RWS Knockoffs?

Stark Raven

I recently purchased a 'bootleg' recopying of the RWS on eBay. It's quaint. It's printed on thick, white stock that is prone to making powder when the cards are shuffled. I suppose fanning powder will take care of that problem... Anyway, the question I am asking is this - are there still a lot of knockoffs of the good old RWS? This one is rather amateurish, but still has a powerful intrigue...
 

Kid A

There are many many many RWS type decks, I wouldn't necessarily call them knock offs though. Alot of great decks use the RWS type of imagery with the artists own interpretation or artistic additions to the cards. For instance you will find lots of commissioned decks based on RWS, shadowscapes http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shadowscapes/ is a beautiful deck and the imagry follows along the RWS tradition however the artist does not copy the card exactly, she includes her own symbolism and creates a wonderfully detailed atmosphere on each card. If you were to compare the cards though you would see the RWS tradition in the shadowscapes deck. Another example would be the bohemian baroque cats http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baroque-bohemian-cats/ There are other decks though are closer to the imagry used like http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/art-of-tarot/
 

rwcarter

As this is the Rider-Waite-Smith forum, I'm sure Ayces_Wylde was talking about unauthorized reproductions of the Rider Waite deck, not decks inspired by RWS imagery.

There's currently a Russian knockoff on eBay that has the "crackled mud" backs of the early 1900s printings of the deck.

There's also a Dutch "Fakesimile" version that I've seen on eBay.
 

Stark Raven

rwcarter said:
As this is the Rider-Waite-Smith forum, I'm sure Ayces_Wylde was talking about unauthorized reproductions of the Rider Waite deck, not decks inspired by RWS imagery.

There's currently a Russian knockoff on eBay that has the "crackled mud" backs of the early 1900s printings of the deck.

There's also a Dutch "Fakesimile" version that I've seen on eBay.
Click to expand...

Yes rwcarter; I was referring to actual clones in the truest sense of the word clone. Actual unauthorized reproductions.

That Russian one on eBay... from memory now it was over $60 plus shipping for a reproduction! They even refer to an early printing by name in the title. The nerve, lol...

I am surprised that the perps bother printing such decks, the risk is phenomenal.
 

Stark Raven

Kid A said:
There are many many many RWS type decks, I wouldn't necessarily call them knock offs though. Alot of great decks use the RWS type of imagery with the artists own interpretation or artistic additions to the cards. For instance you will find lots of commissioned decks based on RWS, shadowscapes http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/shadowscapes/ is a beautiful deck and the imagry follows along the RWS tradition however the artist does not copy the card exactly, she includes her own symbolism and creates a wonderfully detailed atmosphere on each card. If you were to compare the cards though you would see the RWS tradition in the shadowscapes deck. Another example would be the bohemian baroque cats http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/baroque-bohemian-cats/ There are other decks though are closer to the imagry used like http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/art-of-tarot/
Click to expand...

I understand this as I am a collector of various RWS based decks. In this thread I was referring to actual knockoffs. Thanks for your opinion though.
 

gregory

Sounds like fun - can you post a link ? (Or photos/scans ?)
 

rwcarter

gregory said:
Sounds like fun - can you post a link ? (Or photos/scans ?)
Click to expand...

Two of the pics of the Russian RWS attached - one showing the back and one showing the box. One pic of the Faksimile attached.
 

Attachments

  • Russian RWS 02.jpg
    Russian RWS 02.jpg
    121.5 KB · Views: 182
  • Russian RWS 01.jpg
    Russian RWS 01.jpg
    159.7 KB · Views: 145
  • Faksimile RWS.jpg
    Faksimile RWS.jpg
    106.2 KB · Views: 184

gregory

Thanks. Want to see the OP's as well :D

EA that Faksimile one is weird as it shows Urania as the publisher :confused: Is it for certain sure a knock off ? It looks like a simple other language one to me...
 

rwcarter

I was just going by the title of the Faksimile deck. It may be an authorized version.
 

gregory

Faksimile is German (and Dutch !) for facsimile :D

So.... :love:
 
Queen of Swords throne? Sun on the box front?