Just a buyer's note
I was happy to see Rusty Neon's reply and the picture of the original 1910 set. In a March 2002 presentation about the Rider Waite, I heard Mary Greer ask Holly Volley if there was a reprint by U.S. Games based upon the $8,000 set, was it a better printing in colors or lines? The answer from Holly Volley was no, not in her opinion. Mary Greer suggested the yellow box set by U.S. Games was as close as one could get now.
My only warning to collectors fussy about original print colors not to buy the blue boxed set that is titled "Original Rider Waite" by U.S. Games---it's a reprint that has aged run colors such as mustard and greeny tones where clearer colors should be. In a sense, to me, it's like the contrast between the clearer printing in the past two years and the old greeny Thoth printing.
For awhile I was enamored about the Giant Rider Waite because I got a better sence of printing and lines in the paintings.
Recently for $10 plus shipping, I bought off of E-Bay a 1971 Rider Waite (No addition of a later date in the booklet, which does appear, for instance, in the Giant Rider Waite. On the cards, however in both copies, the copyright by U.S. Games seems to be 1971). This looks like the current U.S. Games version bought in the yellow box, but there might be some line variations that Holly Volley's site or discerning eyes have noted differences (such as Love added to Pixie Smith's signature, etc.).
Hope my two cents adds a bit of clarification.
Mari Hoshizaki