What happens when your cards wear out?

ravenest

are you kidding?!
that's when the cards starting to get good!!
like a good bottle of wine, a deck of cards mature over time, the longer they lived with you, the better they are to read with~~!

My very first deck. Divine Legacy is super chipped, the "glossiness" is all gone, it's still smooth only because how much I've used them that it smoothen out the little micro bumps. One of the card's corner is even bent! But, it's the best deck to use with!

I got a deck (my main user one ) in the mid 70s Its still my main deck .

It looks less worn out than I do , so ......
 

nisaba

I have had the Joie de Vivre tarot for a while and have used it pretty heavily. I noticed that on several of the cards, the glossy finish is scratched and on some of them, the image is starting to wear away in places, leaving these white patches! The scratches I don't mind much, but is there anything I can do about the chipped parts of the images?

An aged deck is a beautiful deck. The older and more worn a deck is, the better-loved it is. As long as you can't read a newspaper headline through it, it's good to go. I've had clients when faced with the newer of my decks, telling me I can't be very experienced. :)

Honour the damage" (that is, honest use) of your deck. It is what seasons it and turns it from a good deck into a great deck.
 

EmpyreanKnight

If a deck has been a faithful friend to me and our relationship has been fruitful, I think I'd try to hold on to it as long as I can. There will come a time when it would have to be replaced. In any case I'm not just going to throw it away. I shall put it in a cool, dark place so that after all the years and years of help it gave me, it can finally rest.
 

Carojulie

Thank you so much for the talcum powder suggestion! I will try that.

I feel the same as you do. The worn parts of the image don't bother me, cosmetically. I am mostly looking for a way to make sure that I'm not making the worn spots bigger each time I shuffle. I even had the idea to maybe kind of gild the cards in spots? I really do like the deck, and would want to keep it, but it's not my main deck so I probably won't buy a replacement unless I find a good deal.

Hi CMcQueen, I know that there are some varnishes that are used to block images or decoupage work, and these come in matte, satiny of shiny, so I suppose you could find one to match the cards. It could protect the damaged parts, so that it does no chip further. ModPodge does some, and there are other brands, you can look them up in craftstores.
BUT I would be very careful before applying some on my cards.
First, really try it first on a random piece of paper and cardboard. I have used some of these varnishes in the past, only to find that they become sticky when the weather is hot, and in some case they completely stick to another surface, to the point that you cannot unstick it without ripping appart the image it was supposed to protect
Second, if you do find a brand that seems to work and that wont get sticky, I would only apply a very thin coat, and only on small patches, where the card needs it the most.

A transparent acrylic paint would probably work the same, with the same precautions to be taken beforehand (there are transparent glittery paints.... you could still see the card underneath)

I am not sure this is a good advice to give, because I am not sure if the result would be satisfactory, or would be even worse than the present situation.
But it might be worth exploring, as long as you try it on some paper before using on the cards ?
 

zhadee

But, if you wish to make your deck last a little longer, I would suggest putting some talcum (baby powder) on the cards. It might whiten the cards a tad, but just for a short time ; and it will reduce the amount of scraping between the cards, so it can probably slow down the image chipping problem.
I cannot think of anything to do to make the weared images whole again, but at least you can try to limit future damage.
Following your suggestion... there are 3 decks I've bathed in talcum powder: the Old English. It shuffled well, and now it shuffles even better.
The Ceccoli in order to keep its glossiness. I'd really really hate to see white marks on them.
And lastly, my battered old Tarock cards. In their former life, these cards have been treated badly, I can feel it. They almost feel leathery, and they are very flexible which is likely to stem from bridging. Now thanks to the talcum, they shuffle smoothly. Unlike the other two decks, which are fairly new and nicely smelling anyway, the old cards have adopted the sweet talcum smell. It also feels like the talcum prolongues their life.
 

foolMoon

Old worn out decks look cool, and seem give better readings.

Once I tried to wear out my Giant RWS deck. For that I put the deck in a large empty coffee can, poured some ground coffee, closed the lid, and shook it for an hour. The deck came out stained, looked 100 years old, and smelt good ground coffeey too.
 

Julian Jaymes

Personally, I like it when decks start to get beat up. I've never actually replaced a deck. I like the worn aesthetic. ...But, I did edge my Lo Scarabeo Tarot in black because of the nicked edges bothering me. It has borderless black backs, so the nicks really showed against that stark black color.

But yeah, I just kinda let my decks get worn. I actually like it. :) I do have one that I use more for meditation and such, and would like to allow to remain pristine (my Starchild Tarot) but I think I may just get an extra copy (yes, an extra of a $65 CAD deck - my goodness!) just to use for readings, so that I can keep this copy nice.

Really, in the end, I think it's up to the individual whether they prefer to have worn-down cards or pristine cards. And for some of us, like me, it varies by deck and purpose of deck. I would seriously cry if I nicked the corner of a Starchild card, but I kinda wish I could put my Universal Waite through the dryer! XD

~Jules
 

Carojulie

Following your suggestion... there are 3 decks I've bathed in talcum powder: the Old English. It shuffled well, and now it shuffles even better.
The Ceccoli in order to keep its glossiness. I'd really really hate to see white marks on them.
And lastly, my battered old Tarock cards. In their former life, these cards have been treated badly, I can feel it. They almost feel leathery, and they are very flexible which is likely to stem from bridging. Now thanks to the talcum, they shuffle smoothly. Unlike the other two decks, which are fairly new and nicely smelling anyway, the old cards have adopted the sweet talcum smell. It also feels like the talcum prolongues their life.

I am very glad that it proved helpful :) on dark decks it can whiten them for a time (my Bonefire tarot, of which I had inked the edges in black, did come out a little whitish from the talcum session, but it is not permanent), but I do like how silky it makes them feel and it does seem to minimize scrapes.

Old worn out decks look cool, and seem give better readings.

Once I tried to wear out my Giant RWS deck. For that I put the deck in a large empty coffee can, poured some ground coffee, closed the lid, and shook it for an hour. The deck came out stained, looked 100 years old, and smelt good ground coffeey too.

You mean cofffee in powder form, dont you ? Not coffee, the hot liquid beverage ? !!
Coffee is good to get rid of nasty smells too... your deck is probably now protected against bad smells for a very long time !

Really, in the end, I think it's up to the individual whether they prefer to have worn-down cards or pristine cards. And for some of us, like me, it varies by deck and purpose of deck
~Jules
I can totaly relate to that ! :)
 

foolMoon

You mean cofffee in powder form, dont you ? Not coffee, the hot liquid beverage ? !!
Coffee is good to get rid of nasty smells too... your deck is probably now protected against bad smells for a very long time !


I can totaly relate to that ! :)


Of course coffee in powder form, not coffee in hot water - that would have just ruined the deck :D
 

Morwenna

I've never worn out a deck. :) But I agree that one should not bridge if they riffle; that works for playing cards with linen finish but precious few Tarot decks have that kind. I've seen a few people bridge my cards when shuffling, but since they have been few and far between, I haven't worried about it and am not about to. And my mother, who was NOT a bridger, could warp a deck of playing cards in her own inimitable way! :)

But I doubt if some scratches or chips would deter me from using a well-loved deck. I might be tempted to get a backup, just so I had the unsullied art somewhere, but for reading I'd probably stick with the tried and true.

Losing cards, though, that's a different issue. :( I lost a card from my mini-Grimaud and even though I still list it as in my collection, it's officially retired.