Just received a pocket RWS made in China

The stock is a lot thinner than I was expecting. It's quite thin and the cards have a "plastic" feel, though the lamination's light. The cards slide easily across each other and are flexible, very easy to shuffle. 1971 US Games copyrights in lower right-hand corner. They have a "modern" feel and look even though Pixie's caligraphy is used for the titles. The box is yellow and has The Fool on the front.

The saturation's good and the lines are crisp and clean but the colors tend toward the dark end on some cards. The colors are obviously different from the Switzerland printings when you compare them. For example, in the Switzerland printing the top part of the Emperor's clothing is a different shade from the lower part; in the China printing the whole thing is one color. There are many examples like this.

It's not what I was expecting based on what I've read about the China printings. Could be because it's the pocket edition.

The booklet says 48th printing.

ISBN 13: 978-0-88079-346-9

ISBN 10: 0-88079-346-5

How interesting l have also just received my pocket RWS printed in China, it came today. Mine is called the Universal Waite Pocket Tarot. It is a 2004 printing of the original 1991 one, recoloured by Mary Hanson-Roberts. Its in a blue box with the sun on the front and the Fool and the World card on the back. Mine also have Pixie's caligraphy

I am so pleased with it, love the colouring not at all pale like the original decks and yet not as vivid and garish as say the Radiant. The cards are as you mention thin, rather like a normal deck of playing cards but with care will last me. What is good is that they are not super glossy and laminated to within an inch of their live. The size for me is great as l have small hands.

All in all just what l have been looking for.

I have the pocket universal waite and hate them. Super thin, ripped within five minutes of opening them.

Moderator Note

Thoughtful said:

How interesting l have also just received my pocket RWS printed in China, it came today. Mine is called the Universal Waite Pocket Tarot. It is a 2004 printing of the original 1991 one, recoloured by Mary Hanson-Roberts. Its in a blue box with the sun on the front and the Fool and the World card on the back. Mine also have Pixie's caligraphy

Click to expand...

Despite what the box says about it being recolored by Mary Hanson-Roberts, the Universal Waite is a redrawing of Pamela Colman Smith's art by MH-R. So technically it's not a Rider Waite Smith deck, but a Rider Waite clone which should be discussed over in the Tarot Decks forum.

What a disappointment, now l am really confused
Although the colouring is so much nicer, the artwork is exactly the same as my larger Rider Waite deck.
Does this mean a recoloured waite deck is no longer a true Waite, says on my box drawings by Pamela Colman-Smith, what about the new colours in the Radiant and other such RWS.


ETA:
Having had further time to think about this l do see now what you mean RCcarter. My mistake