Essential decks for collectors?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hexadecimal	27 Nov 2003
Is there any certain decks of tarot deck that is a "must" have for tarot deck collectors? :) So far in my collection I have : Rider Waite, Thoth, Visconti Gold, Hanson Robert, Robin Wood. :D Any recommendations will be much appreciated!!:D

mercenary30	27 Nov 2003
I am trying to get different decks from each style, and type. Then I have a good base to experience and study.

Moonbow*	27 Nov 2003
How about Marseilles? M*

Le_Corsair	27 Nov 2003
Buy the decks that appeal to you. There are certain decks that serious students will buy as they progress. Among these: Marseilles styles. Thoth. RWS styles. Oswald Wirth Pre-Marseilles, such as Visconti. But it is always a personal choice. I have no Thoth or Thoth-based decks in my own collection, nor any early decks, yet. Bob :THERM:

CompassRose	27 Nov 2003
Also depends WHY you are collecting. Is it for study, or for artwork, or for simple monetary value?

Logiatrix	28 Nov 2003
(...which is the kind of collection I was building for a while...) Then all the shiny gold or silver foil decks are good for just plain collecting. Also, OOP, foreign decks, and historical reproductions are all good collector decks. :)

hexadecimal	28 Nov 2003
(i collect for study and for the amazing art work) :)

CompassRose	28 Nov 2003
For study, I should say Le Corsair's list is good, though personally I would add :D the Margarete Petersen, which IMHO is going to be one of the major decks (and has amazing artwork, but I am much biased) and one of the main "feminista" and/or intuitive sorts of decks... the Motherpeace or Rachel Pollack's deck, e.g. For art, buy what you like. No, buy what you LOVE. I've liked many decks, and bought them, but now I find I don't REALLY need them. But a few, I love, and though I wouldn't, or don't, read with them, I would not get rid of them... the Vertigo, Mage: The Ascension (don't laugh!), Tarot for Cats, the Tarot of the Ancestors. Collect what you love.

Lethe	28 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by hexadecimal (i collect for study and for the amazing art work) :) Then get them all ;) :D I would always want to keep a balance between those decks that help me read and learn and those that I find fun and asethically pleasing.

Emily	28 Nov 2003
You could look at some of the Soprafino decks like the Ancient Italian and the Classical tarot both from Lo Scarabeo. Very nice and similar to the Marseille but without the woodcut artwork. The Morgan Greer is a nice deck too :D

Kyrea Gold	28 Nov 2003
how about the osho zen kyrea

Cerulean	28 Nov 2003
in terms of what art appeals to you. If you really want to check into the limited edition Italian decks, many people find Amerigo Folchi's decks quite appealing and colorful. www.trigomo.com shows them under Italcard 'last' stocks, but you can buy them for cheaper shipping through alidastore.com and tarotgarden.com However decks from Lo Scarabeo and Dal Negro are less expensive and an excellent range. If you think of the subjects that you like to read, chances are there is an illustration style or theme that is close in a modern tarot.

firestorm	28 Nov 2003
For study, I'd add a TdM, and as for the rest, I agree with Compass Rose, buy what you really like. A "complete" tarot collection is really a subjective thing anyway. Some would say its not complete unless you have them all and some would argue that it would be complete with just one deck.

Diana	28 Nov 2003
Of course a Marseilles deck is essential for a collection. And as mentioned, a Wirth deck. BUT!!!! The Minors are not necessary to buy. They are not original at all. They were not designed by him and were designed by.... someone (haven't a clue who) at the request of Stuart Kaplan, in order to make up a 78 card deck. And of course, even the Majors don't respect Wirth's original deck (which he describes in detail in his book), but I suppose that it's better than nothing. (Big big big sigh....)

The Essential decks for collectors? thread was originally posted on 27 Nov 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.