U.S.Games Systems Inc. vs Pamela Colman Smith

Fulgour

When did U.S. Games Systems Inc. change the lettering
on the "Rider Waite" deck from the artist's hand drawn
script to the typeset titles that they are sadly using now?

Last year the Giant Rider Waite was re-released as typeset,
on thin stock, with the same colouring as the regular size.
Only the Mini deck remains true to the 'original' art style.

*

What year exactly did the standard decks switch to typeface?
There was surely an overlap of the two styles left in the stores
for awhile, but without even changing the box to make it clear
that the decks inside are all typeset now, U.S. Games Systems
Inc., has been selling this misleading product for several years.

It'd be interesting to know exactly when this change was made.
 

Zephyros

I don't know anything about the typeset, but there is no question the the US Games RWS is sadly unlike the original, who's colors were softer and there was more detail, and all in all it was a far superior deck than what is sold today.

As a matter of fact, they have done this with at least one other deck that I know of. The original Oswald With was a far more beautiful deck than what is sold today, where it is downright ugly, and it has no minors!!!. I mean, if you are already a company the is respected for the decks that you make, why not go the extra mile and give your (discerning) customers a quality product, that at the same time respcts the artist's work?
 

Ruby7

Fulgour said:
Only the Mini deck remains true to the 'original' art style.
.
Click to expand...

I can't answer any of your questions Fulgour, but I prefer the hand drawn script. I was delighted when I bought the mini deck and discovered that it still had the hand drawn script.

Ruby7
 

EricTheHermit

The so-called "original" Rider Waite Tarot is actually U.S. Games' reproduction of what the original deck was supposed to look like. The master printing plates for the REAL original Rider Waite Tarot were destroyed in the Blitz - the bombing of London during World War 2.

Dissatisfaction with this reproduction led the company to redesign the deck. The new typeface and the re-coloring of the cards were done for cosmetic reasons - to make the deck more attractive to buyers. That's what most readers believe, anyway. With so many decks available these days, competition is fierce. What the companies don't realize, though, is that almost all readers own multiple decks.

Another thing that U.S. Games did was to make the regular deck smaller than it used to be, probably to reduce production costs. They do sell a really big jumbo-sized RWS deck in addition to the regular and miniature.

- Eric
 

Gwynne

EricTheHermit said:
The so-called "original" Rider Waite Tarot is actually U.S. Games' reproduction of what the original deck was supposed to look like. The master printing plates for the REAL original Rider Waite Tarot were destroyed in the Blitz - the bombing of London during World War 2.

Dissatisfaction with this reproduction led the company to redesign the deck. The new typeface and the re-coloring of the cards were done for cosmetic reasons - to make the deck more attractive to buyers. That's what most readers believe, anyway. With so many decks available these days, competition is fierce. What the companies don't realize, though, is that almost all readers own multiple decks.

Another thing that U.S. Games did was to make the regular deck smaller than it used to be, probably to reduce production costs. They do sell a really big jumbo-sized RWS deck in addition to the regular and miniature.

- Eric
Click to expand...


And the jumbo deck is HUGE... LOL I have a purse that's made with 8 cards from the RWS giant-size deck!
 

Cerulean

Fourth row down, check the 1971 Rider Waite

http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/ShipofFools.html

She wrote the change in typeface from the hand-lettering.

The Rider deck that I've seen with the hand-writing circa 1971 is described in more detail...let me find the aeclectic.net thread....and I'll post for you...

"1971 matte finish, earlier printing

with accurate color tones and the U.S. Games address of New York, New York marked on the bottom of the box... I like how the cards don't have the copyright symbol of the U.S. Games as well.

Tiny differences just let me know that my Rider Waite is a little different...

The 1971 with lamination is nice, though, especially since someone wrote once they have allergies to the old ink."

Cerulean (Mari)

P.S. The University Books edition about 1971 has brighter, softer coloring and seems to have the same line quality of the two 1971 editions by U.S. Games and also lacks the copyright symbol on the face of the cards.
 
Scales : Justice and 6 pentacles T for tree ( hanged man)