Decks worn with time

Ah, if I can just locate my old, worn Morgan Greer, I'll definitely post photos.

It came with a "lot" of decks I bought on eBay years ago. It was listed simply as "extra deck" so I didn't know it was a Morgan Greer till I got the box.

It obviously belonged to a tarot reader at some point in its life, as it is very worn, the most worn deck I've seen. It came in a soft, silk bag. It's an old copy in that it has black borders; the black bordered Morgan Greer is very hard to come by now, so I'm told.

Anyway, the cards are soft and delicate and marvelous. But I'm thinking at some point I put the cards and bag into a larger, more padded bag for safe-keeping, and I do not remember what shelf or drawer to look in off-hand.

Unfortunately l do not have a really worn out deck yet, but agree with you Nica there is something really romantic and magical in seeing a well loved and used deck.
My tarots are getting there, but not quite yet, they just have this thing about appearing well turned out on all occasions especially in public

The colors on Barleywine's old Thoth are so vibrant!!! I don't recall my newish Thoth being so "lively".

I long for the day that one of my decks gets so worn-out and loved....the newer decks with lamination are built to stay shiny forever and try as I may, I have yet to wear a deck out!!

There is something so mysterious and magical with worn-out decks, I would love to see more pics as well)

Le Fanu said:

How about this one? I didn't wear it out. I'm too young to have got a deck into this state , but here is my belovedly battered RWS. Stained and scuffed. Too delicate to shuffle really, but laid out once in a while to absorb its magical energies. And when I want to meditate on the horrors of lamination.

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That wine stain on the Page of Cups adds personality to it all of its own. It's telling me something.

Thank you for sharing!

Debra said:

Here's some well-worn tarot and fortune-telling cards.

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I especially liked the one with the writing on it. It's not the most common practice, but I have noticed readers on my feed who do this.

Annabelle, that sounds like a major treat. Please share it if you find it! I am thoroughly enjoying the entries.

Now for some entries of my own. The deck in these photos belongs to La Gitana Patricia. It is a 16 year old Rohrig Tarot deck that has been used to the point of blurring. I quite agree that lamination makes it hard to wear any deck, and have had a hard time weathering down Kat Black's Golden Tarot. I will upload a photo of a severely worn down one after this post.

Without further ado, Patricia's cards:
http://i59.tinypic.com/2dsmis9.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/bfgeh0.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/hrc2u9.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/2exon6g.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/6irzfm.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2jax0t4.jpg

I loved holding these cards and thinking about how many people they have read for, how many times they have incited an emotional reaction or made someone's day.

What an excellent idea Nica, it makes me think of the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi - the aesthetic of transience, imperfection, and wear. Just as our cards encapsulate the principles of cycles, change and transformation, so too are they subject to impermanence.

It makes me want to take out my decks every day. Instead of dreading the unavoidable battle-scars of use, it will be something to look forward to.

Nica said:

That wine stain on the Page of Cups adds personality to it all of its own. It's telling me something.

Thank you for sharing!

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I was going to say . . . it looks like he's about to be deluged by a "cabernet tornado," but he seems well-poised to catch the bounty!

Good grief! That last one looks like someone taped the cards to the bottom of a toboggan and went sledding with it.

I think all those old decks are fabulous! What a special thing to own one of those. Once I get into town, I'm going to snoop around the used bookstores and thrift shops to see if I can find at least one that's all old and worn.

Some of my decks are getting worn, because I use them every day and shuffle so much, but none to the extent of these we're seeing here.

Such treasures these are! I'm really enjoying this thread.