Trimming green Thoth: different size images?

FLizarraga

I'm trimming a large green Thoth even as we speak, and finding that most images are of different sizes --some slightly, some wildly--, so I'm ending up with a very uneven deck.

Has anybody else had this experience? I haven't found anything about it in the forums ---or anywhere else for that matter.
 

La Force

I haven't trimmed mine, however I have trimmed decks, that are uneven in size, this is only a problem when you are one of those who like to riffle your deck when you shuffle, it is not a problem when you shuffle over hand. When you shuffle over hand, let say your right handed, your right hand drops the cards into your left hand, use left hand thumb to slide top card off stack in right hand, to drop down into left hand. The size difference has never been a problem for actual reading. however the card are amazing and vibrant when it done, so continue, you won't regret it, even if the cards are an uneven in size.

Another shuffling trick for odd uneven sized decks.

hold deck in right hand (if your right handed)
hold deck over the table about 1 inch above table surface ( or rest edge of stack on table at an angle) so that you can slide the cards off.
with left hand finger tips, slide top card off the stack from right hand down onto the table.
repeat through out the deck, over and over until you feel the deck is well shuffled.

you will get a good mix, cause with each slide, it varies with how many card your fingers will slide off the stack, ( 1 - 3 card) or (1 card) or ( 6 cards)
 

Richard

I consider the titles and other symbols as an integral part of the Thoth cards, so I wouldn't dare trim them off. However, since you have already done so, with unfortunate results, get another Thoth or else use another shuffling method, such as the one La Force described. I use an over and under type shuffle which is hard to describe, but it mixes the cards well and is less painful (arthritis) than riffling.
 

Debra

Yeah, there are other decks where the borders vary. You have to decide if you're willing to sacrifice bits of the picture or would rather keep some of the border on some cards. I've trimmed several Thoths and as I recall ended up taking off a sliver of picture here and there, but nothing dramatic. I wonder if it's because yours is an older printing?
 

FLizarraga

I'm a riffler, just because I find it saves time and mixes the cards well, but of course I can make an exception for the Thoth. Thanks for the detailed pointers, La Force! :)

To be honest, the difference is not so great that it would require special handling --most of the time, it is of less than a tenth of an inch. It just bugs the perfectionist in me.

I haven't trimmed mine, however I have trimmed decks, that are uneven in size, this is only a problem when you are one of those who like to riffle your deck when you shuffle, it is not a problem when you shuffle over hand. When you shuffle over hand, let say your right handed, your right hand drops the cards into your left hand, use left hand thumb to slide top card off stack in right hand, to drop down into left hand. The size difference has never been a problem for actual reading. however the card are amazing and vibrant when it done, so continue, you won't regret it, even if the cards are an uneven in size.

Another shuffling trick for odd uneven sized decks.

hold deck in right hand (if your right handed)
hold deck over the table about 1 inch above table surface ( or rest edge of stack on table at an angle) so that you can slide the cards off.
with left hand finger tips, slide top card off the stack from right hand down onto the table.
repeat through out the deck, over and over until you feel the deck is well shuffled.

you will get a good mix, cause with each slide, it varies with how many card your fingers will slide off the stack, ( 1 - 3 card) or (1 card) or ( 6 cards)
 

FLizarraga

I consider the titles and other symbols as an integral part of the Thoth cards, so I wouldn't dare trim them off. However, since you have already done so, with unfortunate results, get another Thoth or else use another shuffling method, such as the one La Force described. I use an over and under type shuffle which is hard to describe, but it mixes the cards well and is less painful (arthritis) than riffling.

Not to worry, I have several editions of the Thoth, and there's one (the purple box one with the three Magi) that shall remain intact for study purposes. I got this El Cheapo greenie specifically to see with my own eyes what cutting off the borders completely and rounding the corners does to the famed geometry.

I trimmed a regular size non-greenie down to the innermost borders and I see no difference, except that the images come to live without all that grey around them. So far I see the same thing here, minus ALL borders --and they're still larger than regular Tarot cards, which is a treat. (The trimmed regular size makes a nice pocket deck.)
 

FLizarraga

Yeah, there are other decks where the borders vary. You have to decide if you're willing to sacrifice bits of the picture or would rather keep some of the border on some cards. I've trimmed several Thoths and as I recall ended up taking off a sliver of picture here and there, but nothing dramatic. I wonder if it's because yours is an older printing?

Well, hello there! :)

You, missie, are responsible for this mess. You were the one who got me into trimming and edging. (I still debate what to use to treat the edges of that wonderfully trimmed Mary-El I got for my unbirthday.) My first ever was the Light and Shadow, and that's what a tough nut to crack, since I realized almost too late that several of the majors (14, in fact) were completely different. I managed, and of course everything since then has been easier.. :bugeyed:

These large green box greenies were printed between 1978-1986. Apparently they printed millions of these suckers, since they keep popping up all over the place for next to nothing. (It took me a lot more effort, and money, to find a large AG Müller.) I wonder if all of them suffer from the same irregularities, or if I just got the one bad apple, since nobody has ever mentioned it before as far as I can tell.

The colors are really washed out, to the point of making hard to see the outer lines --sometimes I just had to hope I was cutting it right. That might explain its low market value...
 

RLG

I'm trimming a large green Thoth even as we speak, and finding that most images are of different sizes --some slightly, some wildly--, so I'm ending up with a very uneven deck.

Has anybody else had this experience? I haven't found anything about it in the forums ---or anywhere else for that matter.

Dwtw

Try searching for the thread 'trimming a greenie Thoth'
or hopefully this link will work:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=161325&highlight=trimming+greenie

Litlluw
 

FLizarraga

Dwtw

Try searching for the thread 'trimming a greenie Thoth'
or hopefully this link will work:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=161325&highlight=trimming+greenie

Litlluw

Thanks! I searched high and low last night, but missed your thread --too bad, because it would have saved me a lot of aggravation. The 3 of Wands, particularly, is minuscule, while the disks are all huge.

By the way, they weren't kidding when they call them "greenies." The cards are kinda sickly looking, especially side by side with the blue box AGM.
 

Debra

Yeah sure blame me :p
:heart: