Decks worn with time

foolMoon said:

For me, there is a great pleasure in opening new decks, and feeling the texture and seeing the fresh graphic images on clean new card stock. But there are also unstoppable pleasures handling old vintage decks used a lot and worn out - feeling the times gone by, looking into the shadows of time behind the deck.

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Same here. I love the feel of a new deck, for me it is deep pleasure to handle the fresh cards, see a new take on the depiction and so on. And I rather dislike an old deck that is actually greasy and grubby. None of my decks are like that but someone on two occasions gave me their deck to read with and the cards were disgusting, so thick with oil that they would barely shuffle.

However, I bought an old Thoth second hand years ago and it is soft and worn and clearly well loved and used. This is the only one of my several Thoths of various vintages that I ever use for reading. It just feels 'friendly' in some way to me.

Alta said:

Same here. I love the feel of a new deck, for me it is deep pleasure to handle the fresh cards, see a new take on the depiction and so on. And I rather dislike an old deck that is actually greasy and grubby. None of my decks are like that but someone on two occasions gave me their deck to read with and the cards were disgusting, so thick with oil that they would barely shuffle.

However, I bought an old Thoth second hand years ago and it is soft and worn and clearly well loved and used. This is the only one of my several Thoths of various vintages that I ever use for reading. It just feels 'friendly' in some way to me.

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Ahhhh If decks are soiled badly, then yeah, I would be apprehensive of using them. Then they are for the bin

None of my old worn out decks are dirt and oil soiled fortunately. And yes, I appreciate that 'friendly feels' of the old decks.

i LOVE old things, and tarot decks in particular~! most of the decks that i own were already used; personally, i would rather them having gone around the block once or twice before i get to them... i really like to imagine the lives that they've already lived.
new decks are kind of nice and fresh, but i feel like they're more work somehow. (and it just now occurs to me that this may be lazy. )

as far as dirt and germs, though - foolMoon says it well!

foolMoon said:

The germs and bacterias on old decks doesn't bother me. Chances are there might be more germs and bacterias on computer keyboards, tea cups, toilet seats, steering wheels of cars and mobile phones … etc etc than old Tarot decks. Having plenty of hand soaps, keep washing hands religiously after handling all these should be a way of life, and everything should be fine.

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i'm a metalsmith who likes to garden and cook, and who lives in a hot, humid climate; i always wash my hands before using the cards.

although, it must be said: there's a difference between soft, fluffy, thin cards ~ and greasy, sticky, who-knows-what-the-hell-that-gummy-stuff-is cards, ha!

Here is a well used Marseilles with character (Varallo).

Tarotwolf said:

Here is a well used Marseilles with character (Varallo).

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That is a truly lovely looking vintage deck. Thanks for sharing.

Some absolutely gorgeous decks there. That Rohrig though, gave me shivers for some reason...

I'm sort of on the fence with worn decks; I love decks that I have worn, but I'm not as enthralled with other people's grubby decks

Tarotwolf said:

Here is a well used Marseilles with character (Varallo).

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This is very nice! This Marseilles deck looks worn with love.

Here is my Quest tarot, the Bulgarian edition. It's my first deck and I've read only with it for about three years or so. Then I got Legacy of the Divine, but I still love and use the Quest too. It is kind of worn out, not like the ones you posted, but ... I like to share It's kind of 8 year-ish deck now

[here]

[and here]

Also this Five of Swords man from Legacy of the Divine got his crown chakra opened by mistake

[here]

I am convinced that best looking worn tarot decks are RWS and TdM. Not sure if this is unique feeling to me, but somehow heavily worn & old RWS and TdM decks ooze mysterious credibility of divination combined with classic aesthetic charm.

Tarotwolf said:

Here is a well used Marseilles with character (Varallo).

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Oh the ambiance of that deck is somehow palpable...
i admit that i swooned when i clicked on the photo...
It is sooooooo lovely!