Vintage Yellow Box - Info Needed Please!

stellar4

I would really appreciate some help on this one; I recently bought what I thought was a vintage but standard USG yellow box deck.
Now I have it, I find that there are some anomalies. It has the yellow box with the Fool on one side and the Magician on the other. Above both of these is 'The Waite Tarot Card Deck'. On both of the long sides is 'The Waite Tarot Card Deck designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite' and in smaller print '78 Card Waite Deck Complete with Instructions.' On both top and bottom flaps simply 'Tarot Cards'.
The cards themselves have no copyright and the old calligraphy titles. The cardstock is matte. The backs are a plain blue, not the usual blue tartan.
I've compared size with a blue box edition; the latter is 2mm less at the top and 1mm less at the side. I also compared it with an old Albano Waite and found it was 0.5mm bigger at the top and sides. (This is starting to look very anal and sadly nit-picky!)
The instruction book is called 'How to read tarot cards' above a line drawing of Osirus with 'A wisdom inherited from the most ancient times' below. Apparently 'Instructions excerpted from the Pictorial Key To the Tarot'.
Nowhere on the cards, box or instructions is there any copyright, makers name, date, printer's name, country of manufacture etc.
So has anyone got a copy of this and/or any info about it?
Many thanks in advance!
 

rwcarter

You're a Subscriber so can upload images. Pictures would better help us to figure out what you have.

Rodney

(And I freely and proudly admit to being anal-retentive. ;) )
 

stellar4

Yep! That's the one Yelell! Crikey, you are quick off the mark....(Saves me having to try to find my camera or persuade my daughter to take some pictures with her phone.)
I'm very interested to find out more about it, and I'm sure that someone here probably has a copy of it or knows exactly what it is.
It is just odd that there is nothing indicating who made it etc.
 

rwcarter

That link just tells me that the auction ended more than 90 days ago and can't be viewed. I also tried putting in the auction number and got the same result. The Wayback Machine doesn't have the page archived either. :(
 

roppo

Judging from the photo on ebay, I believe the deck is not USG but a variation of the University Books deck. The yellow space of the sleeve of The Fool is one of the UB characteristics. I'd like to see more of the deck, especially the white rock in the Two of the Swords.
 

stellar4

I had no idea that there were any UB variations.... thank-you for enlightening me.
The Ebay link worked fine for me, I've no idea why it isnt working as well for everyone. When I get in from work this evening I'll try to get some pictures done to make things clearer.
I'll also drag out the 2 UB editions I've got and make comparisons.
Many, many thanks for your help!
 

Yelell

That link just tells me that the auction ended more than 90 days ago and can't be viewed. I also tried putting in the auction number and got the same result. The Wayback Machine doesn't have the page archived either. :(

Weird, it ended just a few days ago :confused: Here's a link from the UK site if that works.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-T...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-T...olman-Smith-Arthur-Edward-Waite-/301771451468
 

stellar4

Been busy for the past couple of days, hence no pictures. Just got some done (not brilliant I'm afraid!) so hopefully we can pin it down.
On the right is the mystery deck, middle is a University Books one, and on the left is a Blue Box RW.
I've also included the front cover of the LWB and the final page.
 

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stellar4

Looking at the Fool's sleeve and the 2 of Swords, I think that Roppo was absolutely right about this being taken from the UB deck.
As I said before, I had no idea that UB did any other editions and I would be interested to hear more. I also can't understand why there is absolutely no trace of a maker's name, address etc....