[Rusty Neon]

Those of us who, like me, are allergic to gold (or silver or other metallic) leafing and gilding would welcome a non-gilded edition of this deck. Unfortunately, I'm seeing more and more new decks that are available only in metal leaf or gilded editions.

[retrokat]

Hiya Rusty,

I've been told that US Games are planning the initial version of GT as a "deluxe" deck with gilding, hardcover book etc.

I am hoping (not that I really have any say in it) that there will be a 'budget' version subsequently released if there's sufficient demand/interest in the initial release. I expect that a budget version wouldn't have any foil gilding, as it's pretty expensive to manufacture such cards. So perhaps there may be a version of GT available eventually for the metal-sensitive, as well as those who simply don't like the aesthetics of gold foil - a number of whom have expressed that opinion elsewhere on Aeclectic boards.

Thanks for posting the request. USGS make all the decisions re production, but certainly having people's opinions collected here may get back to them and have some input to the process

[Cerulean]

...I found out many good vendors want a positive feedback rating and dislike negative comments. Thanks for letting us know, Retrokat...at the moment I have a nice member buyer rating from vendors, so if I get a chance, a note from an ebay member might be a good alert to potential buyers.
So us Retrokat fans might add comments to beware, until the real thing becomes available. I'm hoping there is a date---autumn??? before 2004...I'm waiting until then for a real Lo Scarabeo reproduction of another historical tarocchi.
My fingers are crossed.
Maybe you can also distribute in the U.S. through Tarotgarden.com...if they can take a preorder and you are allowed to obtain a certain number to autograph, then maybe Tarotgarden can be the midway point for us in the U.S....just a thought.
Thanks for your news and tarot,
Mari Hoshizaki

[retrokat]

Hi Mari,

Release date (for the deluxe version) is still set for October 2003, last I heard from USGS. Let's hope it really is available then - I haven't even seen a Print Proof yet though, and it's April already...

As per previous mentions in this stream, I'm very keen to use http://tarotgarden.com to distribute Signed Decks in the US. Jeanette has been incredibly helpful to me in the long, long path to publishing Golden Tarot, so if I can provide them with signed decks to help them compete with Amazon etc then I'll be very pleased to do so.

I'll probably also sell signed decks through my own site http://goldentarot.com - particularly for buyers in Australiasia as US International postage rates for those of us Down Under are fairly prohibitive.

Will keep you all posted on any developments here...

[darwinia]

Hi Kat,

Any word yet on the actual dimensions of the cards? I am still hoping for larger so the art and details can be seen properly.

Thanks

[HudsonGray]

Retrokat, it's almost midnight on Thursday, and it looks like Ebay closed the bidding on the auction a day before it was supposed to have ended, at least they shut it down quick enough! I've seen them take several days to take an auction of a live animal off (live animals are prohibited from ebay). Good luck getting this stuff stopped. I wonder if you can get the seller banned from Ebay if this is the second time they've done this to you. Fraud is fraud, theft is theft.

[retrokat]

Hi Freesiaskye,

I've just had word from US Games that the cards will be 74mm x 123mm.

Not as large as you were probably hoping for, but at least easy to handle. I'm quite happy about that as I'm really hoping people buy the deck to use more than for collecting

I expect if it sells, USGS will consider making alternate sizes and versions. They said they should be able to give me a Recommended Retail Price for the initial release shortly, so I'll post it here when I know.

Speaking of, I've just reworked http://www.goldentarot.com/mastre.htm if anyone's interested in having a look. More Rider-Waitish now. Ah well. They'd like me to ditch the knight altogether, but I'm quite attached to him. *sigh* We'll see how the card ends up. I hope there's still some trace of my original, as I liked it a lot and don't want it to just be a RW clone.

Not that I'm complaining. USGS have actually exerted very little editorial pressure re my designs. They've given me a pretty free reign, and I'm a very happy Kat

[darwinia]

Originally posted by retrokat
Hi Freesiaskye,

I've just had word from US Games that the cards will be 74mm x 123mm.

Not as large as you were probably hoping for, but at least easy to handle. I'm quite happy about that as I'm really hoping people buy the deck to use more than for collecting

Which is 2.91 x 4.84 inches for the Imperialists among us. Canada is a metric nation but darned if I can work with anything other than metres and centimetres, all else baffles me.

Yes, you're right Kat, it's big enough at least. Thanks for asking and getting back. So we've got just a little over five months to wait now. Oooh.......getting excited. <g>

[retrokat]

My 88 year old grandmother was looking at my (draft) Golden Tarot deck recently and when she got to:

http://www.goldentarot.com/malove.htm

she commented, "He hasn't got much to love with, has he?".

MWHAHAHAHA!

[skysilver]

I viewed this deck and it is a very pretty one. I can't wait until it comes out later this year.