Deluxe Playing Cards: Bicycle Ghost, Black Tiger, Viper

Here's a site which shows all of the Black Tiger cards.

http://playing-cards.us/main.html

Click on "Card Collections" on the left, then scroll down and click on the last item on the list. You can click on any card to see a bigger scan.

-- Lee

Cheers Lee. You're a Star

LB

So, Lee, have you ordered the Stainless Steel ones yet

LB

LOL, those are probably a bit too snazzy for me!

I like all the ellusionist decks, but I think the only one I could probably read with would be that "vintage" deck coming out in January.

I don't think I could use that Ghost deck, because the Cortez method I'm currently using really emphasizes the balance between red and black.

It would be fun to have the Vipir or Black Tiger decks just for the fun of it, though!

-- Lee

Yes, I like the look of the Vintage one also.

I am really enjoying the Ghost. The lack of colour makes it feel quite meaty and bulky. But I see your point. I looked at the 'black and red' one, which looked lovely, but I didn't like the inverted courts - looked like negatives and I felt would be much harder to 'feel' the characters.

LB

I agree about the white-on-black, I wouldn't want to read with it. But it does look cool though! Especially the red/black one.

-- Lee

I think the red and black ones would be good for parties and the like. This is one of the things I like about playing cards. In the main, they do not change, give or take a bit of colouring, the back, style etc etc. So swapping packs is not such a problem as it is with tarot. It doesn't make any difference, even though it is nice to use novelty packs for special occasions, general packs for general reads, hand-labelled decks for study. And they are so cheap. If I get a different pack, I know that it does not mean learning a whole new system. It is simply for vanity, and at such low prices, one every so often is no hardship. In the past, I have picked up many antique sets very cheaply. Just about every car-boot sale or collectors fayre I have been to has a selection of old playings cards and many of them are fascinating and look the real vintage deal.

Here's a nice example http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-DE-LA-R...05388978QQihZ008QQcategoryZ1438QQcmdZViewItem

LB

LittleBuddha said:

I looked at the 'black and red' one, which looked lovely, but I didn't like the inverted courts - looked like negatives

Click to expand...

I found it so as well, but very handsome.

I'm afraid I will only buy fully illustrated playing cards, with a different image on each card, but I do love them and all the different ways the pips are done: tiny fonts, small fonts, with indices or without, with borders or without.

The price is the attractive thing for sure. Whew, I love browsing through the Somerville catalogue.

I have never seen them in flea markets or garage sales though--that is often the way with paper ephemera.

Actually there is a crossover on playing cards and tarot

http://playing-cards.us/main.html

Under "Card Collection" tab, click on it and then go to their list. Scroll down to the following:

Decks for European regional/national games

Under "French Tarot" you will find 78 cards-- French pips and 22 majors and 16 courts. The majors and courts are doublesided. The majors have a 'positive' scene on one side and an interesting 'reverse' scene. I've not seen any explanation for the majors.

This is a subset and style that is seen in the 1910 Alan Tarot/Tarock (Italian) and an 1860-ish or thereabouts Gaudais of Paris deck or the di Gumppenberg Trade Sites of Milan. French pips, double-ended courts and majors with interesting scenes from stage or city or some sort of folklore.

I'd enjoy using a really good book on divining with playing cards-French Tarot for these types of decks. I'd prefer one that could not only explain rules of the games (which might or might not be Minchiate like according to my 1972 version of Trumps book), but the historical scenes! My favorite reproduction deck like this was the Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart) di Gumppenberg--I got old circulars of the opera to explain the scenes in that deck. Not certain I could use it for divination, but would love to try.

By the way, the 1972 U.S. Games/AG Mueller deck that I have with French pips and doublesided courts and 22 majors don't have any explanation of the scenic majors...so these decks are ripe for people to 'make up what they want' to go along with the deck majors!

So I've been following this discussion with great interest.

Cerulean

Yippee! Ellusionist Vintage 1800 deck is now available:

http://www.ellusionist.com/order/series1800/index.php

They're $5.95 each, 10% discount if you buy six. I bought six. That means I'm saving money... right?

-- Lee