Aging a Deck

[sapienza]

I personally don't care if my deck LOOKS old or not. But these new US Games decks with the super shiny lamination are a nightmare. They just don't feel right to me. I find them difficult to shuffle, they slip all over the place. I'm not sure I'd take quite the extreme measures that Kat has with her Hanson Roberts but I would like to rough it up a bit.

Only early tonight I was shuffling one of my decks in the bathroom chatting to my husband and a card jumped out of the deck and landed on the floor. My husband said 'lucky it didn't land in the sink'. I explained to him that it could have landed in a sink full of water and still remain unscathed. Now, after reading this thread I'm convinced I'm right

Like Sulis I do agree that the best way to age a deck is to use a deck. But my question is....do these US Games decks ever age or 'wear in' with use? I have the Morgan Greer and the Feng Shui and both of them feel to me like I could shuffle them day and night for a year and they'd still feel like plastic. I guess I'd be interested to know if anyone has every used a "US Games printed in Italy super lamination" deck to the point where it actually ages on it's own, or at least starts to feel less like plastic and more like cards???

 

[thorhammer]

GeorgiePorgie - thankyou for your succinct post. You took the words right out of my mouth.

This isn't directed so much at thorhammer, who said she did it just for fun, as it is about the aging bit in trying to put a sitter at ease.

I'm glad you qualified that post.

In defence of those who "age" their decks partly or wholly to put their sitters at ease, their intent, as I understand it, is not to impress upon the sitter any idea of their experience or ability or lineage as a reader, but to make the sitter more comfortable handling the cards. A sitter might be nervous of handling a pristine deck, all shiny, maybe with flashy gold or silver bits, usually much larger than cards they've shuffled, under the gaze of the owner, no less. Cards that have been broken in, as it were, will be easier on the sitter's inexperienced hands. That's the "at ease" bit.

One final point. A lot of comments in this thread seem to be based on a massive misunderstanding - that I've done this to impress someone, namely, my "sitter". Let me clear something up.

I RARELY read for anyone but myself.

Maybe once or twice a year. My "sitter" is myself. I have no one to impress.

\m/ Kat

 

[Grizabella]

You may have a point there about putting a sitter at ease because it makes a deck easier to shuffle, but that effect can be obtained just by doing the "breaking in" over a table edge and shuffling it a lot yourself. Making it look old, though, can't be all about making a sitter more at ease. I guess you could say it makes them feel like not much more damage could be done to the deck by clumsy shuffling?

 

[thorhammer]

I guess you could say it makes them feel like not much more damage could be done to the deck by clumsy shuffling?

Exactly what I was getting at.

\m/ Kat

 

[thorhammer]

But my question is....do these US Games decks ever age or 'wear in' with use? I have the Morgan Greer and the Feng Shui and both of them feel to me like I could shuffle them day and night for a year and they'd still feel like plastic. I guess I'd be interested to know if anyone has every used a "US Games printed in Italy super lamination" deck to the point where it actually ages on it's own, or at least starts to feel less like plastic and more like cards???

This is a very good question. I'd like to hear if someone's been using the same Italy-printed USG deck and has managed to naturally wear it down to some semblance of age 'Twould give me some hope for my other USG decks!

(Faerie Tarot, I'm looking at you! )

\m/ Kat

 

[Gazel]

But my question is....do these US Games decks ever age or 'wear in' with use? I have the Morgan Greer and the Feng Shui and both of them feel to me like I could shuffle them day and night for a year and they'd still feel like plastic. I guess I'd be interested to know if anyone has every used a "US Games printed in Italy super lamination" deck to the point where it actually ages on it's own, or at least starts to feel less like plastic and more like cards???

Well, actually my Universal Waite, which is my reading and shuffling deck has started to look and feel a bit more used, despite the lamination, which really did not bother me in the first place. I've had it for about two years, I think.

Gazel.

 

[sapienza]

Thanks Gazel, interesting to know. I'll keep on shuffling then

 

[Gazel]

Do that, and do remember to spill a bit coke and coffee on them in the process ;O)
I also let my daughter handle them - with or without greasy baby fingers. Today she was looking for "the dangerous one" - the Devil.

Love, Gazel

 

[HellzBelle]

It's a personal preference and probably a fun experiment for Kat to try. It's no different to say a borderectomy - whereby some of us have removed borders on tarot cards.

It makes it more personal and preferable for the user to USE them, or for whatever reason they decide on. Even though lots of people mightn't agree with any of these methods, its up to the owner and user of the cards...

As Kat said in her first post, "its a bit of fun" - but I am sure she will be along shortly anyway to tell you this.

Yep, agree totally.

If whatever a 'tarot enthusiast/student/practitioner' may choose to do to his/her deck, enhances their pleasure and enjoyment of their ongoing tarot experience in all or any of its many aspects, then who else has the right to say that it's wrong or shouldn't be done. Just because some other 'tarot enthusiast/student/practitioner' wouldn't be brave enough, or couldn't be bothered, (I fit those two types right there myself! ) or whatever do the same themselves, doesn't mean it's not of worth/merit to in some way to have done to the person who did it.
It's Kats deck, dollars, time, effort, imagination, inspiration, creativity....to do whatever she wants with. Why to any one else is of no matter.

 

[Sar]

Kat.

You are clearly insane.