Why do people sell their deck collections?

This is just out of curiosity?

I'm on a bit of a tarot break but I couldn't imagine selling any even the ones I don't love love. They feel part of me.

Anyway why do people sell their decks off? Won't they/you regret it one day?

I've sold a few decks over the years. They were ones I *really* didn't like and couldn't really rehome to someone near me. So I got trade credit for them and got other things, like other decks, that I liked.

I dunno. Everyone's motivations will probably be different here. If I'm lukewarm on a deck, I'll hang onto it because so many of mine are out of print. The only ones I'll get rid of are the ones I really really didn't like in the first place, or the ones that I've really grown to dislike over time. I've gotten quite a few as gifts so I'd never buy one I disliked right off the bat.

Hope that helps.

I assume you're asking why people get rid of their decks in general, instead of why they sell them for money as opposed to trading or giving away for free.

Eventually a deck might no longer resonate with a person. He may no longer ascribe to the symbols or themes the deck espouses, or prefer a different pattern of organization (RWS vs. Thoth vs. TdM, etc.). Tarot decks are so multitudinous that a person may eventually just grow tired of one and no longer want it around.

At my height of collecting, I owned about 35 decks. My living situation changed and I gradually adopted a more minimalist lifestyle, so I got rid of decks that I hadn't used and refuced myself to the essentials, the decks I had repeatedly used and whose symbols still resonated with me. I used to be a Neopagan and heavily used the Robin Wood deck as an alternative to the Christian-themed symbols of many traditional decks. When I left that behind, I no longer felt a connection to the deck, so I gave it away to a Wiccan friend who I knew would benefit from it. She still uses it today and I'm happy it found a home.

When I started deep into Tarot, I collected many Native American-themed decks and enjoyed using them. A year into university I worked with our First Nations group on campus, who taught me about the dangers and history of Indigenous spiritual and cultural exploitation that continues to this day. After that, I found that I couldn't use my Native decks anymore as it felt personally improper for me to do so, so I got rid of them.

Possibly the only regret I have is that I no longer have them around to admire their artwork, but as I wouldn't use them for reading and I want to save space, I don't mind that they're gone.

I was wondering the same thing...in light of what has come through for trading in the last few days! .

I came up with:

1) Maybe a new interest has come up.
2) Maybe religion might be a new factor thus no more cards etc.
3) Maybe money is important right now.

I just WISH I knew what decks were considered RARE in the scheme of things although Im not really a collector. Seems I will only go for things that I think are COOL regardless of the price as long as it is fair. And what I have come to realise in the past few days is that:

When crunch comes to crunch I usually go for the RW or Lenormand for answers. So, now Im wondering if it is worth buying more, as all they will become is something for me to admire for illustrations and colors not really to work with as a tool.

Need to think long and hard I think....

For myself l have cards l do want to sell. When l started out buying tarot it was rather like lets see how this one works, or that looks interesting and so on. In the end l gathered cards that l just did not resonate with from the off, so they just sit idly in my cupboard. Some l have gifted to friends, but l have my few select tarots that l would never part with and mean to keep forever, ones that give excellent readings and l class as old friends.
Unless you are an avid collector, l am not, its seems best to part with the ones which were one minute wonders of the time and perhaps invest in the latest.

Lourdez said:

This is just out of curiosity?

I'm on a bit of a tarot break but I couldn't imagine selling any even the ones I don't love love. They feel part of me.

Anyway why do people sell their decks off? Won't they/you regret it one day?

Click to expand...

Change of interests, or need money seem to be the two big ones listed here in the trade forums.

My self, I tend to want to see a deck in person, so I trade or buy it, then put them back up when I have a few ready to go, as the only decks I keep are antique, key decks like Samuel Weiser thoth or very "collectible". "Collectible decks I keep with an eye on selling as I have them for their value in resale only to support my real love, antique and key decks The collectible market has dried up so when I sell it is at cost or a bit of a loss lol.

Sometimes, I think, people are just ready to clear out "the old" in their life and move onward.

This subject brings to mind my husband's grandparents. They retired early, and pretty much sold off all their "stuff" (they had various collections and so on) and bought a cabin in the woods. They lived simply and happily there for years until their health declined . . . and once again they sold off almost everything, and moved to a small, new, very simple house near one of their children and near doctors/hospitals.

In other words, sometimes it is just time to let go.

I have never had the urge to sell off my tarot collection, but I have given away a LOT of makeup products this past year. For a while I was buying a lot of MAC, Urban Decay, NARS, etc. products and had traincases full of eyeshadows and blushes and whatnot.

I finally realized "hey, I only wear/use the same few products over and over . . . the rest was just impulse buys because I thought the colors were pretty."

So I've given a lot of it to the student workers in my office, to friends, etc. I don't really care that I'm not recouping the expense of it all . . . I'm just happy to be rid of the clutter.

Given the current economic circumstances across the globe, money may well be a deciding factor but I could never speak for any seller and each reason will be very individual.

I didn't get rid of my earlier tarot collection quite by chance. I'm glad I didn't get rid of it as when I came back later into the tarot fold it was still waiting for me. I cannot imagine getting rid of most of my decks.

Or maybe I can. Imagine the freedom; just a few well-loved decks to focus on and no clutter. I have no doubt that at least two thirds of my collection wouldn't be missed but I always hold onto them simply because I have so often loved a deck after ignoring it for years so I hang onto them just in case. Plus I have the space. If I didn't have the space and needed it for other things I'd have to be practical and clear out the old.

But I think there's probably something very exhilarating about getting rid of stuff, tarot included.

It strikes me that if I just used each deck I have for 6 months, I probably still wouldn't exhaust my collection before I die. So, really I could sell some.

Le Fanu said:

But I think there's probably something very exhilarating about getting rid of stuff, tarot included.

Click to expand...

Oh yes, for sure! I completely agree. Getting rid of stuff is so freeing and, as you say, exhilarating.

A lot of my decision to sell would be because not only would l be free of clutter but l am in my winter years and l would not want to lump the clearing out onto my family. Sounds like l have heaps LoL! l don't.