University Books editions from 19XX to 19XX

[53rdspirit]

Greetings, The crowned one.

No problem, just the breaks (and questions one does not think to ask) when buying on-line, vintage, used items from sellers who are not familiar with their product. I have purchased more gems than duds--so, I usually feel quite lucky!

Anyway, back to topic.

Ok, I went through the University Books (I keep wanting to say "University Press") RWS and I have four decks as follows (varies slightly from above since I was writing from memory yesterday evening):

One deck of 78 Cards complete w/upsidedown ankh back x26--oh, more than I thought!-- (8W, 7W, 6W, 5W, AW, KS, QS, KnS, 5S, 4S, 3S, 2S, KnP, PP, 10P, 9P, 5P, 2P, KC, QC, KnC, 8C, 7C, 6C, 5C, AC)
Box: University Books, Inc., 120 Enterprise Avenue, Secaucus, NJ 07094
No Card Insert
No LWB

One deck of 78 cards with two King of Swords and no King of Pentacles
Box: University Books, Inc., New Hyde Park, NY 1104
Card Insert: University Books, Inc., 1615 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040
LWB: No address; however, in back of LWB is advertisement for TPK with Hillside Avenue address exactly as above.

One deck of 78 Cards complete; no card insert; no LWB (Note: Inside of box with pink lined pattern/ankh same as card backs)
Box: University Books, Inc., New Hyde Park, NY 11041

One deck of 78 Cards complete (in clear plastic case) with accompanying HC/DJ TPK book w/color plates
No LWB
SIX card inserts:
1) "This deck of Tarot Cards was designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the instruction of Arthur Edward Waite ~ It consists of 78 cards: 22 Trumps Major, 4 Suits of 14 cards each in 4 sumptuous colors ~ Published by University Books, Inc., 101 West 31 St., New York 1, N.Y. ~ $5.00"
2) "This deck of Tarot Cards was designed to be used in conjunction with The Pictorial Key to the Tarot By Arthur Edward Waite with 78 plates in full color designed by Pamela Colman Smith ~ Introduction and Note on the Tarot as a Game by Gertrude Moakley ~ Published by University Books, Inc., 101 West 31 St., New York 1, N.Y. ~ Book $7.50"
3) "An Encyclopaedia of Occultism by Lewis Spence ~ A Compendium of Information on the Occult Sciences, Occult Personalities, Psychic Science... (etc., etc.)... ~ Published by Strathmore Press ~ Distributed by University Books, Inc., 101 West 31 St., New York 1, N.Y. ~ $15.00"
4, 5, 6) "Library of the Mystic Arts" advertisements/pricing cards for 19 different books (which coincide with the book TPK that accompanied the cards --which, I might add is different from another TPK that would seem identical except for the booklist in the back--one book is different).

I hope this helps!

Regards,
53rdspirit

 

[JenniferAbe]

I received my University Books RWS deck in the mail today. I feel fortunate to have bought it from a conscientious seller who boxed it up very securely for me to protect the worn deck box. She also counted the cards correctly.

The deck box (bright pink, yellow and orange with black) is intact but is very worn around the edges and looks like it may have had tape on it at one point. Address on the back: University Books, Inc., New Hyde Park, NY 1104. The inside of the box is blank.

I do have the advertising card insert (order PKT for $5.00). The address to send the card to is University Books, Inc., 1615 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.

It seems that my deck is from the 1960's like The crowned one's first deck, also like Lillie's and Cerulean's?

The cards look old and the white seems to have darkened, but this deck barely looks shuffled to me. The edges of the cards still have those little "bumps" you see from where the cards were cut from a sheet. That's what makes me think it hasn't been shuffled a lot - usually those wear off. The cards feel pretty crisp and stiff for an old deck. I noticed a little bit of color bleed, but not horrible - there's sort of a blurriness about some of the images, like the color goes right up to the line or on it, but not so much outside the lines if that makes sense. The colors are very bright - kind of "electric" with the hot pink on some cards and the bright turquoise blue. Gaudy is a good word for this deck. I wasn't sure I'd like it but it's grown on me as I've been looking through the cards.

The deck has all 78 cards plus the advertisement card and all of the ankh backs are upright.

Although I'd love to have one of the decks in the maroon boxes and more subdued colors, I'm very happy to have this one. I had no idea what to expect to pay for it and to me it was worth what I paid - I actually bid quite a bit more. That said, I am curious to hear opinions on whether $41 + shipping was too much or a good price.

Jennifer

 

[The crowned one]

Deck values are relative to need/want but in my slowly growing price guide I have a range of 20-40 depending on condition of the 61-63 decks. You deck falls in this these years based off the 4 number postal code.

 

[Teheuti]

I have just received my copy of the University Books, Inc.
hardcover publication of The Pictorial Key to the Tarot.

$7.50 is the price printed on the inside flyleaf of the dustcover.

$5.00 is indicated as the price for the "Deck of Tarot Cards"

*

New Material Copyright 1959
by University Books, Inc.
First Printing May 1960
Second Printing April 1962
Third Printing January 1966

Everyone says this is a 1959 edition. This is incorrect.

The book came out in May 1960 (first printing as it says in the book itself). The 1959 copyright refers to the only material that was copyrightable - the introductory essay by Gertrude Moakley, dated August 31, 1959.

The book and deck first appeared in 1960. The "new material," i.e., Moakley's essay, was copyrighted in 1959.

Mary

 

[The crowned one]

1955-57 UB tarot & its a REPRODUCTION OF A "pam" A according to Ebay seller who seems to know her stuff for the maroon hard cardboard box University Books tarot deck.. She is referring to the art on the fronts and not the backs..

http://www.tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=28874

Edited for clarity.

 

[northsea]

1955-57 UB tarot & its a REPRODUCTION OF A "pam" A according to Ebay seller who seems to know her stuff for the maroon hard cardboard box University Books tarot deck..

http://www.tarotforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=28874

Pam A repro would mean it doesn't have the pink ankh card backs. I dunno. Didn't they have ankh backs from the get-go?

 

[The crowned one]

Pam A repro would mean it doesn't have the pink ankh card backs. I dunno. Didn't they have ankh backs from the get-go?

Its the art I was refering to, not the backs but I get were you are coming from. I will change the post to fit a better description. I was more trying to pin a definitive earliest year on the deck and thought it was intresting that the cards were a "Copy" of the PAM A, and not one of the others.

 

[fyreflye]

More interesting is the box. All the UB tarots I've seen have the standard yellow box with upper and lower closing flaps. I found the auction and see that it's a real UB, but the price strikes me as too high. Even if it's a "first" edition UB it's still a crummy UB.

 

[Teheuti]

I found the ebay entry. The description is outlandish. I never heard of a University Books edition before 1959 (and this date appears to represent a copyright ONLY for the Moakley essay in the book). How does this person know that the deck came from the "1st US Edition of this Tarot, cir 1955"? - especially when the deck includes an advertising card for the book - in which book can be found "1st printing - 1960."

The deck may have been patterned after a Pamela A but there are significant differences in colors and in some small details - like the shadow on one side of the face of the woman in the 9 of Pentacles.

I have a copy of the maroon box edition that seems identical to the one being sold. The printing is not as good as the regular box edition that I got in early 1968. The red register in my copy is a little off (though not as bad as in some later editions). The Fool card that is reproduced on ebay does seem to be from a different printing then mine and in better register.

I really hope potential buyers look into this information more closely before buying.

Mary

 

[Lillie]

The deck may have been patterned after a Pamela A but there are significant differences in colors and in some small details - like the shadow on one side of the face of the woman in the 9 of Pentacles.

Check out the islands in the 2 of swords...