In Praise of Odd-Sized Decks

[gregory]

OK - so. Here are my TINY Meneghello ones, with a matchbox; my two rather larger Meneghello sets that ARE in bookshelves (The decks are each about the height of that matchbox), my TEEEEEEEEENY Gnomes from Lo Scarabeo, and a few others - I think there's the one mourned by nisaba, a mini University Books and a tiny Spanish TDM.

The Meneghello ones - the presentation is just so stunning - bookshelves - who'd have thought ? they really are special.

And at the other end of the spectrum, there's my Omaggio a Federico II.

MASSIVE cards, but in a lesser size, the impact of the art would be much diminished. Oh and also the original Star majors only set - another big and beautiful. Likewise the original Sacred Isle. One sees, when the full 78 cards of both these came out, how much of the art's impact is lost when the cards are shrunk, lovely though they still are.

 

[rachelcat]

Tarot of the Curious East is large and the illustrations are landscape! So I think that counts as an odd size/shape.

I have ghost-shaped playing cards. And some that are supposed to be cat-shaped, but really they're a curved oblong in a plastic box with ears. (Hard to describe. I'll post pics later.) And round and heart-shaped playing cards. Oh yeah, and transparent playing cards, too!

(All these came from the hazard of having a Borders in the building where I worked. I couldn't resist any novelty cards. Or tarot. Or Buddhism books. I think I kept them in business a few weeks longer than they would have been otherwise . . .)

Don't forget the Infinity Tarot. Definitely the most unusual shape, complete with the little holes. I don't have it, not enamored of the art style. But definitely unique!

 

[nisaba]

Wow that's beautiful!!

I'm curious though - how big are the white borders? What size would the deck be if you trimmed it to the image edges?

The Da Vinci Enigma has sizeable white borders, too, but you wouldn't want to trim them to the edges of the images, because the images are all different sizes, and in some cases shapes - I remember circular images.

And you wouldn't want to trim them anyway.

 

[nisaba]

I think there's the one mourned by nisaba,

The broken keyring one, yes, but alas, not the one really mourned by me, the Mini Nova of which I wanted a second copy to dangle from my ears.

But <gasp> I obviously own a deck not owned by the great Gregory!

 

[RiverRunsDeep]

Great thread! I definitely have a few wacky-sized decks that are worth mentioning.

Le Corte dei Tarocchi is uniquely tall and slim with papery card stock; I love feeling this one in my hands. I also love my USG Visconti Sforza; so large and awkward to shuffle, but amazingly gorgeous. Tarot of the Cloisters is the only circular deck I own; shuffling is quite a process, but completely worth it for these lovely cards. And then there is the Divine Will Tarot; it is a dark deck, large and square-ish and somewhat like coasters, but it is one of my faves.

 

[Nemia]

Oh I forgot - I have the tiniest tarot, too! I bought three copies and made artwork, pendants and magnets from them. So I should say I HAD it. But the whole deck as magnets on a door is really nice to have. I play with it quite often...

 

[gregory]

The broken keyring one, yes, but alas, not the one really mourned by me, the Mini Nova of which I wanted a second copy to dangle from my ears.

But <gasp> I obviously own a deck not owned by the great Gregory!

Sorry - no, you don't. But it is still around over here, I think - I'll look.

 

[Dee Ell]

I like to see ALL available cats.

this made me laugh so much.

This is my mischievous panthress (posing in front of one of my paintings) who likes to climb and swing one-armed or two without using her back legs so we named her Monkey (we found her with literally hours left to live at 3 months old weighing less than a pound (vet didn't think she'd make it), and now a year later she's such an energetic and lovable rascal.)

Anyway, I'll see if there's somewhere else in the forum to post pet pics as I know this is only peripherally related to the discussion (I don't have any odd sized decks to pose with her )

 

[gregory]

Start one in chat.

I can only post past pets, as I have none now...

ETA GIVE ME THAT CAT ..... NAOW !

 

[Michellehihi]

Oh I forgot - I have the tiniest tarot, too! I bought three copies and made artwork, pendants and magnets from them. So I should say I HAD it. But the whole deck as magnets on a door is really nice to have. I play with it quite often...

You made these? It is a very creative project and they are lovely!