All about card stock!

When I first started tarot, I could never understand reviewers on youtube and their obsession with the 'right' cardstock. Who cares, I thought! Now I have a variety of decks myself (roughly a year later, I think?), I care about this a lot. I have discovered shuffling is a very important part of tarot for me, I just love the way that feels with an excellent card stock. My preference for extremely thick card stock makes this a little frustrating, because I often buy decks I love that just don't have very thick stock!

So, I thought I'd start a thread for fun, just to see how others feel about card stock, and which decks you think have the best (or worst) card stock and why?

My decks with my favourite card stock would be the PCS centennial edition. Breaking that stock in was an absolute joy for me! Next favourite for me would be my Wild Unknown, second edition, and my third favourite card stock would be the Dame Darcy Mermaid tarot, the edition she just recently put out.

I can enjoy thinner card stock too, as long as it shuffles well, but I would always prefer thicker. How about you?

I'm a sucker for scrumptious, succulent linen cardstock. I even bought a blank deck from Tag Jorrit's much lamented, now defunct store, just to shuffle it. (Aaaaaah!)

It's unfortunately not common. Off the top of my head, among the deck creators who offer it are the aforementioned Tag Jorrit, Seven Stars, and some one-deck wonders like the people behind the Marseille Sophistiqué. I think Freder offers it, too, but I don't own any of his creations.

I love that linen stock, too, but always wish it was much thicker

I think good cardstock is important,some of the decks I prefer the cardstock of are Baba studio decks (cats and bohemian gothic),touchstone tarot,golden tarot,tarot of delphi and wild unknown.
Some I least like are some of the very thin Llewellyn ones,along with plastic-feel decks,like cats eye tarot and The whimsical tarot.They're still great decks,having nicer stock just would of been the icing on the cake.

On a scale of 1-to-10, where one is super-thin and ten is ultra-thick, I prefer something in the range of 7. A much-too-thin example would be the recent Modern Spellcaster's Tarot, which has the feel of heavyweight paper rather than cardboard; at the other end of the spectrum is the gilded version of the Illuminati, which felt like cork or styrofoam beer coasters when I first opened them but have started to soften up a little. My favorite shuffling decks are my Fournier TdM and my old Tarot Classic, as well as the Albano-Waite RWS. The full-color version of the Tabula Mundi is the perfect thickness but I would have liked just a little more flexibility. I wouldn't riffle it because I'm concerned its slight brittleness would bend or crease. All of the Ciro Marchetti decks I own are about right in terms of thickness, flexibility and durability, with the Gilded Reverie Lenormand being a hands-down favorite. The thickest deck I own that I actually use is my 1970 Samuel Weiser version of the Thoth.

willowy said:

I think good cardstock is important,some of the decks I prefer the cardstock of are Baba studio decks (cats and bohemian gothic),touchstone tarot,golden tarot,tarot of delphi and wild unknown.
Some I least like are some of the very thin Llewellyn ones,along with plastic-feel decks,like cats eye tarot and The whimsical tarot.They're still great decks,having nicer stock just would of been the icing on the cake.

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I really, really dislike the Llewellyn stock! Which sucks, because there are a few decks of theirs I'd like to get in the future. How could I forget Touchstone tarot? I have it tucked away for next year, and like you, it is one of my favourite card stocks, too. I've been meaning to get the Golden Tarot, so that is great news.

Barleywine said:

On a scale of 1-to-10, where one is super-thin and ten is ultra-thick, I prefer something in the range of 7. A much-too-thin example would be the recent Modern Spellcaster's Tarot, which has the feel of heavyweight paper rather than cardboard; at the other end of the spectrum is the gilded version of the Illuminati, which felt like cork or styrofoam beer coasters when I first opened them but have started to soften up a little. My favorite shuffling decks are my Fournier TdM and my old Tarot Classic, as well as the Albano-Waite RWS. The full-color version of the Tabula Mundi is the perfect thickness but I would have liked just a little more flexibility. I wouldn't riffle it because I'm concerned its slight brittleness would bend or crease. All of the Ciro Marchetti decks I own are about right in terms of thickness, flexibility and durability, with the Gilded Reverie Lenormand being a hands-down favorite. The thickest deck I own that I actually use is my 1970 Samuel Weiser version of the Thoth.

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Thank you for denabling me from the Modern Spellcaster's tarot! I was one the fence

I've been meaning to get Fournier's TDM, so that's exciting news! I have the Albano Waite as well, and although it's not one of my thickest decks, it does have an extremely beautiful, smooth shuffle on it! So lovely. Your 1970 Thoth sounds brilliant. I'm unimpressed with the cardstock of my recently bought, standard thoth.

oh! thank you for this topic!) I was just wondering what would be deck with best cardstock?) my idea was something like Alice Tarot from Baba Studio?!XD lolz )

I love standard US Games for Rider Waite and Radiant Rider Waite and DV finish and Printerstudio linen is everyone favorite and shuffle well!^^ btw Printersudio plastic cardstock is probably thickest!^^ and will make sure your deck look good and *straight as new!^^ lolz )

I don't mind *thin as long it shuffle well and don't wear off easy!XD but as a selfpublished deck creator I'm more concerned with finish that will insure my colors stay on place and deck look good as new even after a long use so Gamecrafter and Drivethrucards UV coating sounds good!) btw I just placed my test print order with drivethrucards and will post my review moment it arrive!)

Gwynydd said:

I love that linen stock, too, but always wish it was much thicker

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To me, who also favors thicker stock, AGM's is by far THE best in the market. It feels solid in your hands but not bulky. It does not chaff nor get damaged easily. Great colors and durability.

ana luisa said:

To me, who also favors thicker stock, AGM's is by far THE best in the market. It feels solid in your hands but not bulky. It does not chaff nor get damaged easily. Great colors and durability.

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Thanks for the heads-up. I've been looking at AGM's Cosmic Tarot, and this could seal the deal.