Gold/Silver Baba decks. Favorites? Why?

FLizarraga

Having been fortunate enough to score a VR Gold, I finally understand what all the fuss is about.

Yes, I have read countless raves, including Karen Mahony's own description of the printing process. And I have seen innumerable pictures --all, without exception, posted with the warning that they don't do It justice. (Which is true.)

None of that prepares you for the Real Thing. It's something that has to be experienced firsthand, preferably at candlelight. It's a pity there are only 500 of these. There should be at least 5,000.

And of course I'm more enabled than ever --not only to find my grail of grails, the BG Silver, but to find a BBC Gold as well.

So? Favorites? Wants? Rants? Diatribes?
 

LindaMechele

I'm so glad you started this thread, FL! I'd love to hear the rants and raves as well as all about the differences in editions. Owning a Victorian Romantic with lots of gold bling isn't in the cards for me now due to budget, but hopefully will be next year, so I'm learning now.

One question about the card stock, too, for anyone who can answer (FL, maybe you can?): what deck would you liken it to? I have a vintage '71 Rider (no copyrights if that makes a difference) and I ADORE that cardstock - thick enough to be nice and firm but thin enough to be extremely shufflable and dealable, silky smooth but no slippery glossy plasticky coating, supple with lots of give and no brittle-rigid feeling but still a lot of substance. I also have a few of Seven Stars' decks, and a lot of LoScarabeo's, among others. Is there any deck in my profile's "Have" list you'd liken it to?
 

FLizarraga

One question about the card stock, too, for anyone who can answer (FL, maybe you can?): what deck would you liken it to? I have a vintage '71 Rider (no copyrights if that makes a difference) and I ADORE that cardstock - thick enough to be nice and firm but thin enough to be extremely shufflable and dealable, silky smooth but no slippery glossy plasticky coating, supple with lots of give and no brittle-rigid feeling but still a lot of substance. I also have a few of Seven Stars' decks, and a lot of LoScarabeo's, among others. Is there any deck in my profile's "Have" list you'd liken it to?

That's actually not a bad description of the VR Gold stock, I think. :) But the closest I can come up with is another Baba first edition. Those old Baba decks that I have been lucky enough to touch --1st eds VR, BG, BBC, and (only edition) Fairytale-- seem all to have the same or similar cardstock. It's silky and feels a bit worn even when new.
 

Grizabella

I'm so glad you started this thread, FL! I'd love to hear the rants and raves as well as all about the differences in editions. Owning a Victorian Romantic with lots of gold bling isn't in the cards for me now due to budget, but hopefully will be next year, so I'm learning now.

One question about the card stock, too, for anyone who can answer (FL, maybe you can?): what deck would you liken it to? I have a vintage '71 Rider (no copyrights if that makes a difference) and I ADORE that cardstock - thick enough to be nice and firm but thin enough to be extremely shufflable and dealable, silky smooth but no slippery glossy plasticky coating, supple with lots of give and no brittle-rigid feeling but still a lot of substance. I also have a few of Seven Stars' decks, and a lot of LoScarabeo's, among others. Is there any deck in my profile's "Have" list you'd liken it to?

Well, although it was my deck of choice for a long time and I loved reading with it, the size of the cards was too big for my hands and the card stock on both the VR Gold decks I had turned into floppy, limp things that were very unsatisfactory for shuffling. It was like trying to shuffle heavy fabric or something. On the other hand, I had both the BG regular and the BG silver and the card stock held up wonderfully on those. Karen said it was the same card stock used, but I don't see how it could have been.

My regret is that Baba Studios decks get snapped up in a feeding frenzy by those who can afford to buy a bunch of them at a time, to then reap sales of three figures or more when by rights, Baba Studios is the one who deserves at least some of the extra money, in my never so humble opinion. I've always felt that when people do that and make money hand over fist for their extra copies, they should, by all that's just and decent, give at least a percentage back to Baba Studios.

I realize I'm probably making some other members mad. I love them all, but I've still got my opinions for better or worse, but only in the spirit that I'd just clear my throat and glare at a kid getting extra desserts for supposed friends and then eating them all themselves. lol
 

Gulliver

Hey Flizzy, CONGRATS! :) I'd like to get the BBC gold. It is so cool, completely "baroque". I'm glad (or not?) that I didn't get in touch with the VR gold and BG silver, so maybe I can't imagine enough how wonderful they are and have at this point no desire. But we'll see.

Wish you a lot of fun with your gem!
 

Alta

I was around long enough to have purchased a copy of each of those as they came out. Of the three, I prefer the Bohemian Gothic Silver. The silver is subtle, a sort of candle-light effect as opposed to the more brightly gleaming gold effect on the other two. And of those, the Cats is likely the least subtle. I am not positive but I think that it was their first foray into adding gold effects and in some cards it was wildly overdone and looks a bit, well, silly. The Victorian Romantic gold has very nice touches, much more elegantly done than the Cats but the BG Silver really shimmers and it is the perfect enhancement of that deck, imo anyway.
 

Gulliver

Hi Alta, could you please give an example for such a "silly" card of the BBC gold, so that one could imagine? That would be very nice, because I'm thinking about buying this deck someday.
 

Alta

The Chariot is my idea of an over-use of gold. Going through the deck, I once again saw how with the BBCats, the gold looks 'painted on' top of the original card while with the VR Gold and BG Silver it seems to be part of the images. Note on The Magician how the gold on the front of his jacket just looks as if added with a gold Sharpie.
 

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Gulliver

Ahh, I understand! Thank you very much, Alta! Now I have the imagine that the VR gold images look more as a whole and the gold in the BBC gold looks like added.
 

MissChiff

Y'all must admit that they got it down with the Alice tarot....