The Rider Tarot Deck--which one do I have?

ram

Hi everyone. I've searched and can't find this specific information.

About a year ago I found this deck at my local used bookstore. I have the Commemorative Set, the Original Rider Waite Pack, the Radiant Rider Waite in a tin, and the Tarot von A.E. Waite to compare it to.

This older one has a head start on the others cardstock-wise seeing they kind of feel like a good wine tastes at this point. The thing I'm really after is the color of the cards, especially the Empress and the Fool. On the Empress the skin, dress, and foliage just looks more alive to me.

There are so many copies of these for sale that I don't know which search terms would be best and which particular one I'm looking for anyway? Is there a way to know which printing this deck is? Thank you!
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rwcarter

Per RWS Deck Post-1970 Publishing History, the New York 10016 zip code and the copyright appearing on the cards says that the deck was published after 1975 if the cards are matte and after 1985 if the cards are glossy.
 

ram

Thank you rwcarter, they're matte. That's very cool to know that!
 

Abrac

ram, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mOIRsj-Zks

The whole thing's good but she starts talking about your version 13 minutes in.

One thing I disagree with her on is the dating of booklets. She argues that more booklets were printed in a print run because they're smaller; to me this makes no sense. It makes more sense that approximately the same number of booklets and decks would be printed for each run, regardless of size.

There's some great information which you should be able to use. If yours has an advertisement card like the one shown in the video, this is a very good clue to its date.
 

gregory

It also has a 10-digit ISBN, which is mildly significant; this means it MUST be pre 2007 (which is no surprise !) - it is mentioned in this thread

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=153070&page=2

Sadly the link is dead, so on wayback I got this:

https://web.archive.org/web/2016072...spirit.net/pages/metaphysics/tarot/rwdesc.htm

The copyright on the box seems to be important. The one that video talks of at 13 minutes - has none on the box. Yours does. In THIS video, at 3 minutes, is your box. 1980s, according to "Temperance". Which also fits with the copyright on the cards.
 

Abrac

The box in the video I posted does have a copyright along the bottom of the back. She says "no copyright" but in fact it does have one. You have to watch closely as it moves quickly in and out of view, and it's very small, but it's there.
 

gregory

The box in the video I posted does have a copyright along the bottom of the back. She says "no copyright" but in fact it does have one. You have to watch closely as it moves quickly in and out of view, and it's very small, but it's there.
Oh - OK. But still - 80s, don't you agree ?
 

Abrac

Yeah, 80s would be my guess.
 

ram

Thank you everyone--going to watch video and look at links now. Very cool! It's not easy to find this info!