Used Decks?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sobeknofret	08 Jun 2003
OK this just came up on another thread and now I'm curious: how many of y'all do not mind buying and working with used decks? I know that there are some folks who will not under any circumstances work with a previously owned deck, and some even refuse to handle a deck which has been used by someone else. I'm afraid I don't get it...What is the reasoning behind refusing to use a previously owned deck? I actually like buying used decks and I've never ever had any trouble working with a "pre-owned" deck. My Mantegna Tarot, although not a tarot per se, I bought used for a couple of dollars and I've used it plenty of times with no problem. Same for an orphan copy of Tarot of the Old Path that I picked up for $4. It's sort of fun in some ways to see what energies their previous owners have put into them, and I always do a cleansing and re-dedication before I start using them myself. If I ever get reeeeellly bad vibes from a deck, I won't use it, but that's only happened one time, and I discovered that the deck in general gave me the willies, new or used (it was a Motherpeace, actually...) So what's the scoop folks? --Sobe :)

CompassRose	08 Jun 2003
Used decks, used books... no problem with either. Although I will say that all the decks (four of 'em) that I've seriously worked with have been bought new. I have, however, used second-hand objects for other "woo-woo" purposes, and not noticed any difficulties. Like you, I give them little psychic scrubbings first anyhow. Besides, with anything you buy, even if it's new, it's still been handled and looked at by other people before you, so to assume that there are no stray energies attached to it would probably be overhasty. One thing about used decks, or used anything -- I WOULD rather that they either A. come from someone I know and like, or B. come from some anonymous stranger (i.e. just hanging around in a secondhand shop). I wouldn't want anything from someone I disliked, or didn't respect. That would bother me, because the thing would always remind me of that person on some level.

oceanpoetry	08 Jun 2003
I don't have anything against acquiring a used deck, although it would be important that it is in good condition. I tend to like buying tarot decks new for the same reason I like buying new books... because I like the feel of a new book. Also I haven't had good luck buying used books through the mail, because sometimes you get some unpleasant surprises, like books that smell of tobacco smoke.

Cerulean	08 Jun 2003
and sometimes that's good for practice. The only time that I had a problem is afterwards when I realized that a new-to-me artstyle isn't working. I've recently found while I like doing collage and painting, I'm not reading well with collage decks that mix modern and classic imagery. I actually prefer one or the other. It could be that the collage decks are a bit too dense and I like rich colors and detail, but not too many hidden pictures. I actually like painted decks, some which can be almost photorealistic, but not too spare in imagery. There's no energy problem--but a kind owner of a metaphysical bookstore found out that I had bought a sample deck for myself (the only one) while he was gone. On his own, he ordered an extra 'new' one in case I wanted to trade the sample in. I was just stopping in to pick up another book. I was very surprised, told him it was thoughtful, but I didn't have problems with the sample at all. I think it's because I mix cards up in my own way. The only other thing that will delay me from using a deck is when it is packed with incense, as my hay fever sometimes gets real active.

HudsonGray	08 Jun 2003
Absolutely nothing wrong with 'em! Provided they're not missing any cards or bent or such. I've got several I picked up off ebay for under $8.

divinerguy	09 Jun 2003
I buy and use previously owned decks all the time. I see the decks as tools, and ordinarily, having no inherent magical powers, over and above what any other object might possess. I believe that most energies present in a reading are those of the querent and the reader. I imagine there may be spirits and the like, but that's another matter. Sometimes, I feel that a deck might have residual energy from a prior reading or user, picked up via osmosis or whatever, so I tend to rotate decks for readings. If you feel a used deck has someone else's vibes on it, leave it where moonlight can cleanse it. You can also place it in salt, which will leech energy from a deck (or anything else left in it). But in the end, residual energy in a used deck is so small in comparison with the vibes put out by the reader and querent, that its not worth the hassle.

sagitarian	09 Jun 2003
well, I have yet to of used a used deck (but will be shortly :)) so I don't know. It's not b/c I was picky, it's just I never had the oppourtunity before to use a used deck. Usually, if I want a deck, I have to go to a shop and buy it. All of my decks have been brand new, but that's not to say anything negative about a used deck. I've heard some rumors about a used deck can have "contaminated" energies, or energies of the person who owned it previously, etc etc, but if you cleanse the deck, then I don't see a problem. I guess it's just up to the individual reader, whatever their comfortable with.

