What do you carry your cards in...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hyatt	13 May 2004
Hello All- I've been toting my cards in my purse with me everywhere I go for a little while now. But the box is getting trashed - rough, frayed edges, one of the bottom flaps is now missing. Is there anyone else that carries their cards daily? How do you protect them? In what do you carry them? THANKS

Le_Corsair	13 May 2004
I carry mine in the box, the box goest into a tarot bag; I bought mine on Ebay, the seller's user ID is fotheringay, she sells regularly on Ebay. If I need more protection for the deck, I put it in a Rubbermaid box available at any Walmart or even at your local grocery store. This has the advantage of being watertight. Bob :THERM

cjtarot	13 May 2004
Hi, I carry the mini Hanson Roberts, Ruby Red Slippers introduced me to in one of my small cotton drawstring bags. I love the size of the deck and was amazed that it fit in the bag so well. As for the original box, I'm bad I tend to throw them out, especially if the decks a keeper.. Blessings, CJ

Dakota	13 May 2004
Ditto, same as Bob pretty much and I buy mine bags on eBay too, from two sellers. One is carma_originals (hers are even padded which is a god-send for decks which no longer have boxes of their own to protect them), the other revjamilarose. They both sell bags lined in satin or silk with double pull ties, gorgeous fabrics, can't say enough good things about either of them!!

13thFaeChylde	13 May 2004
Today I have the World Spirit in one of my daughter's small handbags, which neatly fits into my bookbag. But for the past week I've had the Tarot of Transformation in the box in my bag....and will be finding them a better mode of transport this weekend! The box ain't looking all that good. Especially after a chocolate bar melted and kinda covered the box and book while at the flea market last Saturday. BUT~~~ the cards weren't touched! I have bags for most of my decks, although there are a few who are in boxes who want bags, so they can travel. You know how it is ;)

Le_Corsair	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Dakota Ditto, same as Bob pretty much and I buy mine bags on eBay too, from two sellers. One is carma_originals (hers are even padded which is a god-send for decks which no longer have boxes of their own to protect them), the other revjamilarose. They both sell bags lined in satin or silk with double pull ties, gorgeous fabrics, can't say enough good things about either of them!! I can vouch for the carma_originals bags as well, I have one of them. Outstanding bag, but more expensive than the bags from fotheringay, due to use of silk instead of cotton. Bob :THERM

ros	13 May 2004
The deck I carry with me, I scotch taped around the box to keep it together, it works!

Savoyali	13 May 2004
I carry the Tiny in the plastic box it came in, and the Mini Egyptian in its box, wrapped in a piece of blue velvet that also serves as an impromptu reading cloth if need be. If I take other decks with me, I opt for plastic boxes like Le_Corsair--may not be pretty, but my preciouses are safe and sound :)

mercenary30	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by cjtarot Hi, I carry the mini Hanson Roberts, Ruby Red Slippers introduced me to in one of my small cotton drawstring bags. I love the size of the deck and was amazed that it fit in the bag so well. As for the original box, I'm bad I tend to throw them out, especially if the decks a keeper.. Blessings, CJ I am going to put in a plug for cjtarot bags. I have two of them and they are wonderful. I am sure that if you PM her asking she will be glad to take orders. In addition Lunalafey makes beautiful bags as well. I have two of her bags, and she makes bags to order as well. Demonesse also has bags that she sells, and there are others as well. I have bags from Chronata and Alissa tool, but they don't make bags as a business. All of my bags except two are hand made, and most of them are from AT members, which makes them extra special. :D

Khatruman	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by mercenary30 I am going to put in a plug for cjtarot bags. I have two of them and they are wonderful. I am sure that if you PM her asking she will be glad to take orders. Must vouch for her bags too. She designed a bag for my William Blake and Shakespearean decks which hold the book and have a seperate pouch for the deck. Beautiful and well constructed. I also have bags made by AT members which hold special value to me because they are done so. Being a male who didn't do so well in home ec., I admired the workmanship (or should I say workwomanship?)

miss_apples	13 May 2004
I carry my cards in drawstring bags. One bag is made just of polyester, one of a velvet like material, and one of a satiny material. Bags are really easy to make... I sew mine by hand.

Khatruman	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by miss_apples Bags are really easy to make... I sew mine by hand. SUUURRRE easy for YOU to say!!! Khat pulls out another bandaid for his pinky finger as he looks at the tortured piece of cloth that looks like it was left on the highway

Jewel-ry	13 May 2004
Bags, I pick them up when I see them. I have loads and I mix and match ;) :)

kerri28	13 May 2004
I carry mine in satin pullsting bags. A friend made mine and she did a bloody good job too!!! ;)

Sulis	13 May 2004
I'm going to put in another plug for CJ Tarot's bags. I have 2 of her spread cloths which have a pocket for the deck. These spreadcloths fold up so there is plenty of padding for your deck - no way it could get damaged unless you spilled something on it. Love Sulis xx

janstar17	13 May 2004
I was at a renaissnace faire a few years ago and ran into a young man who was doing leather work. I asked him to make me a pouch (actually, it looks more like a flip-top cigarette box!!) out of a thick piece of leather. I don't know why I did since I'm anti-leather in most cases but this has worked so beautifully...protects the deck really well. It has a wooden pin closure which keeps the cards in place and since it was made to size there isn't much chance of them getting bruised or bent. :-)

Bacchus	13 May 2004
Several of mine are in "proper" satin lined, velvet bags. Some are in boxes, although not always the same box they came in. And some are in Crown Royal bags.

