When do you retire a deck?

So, I'm sitting here looking at my ancient Hanson-Roberts deck, and wondering if it's time to retire it and get a new one.

It's not like any of the cards are creased (except for maybe The Lovers, and you have to look for the crease to see it). All the cards are still there, but if you hold the cards up to the light, you can see the spots where the laminate is just about worn away. There is also that faint stain of some mystery substance on the border of The Fool. Not to mention they're so warped, their profile looks like a lemniscate- not even two weeks under a brick fixed that. And oh yeah, the edges are dark gray. Edge treatment courtesy of 10,000 shuffles.

In spite of all this, I can't seem to bring myself to replace this deck. It has become the equivalent of that beat up t-shirt that you love, yet are embarrassed to wear in public.

When do you retire a deck? What do you do with it? Or, do you keep a deck in "rotation" until it literally falls apart?

I've retired my Victorian Romantic Gold. It didn't hold up well and got so it was so floppy it wouldn't shuffle easily. My daughter wanted it for sentimental reasons and took it home with her one day. That's perfectly fine with me because I know it's safe with her.

It would be neat if you could find a glass top for a table you use and put the cards all under the glass. That would make them safe but still enjoyable to look at and savor the memories.

I retired one deck because the backs of a couple of the cards were worn in a way that made it obvious to me what cards they were before I turned them over. I just didn't like knowing ahead of time, "Oh, here comes the Knight of Cups," or whatever.

Another deck I recall retiring because after many years of shuffling, it began to smell like feet.

My 1983 standard-size Thoth is almost at that point since the cards are starting to feel very soft in the hand. The cards aren't damaged otherwise. On the other hand, my very first Thoth from 1970 has a couple of dog-earred, clear-packing-tape-covered corners and the random crease or two, but it's the one my wife likes me to read for her with, so it stays Most of my decks will never get to forced retirement because they suffer more from the "yawn factor" than from wear.

Apollonia said:

Another deck I recall retiring because after many years of shuffling, it began to smell like feet.

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Now you did it! After that I just had to go smell my 1983 Thoth, and it smells like . . . potato chips. I swear I wipe my fingers in between.

If you are comfortable with that particular deck, whatever it looks like, then use it that is my advice! You could always get another one, and then you will have a back up deck, in case yours wears really thin!

I've gone through 3 copies of the Connolly deck, because my customers seemed to prefer that deck. The first two I got rid of because all the cards started to stick together and the no longer shuffled so nicely...and the energy was starting to feel weird to me...one went to a niece who was just learning to read the cards, and copy #2 went to a child who had to complete a board game project of The Hobbit - I used the Queens, Kings, and the Hermit, High Priestess and the Magician - and the Pages and Knights - for her board game markers

I have yet to wear out a deck to the point of considering its retirement, but then, I don't read on a professional basis.

A deck would have to be very, very worn indeed before I'd retire it, I think.

I had to retire a DruidCraft deck - it became toooo grimy for reading in public and same with one of my Medicine Card decks. that one however went to a young Native girl who wanted to learn to read with it.

I've semi retired my first deck, a 1982 vintage RWS, because the edges are so fuzzy and the finish is in such a state I can't really shuffle it well anymore. That would really be the only reason for me to retire a deck, an inability to use it.

My cards retire it self.