Something wrong with majors only ?

I love, love, LOVE the artwork in most LE Majors-only decks and I drool and weep when I see them up for sale in the trading forum. But no matter how much I love the art, at $80+ per deck new and $$$ down the line, it's a simple case of not being able to afford them. One Majors-only deck from Adam = 1 week's pay for me O_O

p.s. Do you ever get charged customs & import duties on these decks, gregory?

Metafizzypop said:

If the artist didn't want to spend all the time on the other 56 cards, they could do a non-illustrated deck. How hard is it to draw a bunch of sticks and circles? Even the simplest pips are better than none.

Click to expand...

What was that I said about some 78 card decks looking as if the 56 were a belated add-on ?

irmata said:

p.s. Do you ever get charged customs & import duties on these decks, gregory?

Click to expand...

Yes ! But not on Adam's as I am in the UK a lot of the time ! And there are no charges within the EU.

And I have a mate in the US I can use to deliver them to my place in Canada by hand, if needs be, too !

A vote here for Majors only decks. I have quite a few and I do read with them. In fact buried somewhere in Reading Exchange is a thread where I did one reading per Majors-only deck to use them all at least once.

I think that I own four of Adam's, including the glorious Lebanese and the totally cool Alchemical Emblems, plus some by artists who post here (2 soon be three by blue_fusion), the Angel Tarot by Maria Miduki (she changed her user name and I have not gotten it straight) and Lillie's gorgeous Beardsley deck. Plus Midnight Masquerade by Chronata. My first was Tarot for Cats which I adored so much that I HAD to use it.

So, I think they are perfectly readable and there are some very lovely ones available.

Alta

I apologize for the terribly mundane tone to my response to this question, but here goes:

I recently purchased a copy of the LoScab version of the Visconti cards, complete with gold foil for about 19 bucks. Somehow, the LoScab people still made a profit on the sale. That is what a deck of mass produced cards should cost. Ordinary playing cards cost far less. . .

I seem to be in the throes of becoming a collector, yet I simply cavale at putting down 50 dollars <which at our refectory would buy 25 all-you can eat lunches> for 22 mass produced cards even if they were copies of originals painted by Robert Place. He's got a job, he doesn't need my 50 dollars. If Amazon ever sells it for 20, I'll probably get a set. Now if he were selling me 78 images, 50 bucks might be more reasonable.

It is one thing to pay 400 pounds for a good copy of a Pamela B, especially if your heart pines, etc, etc. and you've got 900 dollars to burn ; It is quite another to spend 50 dollars on something brand new that SHOULD cost about 10.

CED

gregory said:

What was that I said about some 78 card decks looking as if the 56 were a belated add-on ?

Click to expand...

Yes, I saw your comment on that, and I agree with it. Some decks with spectacular major arcana have minors dull as anything. But at least the minors are there. Dull pips are better than no pips at all. At least the artist went to the trouble of adding on something, even if it was less than interesting. It's better than adding no pips at all. I can do a reading with dull minors. Absent minors I just get too lost.

"Dull" pips make the majors stand out even more and further delineate the major/minor distinction in my mind.

As had been mentioned somewhere on the forum with regards to the benefits of non-scenic pip decks, sometimes fully illustrated minors blend meanings visually with the majors (to my less experienced mind).

Of course it is a matter of budget and preference. But to be able to fill in all the blanks with less cards speaks to one's ability to see that much deeper into them (again, just my opinion). I'm all for mixing up the possibilities. I'm not trying to persuade anyone, though.

Ironwing majors on the way. What, she had only 10 left!
I.Must.Stop.

I don't mind majors-only decks, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather spend $20 on a fully-illustrated 78-card deck than a 22-card deck (and even sometimes a 78-card deck + book!) If majors-only decks were priced a little lower I'd get them a lot more often.

Although I have been 'tinkering' with Tarot for awhile now, I feel as though I am quite a newbie and only recently have I started trying harder to study and understand and open up to the glimpses I have been offered into what Tarot really can offer to me...

I purchase Adam McLean's art decks whenever I can afford them. The production quality is superb! Worth every penny. I haven't read with any of them...I guess I just don't feel 'ready' yet.

The cost at first is prohibitive for me; yet, when I hold them (please don't tell my husband how much I spent! ) they transport me with the quality of the production and the art! Oh the art!

The Purro is next on my list. The colors online make me drool, literally.

So, what does all my rambling say about 22 card decks? I hope to someday be able to read with them and until that time I will support the artists and the publishers of the extremely YUMMY ones as much as I can.

KafkasGhost said:

Ironwing majors on the way. What, she had only 10 left!
I.Must.Stop.

Click to expand...

Oh, KafkasGhost, you will Love the Ironwing! Congrats! And perhaps a stop over at Adam McLean's Art of Tarot site will add a few more to your wishlist?
(oh me, silly enabler!!)