Do you consider yourself a "deck collector"?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Annabelle	30 Mar 2005
Begging a million pardons if this topic has come up before, but I was just wondering something... Who are true deck collectors here? (Before I go any further, yes, I consider myself to be a deck collector.) I'm not talking about the folks who buy some new decks, but try not to keep any more decks than they can "use"...I'm looking for kindred souls, people who collect decks just because it makes them happy, because they like the art, because they like being up to their ears in tarot cards. I own nearly 60 decks now, myself, and at any given time I probably have at least one deck on the way in the mail. But I've noticed that some of you out there own 100 decks...300 decks...even over 500 decks. And I have to say, I'm sooooo envious of you people! But are some of you buying every deck you can find just because you want to have a "complete" collection, and not necessarily because you like the decks you are buying? For me, that's where I draw the line. Some decks that I simply didn't like...the Celtic Dragon, for example...I've traded away to other people, and I felt no compulsion to keep them just to "own one of everything." There are many, many tarot decks I've looked at and couldn't stand, and will not buy. So in short, I'm a deck collector (as well as someone who loves reading tarot cards, of course!!) but I'm not obsessed with simply "owning things" . . . I don't want a deck that I won't enjoy looking at. I didn't intend to start collecting decks...it just sort of happened after I joined the forum here :D! Speak up, all you deck collectors out there! Why do you collect? Do you try to own one of everything, or a wide variety of decks, or just one type of deck, etc.? I'm curious!

Ahria	30 Mar 2005
I wasnt until I joined here, but then I started seeing so many beautiful decks and well the collecting has begun....

Cerulean	30 Mar 2005
for reference, study and sometimes new/old titles...but I clear out what decks do not work the same I do with books. I am a true deck collector for about ten years now, but don't plan to accumulate a vast number. Regards, Cerulean

inanna_tarot	30 Mar 2005
Well, my collection has been expanding over the years, i'm currently at around 30 (with the Archeon and Revelations soon to join my happy tarot camp!) but the decks I don't really connect with I tend to trade off or sell. I collect pagan decks - being pagan lol, but its the art work that grabs me. When I was a toddler my mother used to show me her tarot decks and do readings in front of me, and so tarot always has been and will be 78 pretty pictures, and then with study and use they come degrees of wisdom. I do with what I like, what appeals to me - darker decks like the Haindl, Vargo's gothic, the ones on things I'd like to learn like tarot/astrology links (Celestial), the tales of Arthur and Camalot (the Legend deck) etc. But then again, I did buy a Thoth, a big Thoth (because the smaller cards dont give the artwork justice!) and a Marseilles deck to round off the basics in tarot collecting lol. My mother (who has 100+ decks) keeps buying me decks for birthdays or christmas so theres some definate influencing there ;) Like mother like daughter lol. Sezo x PS i'm not envious of other peoples collections or the amout of decks they have. Each deck is loved and well looked at if not read with every now and then and I enjoy them all equally - the ones i have and the ones yet to be collected lol

Eco74	30 Mar 2005
I think I'm headed in that direction... When I joined I had three decks, but now I have 20 and one more in the mail. However, I strive to only aquire decks to my collection that I will be able to use, decks that call to be somehow or hold qualities that attract me. Limited editions are sometimes interesting, but only if the artwork also speaks to me on some level so I can't see myself getting a deck only because it is a limited edition, or a special edition, or rare or whatever reason could come up. If it does not resonate with me on some level, I won't do move even a finger to get it. Also, I try to get decks with some variation to give myself more of a challenge (atleast that's how I feel about it now) in that the artwork, feel and style will vary and keep my mind open to the differences. - Nothing like excercise to keep the mind flexible. Perhaps later I will feel that a certain style is more interesting and go for the slighter differences, the subtle changes.. Though come to think of it I may already be doing that with the Marseilles-style decks in my collection. That is only one chapter in this collection though and I like it multi-facetted since it reflects the way I look at the world. Having more decks than I could use? Well, in a way I might already since I have a full-time-job and other every-day-things taking time away from Tarot, but I do have all the decks close and do tend to vary the decks I look at and use. - I just love those "art-gallery-moments" when I just look through a deck at random, discovering little details and new correlations in and between images..

Emeraldgirl	30 Mar 2005
I had never really thought of myself as a collector but then I found AT. I have quite a few decks (32 including those on order) and I have every intention of getting more. I really felt like a collector when I purchased a majors only copy of the Angel Deck by Maria Miduki & Michela Angela as it was a limited edition and also when I purchased the Dali deck. There will be moredecks on the way soon also :) I do collect decks that I will use. I also don't buy any deck that I don't find the art being attractive just for the sake of having it.

Galiana	30 Mar 2005
I have 21 decks at last count. I bought them because I either liked the artwork or I felt that I could work with them. I have no desire to have a large collection; I just buy what I like.

DollieAnna	30 Mar 2005
Galiana wrote: I have 21 decks at last count. I bought them because I either liked the artwork or I felt that I could work with them. I have no desire to have a large collection; I just buy what I like. ditto, maybe a handful more. no ntention of buying any more, maybe way in the future, trading. but as of now i don thin so.

