Zoe Kate
disaster! i took the streetcar all the way down there from queen and yonge. it was raining and freezing, and the store wasn't even open! i was so dissapointed. ah well, another time i guess... 
Toronto stores
Silverlotus
Oh dear. I just checked their website and it looks like they are closed on Mondays. Well, I will try to get out there tomorrow or Friday. I am very curious about their Tarot collection. Although, I need another deck just about as much as I need another hole in my head.
Anyway, if I am successful I will report back with a summary of the decks they have.
Anyway, if I am successful I will report back with a summary of the decks they have.
Silverlotus
I made it down to the WiccaShoppe today. I am actually a little disappointed with it. While it does have a great selection of stones, herbs, incense, and jewelry, its selection of everything else leaves a lot to be desired. They had almost no books, and nearly all of what they did have was from Llewellyn. You can buy those anywhere!
The Tarot deck collection as pretty small, in my opinion. They had some boxed sets on the shelves. I remember Froud's Faeries Oracle, Soul Cards 1 and the Hanson-Roberts deck boxed with some book. There were one or two other sets, but I can't recall what they were. Nothing hard to find anyway.
Over in a case they have a collection of about 30 decks. Everything on the bottom self is first edition or out of print. They are all fairly mundane, yet cost and arm and a leg. There was a couple of Aquarian Tarot decks, a few old Thoths and Rider-Waites. Again, nothing hard-to-find.
As for the normally priced decks, they had an okay selection. Daughters of the Moon for C$48 (which you can buy from the author, with book, for US$25), Motherpeace, Nefertari's, Secrets Tarot, Hanson-Roberts, Caligostro. Again, nothing hard to find at all.
Really, I think they best selection, at an independent bookstore, would be the Omega Centre on Yorkville. It is easy to get to from Bay Station. (PM me if you'd like directions.) And the best overall selection, numbering at least 100, would be the World's Biggest Bookstore on Edward Street, near Eaton Centre. (Again, PM me for directions. I'm new to TO, but I will try the best I can to give good directions.) WiccaShoppe is great though, if you are looking for stones, herbs or incense. I finally got a piece of lapis!
Hopefully some day I will be able to check out some of those other stores on that site darwinia linked to.
The Tarot deck collection as pretty small, in my opinion. They had some boxed sets on the shelves. I remember Froud's Faeries Oracle, Soul Cards 1 and the Hanson-Roberts deck boxed with some book. There were one or two other sets, but I can't recall what they were. Nothing hard to find anyway.
Over in a case they have a collection of about 30 decks. Everything on the bottom self is first edition or out of print. They are all fairly mundane, yet cost and arm and a leg. There was a couple of Aquarian Tarot decks, a few old Thoths and Rider-Waites. Again, nothing hard-to-find.
As for the normally priced decks, they had an okay selection. Daughters of the Moon for C$48 (which you can buy from the author, with book, for US$25), Motherpeace, Nefertari's, Secrets Tarot, Hanson-Roberts, Caligostro. Again, nothing hard to find at all.
Really, I think they best selection, at an independent bookstore, would be the Omega Centre on Yorkville. It is easy to get to from Bay Station. (PM me if you'd like directions.) And the best overall selection, numbering at least 100, would be the World's Biggest Bookstore on Edward Street, near Eaton Centre. (Again, PM me for directions. I'm new to TO, but I will try the best I can to give good directions.) WiccaShoppe is great though, if you are looking for stones, herbs or incense. I finally got a piece of lapis!
Hopefully some day I will be able to check out some of those other stores on that site darwinia linked to.
isthmus nekoi
The best thing I love about the World's Biggest is they have cards for most of the decks on display in a big binder so you know exactly what the cards will be like.
Also, I don't believe anyone's mentioned Pages on Queen Street? It's at Queen/John and while their selection is not so hot, I remember buying decks there for like $5 cheaper than average. Although this may have changed, it's been awhile since I bought my last deck!!
I know this wasn't the question, but as for tarot books, BMV beside World's Biggest always has used copies for a lot of the popular tarot titles. I got my Book of Thoth there. I have on occasion, seen decks there too.
Also, I don't believe anyone's mentioned Pages on Queen Street? It's at Queen/John and while their selection is not so hot, I remember buying decks there for like $5 cheaper than average. Although this may have changed, it's been awhile since I bought my last deck!!
I know this wasn't the question, but as for tarot books, BMV beside World's Biggest always has used copies for a lot of the popular tarot titles. I got my Book of Thoth there. I have on occasion, seen decks there too.
Zoe Kate
they have tarot decks the worlds biggest bookstore?! damn. if only i had known. i will definitely be checking that out soon.
thanks for the report on the wiccashoppe...i still want to check it out some day, but i won't go down there specifically looking for tarot stuff now that i know their selections not great.
thanks for the report on the wiccashoppe...i still want to check it out some day, but i won't go down there specifically looking for tarot stuff now that i know their selections not great.
Alta
The World's Biggest Bookstore has one of the largest in-store collections that I have ever seen. I didn't mention it before because the thread starter had mentioned being adverse to buying in the larger chains, and WBB is part of that group. They have lots of display cards too, which is great.
Zoe Kate
yeah, it was me who started the thread....damn, i always forget that wbb got bought out by chapters. grunt. and even after they had all those anti-chapters posters in the windows....ah well.
it's funny, in my experience chapters and indigo don't have a very wide selection of tarot cards...hmmm...
it's funny, in my experience chapters and indigo don't have a very wide selection of tarot cards...hmmm...
Alta
I just came back from a week in Toronto. i visited the WBB and the Omega Book Centre, lol, all I bought was the new Doreen Virtue deck, Archangels. So much for taking advantage of the big city!
I was in Stratford, and we were wasting time before the play and I poked into a bookstore. Lovely little independant, nice book selection. I noted they had Magic cards under a glass topped counter and I bent over to look at them. Then I realized that someone had carefully put a large display on the counter that effectively hid a small selection of tarot decks beside the Magic cards under glass. In a little town like Stratford, I could see that they might do that. Got a bit of a chuckle out of it. No special decks.
I was in Stratford, and we were wasting time before the play and I poked into a bookstore. Lovely little independant, nice book selection. I noted they had Magic cards under a glass topped counter and I bent over to look at them. Then I realized that someone had carefully put a large display on the counter that effectively hid a small selection of tarot decks beside the Magic cards under glass. In a little town like Stratford, I could see that they might do that. Got a bit of a chuckle out of it. No special decks.
isthmus nekoi
Forgot to mention Seekers in the Annex (Bloor b/w Spadina and Bathurst). They're a used bookstore that specializes in New Age-y topics. The energy in there can be really weird - I honestly can't stay in there very long - but lots of good deals. Plus the Annex is such a great neighbourhood.
darwinia
Updating Store Information
Just to update, she has moved around the corner into a street-level shop on Peter Street and changed the name of the store to Season of the Mystic. (Or is it Seasons of the Mystic?) Anyway, it is still a great shop with great customer service.
Just to update, she has moved around the corner into a street-level shop on Peter Street and changed the name of the store to Season of the Mystic. (Or is it Seasons of the Mystic?) Anyway, it is still a great shop with great customer service.
