site, honestly. :) I never really understood why there were so many to choose from until I joined AT. It wasn't until I started receiving several decks that I realized the joy in collecting and how one deck could have a major impact from another. It's almost like friends with different personalities.

truelighth	10 Jun 2005
Why do I collect tarot: What do you mean collect? All those decks just automatically jumped into my drawers and all *grin*. But seriously, I started collecting because there were just so many beautiful decks. And now I still collect them, because they are beautiful, or very interesting and with wonderful symbology. Or just because they are too cool not to have.

NightWing	10 Jun 2005
Why do I collect Tarot? There are two principal reasons: the Art and the Mystery. Studying both I find to be very stimulating. They take me on the wild ride through appreciation & aesthetics, history, spirituality, philosophy, symbology, the occult, psychology & intuition, literature, theology, and more. That is hard to beat!

inanna_tarot	10 Jun 2005
Well I could blame AT , but the collector instinct is in my blood. My mother, who got me into tarot from a wee age showed me all her pretty pictures, the wonderful symbols, themes and styles. Seeing all her wonderous things made me want them, so she bought me a deck, then another for christmas, birthday, when I was ill a few times.. you get the idea. Before I joined AT I had about 15 or so decks. Then I joined AT, I saw the lovely pictures and scans, the great reviews and I got a debit card! Ebay here I come lol. Its the wonderful pretty pictures, and having lots of precious tarot decks and oracles around me. I collect because every deck teaches me a new perspective on a card, or on a theme (legend deck, my first pagan deck etc) so I can learn something completely different. Plus there is that amazing feeling that you've got a deck for a great price from ebay, and the 'kid at christmas' feeling when you see the postman/mailman appear at the doorstep. I love that feeling with books and anything else I buy online lol. Apart from tarot I collect books and also a growing collection of myth and magic pieces from the Tudor Mint hehe the precious things! blessings, Sezo x

breathlessmahoney	11 Jun 2005
Well, I suppose I could blame this and other wonderful tarot sites as well as e-bay for my collection but, while they have certainly provided great inspiritation to "carpe tarot" it is my acquisative nature that has advanced my collection. I guess I collect because: 1. I like to shop for anything all the time. So I guess it was just a matter of time before my focus was on tarot. 2. The artwork. I like beautiful things around me and some of the most amazing artwork I've found has been on tarot/oracle decks. 3. Different opinions. I'm always interested in how different people view the same things, and now that I'm a bit more familiar with tarot symbology, I'm curious to see other interpretations of that. 4. To learn more. In my neverending quest for perfection (I'm a Virgo), I want to learn more and with so many different decks on so many different subjects, it seems to be an efficient (no to mention portable) way to learn more about a subject be it Shakespeare, Arthurian Legend or the Kabbalah. 5. Because I can. BTW: Great Post!

annik	11 Jun 2005
I started my collection because of the aesthetic. I was a bit frustrated not being able to read with all those decks but I loved the art of each deck I was purchasing. Now, I am able to do reading with a few of them.

velvetwhispers	11 Jun 2005
Yes, it was the art and the feeling I had a longing to know whatever secrets the decks were keeping in their symbols. I was afraid I would miss something if I didn't I didn't get specici decks like the Thoth or the Rider-Waite, or the Tarot of Ceremonial Magick or....

Moonchild1721	12 Jun 2005
Once I realized how many decks there were out there, my interest was aroused. I like the feeling of getting a new deck, opening it, and looking at each individual card and seeing that particular author's take on any given card. I don't have many in my collection as of today, but I'm working on it!

Emeraldgirl	15 Jun 2005
I saw one I liked or interested me so I got it. Then I saw another I liked or interested me so I got it. Then I saw another I liked or interested me so I got it. Then I saw another I liked or interested me so I got it. Then I saw another I liked or interested me so I got it. And so on, and so on and so on. Its's a cycle. Different things attract me or interest me about the decks it can be the artwork or even the artist's name (as in the Dali) or the symbolism or even the thill of studying something new or different (as in Toth vs RWS vs TdM). Don't know if I have actively collected but I just kinda ended up with a few decks that's all :)

Mystic_Blue_Jay	18 Jun 2005
I never planned on starting a collection. I was just going to use one Tarot deck. But as my interest in Tarot deepened, I felt the deck that I was using at that time(Tarot Nova) wasn't cutting it. So that's when I found this place... ...and that's how I ended up with 14 decks of cards (Tarot & other). I just bought my 14th one today (Thoth). This site is going to kill me... I'm currently running out of space to keep my decks!!! I'm also feeling like I need a 12 step program. But about why I do it now... in the end, I just love the artwork!

TarotGirlJess	18 Jun 2005
oh man. i didn't realize i had been collecting until i posted about decks i had and i kept finding other ones to mention... then the fac that i expect 2 in the mail.. and NEED more... ooh man.. i guess admitting it is the first step. so babystep "My name is Tarotgirl Jess and i collect.. cards"

calligirl	18 Jun 2005
Me, collect Tarot decks? Of course not! I only got the minature Hanson deck because I was curious and it was cute, fit right in my purse... But I felt like I needed to have a 'real' Tarot deck if I was actually going to be doing readings and that is the RWS deck, of course... But then hubby wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas and since I had found this forum and the #1 deck everyone was talking about was the 'gasp' gorgeous Gilded Tarot, I asked for that and he got it for me... But then I wanted a deck I could REALLY relate to and everybody was saying good things about the Druidcraft so I figured that would be the 'right' deck for me and so far it has been wonderful... But oh, my gosh, have you seen the Tarot of Dreams? I have to have it, I'm on the list, I can't wait! But, no, I don't collect Tarot decks, why would I? ;)

Chronata	19 Jun 2005
For me it's a matter of collector mentality.... I collect everything, anyway! (it really started with collecting oracular devices...like tea leaf cups, magic 8 balls, ouija boards....oracle decks...) And when I started getting into tarot...people started giving me decks. and before I knew it...I had a collection of em!

