Marseilles decks for study purposes

Notes on the Thunder Bay Press “Conver”

Bad bad card stock – although this deck may be eye candy, it is not manufactured with a reader in mind.

The deck uses RWS illustrations and ‘meanings’.

Tarot Garden will not distribute this deck.

Please don’t waste your money on this…please. If you show demand for poor products, more manufacturers will make poor products and sell them at higher prices. (economics 101)

Well, how can I argue with you Umbrae (not that I want to). I am pleased to have your opinion, and for some unknown reason I held off ordering it this morning (a new theme in my life... to be patient)!

I have just read Mark Filipas' review and it looks favourably on this deck. But what interests me is that you say it has RWS illustrations, which I had no idea about. Although I did know that I wouldn't be interested in the book.

The BOOK uses RWS meanings, but not exclusively RWS illustrations. The deck, as Rusty has pointed out, is a photoreproduction of Camoin's bicentennial edition of Conver with 1880 colors. No, the card stock isn't very high quality, BUT it's also very inexpensive. If the put out just the deck at regular price, maybe it wouldn't be worth it, but with a mediocre book and deck that's at least worth studying, IMO, it's worth the $12-whatever.

Umbrae said:

Bad bad card stock – although this deck may be eye candy, it is not manufactured with a reader in mind.

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An older version that I have of the Thunder Bay Press doesn't have as good stock as the newer version of the Thunder Bay Press that I recently acquired and that is the one Filipas reviewed. For details of the two versions, see the thread cited in my second post to this thread. I agree even the newer version doesn't have the best stock, but if you want a photoreproduction of the Camoin Bicentennial without paying the substantially greater price for the Camoin Bicentennial thru camoin.com, the Thunder Bay Press is the one way to go. The Bicentennial (and hence the Thunder Bay, as a photoreproduction thereof) is a unique version of the Conver. The Bicentennial was printed in 1960 using 1760 Conver plates and 1880 Conver colours.

The deck uses RWS illustrations and ‘meanings’.

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The book gives RWS meanings, but the deck is a Conver Marseilles and so doesn't necessarily have RWS meanings embedded in it unless the reader chooses to assign such meanings. The Tarot Set is being recommended for the deck alone, despite the book. It's good value even if the book is chucked out by the purchaser.

Tarot Garden will not distribute this deck.

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Tarot Garden's loss, amazon's/Barnes & Nobles' gain.

Thunder Bay's Nicolas Conver 1760 Le Tarot de Marseille

This is a deck I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone,
especially someone new to Marseille as it's affordably priced.
I've shuffled quite a few decks of cards, and this one's fine,
what's more ~ the images are authentic, ain't nothing artsy.

The book isn't bad by Tarot lore standards, and the box rocks!

This is wonderful, loads of ideas going through my mind now.

So far (out of what's available) it seems to be:

Piatnik
Vieville
LS Conver
Fournier
Dodal Dusserre [please Father Christmas]
Thunder Bay
Carta Mundi (this may have been the one I gave away)!

The other consideration for me has been the Kaplan Encyclopaedias. They are sitting in my basket at the checkout right now. Once again, I am restraining myself and giving them much thought.

I was posting on the run as my boss was hanging out, I'll elaborate a bit now: the deck is a bit oversized. I've had oversized decks before that I simply could not shuffle: Goddess, Enchanted to name a couple. This one (yes I poker shuffle ) I was able to manipulate pretty easily...so, if the cardstock is lower quality, it worked out better for me. It doesn't feel overly slick, yet did shuffle well.

The book isn't entirely worthless. I've only skimmed it so far, but it does seem to have some interesting bits of history. If you get it, maybe don't chuck it RIGHT away!

It also comes with a satin-y spread cloth, which I don't use, but I think it's a nice touch

I mean, I would agree with Umbrae's sentiment, but I have a higher opinion of this deck. Maybe one could do a spread to inquire what to get next?

and i am very happy to disagree totally with Umbrae.

this set is excellent, at least for the cards part! if you don't shuffle like an axe murderer, i don't see why the cards shouldn't last. if you shuffle hard, buy two (or three!) sets when you are at it! it still would be cheaper than a "modern" set...

the book? well, i haven't read it but i saw very nice coloured pictures in it (and as mentioned above, not only about RWS clones).
so what if Lyle writes about RWS meanings??? i think i read somewhere on this very forum that some of us read TdM with RWS meanings!!!! shouldn't we shoot them btw? isn't there a law against that???

haven't used the spreadcloth but i am pretty sure one of my princesses would be very grateful to get it

i don't think it is the kind of set tarotgarden would distribute. i am very happy with tarotgarden providing htf, self-published, rare decks.

give this set some credit... in Finland, i can't even buy a RWS from a regular bookstore and i found this one, so really, i am extremely positive about it! it feels like tarot from my ancestors found me all the way up here. makes me feel all fuzzy.

kissa

edited to add: and from what it's worth, i use this cheap reproduction more than the very glorious camoin-jodorowsky which i can't stand, despite the stock quality, the fuss about it, the "wisdom of the Ancient" restored blablabla and Mister Camoin's cult of the personality...

Links, ideas, images and funny musings on the Vieville...

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=22381

It's a charming deck and reminds me of looking at...well, maybe Aesop's fables or some old book of parables that may have been well-loved and smeared... and just needs someone to re-awaken their imagination...

I was thinking of the Nostradamus for it's 'Payen-style' stencils, but I haven't delved into the funny old Tarot of Paris or revisited the Vieville with some beautiful commentary by the wonderful Andrea Vitali:

http://trionfi.com/0/i/v/v16-1.html

and maybe the old warm oddness of the Vieville and the hero looking up in a tree crowned by the streaming sun is where my joy can be found soon.

Regards,

Cerulean

I May Be In Love

Tarot de Marseille Convos by Carte Mundi for AG Muller 1999
(Images)
Standard Tarot de Marseille based on 18th century wood-carvings.
Somewhat squat-looking figures. Unusual use of different shades of
blue. Titles in English. 78 cards with 28 page instructions in English.

Tarot Garden (enter: Convos)
$20
http://www.tarotgarden.com/index.html

R. Somerville (see: Reproduction and facsimile packs)
£12.50 ($22.50)
http://www.playingcardsales.co.uk/cards/