Giving the gift of TdM:

[mrpants]

So, I've decided to present a long time friend of mine with a Marseilles tarot. She's very inexperienced with it, but expressed wanting to learn more about tarot. She's had a Crowley deck for years, but doesn't like it much.

My friend has excellent taste in art, design, and fashion, so naturally I'm looking for a high quality deck, with respect to card stock, printing quality and artistic integrity. I'm hoping some of you big time collectors can weigh in on this...

I'm thinking CBD. Is there anything better? I have a Noblet, which I love immensely. Selfishly, I'm considering CBD so I can see it, but I also like the idea of getting her a standard-sized deck. Who else stands out, in terms of production quality, and faithful Marseilles imagery? Jodo/Camoin? ISIS? Robledo? What is easily obtained, in the Pacific Northwest US?

Any advice would be helpful.

Cheers!

Corey

 

[Richard]

I'm partial to the CBD, but I also love the Grimaud. I think the JC, Hadar, and ISIS, while very beautiful, depart too much from what is considered to be "authentic." Of course, the Flornoy reconstructions of the Noblet and Dodal are also exquisite.

 

[Wendywu]

I have only come to TdM "seriously" in the past few months having been strictly RWS with occasional dabbling in TdM before that. For me the Noblet and CBD are proving the most readable so far. I also like the Grimaud but for heavens' sake get the one with the French titles. I have an English one and it calls Coins - "Money". King of Money! I ask you. (Mine is the Ancient Tarot of Marseille in the two part flat white box - I am hunting for a French language edition Grimaud).

The Robledo is lovely but it comes from Argentina and unless you can get it as part of a group shipment the shipping costs are truly frightening.

If you do go for the Hadar (and I love the colours) then go for a first edition (it would have to be pre-owned...) as the second edition are laminated bricks. I know; I bought one and have thankfully found a good pre-owned first edition because my brick is like handling 78 credit cards.

One good "starter" TdM is the Universal Tarot de Marseille deck and small book set from LoScarabeo where the book is by our own Lee Bursten and is extremely helpful to the newcomer to TdM. You cannot buy the book separately.

 

[EllieP]

I visited my Irish friend last week. I'd already sent her the best (!) Celtic deck to introduce her to tarot (it's watercoloured and she loves painting, so would probably like it, whatever she thought of tarot).

BUT - and this is the big BUT - I showed her my Universal TdM from LoS, which Wendy mentioned below, and she leapt off the settee saying This is the one, this is fantastic, I really have to have that as well, I love it, oh wow etc. (Can't do the Irish accent!)

So that's one reaction from a beginner. I was impressed. I hold it out as evidence, that's all. I myself like it but prefer the Noblet.

 

[mrpants]

Thanks all, this is really helpful feedback so far. I'm leaning CBD still, also because it looks like the companion book will come out this year (hope!!).

 

[metatron3]

Here in France, people only know the good old Camoin/Grimault one ( I'm tempted to say : the classic ) but once, I stumble upon the Fournier : ah !! Revelations !!
Colors and good one ! ( not like Jodorowsky versions )
I showed it to someone who practiced TdM for years and never really saw a different one ( nor really looked ) she also thought it was beautiful.

Want to offer a nice and appealing deck ? Go for Fournier.

 

[nemodomi]

... Selfishly, I'm considering CBD so I can see it ...

This (CBD cards gallery) might interest you if you haven't already seen it.

 

[garmonbozia]

Who else stands out, in terms of production quality, and faithful Marseilles imagery? Jodo/Camoin? ISIS? Robledo? What is easily obtained, in the Pacific Northwest US?

a TdM is a great gift indeed. I wish my friends bought me TdMs!

There are many really good ones to recommend.

1. As far as production quality goes, I don't think any deck I have ever held beats the card stock used by Pablo Robledo. Given how few of these decks have been produced, this would be a special gift for sure. I see that Iris is arranging another group order of Pablo's decks right now, so this is lucky timing should you decide to get one (or two if you want one for yourself!) He has his own Marseilles deck, and a Dodal deck available:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=168526

2. I'm a fan of TdM I type decks, and for that I would recommend Flornoy's Noblet deck, which you already mentioned.

http://www.tarot-history.com/boutique/index.php?Lang=EN

3. If you are interested in a photo-reproduction deck, I'd recommend the one published by Piatnik (also called the Tarot Rhenan):

http://www.tarobearslair.com/tarot-de-marseille-piatnik.aspx

4. For TdM type II style, my favorite deck is the Pierre Madenie:
http://tarot-de-marseille-heritage.com/english/boutique.html

5. I think the best Conver (the most widespread and reproduced TdM) is definitely the CBD:
http://www.bendov.info/tarot/cbd/en/index.html

6. and even thought they are not TdMs, my favorite historic decks from the same time period are the Vieville Tarot (sadly long out of print) and the Tarot de Paris:

http://editions-sivilixi.com/la-boutique/

7. as for a modern artistic interpretation of the TdM, this is the most stunning in my opinion:

http://tarotgoodies.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/899935

 

[mrpants]

Thank you so much, M. Garmonbozia! (I totally appreciate the Twin Peaks reference, btw.) This is just the comparison I was hoping for. And most of all, thanks for the Argentine link!

 

[Bertrand]

Here in France, people only know the good old Camoin/Grimault one ( I'm tempted to say : the classic )

You mean the Grimaud "ancien tarot de Marseille" (which is not undoubtedly related to the Camoin except through the weird coloring).
Many decks apart from Grimaud's TdM had or are having a certain fame : the Conver by Heron, Noblet by Flornoy got quite an audience too, Dodal by Dusserre has been a legend for several years among readers and collectors, and now that the Madenie is available hopefully it should become the next reference.

Grimaud's TdM is only the most mainstream deck just as the US Games RWS stays the reference in its own domain (while fac similes of older decks or other variants are available) - those decks are even known by people who are not very involved into tarot, but when you take the more "tarot inclined" crowd, the predominance of decks such as USG RWS or Grimaud TdM is not so obvious.

Bertrand