Miss Cleo's Deck

[Aeric]

Part of Miss Cleo's popularity was due to heavy marketing. She was the main face of American late night psychics for years, and her Caribbean characterization with the (faux) Jamaican accent and colourful clothes made her iconic. She did her commercials, she did day time talk shows, radio shows, she was everywhere that there was a call for psychics. Her name was synonymous with it; everyone in the general public knew of her.

Naturally, that allowed her company to market what they thought would be a successful Tarot deck in her name. But shortly after it was released the company was hit with the fraud lawsuits, Youree Harris (the lady) was forced to admit that Miss Cleo was a character act, and then she fell into obscurity very quickly.

Her deck only appeals to Tarot readers now, but because she was the defining face of psychics for so long in the popular mind, her admitted fraudulence and tarnishing of the psychic world at large haven't turned the deck into a popular Tarot collector's item. That's probably why it's going for so cheap now; few bought it when she was on the air, fewer bought it after she fell from grace, and fewer still remember who she is almost two decades later to give the deck some value.

 

[rwcarter]

Adding onto what Aeric said, I think what's being sold now is remaining stock from when the decks were first created/being sold. The decision-makers at the time probably thought there were going to make a mint on the decks and put in an extra large order of them. Now 20+ years later there's still inventory to be sold. I would think it's been at least 10 years since anything created with companion information would've put that information on videotape instead of CD/DVD. And I can't see how any new sets would've been created after the scandal.

Rodney

 

[bonebeach]

Hahah...I have one of these. I paid $5 total, shipping included, for one of the shrink wrapped new ones on e bay...

The card backs are very pretty. The cardstock is good. The cards are a JOY to shuffle for a riffle and bridge heathen like me. I don't think of it as an Egyptian themed deck at all--I think of it as a comic book art style deck, and for that, it's excellent.

BUT THE BOX! Miss Cleo is on the box and for some reason that means I can't take it seriously. Once I put it in a different box I expect it would be a fine reader.

Overall, I'd say it's worth picking up if you need a cheap deck and/or you love pop culture type stuff.

 

[magicjack]

When I pull out my Miss CLEO deck, everybody wants a reading!

 

[trocartarot]

Yes!

I've owned the Miss Cleo deck for years! I bought it at a novelty junk store "garage sale' for $5! I grew up being fascinated with Miss Cleo due to the endless late night commercials and this stupid/fun song my cousins would annoy me with as a teenager: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZnyrp__CNU

When I saw the deck for sale, I couldn't say no. I've never done a reading with the deck but I really liked the simple cartoon-y Egyptian artwork. A few of my favorite Major Arcana cards were hung over sacred space (drawing table) in my apartment at one point before I moved.
Simple campy fun deck.