Decks You Wish You Hadn't Bought?

Wintermoon

I agree with others about the Shadowscapes Tarot - beautiful but I can't read with it.

I wish I hadn't bought the Druidcraft tarot as the cards are way too big for my little hands and I can't shuffle them! I also regret buying the Silver Witchcraft tarot, which I find strangely lifeless. I may come back to it one day and have another go but it doesn't speak to me in the same way as some of my other decks. The other one I ended up giving away was the Styrian Starseed tarot - I'm just not sure what I was thinking when I bought that deck as I don't usually like "photograph" decks!
 

Saoirse Anne

I bought a lot of decks when I first became interested in Tarot back in the early 1990s...before I could check them out online before buying. Some of my most regrettable purchases were the Herbal Tarot, Barbara Walker, Aquarian, and Celtic Tarot.
 

Michellehihi

I bought a lot of decks when I first became interested in Tarot back in the early 1990s...before I could check them out online before buying. Some of my most regrettable purchases were the Herbal Tarot, Barbara Walker, Aquarian, and Celtic Tarot.

To the contrary I just got a Herbal tarot in a trade, and I am in love with it. However I have to say that it is moving away from tarot, as the herbal part is more important.
 

Saoirse Anne

To the contrary I just got a Herbal tarot in a trade, and I am in love with it. However I have to say that it is moving away from tarot, as the herbal part is more important.

It's so interesting how a deck that one person doesn't like will work well for someone else, isn't it? Tarot is such a personal thing. I haven't actually looked at the Herbal Tarot deck since the 1990s. Maybe I'll go take a new look at it.
 

euripides

It's so interesting how a deck that one person doesn't like will work well for someone else, isn't it? Tarot is such a personal thing. I haven't actually looked at the Herbal Tarot deck since the 1990s. Maybe I'll go take a new look at it.

Isn't it. Far from being negative, I find this thread quite illuminating about the various things we do and don't enjoy in Tarot - and have identified a few decks I'd quite like (I do have eclectic taste, no pun intended!)

I also find that I go through phases of interest in things, so I'm glad that I have kept most of my decks - some that I don't engage with now, I suspect I will at a later date, when I've had time to investigate their symbolism in more depth or if I wander back to an interest in that culture.
 

Shanachie05

It's a popular deck, but....

I really don't like my Thoth Tarot deck. I know a lot of people love the deck, but for me it just sends chills down my spine and makes me extremely anxious.
If anyone wants a free Thoth deck, you can have it. I've handled it for maybe 5 minutes, but it just caused anxiety and nausea and really creeped me out.

I feel kind of bad about admitting it.
 

NightMagic628

I really don't like my Thoth Tarot deck. I know a lot of people love the deck, but for me it just sends chills down my spine and makes me extremely anxious.
If anyone wants a free Thoth deck, you can have it. I've handled it for maybe 5 minutes, but it just caused anxiety and nausea and really creeped me out.

I feel kind of bad about admitting it.
Don't feel bad about that. We are all drawn to or feel a dislike towards a specific deck for a multitude of reasons. No right or wrong in that. For example, I bought the Centennial Rider Waite because of all the good reviews and I just don't like it. The muted coloring is TOO muted for me and the whole deck has a very dark, dank feel to it. Some people love that in comparison to the boldness of the regular Rider Waite.
 

jujustar

ugh,, also Sirian Starseed here, and, recently, the Thelema tarot... no words... Well, Barbie Empress, maybe
 

lantana

Crystal Visions

I loved it when I first got it, as my second deck, because it was (at the time) so much prettier and easy to read with than my grumpy rider waite deck. Now? Everybody looks the same, the neopagan symbols feel tossed in, and the men in this deck are just ugly.

I worry that I'll never be able to trade it away since it's so wildly available (and its box just disintegrated).
 

jujustar

I loved it when I first got it, as my second deck, because it was (at the time) so much prettier and easy to read with than my grumpy rider waite deck. Now? Everybody looks the same, the neopagan symbols feel tossed in, and the men in this deck are just ugly.

I worry that I'll never be able to trade it away since it's so wildly available (and its box just disintegrated).

Lantana, that deck is at the top of my give- away- to- a -friend pile for exactly the same reasons... :/