Ikea

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Jan 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Osher	18 Jan 2003
I was in IKEA Wembley today (NW London), when I saw these little wooden boxes called Samling. They are described as cashboxes, and whilst I wasn't able to open one (nor did I buy one), they seemed to be the perfect size for Tarot cards. Anyway, they are £4. If someone does get one, I'd be most interested to know if they are suitable. The only off putting thing was the rounded lid (they are supposed to look like treasure chests). I know how hard it is to find suitable boxes, so most curious.

Aoife	19 Jan 2003
You went to Ikea on a Saturday? You're very brave! I don't have the box you mention but I keep my decks in one of the Moppe [small storage chests]. There's just enough room to put some other bits [crystals mainly] with the decks. Though.... Since reading Umbrae's "The Process [part one] The Sceptic" I covet his basket with "slab of cedar..... bit of a stick of sandalwood incense and a bunch of Spanish lavender". I caught the glorious scent as I read! I would love to have some old wooden boxes but probably outside my price range. At least Ikea boxes are made from sustainable sources [or so they say] although I worry about whether Ikea practices fair trade. Though if I stripped everything out of my house that had come from Ikea it would look pretty bare. But I digress.... I've been thinking about how I can cheat so that I can copy Umbrae..... although I have to I accept that his cards will also be imbued with that indefinable yet potent scent of experience........ I think the Body Shop sells some things made from cedarwood. I've been thinking how I can use my favourite mediative blend of esssential oils [sandalwood and neroli] to overcome the problem of oil damaging paper products...... haven't come up with a solution yet.

Maan	19 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Aoife You went to Ikea on a Saturday? You're very brave! . So thats an international problem? I will never ever go on a saturday again ;)

Phoenix	19 Jan 2003
What happens in Ikea on Saturday? I have been in one, but only once. We don't have them in Northern Ontario.

Kyrielle	19 Jan 2003
We don't have Ikea here, either, but based on experience at certain local stores, it is probably EXTREMELY busy on Saturdays, since it is most people's day off from work. -- Kyrielle

Jeanette	19 Jan 2003
I have been playing around with putting essential oils on the little silica gel beads (you get in handbags and new shoe boxes). It seems to hold the fragrance for a long time; but, you still have to put the little beads in something, I guess. I haven't worked that part out yet :(

wavebreaker	19 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Phoenix What happens in Ikea on Saturday? Everyone goes to Ikea on Saturday, so you can't park, can't really look around, can't find anything because everything is sold out and if you accidently do find something you want, you have to queue for ages at the checkout counters...

Osher	19 Jan 2003
IKEA: Hmm, 1-2 hours to get in and park. 1-2 hours to get around the store. At least they now have escape routes and short cuts. Then try the queue for paying...... Even worse if buying a kitchen, even midday can be 5 hours of waiting for 1. to be served, 2. for the order to be prepared. OK, that was a bad day. However, if timed right you can find all the stuff in stock, and not too busy. Try 21:00 on a Friday, as they are fully stocked for the weekend rush. Speaking from a tarot POV. I suppose a tarot master is one who can go there on a Saturday afternoon at sale time, and still remain calm and relaxed when they finally manage to leave the carpark. Maybe it should be a test, a sort of exam? :rolleyes:

reds97	19 Jan 2003
ikea on saturday... you are very brave my friend. That is like trying to go to walmart on christmas eve. I always find that i am calm till i get hit by the third shopping cart. Then my husband has to put one of the bags over my head and lead me out of there like a horse caught in a burning barn... (i just love to shop!! *LOL*) Sandra

amyel	21 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by tarotlady Everyone goes to Ikea on Saturday, so you can't park, can't really look around, can't find anything because everything is sold out and if you accidently do find something you want, you have to queue for ages at the checkout counters... Yep, same thing in Ottawa.....Monday nights are good!

DarkChild	21 Jan 2003
that store sounds like a really cool place, we don't have any out here. :( to aoife: this is just a suggestion, but with the oils in your box, you might want to try, if possible, to put drops of the oil (not a hole lot, but just enough to smell it when you open the lid) on the inside lid of the box, if it will soak into it. then the oil shouldn't harm the cards( if they aren't touching the lid.) that might give you the product you are looking for.

Osher	22 Jan 2003
One problem with stained wooden boxes is that they can leak! Some are worse than others, but my Tarot of the Old Path have all had the edges the stained yellow. More, all cards that were at the top of the pile had the top surface stained yellow too. This staining was through the silk even. The solution was a desecant (such as a silica gel) sack, place on top. It soaked up the oils as they leaked out of the wood

heartsdesire	22 Jan 2003
I've been to the Ikea store twice so far in my life. the first time was (GASP!!) the day after Thanksgiving............... must have been in a turkey stupor. Finding parking was not the most fun I have ever had, mostly because I drive a very large truck and those parking spaces seem to be sized for mid to compact sized cars. I could not BELIEVE how many people were in that store - there had to have been at least 200 people waiting to check out. The second trip was two weeks later, on a Sunday. Again - parking was difficult, and it was crowded, although not quite as bad as the previous trip. The biggest disappointment was that they still did not have the bed I wanted.......................... oh well, I'll be going back in May. The food however was wonderful. Julie

darwinia	22 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Happiness [b] One problem with stained wooden boxes is that they can leak! Some are worse than others, but my Tarot of the Old Path have all had the edges the stained yellow. That's interesting. I had a walnut pencil case style box made for my Haindl deck by a local gentleman who does lovely chip carving. I specified that I didn't want it stained, and he lined the bottom of the box with cotton velvet and then put Danish teak oil on the wood itself. I left the cards in their box and put them in the wooden box and they seem okay, although I notice they pick up a slight scent from the oil--I giess it depends how much you use. Also, most oils you should let sit for 24 to 48 hours to soak in, to prevent any from getting on the cards. After reading your post, I'm glad I chose not to have him stain the wood.

