What do you keep your decks in?

I've recently gotten into tarot and bought myself the beginnings of a tarot collection. But I'm torn between keeping my decks in little velvet bags, or in the boxes they come in. Most of the boxes are thin cardboard and seem likely to fall apart pretty soon - one or two already are!

I'm curious about what everyone else does. Do you keep your decks in a bag, the original box, or a new box bought just for tarot?

(And why does it seem like Oracle decks more consistently get better boxes than tarot ones?)

I store my tarot in the box they come in. But if I'm working a lot with one deck, or want to take it out and about I transfer to a bag - because as you say some boxes can be quite fragile.
But in the long run, it's easier to see which deck is which on the shelves if they are in their boxes.

Lots of options, enjoy all the different answers you're sure to get

If the box is the size of the tarot deck, I put it in a bag with the cards inside the box inside the bag (I usually have to find a little bigger bags). This helps protect the fragile boxes. For others that came without boxes, they get their own bags too. For bigger boxes (kits), I save them in their box, but probably will eventually take them out of their box. I only do this for sturdy boxes, otherwise in their bag they will go. I am getting too many now and some of my decks and guidebooks, as well as many tarot book are in storage. I have bought many bags (mostly purchased online), but I make my own too (so I can make any size I want). I prefer to keep the guidebook with the deck, but have broken up sets (kits) and shelved many guidebooks. I match the bag to the deck, as I have to recognize which deck is in which bag. So far, I only have 20 something decks. Most of my lenormands (I have really a lot) are in Indian style zip bags (gotten from an import shop), Most of my oracles cards are left in their boxes (because they're usually sturdy).

If you have space, I would try to keep them in their box (speaking from experience - I got rid of boxes and now I am sorry I did) and on a shelf somewhere. It's neater and easier to find decks once you have a lot of them. If you end up with bags, try to keep the boxes if you have the room. You may want them later. Also the bags can be expensive or time-consuming to make. Elle (sacredspace) on youtube buys inexpensive bags from gift stores/wedding places (sorry, don't have specifics). She puts a charm on each one to help identify it. I thought that's a good idea if you go with bags. Bags are harder to store than boxes. My bags are very decorative, pretty, and easy on the eye. I bought each one with a particular deck in mind, which makes it easy/easier to identify and find a particular deck.

Some people put them in small tarot-sized boxes (you can also buy little boxes that look like books from craft stores - not a tight fit). I store most of my decks in large decorative boxes that I got from Michaels or TJ Maxx, but bags could be put in a drawer or on a shelf. Right now, I have the decks I use the most along with some other tools (my runes, pendulum, astrology books) in a travel bag -- the size of a plane carry-on. This way, if something were to happen (fire, earthquake, etc.) I could grab it. I keep it in a travel bag because I take it with me when I see clients and it keeps everything I use organized.

I don't know if this helped at all, but I wish you the best of luck. Let us know what you decide!

I definitely agree that oracle deck boxes are so much sturdier than tarot deck boxes!! I use satin bags for my decks. They go in wrapped in a silk cloth. It helps because sometimes I want to boost them with herbs and I can just tuck the dried herbs into the bag without worrying about scattering tiny bits every time I close the box, or even not having room because some of the tarot deck boxes are only just big enough to fit the deck and the LWB.

I can see how keeping the box would help with identifying which deck is which though. I just don't have enough decks yet for that to matter so I can tell by the color of the bag. I really like Jen P's idea with the boxes from TJ Maxx or marshalls! A friend stored their deck in this gorgeous wooden box and it looked so lovely

I've made two kinds of storage for myself. The first were crocheted bags that fit the deck snugly and then I put the deck in one of those into a cloth bag. I crocheted them out of bedspread weight cotton thread. I lived in an RV for a couple of years and I found that sometimes a card or cards would slip sideways in a bag and then if it were sat on or something put on top of it inadvertently, it could damage and bend the card. The little "undies" I made for the decks prevents that.

Then I started making stiff felt boxes the size of whatever deck was going to be put into them and I put beadwork on them to dress them up. I'll post pictures later on when I get them uploaded into my computer from my camera. The felt is pretty in different colors and it's also a nice, structured box to put each of the decks in.

I trimmed a lot of my decks to make them easier for me to overhand shuffle since arthritis is taking its toll on my hands and riffle shuffling isn't painless and enjoyable anymore. Now the decks all fit into a much smaller space. I store the ones I'm not using in a great big antique tin box. I also store some in a little suitcase sort of thing that was meant for cassette tapes.

I keep most of my decks in bags. I search for a bag that matches the deck in some way. There are some beautiful bags out there.

I keep my deck in the original box wrapped in blue cotton cloth in a wooden drawer.

I have a collection of organza bags in various colors and sizes and I like keeping cards in a complimentary bag (trying to match colors a bit). With the organza fabric, I can see through them to tell which deck it is. I also keep tumbled quartz in with most decks. If the stone has any edges, I'll put that into a little bag first and then into the bag with the deck. I don't have many decks, so I can keep them in a very nice shoe box I repurposed. It is a high quality box with a hinged lid and satin cord handle - so works really well. I also keep the scarves/kerchiefs I like to use as reading cloths. I have a few inexpensive or thrift shop ones.

I use chiffon jewelry bags and velvet bags. Boxes are usually too bulky and tend to rip and wear too easily.

I keep the boxes but I don't use them to store the decks, they tear too easily. I make bags for my decks - I used to paint and embroider on silk but my hands are no longer nimble enough for needle painting so I switched to crochet. I have lots of fun picking a yarn for each new deck and deciding how to make the bag.

Until the day before yesterday, I kept the decks in a basket but just now an ugly but prrrractical plastic box of drawers became available when my daughter moved some of her old toys

It made me idiotically happy to sort my deck collection according to topics and oh it was such fun, and now I can pick out a deck much more easily. It's so nice and satisfying to put things back into their place after use. I keep my decks with incense which didn't really make much of the difference as long as they were in an open basket. Now I guess they'll catch the scent and I like that.

Now I'm reminded of my dolls when I was a girl. A new doll had to have her place in the doll's corner, a bed and clothes. Oh how I loved my dolls and how I loved taking care of them. And now preparing a nice place for a deck is an important ritual.

If I feel the need, I also trim or edge a deck. All this is for me part of the fun I have with tarot, and of strengthening the bond I have with my decks.