when was the first waite pocket version published?

Storm82

when was the first waite tarot pocket (mini) version published?
 

Tarotwolf

Aeclectic gives a date of 1975 for the pocket version. I have a mini-version published by Agmuller in Switzerland for US Games dated 1971; and an Albano-Waite mini-version published by Tarot Productions dated 1968.

I only have a few mini-decks so I'm sure others here can find some earlier printings in their collections.
 

rwcarter

You have to be careful about publishing dates vs copyright dates. The first printing of a deck will have the same publishing and copyright dates. For subsequent printings of the deck, the publishing date likely won't be known.

Until 2010 all the USG Rider Waite decks that had copyright on them said 1971 regardless of when they were printed. The China printing of the Giant Rider Waite was the first time I remember seeing the copyright of "1971, 2010" on the cards. So the first printing of that Giant Rider Waite can safely be said to have been printed in 2010. It's not clear at all when additional printings of the deck would have been printed.

The most in-depth printing history of the Rider Waite that I'm aware of is RWS Deck Post-1970 Publishing History. That thread doesn't specifically cover the mini-RW though, so let's see what we can do here.

I have 7 copies of the mini:

  • one whose box was so destroyed, I threw it away and made another box for it. The LWB with it has the 468 Park Ave South address on it and is a first printing. The cards don't have copyrights so that puts them between 1970 and 1975 per the other thread.
  • I have a 2nd printing of the LWB with the same Park Ave South address on the LWB, but the box says Samuel Weiser and not USG. There are no copyrights on the cards.
  • I also have a 2nd printing of the LWB with the Park Ave South address on the LWB and USG with the 10016 zip code. There are no copyrights on the cards.
  • I have two 3rd printings of the LWB with the same info as the above entry. There are no copyrights on the cards.
  • I have a 4th printing of the LWB that has the E. 32nd St address on it and the cards have copyrights. They're not glossy, so that puts them between 1980 and 1985 per the other thread.
  • I have a 17th printing of the LWB that has the Stamford, CT address and copyrights on the cards, which are glossy. So that puts them at 1990 and later.
My first-fourth printings have tuckboxes that open from the right side, while the 17th printing has a tuckbox that opens from the top.

Also note that the pocket and mini are two different versions of the deck. Amazon lists the dimensions for the pocket as being 3.2" x 5.2" (which is likely the box) while I show the mini as being 1.75" x 2.875".

I have a pocket version of the Universal Waite, which has the Stamford address on it, so it would be 1990 or later. I don't have any version of the Pocket Rider Waite though. Hopefully I've still given you enough info to narrow down the date you're looking for.

Rodney
 

coredil

On my copy of the Blue Box Mini called "The Traveller's" published by Rider and without copyright on the cards, one can read on the box and on the LWB:
First issued 1910
This edition 1975

Best regards
 

Sumada

Just for the record, I have a miniature RW that was...
"Made in Switzerland by AGMULLER expressly for Samuel Weiser, Inc. New York, NY 10003". It's in a yellow tuck flap box that hinges on the long left hand side, with the World on the top side and the Fool on the bottom. The cards are matte finished with no copyright, and there is one blank card and one with a list of decks available from USG at the E 32nd St., addtess. The LWB is a USG one that is the 4th printing, with a 1971 copyright, and also bears the E 32nd St., address. The card stock is identical to my blue tuck flap box from the '70s, also printed by AGMULLER for Rider & Co., 3 Fitzroy Sq., London W1. 74x44 mm and 27mm thick.
 

rwcarter

Interesting Sumada. Your 4th printing LWB accompanies cards that don't have copyrights while my 4th printing LWB accompanies cards that do have copyrights. That bolsters the theory in the other thread about LWBs being printed separately from the decks and put together with them as needed. (As they're smaller, I'm guessing more LWBs can be printed at one time than decks.)

Other than the copyrights, our decks that accompany the 4th printing LWBs sound exactly alike.

Rodney
 

Sumada

Exactly Rodney. Also,I thought it really odd that Weiser would distribute something advertising USGames - surely the competition!
 

rwcarter

Exactly Rodney. Also,I thought it really odd that Weiser would distribute something advertising USGames - surely the competition!
I have both a full size and a mini-RWS in a yellow box from Weiser with a USG LWB. I'm guessing Weiser licensed the deck from USG for a very short period of time, which is why there's only one version of each that I'm aware of.