Osher	22 Jan 2003
When delivering leaflets in (then) an upcoming area of London (Mildmay Road), I noticed that the houses were either run down, or were recently gentrified and 'Ikea showrooms'. I should laugh, my old house was almost 100% Ikea, whilst the house itself came from Sweden (as a frame), my mobile is Swedish, my car is a Swedish SAAB, and I often get mistaken for being a Swede as I have Scandianavian looks. Oh well. Now maybe even my tarot boxes will be Swedish.....!

Aoife	22 Jan 2003
My latest idea is to add essential oil to a home-prepared beeswax polish. I'm going to try grating some beeswax into a small bowl, melting it gently over water [double boiler]. After it's melted, allowing it to thicken to a paste then adding the essential oil blend. I'd then 'paint' the paste quickly before it solidifies onto the sides of the box - not top or bottom. It would then need to be left for a day or so to penetrate the wood and then it would be down to a lot of elbow grease to remove the excess and buff to finish. This idea is purely hypothetical and I think I might need to add something like carnauba wax to the mix and I've no idea where to find this. Frankly, I'm all for the quick fix and even if the idea works I can think of many other uses for my time. I'm reminded though of a movie - I think it's called 'The Karate Kid' where the teacher gets the kid to wax his car - 'wax on [circluar movement of arm], wax off [other arm]. Following that train of thought, perhaps there's value in mundane activity.

Hedera	22 Jan 2003
Incense might also be an option. I store most of my cards (in their cardboard boxes, with my 7 or so favourites of the moment in a fabric bag) in the same cupboard where I keep my incense. The cards end up with a lovely, subtle, but quite noticable scent. It might help that I have a lot of nag champa, which smells quite strongly. Maybe you could put a piece of a stick of incense you like in the box with the cards? The worst it could do is cause a little bit of dust, and you could even wrap it in a sliver of tissue paper to prevent that. I Love the idea of wooden boxes, although I take my cards with me a lot, and a box would be a bit bulkier than a bag. Still, a lovely, handcarved box - or a painted one, perhaps... I may have to check out Ikea myself :( Hedera

DarkChild	22 Jan 2003
i might be wrong, but these are just some thoughts.... the only thing with insence i think might cause a problem is that some incense ive noticed is with some insences dont give off a lot of sent unless its burning (scans her desk looking and smelling the wounderfull cone of insence burning), unless of coarse its a very strong sent then it might... and the only thing that might hinder the beeswax methode is when your trying to get it off with the grease and buffing it might take away the sent from the beeswax....

Aoife	22 Jan 2003
I agree with you, DarkChild, I think my idea might only give a very subtle scent. And I agree with you, Hedera, I think Nag Champa would give off a very potent scent - a good 'quick fix'. Many thanks Eve

Umbrae	22 Jan 2003
1 Scenting cards. It is supposed to be subtle. You should not be obvious. You just throw a partial stick into the basket where you store your decks in their bags when not in use. Subtlety is imperative. Ever go into a restaurant and have your meal ruined because some woman dumped the industrial size perfume on herself? Bees waxing cards? Don’t do it don’t do it don’t do it. I used the same deck for 30 years and never did anything so…don’t do it. 2 Ikea: here in the United States we too have stores, that sell stuff. We go shopping too. Sometimes stores have no parking and you have to walk. Walking is fun, and good exercise. I do not shop at Ikea. Things are sized for countries that use the metric system. Here in the United States we are not that smart.

Osher	23 Jan 2003
The metric system is sensible? Ever tried to buy a car that was something like 45634677 mm long?. How can one think like that?! So much more sensible in inches. The original / real Mini of 1959 was 120". No questions! Actually, to be closer to the subject, Thomas Lethbridge reckoned that real measurements are in Imperial. As someone who used the pedulum, he discovered death to be 40" (i.e. all items resonate to different lengths, and death resonates to 40", so if you held a pendulum with a 40" chain, it would spin when it encountered death). Not that I am obsessed with death, just the only measurement I remembered. As for carnauba wax, I believe that John Lewis sell it (an English department store). As for scenting. For a subtle but nice smell use old after shave bottles. I keep the old bottles in my wardrobe to lightly scent my clothes. Very subtle, but nice. I'm sure the same is true of tarot cards, and it costs nothing!

wavebreaker	24 Jan 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Happiness The metric system is sensible? Ever tried to buy a car that was something like 45634677 mm long?. How can one think like that?! I haven't got a clue... Try thinking in metres instead (120"= 3 metres), so much more convenient! :D

DarkChild	24 Jan 2003
all mesurements are confusing...no matter what they are, weather they are inches, centameter, meters, miles, kilometers...its all confusing.....i just think that everybody should have the same, so they wouldn't have to teach both in schools like they did in mine. and then converting the two...ahhh shot me now...lol.... i agree with umbrae about the sent with your cards...i mean, it was him who you wanted to copy.... ;)

Osher	24 Jan 2003
You think things are bad now? At one time every nation had it's own measuring system. Of course, we still some ancient numbering systems. Ever wondered why we have 60 seconds, & 60 minutes? Thank the ancient Sumarians from a few thousand years ago!

The Ikea thread was originally posted on 18 Jan 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.