Reading Cloths & Storing Decks

[Kosjitov]

I'm starting to build a small collection and... I find myself wondering what "proper storage" is for a deck.

With my first three decks I've made a reading cloth specifically for each (simple cloths, but sewn by hand to be a closed pillowcase) and kept them outside of their boxes but wrapped in their reading cloths. Two of the boxes are still about. I have another three decks that are now lacking their own reading cloth and I keep them in their box, aside from the one that keeps falling apart.

I also had a bag I tossed the first three decks in, but now that the collection is up to 6 the boxes certainly won't fit.

Should I have a separate reading cloth for each deck? Should I be keeping the boxes as long as I can and storing the decks in there or is the cloth good enough? Any recommendations for making a personalized box to stash them all in?

 

[BodhiSeed]

This is a favorite topic around AT ; you might check out these threads:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=45152&highlight=storing
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=100596&highlight=storing

Personally, I keep my cards in their box, unless they come in one of those giant boxes (the kind that usually comes with a companion book). Then I cut down the large box to make a deck-size box for the tarot or oracle. I usually make a bag for the box, partly because I like the look, and partly because it makes the particular deck I'm looking for easier to find (different bag for each deck). I don't believe in any myths about how you're supposed to wrap your decks in silk, etc., but I do believe in taking care of something I spent money on!
I use a reading cloth for two purposes: if I want to protect my deck from a dirty area (outside, etc.) or if I want a solid color to place the spread on so the cards will show up better. I've done many readings without them.
I have both a shelf and a CD tower that I keep my decks on (easier to find one), but others keep them in baskets, boxes or drawers.

 

[digi162]

Do whatever is easiest for you and allows you to access the cards easily. If you wrap them up in a gazillion containers or make it hard to break them out at a moments notice, you might get tired with the routine of having to prep for a reading.

Here's what I've done if you need a starting point for ideas.

I just took a drawer I have and lined it with cloth at the bottom, and put everything I needed into it. So whenever I need to do a reading, I just open the drawer up and everything is conveniently there.

I don't use my I Ching cards that much so I always kept them with the box they came with. My other decks I use fabric quarters from Joanns because they're easily replaceable at 2 bucks a pop and there are tons of designs. The fabric for me serves to both protect the deck and to read on, since the fabric is around 18x22 if I remember correctly. So I can wrap it around the deck and give it a thick enough barrier to protect it while having a large enough space to read on when it's unraveled. But I also keep a bag around that I can toss them in to look professional.

 

[Asbestos Mango]

I keep my most of my decks wrapped in different colored cotton bandannas. I don't think cards necessarily have to be wrapped in silk, but I do think they should be wrapped in natural fabric. And for most decks, the bandanna can double as a reading cloth. I usually use a five-card cross-shaped spread, or a Celtic Cross, and with most average-sized decks, the bandannas can easily accommodate them. If I want to use a larger spread, or a Celtic Cross, with one of my larger-sized decks, (Pearls of Wisdom, Hermetic Tarot) I have a couple of good-sized scarves that I use as reading cloths.

My Quantum Tarot and my Xultun Tarot both came in very nice, sturdy boxes, (the Quantum has a companion book that also lives in the box) so I keep them in their boxes on my bookshelf, and use the scarves as reading cloths (both of these decks have larger-sized cards, so a CC wouldn't fit on a bandanna even if I kept them in one). But for decks that came in the standard-issue flimsy cardboard boxes, bandannas are really the way to go. You can get them in a variety of colors, so if you don't have a huge collection, you can identify the deck by the bandanna it's wrapped in.

 

[Oddity]

Proper storage is what works. Do what you like. There's no rule that says you have to do it in a certain way, it's just a matter of personal taste. (and common sense.)

It's good to protect the cards somehow but if you use the cardboard box, a fancy box, a bag or a piece of cloth doesn't really matter as long as the cards don't slide around too much and get bent. If you put them in airtight plastic they could get moldy.

And if you want to trade or sell a deck later, some people like to have the box it came with, so it might be good to keep them if you have the space to do that. You can store them flattened to take up less space.

I LOVE beautiful boxes and bags. If I had the time, I would love to make a special bag or box for every deck I have. But it's just not going to happen... so I keep two decks in wooden boxes, and five decks in bags, and the rest of my 20-or-so decks stay in a drawer in their own cardboard boxes.

A deck I know I will use a lot for a time, I like to take out from the cardboard box and keep in a bag because it's easier to get it out and also the box doesn't get ruined so quickly. (I like my things neat.)

I don't use reading cloths but the few times I have needed one, I used a scarf. It makes me happy to keep things simple.

But that's just how I do it. For you, it's your decks, your taste, your choice. You're the one who knows what works for you.