Diana	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Sobeknofret What is the reasoning behind refusing to use a previously owned deck? Superstition. Some people don't go outdoors on Friday 13th. Some people refuse to walk under a ladder. Some people cross themselves when they go by a black cat. And some people don't use second-hand decks.

coldsuns	09 Jun 2003
I like to use used decks. It has a sorts of better energy for me. It seems to be nicer to use. Got more kinds of energy. Hehe. I wont mind using them. Anyway..this Friday is the 13th!

Kiama	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by divinerguy I buy and use previously owned decks all the time. I see the decks as tools, and ordinarily, having no inherent magical powers, over and above what any other object might possess. I believe that most energies present in a reading are those of the querent and the reader. I imagine there may be spirits and the like, but that's another matter. This is exactly what I think aswell. As such, I have no problem buying used decks, and for me, it is actually more practical... I am a student, and a poor one at that, though I don't want to let my love of Tarot collecting dwindle just because I have little money! To me, used decks are the perfect opportunity to find treasures for reasonable prices, and possibly treasures which are unobtainable anywhere else: Finding OOP, rare, decks is easier in a second hand place than trying to find them new! (And I'm a sucker for OOP decks!) I think I've grown a little angry at how extortionate the prices of new Tarot decks have become... One deck (Tarot of Transformation) I bought in my local bookstore for £34. That's stupidly expensive as far as I'm concerned. Buying the decks second hand knocks that price down to something less like a week's wages! ;) Plus, I have this 'thing' about old, tatty decks... Don't they look divine? All that use and wear... Ah... Of course, I wouldn't ever use the deck, but just to have a nice old, battered deck in the collection is nice. I don't hold to the 'energy' theories of Tarot. To me, it's a tool, much like a drill, hammer, or fork. I have seen people do great readings with a brand new deck which, according to the energy theories, didn't have any of the reader's 'energy' in it... I have used other peoples' decks perfectly well, and I have seen novices give excellent readings with my decks. I remember one guy who discovered what Tarot was whilst talking to me in the pub. After 10 minutes of explaining how to read teh cards, this guy was giving me a reading with my deck... And it was accurate. To me, all these experiences go against the energy theories of Tarot. They point to the high likelihood that either: a) Energy has nothing to do with how one reads the deck b) Energy doesn't actually exist in the deck They point to the high likelihood that what makes a reading accurate isn't whether the deck has 'your energy' attached to it, nor whether the deck is yours or somebody elses, but it depends on the person, their intuition, and insight. Just my personal opinion based on logic and experience. Used decks = Good! :D Kiama

darwinia	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama I don't hold to the 'energy' theories of Tarot. (snip) a) Energy has nothing to do with how one reads the deck b) Energy doesn't actually exist in the deck They point to the high likelihood that what makes a reading accurate isn't whether the deck has 'your energy' attached to it, nor whether the deck is yours or somebody elses, but it depends on the person, their intuition, and insight. Oh, WELL said. I have two used decks and love them both. One was a bit sticky and I had to wipe it down, the other had a faint scent of cigarette smoke but I just kept airing it out and it went away after a few weeks. I just traded for another used deck and am quite happy to do so. I agree with CompassRose that I would never want a deck from someone I disliked, but that bias has nothing to do with the cards themselves, they're cardstock and ink. I do anthropomorphize decks and feel sorry that someone has dismissed them, so I have no hesitation to give them a nice home with a personalized container and handmade bag. It's really sad, I used to talk to the streetlight "Alec" outside my childhood home too. ;-0)))

Diana	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama Plus, I have this 'thing' about old, tatty decks... Don't they look divine? All that use and wear... Ah... Of course, I wouldn't ever use the deck, but just to have a nice old, battered deck in the collection is nice. Kiama: I'm curious here. Why would you not use them? Because they are OOP and you don't want them to get more tattered?

