How to get that well-worn look?

[DarkContraband]

So I did a search for this, and I can't really find anything other than carrying my deck around with me for five years, haha.

How can I get that well-worn look with my deck without damaging it too harshly? Any ideas?

 

[The crowned one]

Wet tea bags and a paper tower to dry the cards as you go...blot it on and off untill you get the desired effect.

 

[DarkContraband]

Wet tea bags and a paper tower to dry the cards as you go...blot it on and off untill you get the desired effect.

Thats a really good idea! I just hope it dosen't damage my cards too much =] As long as I get the moisture off pretty quickly it shouldnt harm the cardstock, I would think.

 

[The crowned one]

Thats a really good idea! I just hope it dosen't damage my cards too much =] As long as I get the moisture off pretty quickly it shouldnt harm the cardstock, I would think.

yes and you do it in layers.. overlapping in areas for that dark /light look. It is a balance between time on and off, card stock and patience.

 

[KMilliron]

Try distressing ink. In the scrapbooking section.

 

[DarkContraband]

Thanks very much for the ideas everyone. Any advice on how to get that worn feel? Not necessarily tattered, but just that softened, well loved feeling. Know what I mean?

 

[KMilliron]

I've heard of people using table edges? Never tried it myself though...

 

[DarkContraband]

I've heard of people using table edges? Never tried it myself though...

Ive tried that to get a really bad curve out of one of my decks, probably from the shipping process. It worked perfectly, but didn't really do much other than set them straight, so to speak.

 

[Torkie]

An inordinate amount of shuffling will do the trick; less than five years, but plenty of good shuffling will wear down your cards in a couple of months.

I don't get the whole thing with not letting other people touch your cards; I love having my cards handled. I even ask my friends to shuffle while we're not doing much, so you might try delegating the shuffling out to friends if you go that route

 

[Laura Borealis]

Whatever treatment you try (teabags, distress ink, sanding) try it on the extra cards first, if you still have them. The finish on the cards can make a big difference in the results. If your chosen treatment doesn't look good, then at least it was just a spare card.

I used distress ink on a RWS deck, but the slick finish on the cards kept it from staining them. I had to really blot it on to get it to show at all. Even then it tended to bead up. I sanded the cards with extra fine sandpaper, and then the distress ink just collected in the scratches. Those U.S. Games decks are kinda indestructible.

Another method people here have used is dunking the entire deck into a mug of tea. Then they blot the cards on towels and as they dry out, they gently shuffle them one way and then the other, to keep them from warping. I haven't tried this yet.

Here is my thread about aging my deck. There are a lot of links within that thread to other threads, talking about various methods including the tea-dunk.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=150377