The Pamela Colman Smith Centennial Deck review thread

It's a shame really because it's obvious that this deck, although better than previous versions, is not perfect and for some very silly, avoidable reasons. I didn't get my hopes up too much to begin with as they have made some hideous mistakes IMO regarding the standard RWS and other USG decks- heavy plastic coating, large copyrights on faces of cards, hideous back designs and most criminal of all those computer typeface titles- to name a few. I think I am probably less disappointed than some as I expected it to be bad and so was reasonably pleasantly surprised. I would have been ecstatic to receive an unlaminated, papery version with nothing but the lightest coat of laquer, and with 'antique' type backs, the images are spot on for me but would have looked better without the sheen. I still like it more than my other RWS decks though!

Kimber said:

The "Original Rider Waite" was published with the roses and lilies back, but the card colors are dark and muddy. I believe Kaplan printed it from his 1909 copy. So doing the Centennial deck with the roses and lilies would have been redundant.

Click to expand...

I am pretty sure the "Original Rider Waite" was not printed from the 1909 copy. The "Original" is really a copy of a Pam-C or something. And also Kaplan didn't possess the 1909 deck yet back then. The Centennial deck however is a 100% copy of the 1909 deck with the Roses&Lilies, but with a different back.

I agree with Freddie that it would have been nice if they had also put the Roses&Lilies on the back of the Centennial edition, because then it would have really been a fascimile of the original 1909 deck. But I also like the new backs. I can imagine that they didn't want to confuse this one with the "Original" one, so maybe that is why they changed the back. Other reasons could be that their copyright has more value on this one now, because they designed the back themselves. (which is probably even more likely the reason).

RATS! My Pictorial Key version doesn't have meanings for the World!

After the Fool description, my University Books and Causeway book editions also give two pages to Archana XXI, The World -- but it's not in my Centennial!

It's supposed to be after the World:

http://sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/pktar00.htm

Then 3 Conclusion As to the Greater Keys...

I didn't think to check until a question about Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite came up...does anyone else have this misprint/missing pages as well?

I'll insert the proper information from the page I see on Sacred Texts, but haven't seen this in the Aeclectic.net reviews yets.

I am somewhat disappointed, as I wanted to carry this Centennial around as the 'complete' set...but will attend to the missing pages in my copy first.

Best,

Cerulean

Cerulean said:

After the Fool description, my University Books and Causeway book editions also give two pages to Archana XXI, The World -- but it's not in my Centennial!

Click to expand...

Cerulean,

My copy is like yours - missing information on the World! I didn't even bother to check the book cause I have multiple copies of it and have already read it....

Rodney

*****

Noelle said:

Well this is a deck that promised the world and it hasn't delivered ... on two counts.

Click to expand...

That's a bit of a cryptic post... Care to elaborate?

Noelle said:

Well this is a deck that promised the world and it hasn't delivered ... on two counts.

Click to expand...

...refers to post #110:

I received mine a few days ago and I'm very disappointed. The cardstock for me is too thick - so unlike any of my other cards - and they shovel like concrete. The signature on the backs is also far too promiment otherwise these backs would have been perfect.

3 words - made in China

This is the centennial edition of this famous deck and US Games should have gone all out to produce something of 'real quality'. They didn't.

Click to expand...

7.5 out of 10

I just picked this up today.

The outer box is a quality presentation. Not exactly a piece of art as should be expected for such a presentation, but it is hardly embarrassing either.

The deck itself: I'm not a huge fan of the RWS deck, and a lot of that has to do with the coloring seen in most printings. This printing does a lot to sell me on the beauty of this deck. I still likely will never become a regular user of the deck, but I do enjoy looking at it from time to time, and this is the best version I have seen. I like the thick card stock. The coating is a little too glossy for my taste, but not as bad as I feared it might be. I think it will grow better with age. I like the design of the card backs, but I'm a little annoyed that they didn't replicate the backs of one of the "A" decks. I really think that it would have been nicer to make this deck as much as possible like an original printing. I really miss a box for the cards, and I think this is a big oversight to the set. The blue bag for the cards couldn't possibly be less appropriate to the deck or the set in general, and basically, this bag is trash in my mind.

I've barely had time to thumb through the book on PCS. It looks like a quality book, with a nice job printing. The binding sucks arse. I hope it stays together. It looks like it will hold together, but even assuming that it does, I feel that for the asking price ($35) it should have included hardcover books.

I haven't even taken the Waite book out of the plastic, and I probably never will.


********************************

Overall, I have to give the set a 7.5 out of 10. I'm happiest with the deck itself, which is great, because it is the star of the show when all is said and done. It's not perfect, but they didn't botch it either. The PCS book looks great, but should have been hardcover. I look forward to reading a bit, and I hope it is as interesting as it should be. The prints and whatnot are a nice addition. The Pictorial Key is wasted on me as I'm simply not interested.

I am happy with the purchase, but I really do feel that for such an important milestone for the most popular of modern decks that they could have made the presentation a bit better- there were several little things that I thought could have been handled better.

Is this THE new RWS deck or was there another (better?) one (I think I also remember something about a LS one.

Nina* said:

Is this THE new RWS deck or was there another (better?) one (I think I also remember something about a LS one.

Click to expand...

Scarabeo are due to launch this one. Im hoping they get their act together and get it out before the end of the year. Otherwise it won't be exactly an anniversary edition...

But apparently Europe only, so you'll be alright