Khatruman	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Bacchus And some are in Crown Royal bags. Wooo hoooo!! that's what I started out with, having been a bartender for a number of years. In fact, I have two decks in Chivas Royal Salute bags. Saw somewhere that Jeff Foxworthy said keeping your tarot deck in a Crown Royal bag makes you a redneck. Not I!!! :D

Jewel	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by mercenary30 I am going to put in a plug for cjtarot bags. I will put in a plug too. The bags are beautiful, durable, perfect size, and of very high quality.

Emily	13 May 2004
I too have an assortment of bags, some bought some made, that I carry my decks around in. I do keep them in their original boxes though and then put them in the bag. My Morgan Greer has its own bag as does the Quest but I don't have specific bags for the other decks. I'm working on finding the right material for a bag for my Golden but I haven't found anything suitable yet. :)

Raine	13 May 2004
Well, I keep my pocket waite/rider/smith deck in a old magic cards box. They fit perfect, and for people who dont agree with tarot, its the perfect disguise!

Cerulean	13 May 2004
from import stores, from Asian shops, or zippered cosmetic bags from those counters, could be drugstore or cosmetics discount supplier. My favorite are lined with cotton or something or have multiple pockets. What has lasted longest is zip up pencil/pen pockets in a kind of sturdy canvas or plastic material. I like the canvas best. If it has a small strap that I can clip a camera-like neck strap, it's much better. I've looked at various CD and notebook holders, just in case, not usually the right size...but an odd square deck or two sometimes fits nicely.

dadsnook2000	13 May 2004
I keep most of my decks in wooden book-shaped boxes, each with a three-dimensional carved wood tarot figure from the deck that is kept in that box. I also have desk boxes and storage chests similarly graced with a tarot card figure. In that way I get to combine several of my hobbies. Lately I've taken to carving tarot figures "outside of their deck setting." For example, I have carved the Fool climbing up his staff to get a better view of his surroundings. I figure the Fool sooner or later has to wonder where he is going, make decisions and suffer or enjoy the consequences on his "fool's journey." Dave.

Oxala	13 May 2004
I made my own patchwork drawstring bag. I had some fabric left over from a silk dance outfit I made, the fabric is thick and has some metallic going through it. I did some seminole patchwork and my cards fit perfectly inside. I keep my books in boxes, the leather sounds like a really good idea as well!

Dakota	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by dadsnook2000 I keep most of my decks in wooden book-shaped boxes, each with a three-dimensional carved wood tarot figure from the deck that is kept in that box. .... In that way I get to combine several of my hobbies. Wow, Dave, I can see the glimmer of a small craft business in that!! Do you have any photos of your carvings? :CL

Nevada	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Dakota Wow, Dave, I can see the glimmer of a small craft business in that!! Do you have any photos of your carvings? I'm intrigued too, because I would think that boxes would be better than bags for the cards if you carry them around a lot. I've been thinking about trying to make some cloth covered boxes. Haven't begun experimenting yet. Too many big ideas, not enough time. :D Nevada

dadsnook2000	13 May 2004
Nevada and Dakota, Well, thank you for asking. I've taken a few photos and down sized them. Robin Wood's Magician was photographed as a carved figure not mounted on a box. Because the antlers are painted on the box, I had to take a photo of the figure, white-out the background and "paint" in the antlers. The Waite Fool is mounted on a painted box. I don't finish the box interiors so as to not contaminate the cards in any way. The third photo is the Tarot of Prague Strength. This was a difficult figure to carve -- turning a two dimensional figure into a three dimensional figure poses some problems. Just like on TV, the rounded figure tends to look fatter if you exactly duplicate the proportions -- the eye sees around the corners. So you have to thin out the figure. In this card the gown is illustrated with large flowers and a black area -- is the black area part of the gown or part of the background. In a three dimensional figure this has to be resolved. Another figure, the Fey Ace of Pentacles, can be seen in the forum dedicated to specific tarot decks -- see the Fey forum and the "Feybles Contest." And yes, some time soon I hope to be able to provide these for my friends from a web-site. Dave.

dadsnook2000	13 May 2004
I see that only one attachment was posted. So, I'll post another here. Dave.

dadsnook2000	13 May 2004
Here is the third photo. Dave.