Ruby7	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by freesiaskye It's really sad, I used to talk to the streetlight "Alec" outside my childhood home too. ;-0))) That is just so sweet Freesiaskye, I'm still smiling at the thought of you talking to "Alec". As a child, I used to talk to the hill that I could see from our kitchen window (it looked so lonely), and the house that we lived in (I was born in the house and always felt very connected with it). What a nice start to my day to be reminded of this, thanks for sharing that. As for used cards. I used to be superstitious about this. Most of my decks were bought new. But recently I have changed my mind and am quite comfortable with a used deck as long as it is gently used and clean. I never used to let anyone else touch my cards either and now I don't mind. In fact when I get a new deck my roommate who is into card tricks and shuffles and handles cards well, quite often does the first shuffle for me once I have looked at each card. He is a gentle soul, loves cards and somehow this works for me. Ruby 7

Kiama	09 Jun 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana Kiama: I'm curious here. Why would you not use them? Because they are OOP and you don't want them to get more tattered? Mainly because I very rarely use most of the decks I get hold of... As you know, I love my Robin Wood deck, and read with that the most (That deck is becoming very old and battered now too!) and I will read with other decks if requested to, or if I feel like I want to 'get into' a particular deck, but alot of the time, if the deck is really old and battered, it's a deck I will find difficult to read because it is likely to be Marseilles-style. I find Marseilles style decks quite difficult to read with, so given the choice between a Robin Wood and old, battered, Marseilles deck, I'd choose the Robin Wood. However... If the old, battered Marseilles deck was the only deck around at the time, I'd use it. It'd be difficult, but I'd still use it. I don't mind using the OOP decks in my collection, and I'm a fairly careful handler anyway, so the only way the OOP decks I use every now and then are going to get battered is if something accidental happened to them... I do like to just sit and shuffle those old, battered decks though... That feel: That warm, used feel, where the edges of teh cards no longer 'cut' into your hands, but are soft and 'furry'. The cards are discoloured, and they shuffle so nicely... Having an old, battered deck ro shuffle is very relaxing I find. Kiama

Emily	10 Jun 2003
I love used books, put me in a second hand bookshop and I'm in heaven but I'm not keen on buying used decks. The Diamond tarot was given to my by a friend but I had my fingers burned when I bought my first and last used deck the Large green Thoth , posted about it before on here, and no amount of cleansings make it useable. The deck was in excellent condition and I didn't notice anything different about it until I went to shuffle. I've never actually done any readings with it, can't handle it long enough. If there was a deck I really wanted, just for my collection, I might consider buying it but not expecting to use it but, No I wouldn't go out of my way to get another used deck.

little	10 Jun 2003
Like a small minority of other posters, I see the cards as a tool, where what's important is happening in the minds of the people involved. I don't, therefore, have any objection to used decks- in fact, I prefer them, because I can afford to buy more of them. I do put them into my preferred order when I buy them, so that I can 'read' the story the deck's designer is telling through the cards.

Trogon	10 Jun 2003
Personally... I don't really have any problem with used decks either. I own 4 right now? My Dragon Tarot was acquired in trade and I've done a couple of readings with it and had no problem. 2 of the others, I just haven't sat down and studied them yet to learn them. The other is my mother's old Albano Waite... and while I've done a couple of readings with it now, with no problems, I don't like using it very much because it is old (from the late 60's) and the card stock isn't the best... I don't want to damage it. Anyone having any used decks which they feel they can't use can feel free to send them to me. :D

tarotpharot	10 Jun 2003
Hey folks. What is the definition of used? Does that mean that no human entity has EVER handled them, or does it go deeper than that. If some "unclean" person handles the cards before you, is one at risk of getting some sort of psychic hoo-doo? Of course not. As the old saying goes, "Decks don't read people - people do." Er, something like that }) Brad

