silvereye
I also have the Golden Universal, and yup there are definitely some differences between that and the strict RWS clones and not just in the colors. The dress styles, the human characters themselves, the background, etc. - there are distinct changes made altho overall, the impression one gets is that it does approximate the standard RWS. However, if you're not really up to getting a copy of the RWS, the book does have black and white images of each and every card.
In any case, you may have some aversion to the images of the RWS you see online but have you seen an actual physical deck? I think some occult shops have open copies of these decks that you may peruse or browse. There are more than 5 RWS clones that I know of, each with a different coloring style, line thickness, brightness, feel, etc. You just might change your mind when you do find one that suits you. Or if you're willing to shell out $10, there's a pocket version of the Waite-Smith Centennial Tarot available in Amazon. Check it out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1572818123/
That's an almost 50% discount, so now is the perfect time to grab a copy if you think it would be nice to at least have a copy of the classic RWS. Remember that it's the small version tho, with the cards measuring just about 2.25 inches by 3.75 inches. But it does come in a tin, so yeah.
Thanks that's where the dilemma likes because i do see some material differences like in the seven of swords the feeling Golden Universal conveys is different from a RWS for sure. Ill have to order from book depository for shipping costs so will check it out. Thanks so much