Jeannette	30 Mar 2005
Annabelle4 wrote: Do you try to own one of everything... Trust me -- it is not possible to own one of everything. Not unless you're both independently wealthy and have loads of spare time to go deck chasing, at any rate. This I know from sad experience. :( (LOL!) -- Jeannette The Tarot Garden

Hazelsdottir	30 Mar 2005
My goodness, I "only" have about ten decks. The funny thing is that until I joined this forum a scant 24 hours ago, I thought I was a collector because I had more than one or two :-) I now stand corrected! Anyhow, I don't consider myself a collector as such, because I really do love to handle, work with, PLAY with these decks. I don't necessarily do readings with all of them, but in every instance I do enjoy studying them. Well, maybe "drinking them in" is more like it. They're such a feast for the eyes. Belay that mixed metaphor! Wow, that's a thought... match each deck to a drink. I reckon the Sacred Circle deck is rich red wine, while the Arthurian (Hallowquest) deck has the quality of strong mead. The Hello Kitty deck must be Pocari Sweat! Hazelsdottir, hoping she's not going too much OT with that drink thing

tarotbear	31 Mar 2005
My name is Tarotbear, and I am a deck collector. I'm not sure how many I have - around 40, I think, which includes divination/non-tarot decks also. I used to get them as gifts from my friends but they went through most of the easy-to-find ones and weren't sure what I already had, so unless someone specifically asks me if there is a specific deck I want (or asks Jeanette if TB has a wishlist!) I know I will be getting fewer as gifts and more as a direct buy. Galiana said 'I just buy what I like.' I feel that way, too. Except for searching down every deck designed by Tavaglione and tracking them down via ebay, I buy what I like. My boyfriend tried to find me some decks in Austria 4 years ago and got me some Austrian divination decks and the Celtic Dragon Tarot -- in Czech! I do have some signed decks, such as Lee Burstin's Gay Tarot, and two decks signed by Robin Wood. I bought them for the signatures. Honestly and truely? I started to buy decks to show them to my tarot classes to show the differences in the cards between certain decks.

seneris	31 Mar 2005
Hi, it's interesting to read all the replies. I have about 14 decks, but I don't consider myself a collector... yet. I want to, though ;) Since I became a member of Aeclectic I bought a few more decks, partially because of the good reviews en threads here about them. If only my financial situation would improve...

Rosanne	31 Mar 2005
Yes I collect Decks. I have one of everything I can get here in New Zealand. So my collection is growing. Originally I could only get the top sellers, like Rider Waite or Thoth. I have had to go offshore to get a Marseilles. Now you can get a few different ones, especially anything La Scarabeo or US Games. So things are changing slowly.. which is probally good for my pocket. It is much the same with Oracles. I have a few decks I do not like but querents have liked them. Mostly I like all I have and enjoy the different little nuances each style gives me. Some decks attract me with the Art work, History, or a style and stay in my most used pile. I don't collect for a rising market or finacial gain- that would be a bit like gold mining backwards. I don't collect anything else either. ~Rosanne

Kiama	31 Mar 2005
I consider myself a Deck Collector. My current count is 202, and I've been collecting for about 4 years now. Why do I collect? Because every new deck gives me some new insights - into the cards, into people, into the universe, into the creative process, into my life... It's like talking to a new person about their perspective on life (because that's what Tarot is, isn't it? The Universe as perceived by the artist.) At the moment I have a penchant for the small-press decks - the ones you find online that are usually Majors Only, signed by the artist, limited edition. I don't just buy these because they are rare - I buy them because for some reason they feel more 'deep' and personal than other decks I've bought that are mass-produced. The deck creator has more room to be personal when they're not worrying about whether a publisher will want their work! I also collect decks so that I have a wide selection to show at Tarot talks/workshops I run, and so that people who ask me what decks to buy can come see my deck collection and make their own, informed, decision. :D Blessings, Kiama

WolfSpirit	31 Mar 2005
I am a collector. I have now 60-odd decks and at the moment, the DruidCraft is the only one I use on a really regular basis. But all the decks I have serve a purpose: some are used for a particular kind of reading, some are for meditation, others are for the "art-gallery moments" (thanks for the expression, Eco) In the DruidCraft I have very much found the perfect deck for me - so since I have this one, my deck buying tendencies have decreased a lot but not stopped. When I buy a deck now it does not need to be one to read with (I already have great reading decks) but it must be one I have wanted for some time. I don't collect a particular theme - but many decks I like have references to nature in some way or other. I don't buy many highly intellectual decks that require a huge companion book to even understand what it is all about. And I don't go for very dark decks. Otherwise - no particular theme required. All that is required is that I want it very much.

jmd	31 Mar 2005
I do not consider myself a deck collector :)

caridwen	31 Mar 2005
I have one deck, but having been here at AT and, as others have said, seeing all the amazing artwork of some of the decks, there are a few now I'd like to get my little pinkies on: However, my taste is very particular and I like a deck I can use as well as look at. I think I will get more decks at certain stages of my life that reflect those stages:)

Grizabella	31 Mar 2005
I'm not a deck collector. After buying a lot of clinkers when I first started with tarot, I now only acquire decks that I know I can read with. I'm very happy with the ones I have and other than desperately wanting a pocket size of the Universal Waite, there aren't any decks right now that I'm lusting after. I have 10 decks, 12 if you count that I have two sizes of the Hanson Roberts and the Rider Waite. Or I have only 9 (or 11 counting the two sizes of two) if you count in that I have the Gnomes, don't want it, and haven't been able to find anyone to trade with who does want it.

