what you absolutely cannot stand in any deck

[Sword King]

Great topic, especially when I consider how my answer has changed over time. A year or so ago, I would have said that I need color in my decks, but the Ravenswood Eastern, New, and Light and Shadow Tarots have all made me change that criterion.

I still stay away from CGI decks, although I'm sure at least one of the RWS clones I have is CGI in some way. Perhaps I mean 3D CGI? I want my decks to appear to have been drawn or painted rather than photographed.

 

[Anstria]

Witches Tarot Dugan

I absolutely cannot stand images in decks where actual pictures of faces are "collaged" into an otherwise beautifully created image. The faces seem out of place and are jarring. I am still having the worst time looking at Dugan's "Witches Tarot" for this reason. ..

I bought this sight unseen, and was not aware so many of the cards in this deck would have badly superimposed facial images of the creator and her friends and family. These are really, really off-putting and I cannot use the deck because it disturbs my concentration. It would be wonderful if there was a re-issue of the deck with the facial photos removed and artwork - which is other wise magnificent in this deck, returned. It is a pet peeve that the buyer can see only a few images of any given deck prior to purchase.

 

[daphne]

Decks with photos of real people. Or collage of them.
I cannot even stand to look at the cards.

 

[daphne]

I feel bad for saying it, but going along with copyright marks (which I do detest), I pretty thoroughly dislike artist signatures. I mean, I love Shadowscapes and I adore Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's work, but come on, I *know* it's hers… I sometimes find myself peering at cards, thinking that something is a minor detail, and then find out that it's a signature. Same with Ciro Marchetti. Yuck!

Yesss! This too!!

 

[Zephyros]

Transformation as Death. As good as any deck could be (although that is usually the sign of an overly positive joke of a mess) that is the biggest turn-off for me, and I would never get anything like that.

Like others said, bad art, although that is usually far more subjective, I mean, as to what exactly constitutes bad art. Having said that, I am surprised how many decks are published that have what I would call amateurish, childish, bad art.

Any sort of deck in which I perceive ideological laziness. It isn't enough for me if an artist says "the images of the [traditional] deck have been reinterpreted to reflect [insert whatever here]." A deck has to say something to me not only visually, but conceptually, otherwise it gets a yawning "same-old" response.

 

[Sulis]

Transformation as Death. As good as any deck could be (although that is usually the sign of an overly positive joke of a mess) that is the biggest turn-off for me, and I would never get anything like that.

I agree with this; I'd never use a deck that had Death changed to Transformation or something similar. Death is the only certainty in life and it's not a transformation, it's death; sad, scary, inevitable, sometimes painful, death.

 

[Sword King]

I like cats and would probably have some living with me if it wasn't due to allergies in the family. I have two dogs and love them like they're family members. Having said that, I will not buy a deck that has doggies and kitties on every card.

 

[Sulis]

Moderator note

Ciro added a very interesting (but off topic) post to this thread. I've split it into a thread of it's own as it should make for a very interesting discussion. It's now in Using Tarot Cards HERE (click).

Sulis - Talking Tarot co-moderator

 

[videojob8]

I think the Death card name should be changed to Transformation for all Tarot decks that use the Death name.

 

[gregory]

I think the Death card name should be changed to Transformation for all Tarot decks that use the Death name.

That would be something I couldn't stand ! Death is my favourite card in a deck, and while I can accept some decks changing it for some reason, that would be TOTALLY inappropriate in most of them.

Why on earth would you want that ?