Earning with Tarot vs Spending on Tarot

i read a statistic (i think from the Tarot Association - whoever they are?) that people who use tarot professionally have on average 47 decks....

that made me think my little collection was quite modest... dangerous, enabling thinking, i can tell you!

what i have noticed is that when i make money in some way through the tarot, i always seem to be more ready to spend more money on tarot.... that doesn't happen with other lines of work that i do....

does anyone else have this experience? making money with tarot seems to lead to spending money on tarot???

or is it just me....?

47 decks on average? does it sound realistic or are readers with HUGE collections pushing up the average?

If you discount gregory and Rodney ... that could be about right. I have about 3 dozen decks ...

I have around a hundred and sixty. I went through a five year period where I spent more than I earned, but I've been reading a lot longer than that, and before and after that period I earn(ed) more than I spend.

As long as you have a roof over your head and food in your belly, who cares? ... It's lovely to have a vocation that (almost) pays for itself.

I don't earn any money through tarot -- I'm not a professional reader or author or speaker in the field -- but I do spend plenty on tarot! I have something close to 800 decks now, perhaps a little more. I need to take another count soon.

It's a passion. I don't have all that many decks compared to so many here but somehow the number keeps climbing (she says innocently). I've made a little bit of money off readings. Just about enough to break even with the cost of buying decks or books on tarot and associated topics. I wouldn't bother with the cards if it was just about money, however.

At last count I had about 60? decks or thereabouts. My collection is a small one compared to some here.

I saved a ton of money by switching to Geico! No, seriously, I've found a ton of decks used and bought them--thereby saving a ton of money from either buying them new or finding them on the collectors' market. I've scored some rarities for a song just by knowing where to look. So if you've been bitten by the collecting bug, don't be afraid to scour charity/thrift shops, antique stores, and used bookstores for decks. That's where I've gotten a good percentage of mine.

If you're a professional reader, talk to your accountant. You also might be able to write off some of your purchases as business expenses. $20 may not be a big tax write-off, but say four or five of those, plus mileage (if you travel), business cards, webspace, etc. adds up at the end of the year.

I think my *most* expensive deck ran me about $30 and that was the Mage: the Ascension deck IIRC. I've been gifted a lot of decks, and like I said, I've also found a good chunk of them used. I rarely buy them new, and when I do, it's a lot of the novelty decks that I'm not sure if they're going to still be in print a few years from now. Even then I try to use discount coupons (Barnes and Noble give them out frequently) or shop at local stores where I either have a rewards program or pay no sales tax.

Like Nisaba said, if your basic needs are met, collect away! Now if it's interfering with survival spending, you've got a problem--but that's true for anything.

I do have 72 Tarot decks and about 60 Oracle and meditation decks. But for my professional reading practice I only use about 10 of these decks. The others are for me to study, broaden my Tarot horizon and and my skill in reading images. Certain decks I also use as companions, when I am learning/ studying something new.
- Like for my foray into Buddhism and Nepali shamanism I use the Roots of Asia deck as companion, for daily draws and meditations....
I love to search for new -to me -decks in used book stores and charity shops and many of my decks are from there. Others are gifts from clients and friends.
For a while I bought a new deck every 3-4 month - now I have not purchased anything for over a year......
I do read part time - when I have time - among everything else I am into. I am getting paid VERY well for the readings I do!
With an average price of a new deck being about $40.00$ I would have to be crazzzzzy enough to buy ~~ 150 to 180 new decks a year to spend all the money I make from reading......
More decks do not make a better reader; I know a few readers, who only have a TDM or a Thoth and that is all they ever use.

Mi-Shell said:

More decks do not make a better reader; I know a few readers, who only have a TDM or a Thoth and that is all they ever use.

Click to expand...

Yes, i am not under the illusion that having more decks will make me a better reader it's not about improving my reading when i am drawn to more decks (at least not consciously anyway). for about 10 years i have read with the RWS only, no matter what other decks i've had.

i don't mind spening money that i don't need for other expenses on tarot, i don't see it as an issue, but my situation is rather laughable as i don't have a stable home base, so nearly all the decks i have must stay at my parents place in England, and i'm not there very often at all.... (have been in England for only 7 weeks since 2008).

so with decks that i have purchased recently (have been on a bit of a 'spree' these last couple of months, but have also been earning more too, hence my question about whether others find there is a connection), with these new decks i have no idea when i am going to meet them, and when i do i probably won't get much time with them. but i'm still happy knowing that they're there. sometimes i miss not being able to have more decks to look at and learn with. i know there are the FoolsDog Apps and eBooks, but that's not the same as having the deck in your hands, AT ALL, for me...