MeeWah	13 May 2004
Dave: I confess I skipped reading your comments & went directly to your last link first; instantly recognized Robin Wood's Magician! WOW, ye are very, very talented! Please let us know if & whence ye decide to make your work available. Love that Magician & would like to see the High Priestess one day, too :) Now to check out the other links...

MeeWah	13 May 2004
Almost forgot. Carry my cards with me in assorted bags from friends: a Crown Royal bag (able to withstand a lot of wear), a CJ Tarot bag (made by our own cj tarot), a mirrored East Indian bag; also use bags from Tarot Totes. Most of the bags I have purchased end up given away as gifts.

dadsnook2000	13 May 2004
Well, I have the Robin Wood High Priestess. I'll attach it if I can find it in my files. I'm hitting the sack right now as I have to get up early to fly to Florida for three days. Dave.

Kezza	13 May 2004
Wow Dave! They are beautiful - you are very clever! Me, I have sewn my own satin bags with drawstrings. Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman Must vouch for her bags too. She designed a bag for my William Blake and Shakespearean decks which hold the book and have a seperate pouch for the deck. Beautiful and well constructed. That sounds handy, having a pouch for the book aswell. Might have to give that a try.

Dakota	14 May 2004
Dave, those are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful!!!! Thank you so much for sharing them with us! You may not see this til you get back from your trip but I hope you have (or had) a good time. (shhhhhhhhh........ if you ever decide to produce these for sale, let me know first and don't tell anybody else...........) :D

Dakota	14 May 2004
Speaking of *fotheringay (as Bob was on page 1 of this thread) she/he (?) has a load of new bags listed on eBay. I just snaffled up three of them so RUN, don't walk.................. :D

Le_Corsair	14 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Dakota Speaking of *fotheringay (as Bob was on page 1 of this thread) she/he (?) has a load of new bags listed on eBay. I just snaffled up three of them so RUN, don't walk.................. :D She (fotheringay is a she) sells regularly on Ebay, so if you don't see something you like today, look again in a couple of weeks. Her prices are wonderful, she ships quickly. I just ordered another bag this morning, and have a bid on another.... (LEAVE IT ALONE!) Bob :THERM

Dakota	14 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Le_Corsair I just ordered another bag this morning, and have a bid on another.... (LEAVE IT ALONE!) LOL! Yeah, I saw that bid (and it is a lovely bag) but there were so many others available that I did not feel right in bidding against another poor soul............. Of course, now I know "who" you are over there........... hehehe

Niomi	14 May 2004
My cards rest nicely in the black velvet purple silk lined bag that Llewellyn makes, which fits nice and snug in the leather pouch I clip around my jeans to carry them around. I do want to get some kind of watertight container for them. (but I have absolutely no interest in a watertight container for my palm computer, a much more expensive piece of equipment I carry-- sigh!)

Shalott	14 May 2004
dadsnook2000: those are awesome!!!! Quote: Originally posted by Khatruman Wooo hoooo!! that's what I started out with, having been a bartender for a number of years. In fact, I have two decks in Chivas Royal Salute bags. Saw somewhere that Jeff Foxworthy said keeping your tarot deck in a Crown Royal bag makes you a redneck. Not I!!! :D ROFLMAO!!!! I work PT in a liquor store and I'm always telling ppl to use those as golf club cozies! Now I can tell them to use them for their Tarot decks (and get strange looks). I must plug Tarottotes! (http://tarottotes.com/), I have a bag from them for almost every deck I feel is special enough, most of which get carried with me frequently. Most are cotton, they have silk and velvet. And spreadcloths, and not too pricey. AND they do a free Reiki channeling if you request it. (Added psychic protect, I believe.)

Kiama	15 May 2004
Well, I used to keep my reading deck in black silk, which got rather tattered over the years. (I used it to wipe down the table before I laid the cards down...) I have been carrying my cards around for the last couple of months in nothing but a hairband, just to hold them together. I think they look better being free, and they're easier to find in a black-lined bag! :D Kiama

WalesWoman	16 May 2004
After reading SongDeva's experience with the Hot Fudge Sunday and 13thFaeChilde's chocolate meltdown mess, maybe the pretty tarot bags need an upgrade to plastic ziplocs. In fact my "new" Legends deck was in such a bag. At first I felt ripped off, where's the box? Maybe it didn't have it's own deck box, since it was a boxed set. So I decided to get philosophical about it, I was just happy to have a beautiful new deck. One good thing about a ziplock bag, it may not have the mystical mysterious esoteric and aestetic quality that something made of cloth or wood would have, but you'd know instantly which deck it contains, it won't get wet and cards won't fall out. Last but not least, it won't get gooed in our purses when we use them for snack bags. Actually I tossed the bag and carry my deck in a Guatamalan cloth "cigarette" case. My other two decks still have their original boxes and live in those.

The What do you carry your cards in... thread was originally posted on 13 May 2004 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.