Are you happy with your Phantasmagoric?

I am thinking about trading for this deck, so I was wondering how you guys like it.

How big is it?
The cardstock thickness?
Glossy/Matte Finish?
The cards uniform length and width (polished edges?)

How are the images? How is the symbolism? Based on Rider-Waite?

I'm at work so I can't measure the deck but it is about the size of the large Thoth. The cards are a little large for shuffling by average size female paws. The stock feels sturdy.

The symbolism is very idiosyncratic, it does take some reading of the LWB and study of the deck itself to be usable. If you work mostly off the images, you'll have no problems, if you are the kind of reader who likes an orderly or traditional system, you may find it annoying.

If you like "Nightmare Before Christmas" , that kinda Tim Burton sensibility, it'll work for you. BTW, although the artwork is cartoony, it's not suitable for children.

I've owned this a long time, since introduced to it by a departed AT member (Yaboot, where did you go??). I never read with it but I LOVE the art (love Tim Burton, good comparison) and pull it out occasionally just to enjoy the whimsy.

Thanks for the info on the images, and yes, Tim Burton is one of my favorite film makers...

Now, how about some info on the quality of the cards?

TaranRavenfrost said:

Now, how about some info on the quality of the cards?

Click to expand...

The quality is quite good. The deck is fun and quite unique! If you want a smaller deck though, The Halloween Tarot is a cute fun deck too..not quite as warped of course as this one but fun and smaller. Pretty much along the lines of a regular playing deck as far as card stock goes imho.

I love mine and do readings with it occationally. Usually related to creative endeavours and work.

The cards are absolutely lovely, but too large for me to shuffle as I normally do. Instead I do the insertion method from the short end..
A bit tricky til one gets the hang of it.

It doesn't follow RWS too well considering the style of the artwork, and there are a lot of quirky details in the cards. There's the recurring checkered floor in the Swords suite, the walls that indicate a city where all these people are living, the village of the Coins suite, the style of the card drawings..
The RWS meanings hang on though, and for intuitive readers that go by the imagery (and appreciate the artstyle), it's a hoot.

Edited to add:

The cardstock.
Not too thick, flexible, durable and shiny, but not too shiny to catch and reflect light.