Something wrong with majors only ?

Yes - OK - I am a collector.

BUT - why do so few people want to get involved with 22 card decks ? It is well possible to read with them - many here actually discuss the interesting idea of taking the minors out of their 78 card decks and using only the majors - so..... And anyway - is it ONLY the rabid collectors like me who like the ART of the decks ? I see, quite often, when someone like Adam McLean publishes his lovely and very reasonable art decks, or when someone says they have done all the majors and are looking to publish:

"Lovely, where are the minors ?" or "I'll wait for the full deck" and so on.

So when an artist actually wants to create a 22 cards deck - is it not worth having ?

I think - for instance - of the Sidhe. OK - many knew there would be a full deck - but when there is a lovely majors only deck out there, and one knows that it will hardly be identical with the full deck - what is there to stop it appealing as a purchase ?

And what of those - like many of Ly Narciso's decks - which will only ever be majors only ? should we not buy them because they are majors only ? Poor old artists....

But - what do others think ? Should 22 card decks stay in the closet ? Or are people just not hearing about them ? or what ?

I collect too, & have a number of majors-only decks: Ansata, Tarot for Cats, Chat du Marseille, Pen, Aubrey Beardsley, etc. These are all wonderful decks.

When you know that there will be a mass-market edition of 78 cards coming out in a year or two, it's hard to justify buying the higher-priced LE minors-only decks. One only has so much money.

The majors-only decks would probably sell better if people knew that was the only edition.
K

Can I guess it's the same that prompts one to dislike non-scenic pips? (I'm on the fast track to collector-dom myself so I like everything ).

I think many people want specificity. It's like use of clarifying cards. Honing in further and further until there are no questions left. Majors only decks forces the reader to look very deeply, with less cards. This might be uncomfortable for some. Each major is a microcosm in itself. We may not trust ourselves enough to see everything in less than 1/3 of the usual deck.

I may just be greedy when I say that I'm waiting for the entire "Prairie Tarot" deck to come out, rather than just being satisfied with the majors because I want to see more. And there is an _expectation_ that more will follow. [I was typing same time as karenQuilter .]

But with Ly, I knew that there would only be majors. And I wanted the art, so I got it anyway. I do majors only spreads. They're great. But I don't do them often because I find them more challenging.

OK - and most of Adam's are too - as far as I know, of his, Em's is the only one with a for sure 78 version coming. But - they remain unsold for ages (I have been buying them since he started putting them out....)

Why are they still hanging in there ? (there is even one of Ly's on his shelf !!! )

I do have only a few of the Majors only Decks. I really love the Quality of Adam Mc. Lean published Decks. The problem I am having is, I have so many Decks to catch up with, that Money is an issue too. Instead of spending 40 Pounds on 22 Cards, I end up getting another full Deck. There is one Majors only Deck though... That's another story.

Yup, exactly what Seeker 13 said. There are just too many decks and not enough money.

But zan - in particular - as another sinner like me - why not a superlative 22 card over a less superb 78 ? Many 78 card decks are much more like other 78 card ones..... Almost all the 22 card ones I have seen - not just these mentioned - are - as you might say - more unusual, more exciting in their interpretations..... and so often the minors feel like a rather lazy add on (no disrespect to any creators watching but a couple of AGM's recent offerings spring to mind....)

Can I give a fairly silly reason-- they aren't as much fun to shuffle. 22 Cards makes such a skinny little pile to hold and to feel in the hand. Even the sound of them sliding against one another goes by too quickly with so few cards.

I very nearly bought a majors-only deck the other day. I was a moment away from ordering the Majors-only Ironwing when I suddenly mustered up the courage to post an ISO for the full-deck, expecting a hopeless 6 month search-- but it was meant to be and less than a day later, there it was.

Enable me then. What's a Majors-only deck that everyone should have a copy of?

I love Adam's decks. I recently purchased one of his majors only decks cause the artwork just blew me away. I will definitely be purchasing more.

The collector in me loves that there are only 100 of these decks in the whole world.

zan_chan said:

Enable me then. What's a Majors-only deck that everyone should have a copy of?

Click to expand...

The Lebanese, for one. And the Purro. Those are the ones I would pick FIRST from Adam's.....

Oh and his latest Goth....

I love them all, but those would be my top three....

(Ly's go without saying !)