"Sticky" cards - any way to soften them?

[taylorkiteling]

Yesterday I purchased a deck of the Mystic Faerie Tarot. I LOVE it, but the cards are very sticky - they tend to stick together in bunches instead of shuffling nicely. Is there any way of softening them up? Most of my other cards are nice and slippery and I like that texture.

I've heard of a lot of interesting things people have done here to modify their cards. Putting them through the dryer, maybe? I'm open to any and all suggestions

-Taylor

 

[Melissa`]

I've heard people here recommend magicians card powder that you can pick up at a magic supply shop. Not sure of the specific name of it but its used on their playing cards for card tricks. Maybe you could try that.

 

[Laura Borealis]

Fanning powder. I've never tried it, but I've heard good things.

I wouldn't put it through the dryer unless you want a thick, beat-up looking deck.

 

[Alta]

I have used fanning powder on several decks. It is cheap, a little messy 'in process', but in the end works to perfection! Almost any online stage magician's supply place will carry it.

 

[BodhiSeed]

I've tried fanning powder and baby powder. While the baby powder smelled better, it was slightly grainy. The fanning powder works well (and as Alta said it is a bit messy) but will give great results. I found it on Ebay.
Stay away from the dryer!

 

[nisaba]

Yesterday I purchased a deck of the Mystic Faerie Tarot. I LOVE it, but the cards are very sticky - they tend to stick together in bunches instead of shuffling nicely. Is there any way of softening them up? Most of my other cards are nice and slippery and I like that texture.

I've heard of a lot of interesting things people have done here to modify their cards. Putting them through the dryer, maybe? I'm open to any and all suggestions

-Taylor

There is some sort of card powder that people recommend. I am a sheapskate, so I used el-cheapo talcum powder. Worked a treat, and never needed to be re-done on those decks. Put a little in a flat copntainer, drop each card in it on one side only, pick them up and put the deck back together, flick through the deck to loosen any excess, shuffle a lot. Brilliant.

I recommend using an unscented talc unless you really like the scent.

 

[Laura Borealis]

My only talc is Gold Bond Medicated Powder... it smells, well, medicinal... what was that deck you got recently, nisaba, with all the body parts? GBMP might work great with that one.

 

[Miss Divine]

Baby powder (talcum) worked good for me too. I don't mind the sweet smelling scent, actually I quite like it.

 

[Richard]

I use Gold Bond (actually a store brand equivalent). Use only a talcum based powder, not cornstarch. I try to get powder all over every card, then I shuffle and play with them that way, with powder flying all over the place. Eventually the cards begin to behave satisfactorily.

 

[jdev]

I actually tried cornstarch, as talcum powder has trace amounts of asbestos in it and that doesn't sit well with me. I found the cornstarch helped for a few shuffles, but the results didn't last. My interest is piqued by this "fanning" powder. Hmmm...