Is my Lilac/Cherry a Counterfeit?

IHeartRescues

I recently purchased this newer 2014 ed. deck fm seller sht2007 on eBay. This seller mails out fm the Ukraine. He has been selling since 2007. Has excellent feedback. And the cards were just under $30 plus $8.99 shipping. There were other sellers there recently who came and left very quickly, selling this deck combo for about $19.99, fm Ukraine, Bulgaria and was it Santa Monica?

My cards had a very strong nauseating smell which I seem to have effectively removed, but caused me some consternation when after posting on the Which Lenormand is the Postman Bringing? thread, Jen P. posted that she felt there was a very good chance I had received a counterfeit. That the real thing goes for just under $100. (first time I have seen THAT price!)
She suggested I contact The Etsy shop (irzhitarot) $52 incl ship and Twilight bag (that also has been selling these since they came out I believe, and also sells the other decks by artist Berenika).

So I contacted Irina Z. and gave her the location and name of the eBay store. She wrote back:
"The Original is only sold with the Bag Twilight! I am sorry You bought a fake. Regards Irina"

I had to wait for my seller to return fm vacation. I then contacted him asking about the strong smell and about the deck origin. Now I have noticed he sells many different decks thru his store Ukraine Mystical, and SOME he states are "not original, replica" like the Wild Unknown Tarot (NOW just saying Printed in Russia as of 8/23/16) currently for sale. My sale did not state this.

He wrote me:
"Hi!
It is the original deck by Russian publisher Berenika, printed in Russia.

About it's smell I can say only that Russia is not very good developed country, and often russian printing houses use old technologies and materials from China, like paints, lacquer, etc.

So, if you will not get good result with airing this deck, please let me know, I can propose a decision that will satisfy you.

Regards,
Alex."

There is also another seller on there, in the Ukraine, who is selling the Lilac/Cherry for $94.95 plus $25 shipping!! ouch

My thoughts: sht2007 (who has also recently sold the Russian Snake Tarot 56 card deck) on eBay
- members, has there been the strong chemical smell on your decks too? (Different publisher I know...)

- Maybe members here who purchased Lilac/Cherry several years ago fm irzhitarot will remember whether the Twilight bag always came with the deck or not?

So one says it's a fake, the other says it's an original. Hmmmmmmmmm

At least I got rid of the chemical odor. After all, it was shrink-wrapped so perhaps the chemicals had nowhere to go til now.
 

Laura Borealis

I've not bought from that eBay seller, though I've looked at their listings many times. There is something very iffy about them in my opinion. Certainly some of their decks, like the Rohrigs and Wild Unknowns, appear to be bootlegs. Whether yours is, I could not say, but the strong smell isn't necessarily an indication. I've bought plenty of legit decks that had that.

You bought it in good faith, I'd say enjoy it and just be cautious in the future. :)
 

IHeartRescues

The seller actually STATES that certain decks are "not original, replica" like his Wild Unknown (and I think some Rohrigs...) Mine did not have that disclaimer tho.
I've not bought from that eBay seller, though I've looked at their listings many times. There is something very iffy about them in my opinion. Certainly some of their decks, like the Rohrigs and Wild Unknowns, appear to be bootlegs. Whether yours is, I could not say,
but the strong smell isn't necessarily an indication. I've bought plenty of legit decks that had that.
You bought it in good faith, I'd say enjoy it and just be cautious in the future. :)

Yes thanks. :)
 

Bluefeet

Pretty sure the 2012 first printing copies did not come with any unpleasant odor, though I can't be sure about the new 2014 edition. When the deck first came out it was not bundled with the drawstring bag, so it really depends on the print run. I do hope yours is a legit copy!
 

IHeartRescues

I thought that might be the case. And thank you Bluefeet :)
 

reall

just to post you should never buy anything from suspicious seller on e bay!;///
especially if they state that some of their decks are replica!:\\ and price can be indicator if it's under what deck usually go! imo best way to get legit deck is to order it directly from artist web page(this way you can often get signed copy and extra goodies!^^ :))
or their publisher or some recognized bookstore/web shop!^^:))

and for the smell, I had that experience when I received my Oracle deck printed in plastic stock!x,x happily it went off after a while!^^ lolz ;)) so it may indicate that deck is fresh printed/or plastic stock?:)) but then again i ordered some expensive oracle deck from my fav bookstore and famous publisher to discover similar smell?x,x so it don't have to mean anything,,,
 

IHeartRescues

Hi reall

Well I certainly try NOT to buy overtly suspicious items. This seller usually does state which decks are "replicas", but since this IS a Russian deck in the first place, being "made in Russia" is not a reason for suspicion in itself. Even if he does sell fm Dnipro, Ukraine. (if I am dead-wrong about this, please enlighten!). Yea I was trying to save about $14, but like I said, this guy wasn't a "come and gone" seller like others on there that WERE selling for about half of what I paid.

I know you are a deck creator yourself! so I can understand your advice. These cards are well-made but on the typical more paper-cardboardy stock that often comes fm Berenika decks, like my Mysteries of the Old Castle which DID come fm irshitarot's Etsy site. Same cardstock, so I am not worrying too much.

(and just to help anyone interested: I removed the really noxious smell by getting a shallow covered bin, adding no-dust litter then covering w one layer of paper towels and laying the cards out on them, and covering for several days. Removed the cover for one more day and Voila! almost no smell! That was easy) :D
 

Jula

First of all - Hi Everyone! :)

OMG IHeartRescues, I just ordered The Wild Unknown Tarot first edition from this very seller… I had the feeling that is something fishy about the deck, as it is out of print already and it gets ridicules prices on internet - if you can find it at all – but wanted it so badly for so long, that I purchased the deck. Plus in Europa it was nearly impossible to buy. On the auction it didn’t stated “replica” just “printed in Russia” – o well people printing in China or Hong Kong as well, so for me it wasn’t alarming…

I’m worrying about the quality tho – your paper-like cards ware off quickly?
 

IHeartRescues

Hi Julia :)

I mean Jula and welcome!: He told me if I was unhappy, that he would "make it right." But if you don't want the cards, if it's not too late to CXL shipping, then pick up the deck thru sellers that are taking pre-orders for the real thing.

(Now the only complaint I have now, is my box seems to be oddly not fitting the cards, like one side is starting to come a bit undone o_O)

BTW: the WU is available for PRE-ORDER (2nd edition) at a substantially reduced price thru Barnes and Noble and also Amazon, but may be different in Europe I don't know.

Keep me informed on what happened ok?

IHR

it says "Printed in Russia" and there is no indicator of which edition, so that is the seller's "way" of letting you know it's a facsimile, I guess. Wild Unknown is NOT printed in Russia! He used to say "replica" but recently changed that.
 

IHeartRescues