gregory1956
Hi there:
I bought my first Rider-Waite deck (as it was called then), new, in 1981. It was the original printing of the 1971 US Games version, and remains my favorite version of RWS. The card stock is quite thick, and the finish is matte, with no shiny coating on the cards. The ink drawings are just the right thickness, and the colors are right in the middle: not too bright and not too muted. Another nice feature is that there is no copyright information at the lower right corner of the cards. The backs of the cards are the blue, black & white plaid pattern that is still used today. Even though I've been doing readings on-and-off for over 30 years, I've managed to keep this deck in virtually brand-new condition, so it still looks as it did when I first purchased it. I'm sure it's a very rare collectors' item now!
More recently (September 2015) I purchased a replica edition of the 1971 printing, copyright US Games. The quality of the images and the plaid backing are the same, but the copyright appears at the bottom right of the cards. Also, even though there's no glossy coating on the cards, the card stock is thinner, which is a bit disappointing.
Subsequently, I purchased the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set version. The ink lines are a little heavier, sometimes overwhelming some of the details, and the cards have an antique look to them, with muted colors -- still, worth using for a reading. In contrast, a few years ago, I bought the contemporary US Games version, and the colors are WAY over the top, particularly the blues, which overwhelm the other colors, and of course, the cards have a VERY plasticized playing-card feel.
Among other decks that are good for readings is the collectors' edition (i.e., the first printing) of the Tarot of Prague. Other decks I have in my collection include the Thoth deck, Night Sun Tarot, Robin Wood Tarot, The Tarot of Dreams, The Tarot of Delphi, The Gilded Tarot, Tarot Mucha, and the Aquarian Tarot.
Although I do readings with all these decks, the deck I always gravitate back to is the first one I bought: the 1981 printing of the Rider-Waite-Smith. Colman Smith's line drawings are well rendered, and the colors seem just right. As well, the thickness of the cards gives them a good feeling when doing readings. It's nice that the deck doesn't have that plastic-like playing-card feel. Just a great-looking deck -- perhaps not the way the deck looked when first printed in 1909, but certainly visually appealing and spiritually meaningful when doing readings for other people.
Any thoughts on your favorite deck, or your favorite version of the RWS deck? Which decks do you have in your collection? Also, any questions about the decks I have, and ones I might recommend?
I bought my first Rider-Waite deck (as it was called then), new, in 1981. It was the original printing of the 1971 US Games version, and remains my favorite version of RWS. The card stock is quite thick, and the finish is matte, with no shiny coating on the cards. The ink drawings are just the right thickness, and the colors are right in the middle: not too bright and not too muted. Another nice feature is that there is no copyright information at the lower right corner of the cards. The backs of the cards are the blue, black & white plaid pattern that is still used today. Even though I've been doing readings on-and-off for over 30 years, I've managed to keep this deck in virtually brand-new condition, so it still looks as it did when I first purchased it. I'm sure it's a very rare collectors' item now!
More recently (September 2015) I purchased a replica edition of the 1971 printing, copyright US Games. The quality of the images and the plaid backing are the same, but the copyright appears at the bottom right of the cards. Also, even though there's no glossy coating on the cards, the card stock is thinner, which is a bit disappointing.
Subsequently, I purchased the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set version. The ink lines are a little heavier, sometimes overwhelming some of the details, and the cards have an antique look to them, with muted colors -- still, worth using for a reading. In contrast, a few years ago, I bought the contemporary US Games version, and the colors are WAY over the top, particularly the blues, which overwhelm the other colors, and of course, the cards have a VERY plasticized playing-card feel.
Among other decks that are good for readings is the collectors' edition (i.e., the first printing) of the Tarot of Prague. Other decks I have in my collection include the Thoth deck, Night Sun Tarot, Robin Wood Tarot, The Tarot of Dreams, The Tarot of Delphi, The Gilded Tarot, Tarot Mucha, and the Aquarian Tarot.
Although I do readings with all these decks, the deck I always gravitate back to is the first one I bought: the 1981 printing of the Rider-Waite-Smith. Colman Smith's line drawings are well rendered, and the colors seem just right. As well, the thickness of the cards gives them a good feeling when doing readings. It's nice that the deck doesn't have that plastic-like playing-card feel. Just a great-looking deck -- perhaps not the way the deck looked when first printed in 1909, but certainly visually appealing and spiritually meaningful when doing readings for other people.
Any thoughts on your favorite deck, or your favorite version of the RWS deck? Which decks do you have in your collection? Also, any questions about the decks I have, and ones I might recommend?
I think as I got more comfortable with tarot, started to use it daily (I've studied tarot since 2004 but really got passionate about it in the recent 2-3 year) I also felt more comfortable with new decks. Before I used to study a deck for quite a few months before I felt I could read with it well, but now I often buy new decks that I can basically instantly use and feel at ease with.