Emily	31 Mar 2005
I came here with one deck - RWS - the so-called Original one. It wasn't long before I started to buy other decks. The first decks were to be used and not collected. That didn't last long. I couldn't tell you just how many decks I have without looking at my list now, and although I denied it for quite a while I am a collector. :) I love the artwork on some of the tarot cards - I have used all my decks at one time or another - some just don't read well but are beautiful - and all have their place in my collection. I try not to buy as many now, mainly because I just don't have the space, but also because I find I just use a few of my decks instead of flitting from deck to deck and not taking the time to learn any of them. :)

Gerbear	31 Mar 2005
If you check out my profile, you will see that I collect decks. I appreciate the art and effort of many small press and privately published decks. I only get what I like,and I like a wide range of styles and themes. I enjoy the comaraderie of other collectors I've met, even though my collection is the smallest among them.

wildginger	31 Mar 2005
I would consider myself a collector. At present I have about 50 decks and I am very much an impulse buyer . I find that the artwork really grabs me and I have to have that deck. I have just purchased a special edition gilded and I love it. I told myself that after Ciro's next deck I would curb my collecting but I went through all the decks here and found another 20 that I really must have so looks like I will have to keep the day job for a while longer ( I think I will show my partner this thread as he is convinced that I have lost the plot at some point But now I know that is not the case yippee) W.G.

Strange2	31 Mar 2005
I consider myself a student and admirer/supporter of Tarot first, and a collector of Tarot decks as a result of my studies/love of Tarot. Having acquired over 160 decks in the last 4 years, I have indeed built up a collection, which has followed my ongoing explorations and changing interests in types/themes of decks. Thus, I have gone through various phases of deck types, such as Golden Dawn-inspired, Egyptian-themed, non-scenic minors, and historic (reproduction or revisioned) decks. One of the most wonderful aspects of Tarot that I enjoy is the diversity of creative expression, within the unifying platform of the Tarot pallette. I particularly like to acquire self-published/small publisher decks, to support and encourage this creative expression, and to inspire my own creativity.

Annabelle	31 Mar 2005
Well, when I started this thread I said I have nearly 60 decks. As of today, I'm up to 61 decks, not counting duplicates and non-tarot oracles :D :D. I just love tarot, and the amazing depth and diversity of tarot decks out there. Like many of the people who've replied, I had no idea how many different decks were out there until I came here to ATF. And I was hooked so quickly. And, as I've mentioned before in other threads, I keep getting lucky and running into decks on clearance, in thrift stores, etc. Honestly, I haven't spent very much on my collection. It's been so much fun reading all the posts in this thread! This is the first thread I've ever started outside of the "Reading Exchange" forum...and so I had feared that no one would reply! (By the way, jmd, you may claim not to be a deck collector, but your profile suggests that you are!)

Jeannette	31 Mar 2005
Annabelle4 wrote: (By the way, jmd, you may claim not to be a deck collector, but your profile suggests that you are!) jmd does not collect decks. Decks collect around jmd. :D -- Jeannette The Tarot Garden

Breathhh	31 Mar 2005
I'm a collector. Actually I collect many things. (another story) Tarot decks are a wonder to my eyes as well as provocative to my 'story telling'. I believe someone (sorry can't remember) spoke to the Art of the tarot decks. I love the art of them...even if when they don't resonate for me as decks that I would use. That someone took the time and energy to consider such a project and then to bring them into reality. Kudos to you. I'm an artist and I have considered making a deck for myself. I have made a couple of cards, which is a lonnnngggg way from a deck.. I'm still darn attached to the older decks. I've actually considered going through my 40 or so decks, and picking out the individual cards I love and feel really express what it is that moves me and lights me up. Picking the single cards and putting them together to form a 'perfect' deck for me. Scan 'em, size 'em and make a deck that way. has anyone considered this as well?? what are some of your fav decks? side note...(does anyone live in Michigan in this conversation? peace to you all breathhh

caridwen	01 Apr 2005
Gerbear wrote: If you check out my profile, you will see that I collect decks. I appreciate the art and effort of many small press and privately published decks. I only get what I like,and I like a wide range of styles and themes. I enjoy the comaraderie of other collectors I've met, even though my collection is the smallest among them. I checked out your profile! You say yours is the smallest of the other collectors you know!:P

The Do you consider yourself a "deck collector"? thread was originally posted on 30 Mar 2005 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.