After picking up the deck set. I came home put things away etc. made a cup of tea, refilled my electronic cigarette. I took out the deck and book box, and remembered my first reaction at the shop, hmmm why wasn't the box set wrapped in Plastic packaging to prevent losing the cards and book. I thought hmm was it a used deck set that had been opened. NOPE that is the way it came looking at the other deck set boxes at the shop. So IMO that was a downer, I didn't get to open it up like a birthday present. Any ways moving along back to my cup of tea, I opened the box pulled out the book sat and read it. I found Mann repeated himself more than 3 times on how to interpret the cards as in the way the cards in Postion North, south, east, west. I understood it from the first time, I didn't need to be reminded a 4th. lol well I was disapointed when getting down and reading the interpretations of the cards, I was hoping Mann would've had a hay day putting in all his knowledge of astrology etc. into the cards interpetation. I get more info from an astrology book. it was said in review isn't for beginners. well IMO it is very beginner, just has minimal basics. So my suggestion is get a really good book on astrology and use that with this deck.
Now moving onto the cards themselves. I found a deck of cards at a secondhand store with no book, so my whole purpose of buy the deck set was for the book, which I was very disapointed with.
The cards of the found deck have nice large images encirlced with a fine black border line as seen in my scans, the new deck has mush smaller images and does lose detail with no black fine line border.
The card stock of the found deck (which is the first print) is of good quality but thin. The 2n print of the cards are on a much thicker card stock. so when you place the deck side by side the new deck is twice as thick. I also noticed that the cards are curved into /towards the center of the card like a bowl, not flat, now this could be just the deck I purchased.
As for the backs of the new 2nd print you can see that it was a scan from the first deck, the black is faded and the lines are a bit smuged not as crisp as the first printing. My first printed deck, the black is black with a nice glossy finish and crisp clear lines (white).
Back to the images of the front /faceup of cards. In the new print the colors are bright vibrant, where as in the 1st print they are faded, washed out, mind you this could be due to this deck being used and older.
So I am not sure which deck to choose from to use as a daily, so undecided. I like the 1st print for the images are larger, but card stock is thin, I like the new print for the card stock is thicker and can hold up to daily use better, but the images are smaller. then its shaped like a bowl..lol so I would have to flatten them with some weight. The first print I most likely should put away and not use.
here is link of a scan I took to show you some of the diferenced between the decks
http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i460/IronSideArt/ATMannAstrologicalTarot.jpg
So if you were in my shoes trying to decide which deck out these two, which would you pick. love to hear your thoughts.
