What to do with my rare one?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Chronata	14 May 2004
So, has anyone else out there ever "outgrown" a beloved deck...one in which you swore you would never ever part with? I'm having a bit of a dilemma with this at the moment. It is especially difficult for me because this deck is one that is somewhat rare, and goes for a lot on E-Bay. My thought is that I could try and sell it. (Gods know I could use the money right now...) But I'm not sure that selling it is the best option. I have never actually sold any tarot deck before. Traded away...sure, given away...absolutely...but I just can't see myself getting money for this deck. I dunno, maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way...after all, I certainly shelled out a lot of money at various times for what is in my collection. But for some reason...I just feel it is...inappropriate for me to bring money into it. Because when I think about how much this deck is worth...the only thing that I can conceivably imagine...is trading this OOP deck for another equally rare OOP deck (one that is nearly impossible to find...but which I have coveted for a while...) and then...well...how does one go about even finding that OTHER rare deck...and what if the prices are not comparable due to market flucuations? (which I am suspecting is the case at the moment...) I'm just wondering what others think about this.

Ruby7	14 May 2004
Chronata, are you absolutely sure that you want to part with it? If I was you I would wait a few months, maybe you will want this deck again and be sorry that you parted with it, Ruby7

skytwig	14 May 2004
Sigh.......... So, what do you WANT to do? :) PS: The advantage to selling it is that you know the buyer really wants it.......

Chronata	14 May 2004
Ruby7...yep. I am now positive that I have simply outgrown this deck. It, strangely enough seems to exist in a very specific time period for me that I no longer connect with. Skytwig...well...um...what I WANT to do is trade it. But I'm afraid that posting the trade here on AT will likely not bring many results. :) Ok...here's the mystery revealed...I have a 1st Edition Vertigo. If there is any deck out there that I would think to replace it with...it would be a copy of the Rock N Roll.(any edition!) I'm thinking I may have to go the E-Bay route....

MeeWah	14 May 2004
Does not feel ready to part with yet. Else ye would not be questioning the idea. Ye know the drill: do whatever in haste, repent at leisure. Ye do not want to go there. Sleep on it a bit. Consider writing down pros & cons. Could provide clarification, as the present conditions may be influencing the practical considerations, not the aesthetics.

HudsonGray	14 May 2004
Rest assured the Vertigo's go to people who really want them. But make sure you do want to have it leave, trying to replace it again later will cost you. Try a trade here first, see if anyone has the deck you're interested in. Or just put out a general 'anyone got a _____ they want to part with' first to see if anyone bites.

Astraea	14 May 2004
Chronata, many times I've been positive that I no longer wanted or needed something (including a tarot deck or two), certain that I'd outgrown it, only to feel the need to experience that deck/book/fill-in-the-blank on a "higher arc" many -- and I do mean many -- years later. In addition, the first edition Vertigo is already a valuable deck monetarily, and its worth in dollars will only climb in the years to come. The Vertigo, in particular, is the type of deck that speaks to depths and levels of ourselves that we tend to revisit from time-to-time. If I were you, I'd hang onto it.

skytwig	15 May 2004
When in doubt, wait. :)

Cerulean	15 May 2004
I had a mass market and a first edition Vertigo for a year or two. The first edition was a used bookstore find for about thirty-seven dollars with original small box and including the hardcover book. But I realized it was no longer worth anything to me, period. You are right, if you wanted to get an ebay price on a fan board and if people have limited means, this might have hard feelings because you need an Ebay price to trade for what you want. If you check with Tarotgarden.com and see if they have the tarot you want and if you can work out a trade or credit for a trade, that might work. If not, you might want to check and see if you can sell through Amazon.com--I don't know how it works, you'd have to check at that site. But I heard of someone who sold a religious text book that he had to have for classes through Amazon.com for the price he wanted. I had read last year that the Vertigo is going to be re-issued in a nicer edition, so I felt I could part with the ones that I had. I then ended up with a trade that worked for me, a newly published art deck for the original Vertigo and some of my older Amano related publications. I ended up trading the newer one for something someone else wanted. I don't plan to replace them and I don't miss them. Good luck. Take care. Cerulean.

Emily	15 May 2004
I too think that if you're uncertain then maybe you should wait. You may have had your time with this deck but if it is OOP then its rarity will increase. Its causing you a little heartache so part of you doesn't want to let this deck go. I find it hard to let decks go too - but I know when its time to let go and I never regret it - the Robin Wood and the Enchanted ZF are two decks that I've got ready to trade a few times and then at the last minute I can't do it. Why I don't know but perhaps I haven't finished with them yet or its not their time. You mention you need the money but think hard before letting go of a deck for the money that might do you more good to let go of in the future.

hedgecub	15 May 2004
Chronata: You have a PM :)

sunflowr	15 May 2004
I would wait. I've had decks I've parted with before too and end up regretting. The one I'm thinking of at the moment is Morgan Robbins. The black and white funky sixties deck. I had it once, sold it, and now can't find it again. :( So hold off! You don't want to regret it later, you know?

crystal cove	15 May 2004
I'm with MeeWah. If this was a done deal, you wouldn't be questioning it. When in doubt, do nothing. As a matter of fact, I did go through this recently. After some in depth study of the Golden Dawn and the Thoth deck, I came to the conclusion that other than loving the art work, the Thoth and the decks based on it just aren't for me. Which, of course, got me to thinking about my Hermetic deck. It would fetch a great price on ebay...but for some reason I can't do it...yet. When the time is right, we'll know it.

The What to do with my rare one? thread was originally posted on 14 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.