5 Positives about Lo Scarabeo decks

Generally:

I like their reproductions- Sola Busca, Visconti, Mantegna etc

The decks feel nice. Not overly slippy, not 'sticky'.

Someone else mentioned the boxes. They are very easy to get in & out of the box. Also all their boxes are the same size, which makes storage easier.

I have a fair few Ls decks & I've never had one with any printing errors.

They have a great range of decks, and a plenty of mini versions.

Decks I paticularly like, apart from the reproductions- Secret, Crystal, Universal Fantasy. For art only, I really like the Art Nouveau.

Love the fact that they do very reasonably priced historic repros.

They have the guts to try out new things.

Their artwork, while not always to my taste, is always high-quality.

The physical properties of their decks are excellent (size, finish, etc.).

The fact that Riccardo doesn't get slapped on the wrist for being honest on the forum about LoS (or perhaps he does, but that doesn't stop him, thank goodness! )

I must admit that I really like LS decks. I'm open to explore new decks, no matter who publishes them. And so far, I didn't have any problems with LS. So now, about the Secret:

* I like the card size. It's perfect for my hands. I like the card stock, durable and good. I like multi-languages.

* I like the art work ... now I like the Court Cards, too.

* I like that it forces me to dig deep to find some meaning. It challenges me.

* I like that now the cards edges curve to the inside. Gives them a somewhat used look without the negative aspects of an aged, used deck (fading color, shabby edges where pictures disappear ...).

* I like that it calls me now and has forgiven me that I had stored it due to finding it to harsh, unreadable, weird coloring, aweful Court cards etc. pp.


Overall I'm happy with LS decks and open to any new they produce.



Astraea Aurora

I have a few LS decks that I really like, but my favorite LS deck is the Manga. Here are five things I like about it:

1. I love the gender switching gimmick. It helps give the deck its distinctive personality.

2. I love the colors. They're very vivid. I also like having a different dominant color for each suit.

3. I love the artwork. It's very well done and I'm glad it isn't too cute.

4. I like the unobtrusive seasonal glyphs. Perfect for timing readings.

5. I like the thin black borders. The black borders give the artwork extra punch.

I also have to add one more: I absolutely love the court cards in this deck. The court cards are very distinctive, especially the Princesses (equivalent to Knights in conventional decks). Each of the four princesses rides a different animal.

I like all my decks, but the reasons I like my LS decks are:

Oddly enough, the multi-languages. I don't see them when I'm reading the cards, but the fact they are there gives me a warm feeling that other Tarotists all over the world are looking at and using those same cards. It's like have a few friends over...we don't speak each others language but there is plenty of other ways to communicate, shared interests being one. I'm really amazed at how much those words bother other people.

The size, the size the size! I can shuffle them without any problems whatsoever. This week I'm using the Fantastic Menagerie, and I like everything that about them EXCEPT when shuffling. I have special swear words I use when shuffling MR decks.

Variety of themes, keeps the cards from getting stale/keywordish

the mini decks are fun

I like thinking about the artist when studying individual cards, what was their focus when drawing/painting, however the original cards start out. Sometimes I google the artists name and see what else they've done.

as said above, the cards slide in the box without catching on the bottom flap.

I'm probably too new-ish to tarot to analyze cardstock, but I like theirs just fine, no problems at all.

I just plain enjoy reading and working with all my LS decks. Thanks Ric!

Great thread Solitaire, thank you. I guess we don't post on the slagging threads because it would be like spitting in the wind, why bother Our differences are what make us interesting.

I like the size of the cards. I know the craze is for the bloody HUGE ones, but I like them to be handle-able. Lo Scarabeo decks are a very comfortable size.

I like the physical quality of the cards - the cards are sturdy without being really thick, and have a nice smooth finish that isn't sticky.

I like the borders. Yes, I do I like borders on cards. And even the very simple ones are attractive with colours that set off the artwork (the red borders of the Golden Tarot of the Tsar, the yellow of the Estensi, the black of the Visconti, the green of the Tarot of the Master). And the multi-lingual titles don't bother me. They're harmless.

I like the themes. The historical reproductions/recreations such as the Visconti, the Minchiate Etruria, Mantegna, Tarot of the Master, etc. are wonderful.

I like the gold and silver foil. Shiny and very special.

I like the diversity. Historical reproductions, themed decks, fantasy, medieval, modern ... not all of the themes are ones that appeal to me, but the ones that do I really like, and I like that they aren't afraid to take risks.

Edited to add: oh, and I forgot ... I also like that the boxes have those bottoms, so the tuck flap doesn't smoosh the LWB

i currently have 4 LS decks and plan on ordering the new Medieval and the Golden Botticelli as soon as they are on Amazon. My 5:

1 - The gold and silver decks. Beautiful.
2 - The quality of the art is always high.
3 - Ric has committed himself to providing historic decks at affordable prices.
4 - But at the same time, he is willing to take risks and present modern art to broaden the market for tarot.
5 - He is here online, talking directly to his customers. And if you ask him a question, he personally will respond within a few days at the very most.

I"m another fan of the size. I have small hands, and the cards fit my hands beautifully.

The Pagan Tarot is a fun deck, love the scenes of everyday life.

I like being reminded of card titles in Spanish

The cards feel great in terms of stock.

While I don't like all of their decks, I can respect th risks that they are willing to take with the art.

I admire LS for that sense of whimsy and inspiration.

LS seems willing to experiment, to produce decks that don't follow the RWS pattern, sometimes not even a little bit.

Also, LS decks, even just looking at the pictures on line, challenge my aesthetics. I am not from the Manga generation but looking at and considering these decks helps keep my sensibility from petrifying.

1. Cardstock, paperquality, how the edges and corners are smooth, perfect size for shuffling, the finish between shiny and matte.
2. The historical decks, like Visconti, Mantegna, Sola Busca, Minchiate Etruria, not too expensive so easy available.
3. The Fey deck in particular. One of the most beautiful and interesting decks I know. The book that comes with it is a pearl as well.
4. The perfect boxes which do not damage the cards.
5. LS is easy to distinguish from the other publishers. They are original, very active in introducing new artists and new decks. Perhaps not always decks I like but they happen to be modern, different, experimental and exciting. That is year after year a great thing to accomplish I believe.