Emily	10 Jun 2003
I know alot of the posters on here have no problems with using second hand decks, I would love a well-loved deck that had been used by an experienced reader, one with a history behind it. I have well loved books like that, previous owners have made notes in the borders, or written their names in the books - many of my books are older than I am, thats saying something lol but until you get 'that deck that doesn't feel right' you don't know how it feels. Tarot cards are just a tool to me, I'm not overly sensative, but I can pick up when things don't feel right. If I'd noticed something was off with this deck I wouldn't have bought it but I did, its not something I really want to go through again, I do think I've ended up with this deck for a reason, I don't feel the need to trade it on but I can't see me ever using it. So watch out that next deck could be 'the one' (sound creepy music lol :P )

HudsonGray	10 Jun 2003
I wonder if 'used' should mean 'read with' by someone else. I mean, the cards are manufactured at a factory which has all the paper touched by people feeding it into the machines, loading up the ink, cutting, boxing, etc. Then the boxes are handled onto a truck, they're offloaded at a warehouse, maybe reboxed in smaller boxes. Then taken to whatever store orders them from the wholesaler, are unpacked by clerks, set on the shelves, handled by customers till they're purchased by the person getting a 'new' untouched deck. Untouched? The paper, ink, boxes and cellophane were all touched by people somewhere. We're automated in manufacturing quite a bit, but the human element is still there loading up the supplies the machines work with, cutting bundles of paper open to feed into the printer, stacking the finished stuff, etc. Nothing is virgin untouched. As for 'vibes' what about the trucker who just got cut off on the freeway while hauling 200,000 tarot decks to the warehouse in his rig--his mad vibes are sure going to be in the neighborhood of being picked up by a deck (if you believe in vibes).

Hermgirl	11 Jun 2003
My dad & I like to frequent thrift shops. I was delighted when he brought home for me an old Rider-Waite, in fine condition exept for the box, which I tossed. I made a new container for it out of felt, and left the deck in a pretty box I use for my runes, other cards, etc, and poured a box of sea salt over it and left it overnight. I have been using it for a while now, and have not had any problems. My dad also brought home an out of print deck--Sasha Fenton's Prediction deck, which I was very happy to add to my collection.

Sobeknofret	11 Jun 2003
Sorry I wan't clear! Yes, by used I do mean "read with" by someone else. The people who are packaging, quality checking, cutting, etc. probably aren't putting any intent into the cards, good or bad. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll bet the vast majority of the people handling the cards before they're sent out to the stores just consider it a job that they're doing, and don't really give a hoot about the cards themselves. So I think that we can discount those good people, even our beloved trucker who's hauling them and getting cranky :D So I guess the next (absolutely unanswerable) question is do decks pick up their owner's energy/vibes/psychic vibrations/ whatever else you want to call it? Because if they do, then it could make reading with a previously used deck a different ballgame. Can a reader put "intent" good or bad into a deck, and does it make a difference to the next reader? In Kiama's case, perhaps the energies that you put into the deck that you were using at the pub were so powerful and positive, that the guy was picking up on your energies and drawing a reading from that in part. And in Emily's case, perhaps the previous owner had put such BAD energy, or energy that you couldn't identify with, into the deck that getting any kind of reading was impossible. Hmmm, something to consider further. Don't mind me, I'm a Sagittarius-- our philosophical bent sometimes outweighs our rational part :) Sobe PS freesiasky, that's so cute! I love it! So sweet and loving actually. PPS "baby Cthulhu doll"?! Where, oh, where can I get one of these little wonders HudsonGrey?! Are there baby shoggoth dolls too? I think a baby Cthulhu would be a great toy for my baby! :D

The Used Decks? thread was originally posted on 08 Jun 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.