FireRaven	19 Jun 2005
I started collecting decks after I thoroughly learned how to read my Hanson-Roberts "oldie, but goodie" standby. The main reason I've added so many to my Tarot cabinet (yes...a cabinet -- actually designed to hold CDs, but works perfectly to keep my decks and their respective books together) is because I see the Art of the Spirit/Soul in each and every visual interpretation of the cards. When I look at my decks now, I see that they mirror "where I was" at each point in my life when I purchased them. For example, when I was studying Dianic Goddess spirituality, I got the "Daughters of the Moon Tarot." When I was looking for a more abstract, psychological way of meditating on personal life issues, I bought the "Tarot of the Spirit." Most recently I got the "Revelations Tarot" because I wanted to finally understand and work with reversals in a deeper and broader way, and I got the "Celtic Wisdom Tarot" to honor my enrollment in a three-year course of study in an Avalonian Mystery School, which I hope will lead to full initiation into that tradition. "Druidcraft Tarot" is on my wish list for the same reason. I only own two "Oracle decks" -- The Witches Runes (runes in card form with and excellent reference text) and Soul Cards, sets 1 & 2. The Soul Cards are sets of evocative images that don't have any meanings ascribed to them. I use them strictly for meditation, or to "break through" a traditional Tarot reading that I just don't understand. I'm always amazed at how the image(s) I pull get me to see a more traditonal reading from a new perspective. Serendipity is such a blessing! Tarot cards and fountain pens...the two things in my life that I collect and cherish for their beauty and timelessness. -FireRaven

Annabelle	19 Jun 2005
I never really set out to collect tarot decks. But I kept running into decks on clearance, decks in thrift stores, etc. And before I realized it, I had my first 10 decks without having spent much money at all. And when I was looking up information on those decks, I spotted more decks that interested me. And then I started searching eBay for decks, and by then I was hooked. I just really love the art and the symbolism. And I enjoy reading tarot cards, too. So here I am, just about 6 months since I started collecting, with over 100 decks in my collection!!!

mythos	19 Jun 2005
I have absolutely no capacity to delay gratification!

MercyMe	19 Jun 2005
Because I found out how different decks have different "voices" so I'm always curious to hear what different decks have to "say." I also started looking for that magical deck that meshed with me and I have found not one but several. I love beautiful things and tend to collect that which I love. And...it's an addiction. :) ~Mercy

Ross G Caldwell	20 Jun 2005
HearthCricket wrote: We all seem to have something in common, here. We collect Tarot decks. Whether it is for readings or artwork, or another reason, or whether we collect lots of decks, or only a few, we still collect. So, why do you collect Tarot decks? That's a good question, and I can't say I really know. I am a bit of a hoarder, and with things I like I like to have as much of them as possible. My first deck was the Smith-Waite, given to me by my aunt when I was 13. When I found a store with a bunch of decks, I just fell in love with the imagery of so many and bought (and also, I am ashamed to say, STOLE) a few dozen more. I can't say I had any method to my collecting, I just collected what I liked at the moment, and as I read more about decks (such as in Kaplan's Encyclopedia I) I determined to find those that I liked as well. Now, 26 years later, I only collect playing cards and tarot decks with some kind of historical interest. Of course all decks have some historical interest, but I have to have a method before I embark on a collection - such as with the Etteilla type decks, and Oracle decks.

zhahmi	21 Jun 2005
I bought my first tarot deck 4 weeks ago. I bought the Ryder-Waite because that's what everybody said was a great deck to begin with... very simple to read. I didn't click with it. So I went out and bought the Golden Tarot - LOVE IT! Still, though, I was having difficulty finding my symbolism in the cards. Today, I bought the Housewives Tarot and it's perfect. Everything just clicked. My search for the perfect tarot deck has led me to collecting. My list if forever growing and I will end up buying all the decks. I just have to find room for them.

Ms K	21 Jun 2005
Well, I haven't really STARTED collecting yet.....as I only have one deck. However, there's already a wishlist.... Why collect? First of all, I decided I couldn't use a deck that didn't "speak" to me, and different decks have different voices. Secondly, different decks are more or less usable for reading different people. Third, they're just pretty, and I love pretty things! Ms 'hi, my name is Kate, and I'm a tarot addict' K

Tesseljoan	21 Jun 2005
I'm not collecting.. yet. heh. Technically, your second tarot deck (third, if we're counting oracle decks) doesn't really make a collection yet, does it? As someone who studies art history, it's a revelation to have a relatively cheap way to have a lot of beautiful artworks in my home (78 artworks for a measly $30)... So I can see this becoming a collection.

.::Cerridwen::.	24 Jun 2005
Well I don't know if two is considered a collection, but since I have a list compiled of more that I want, I am well on my way! There are just SO many different styles and the artwork is so astounding on them that they are hard to resist. I also think many are after that "perfect deck", and therefore end up with a collection in the process of searching! I can't wait to build my collection, I intend to spend plenty of time at the bookstore collecting tarot books as well!

The What made you start collecting decks? thread was originally posted on 09 Jun 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.