In our day and age, when television shows like Antique Road Show and others encourage people to look in their attics, old things turn up all the time. And there were relatively many member of the Golden Dawn. Still, no decks, even inferior ones belonging to obscure members, have ever surfaced. Why is this? It seems almost a statistical impossibility. Somewhere, somehow there must have been the odd member who tossed their deck into a box and shoved it somewhere, or died and their children didn't know what to do with it and stored it somewhere.
I mean, it isn't as though the GD made a rule of destroying members' decks, is it?
1. Would you like to buy one ? - They are rather expensive
2. Was making your own deck and colouring it in the GD needed to make a grade or just recommended?
I ask this as Regardie commented that (even back in his time) he was told to just study and do the work required to pass the exam for the next grade ... which rather turned him off ... he wanted rounded training as an initiate.
If that was the flavour many may not have 'bothered' to do it.
A bit like the best way (often recommended) to learn the Enochian arrangement is to draw up and paint the tablets ... how many have done that?
IME people talk and even write a lot but not many have a temple, make or fashion tools, regalia etc. or comprehensive practical experience.
Personal experience in similar situation ;
Teacher ( magick , karate or many other things): "You need to read these books and learn these things and then get examined on x y z to go to the next level."
Student: "Will I be examined on the books and the learning as well as the x y z ?"
Teacher: " You need to read the books and learn the things to go to the next level."
Student: " But they are not in the exam, right ?"
3. Some old GD regalia survives, maybe there are some with that. I am not sure where it is now, I think it WAS in new Zealand ?
Its possible they got destroyed ... I mean, what's going to happen to all my stuff. If I move back to my cabin there is the old storage problem again ... when I get old(er) and dotti(er) what happens to it then? And when I go? I am sure no one will want to hold onto that stuff.
Old Freemasonic regalia goes to the dump (unless it is very good and there is space in the Lodge or museum storage room - which there isn't).