Why Did I Buy This Deck?

I really wanted to own a basic Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck. I had previously owned "The Original Rider Waite Tarot", however I found that the images were hard to read with due to poor printing and the little white book that came with it wasn't very informative. I gave it away to a friend and set out to buy myself a RWS based deck but with imagery that spoke to me. This is where I found the Universal Waite Tarot. It is the original RWS deck but it has been re-coloured by Mary Hanson-Roberts. The pictures are colourful, vibrant and clear, making it a perfect starter deck (and just a perfect deck in general!). I love how the colours are soft. The backs of the cards are also really beautiful; dark navy with golden stars like a night sky.

This deck comes in a little tuck box and has a little white book to tell you the meanings of the cards. I am not a fan of flimsy tuck boxes and little white books so I discarded both and have housed my deck in a pouch.

The cardstock is decent and as you can tell from the pictures above, despite my heavy use of this deck, the sides of the cards haven't chipped much if at all. This deck is strong and sturdy and is great to shuffle. It also had a wonderful smell which has still lingered to this day. Very nice.

Where Did I Buy This Deck?

I bought this deck new on eBay. I don't recommend buying tarot decks on Amazon and highly encourage using literally any other website (or even a high street store). The reason for this is because Amazon sells a lot of cheap Chinese knock offs so it's better to be safe than sorry.

Mass-Market Deck or Indie Deck?

This is a mass-market deck so it should be pretty easy to find and purchase.

Creators

Arthur Edward Waite (original creator of the RWS tarot), Pamela Colman Smith (original illustrator of the RWS tarot) and Mary Hanson-Roberts (illustrator for the Universal Waite).

Publisher

U.S. Games Ltd.

Pouch

Not included. I bought mine from an independent maker over on eBay.

Why Did I Buy This Deck?

After seeing a walkthrough video online, I fell in love immediately. However, I had put off buying it for some time due to a $60 price tag. However, a day came where I was ready to have this deck in my life and I chose to get it. I have not regretted it since.

Where do I begin to describe this beautiful deck? Let's start with it's theme: winter. It turns all of the iconic RWS imagery into wintery RWS imagery and it works so incredibly well. The colours are absolutely gorgeous and the cards just make me happy whenever I see them. It's doesn't lean in too heavily on "Santa" vibes, though it is present in a few cards. It's mostly winter/festive vibes. Add in the glitter effect and this deck suddenly turns into something truly magical. The cardstock is incredibly sturdy and very good quality. The sides are ungilded. You will find no flimsy cards here. I use this deck A LOT and the sides have remained unchipped. The backs are pretty too; a blue and pink tartan pattern. This deck comes in a tuck box but does not come with a little white book. I can safely say that this deck is well worth the $60 price tag due to the quality of the cardstock and the amazing, unique artwork that has been hand drawn.

Where Did I Buy This Deck?

Tarot Collectibles.

Mass-Market Deck or Indie Deck?

Indie.

Creators

James Battersby and Christine Aguiar at Tarot Collectibles.

Publisher

Tarot Collectibles.

Pouch

The pouch seen above was one that I bought from an independent maker on Etsy called GoddessgiftsShop

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Why Did I Buy This Deck?

After falling in love and adoring the Winter Waite deck from Tarot Collectibles, I checked their website to see what other cool decks that had for made. I came across this deck but did not buy it immediately. It was only when a deal was announced where I could buy the deck and get a free pouch with it did I decide to buy it. Again, I was not disappointed. The artwork is beautiful and Spring like with lots of little bunnies and butterflies and rainbows. The backs were so cute too with the little bunnies. I bought the "Stars Edition" which means the box and the cards all have little stars on them (rather than glitter like in the Winter Waite). The stars work perfectly well with this deck and make it feel even more special and magical. The cardstock is of superb quality which is normal for any deck made by Tarot Collectibles. The sides are ungilded and due to the good quality of the cards, I expcect these to last a long time without any chipping to the sides. The deck comes in a cute tuckbox but with no little white book.

Where Did I Buy This Deck?

Tarot Collectibles.

Mass-Market Deck or Indie Deck?

Indie.

Creators

James Battersby and Christine Aguiar at Tarot Collectibles.

Publisher

Tarot Collectibles.

Pouch

The pouch was included for free with the deck that I bought because there was a limited time sale. You will have to purchase the pouch seperately if you wish to have one. They sell a variation.

Why Did I Buy This Deck?

I remember feeling called to have a deck with angels on and after doing some research and watching a walkthrough video, I fell in love with it very quickly. The vintage design of the cards drew me in immediately, from the patterns to the style of the images. It is reminiscient of the old Victorian drawings of people, angels and cherubs which I absolutely adore. I love the soft, pastel colours and the backs are super cute too. I was never one for "dark" decks and this beautiful deck is filled with light and love. The sides are gilded with a beautiful, shiny gold edge and although I have used this deck a lot, the edges haven't chipped. The cardstock is good and although the cards are slightly bigger than a standard tarot card, they are still easy enough to shuffle. This deck comes with a good quality little book to explain the cards and it also comes in a very sturdy box which is very glittery and pretty.

Where Did I Buy This Deck?

eBay! Please be aware that this is now an OUT OF PRINT deck, meaning that it may be harder to find and it may also be expensive. Please be wary of knock-offs!

Mass-Market Deck or Indie Deck?

Mass-Market (now out of print).

Creators

Radleigh Valentine (and previously Doreen Virtue. She stopped making decks since her convertion to Fundamental Christianity).

Publisher

Hay House.

Pouch

I received my pouch along with my reading cloth as a gift. It is not part of the deck.

Why Did I Buy This Deck?

What can I say? I saw the shiny cards and instantly fell in love. The photos above hardly do it justice. When the light glimmers on then, these cards really shine. I highly recommend watching some kind of walkthrough video where the shine can be seen. Utterly gorgeous. The artstyle of this deck really attracted me as well. Every card is just beautiful and I had to have this deck in my collection. It's golden and shiny and the artwork is absolutely stunning. What more can I say? The cardstock is pretty good and despite my using it, the sides haven't chipped at all. Overall, this is a decent, beautiful deck at a reasonable price. However, the little white book that comes with it leaves much to be desired due to the limited information inside, so I would recommend picking up a decent tarot book to go alongside it or just consult the internet for meanings.

Where Did I Buy This Deck?

Amazon.

Mass-Market Deck or Indie Deck?

Mass-Market.

Creators

Giulia F. Massaglia.

Publisher

Giulia F. Massaglia.

Pouch

I bought it from an independent seller on Ebay.