Keep an eye on ebay. I recently bought a VS Meneghello 1996 facsimile limited edition for $50 incl shipping. I love that it has all the flaws of the surviving cards. So fair deals are out there. I believe that the US games is also a facsimile edition.
From what I've heard the Golden has been well received & is good value for the buck. Bad luck that you got a bad one. I've never heard of a dropped card chipping.
Thanks, glad to know deals do arise on such decks.
For the sake of clarity, the chip from the drop was small; but if every time I dropped or tapped a non white bordered card on something, if it were to chip the deck would be a mess in no time. That's what I figure anyway. I have another deck that does that, it too has a non-white border. That one isn't coated at all, but I can see why it would chip given that fact. That's the Healing Earth Tarot, second edition. I was shocked, I didn't know until after I purchased it that it wasn't coated - with dark blue borders. I am afraid to bring that one out.