Why do people sell their deck collections?

Le Fanu

However, there are about two thousand and one different "things" of which I'd sooner divest myself---documents that want shredding, books, clocks, old winter coats, boots, watches, an electronic keyboard I haven't turned on in 7 years, furniture, a scanner/printer I recently replaced, and half a dozen kitchen appliances I can't be bothered to use---before getting rid of even one of my lesser-liked tarot decks.
So true. Plus, coupled with us seeing lists in trading threads, people getting money for them and the temptation may be too great. If people need a bit of cash and they have had the psychological factor of seeing others sell, that's why they may go for it.

I too can think of a dozen other things to get rid of to help me create space before I reach my decks, even if they do take up space. Books I'm never going to read again take up more space than decks but they don't bring in much cash and who is going to swap old books with me? Chiriku makes a good point. I wonder how many of these people trading/selling decks have closets full of baby clothes and books and old art stuff and broken printers that they're never going to use and which take up more space than decks? They don't sell them because they wouldn't bring in as much as - say - a Buckland Romani Tarot.
 

merissa_88

I live in a small place and only have so much room for my decks. I might buy some Goddess-themed decks, for example, because I want to learn more about using that theme in divination. But I'm not going to get along with all of them. So I sell or trade them. It helps pay for new decks and keeps my collection from getting out of control. I do the same thing with books. I had a bad experience with having too many books and won't do that again.

Getting rid of decks has taught me what I like and don't like. I'm more picky and don't buy as much. But I'm not completely finished with collecting.
 

Wendywu

I did this - and couldn't be happier about it. I had about 150 decks and use about 6. I packed up loads of decks and put them away upstairs for about a year. In that time I never even thought about them. So I sold them - there are still about 40 of them to go but they're upstairs somewhere. I'll get round it but I don't actually think of them as "my decks" any more. They are "the decks".

I did it because I got to feeling bogged down by stuff; weighed down and my materialism was suffocating me. After going through the house several times and donating about 50 large bags of things (and trashing another 30 or so bags full) I am beginning to feel as if I am getting somewhere. I have lived in this house for nearly 30 years - there was a LOT of accumulated gubbins! Old machines, clothes, crockery ... just stuff! And that was after kitting out our son with enough stuff to start up in his own place :D

Now, we keep going through the house slowly, room by room, and when we get to the last room, we start over. The rule for keeping is "does either of us love this, or use it?". If both of us answer no to both questions - we don't keep it. So far we haven't had to re-buy anything at all :laugh:
 

Serenia

I really hate selling stuff. I tend to bond easily with decks (and books, and figurines, and ... you understand the problem ;) ). Since it is quite hard for me to let stuff go, I try to be careful about what I buy.

Originally I planned to own just a few decks - but that plan kind of went wrong! ;) Looking at my decks, I don't have the faintest idea which one I should let go because I love (or at least: like) all of them. So I'll just try to slow down my deck buying a bit and hope this works out...

ETA: Maybe I should mention I'm a Taurus, too...
 

Debra

I always knew I would trim it down tremendously, around age 50 (which is now), but it moved up two years earlier for two specific reasons.

One was when our neighbour's house burned down. Within minutes they lost everything. I thought not only of the hoard of money my decks were worth and that I did not have them insured like some have done, but that some were rare and collectible and I just wanted the decks in loving hands and out of my home! The other reason was when a good friend passed away....

Oh man. Talk about things that change your perspective ((HearthCricket))
 

danieljuk

I have that Taurean collector thing like Tarotbear said, find it so hard to get rid of stuff! My fault for putting emotional value on material things!

I haven't ever sold or given away decks yet but I am buying tarot and oracle decks that friends recommend or I see talked about. I think that in future there will be at least one that I don't get on with at all! Or I might have completely changed my ideas on some of them in years time!

It's sweet to let someone else have something you never use or like anymore. Decks are such great gifts, I treasure them forever when friends have bought them or given them to me
 

Carla

This thread has inspired me to take stock of my collection. I have 56 tarot decks, 27 oracles. I can't count up how many decks I used to own but have moved them on. Probably around 40 or so?? Many of these I have now would part with easily. I've listed them on my blog (just as a place to keep the record--my list here at AT I gave up on trying to maintain) and another tarot site where I'm allowed to do that. We'll see if I get any interest.

Why target tarot instead of other things? It's not for the money because most of my decks are not expensive. When I resell a deck, it's never for more than I paid, though I have occasionally managed to trade up (and have often traded down). I think it's because tarot is part of my daily life, I think about all the time, and I like my life to be manageable, and for me, a sprawling collection feels unmanageable. Also, as it's the only thing I collect, I'm very conscious of all those things that just sit in storage boxes unused. That bothers me a lot. Plus, I have never been one to have strong attachments to 'stuff', and every 6 months or so, I have a big cull of things and cart them off to the charity shop. Tarot decks I don't give in to charity shops because I want them to go into the hands of other enthusiasts. I guess I just like to know they have been re-homed properly. For all I know, some volunteer at a charity shop might bin the cards because they're 'evil', you know what I mean?
 

DownUnderNZer

Illumanati....thats the one I want! :D
 

ana luisa

Sometimes, I think, people are just ready to clear out "the old" in their life and move onward.

This subject brings to mind my husband's grandparents. They retired early, and pretty much sold off all their "stuff" (they had various collections and so on) and bought a cabin in the woods. They lived simply and happily there for years until their health declined . . . and once again they sold off almost everything, and moved to a small, new, very simple house near one of their children and near doctors/hospitals.

In other words, sometimes it is just time to let go.

This was SO beautiful ... Thank you AnnaBelle for the story. This couple was truly blessed :love:
 

Rev_Vesta

My collection has grown but I must admit I am lucky with the store I am able to move on my decks that are needed elsewhere, someone else likes them etc.......

Alot of my decks get used, played with by clients if they are decks I don't work with... they sit on a coffee table and used while they wait for a healing session......

I do find different decks work well with different clients...........

Selling them, moving them forward is important for me if I know I am not to keep them...... but as fast as I sell a few decks (if the right client arrives) then more seems to arrive to be worked with...... normally Tarot/Oracle and Divination tools normally around the 50 odd mark.........but no more than 60 at this stage .........lol but who knows with all the interesting decks coming on the market......None are packaged away.. all out for people to check out.....