(Updated 12/12/2022 - Original Image Uploaded showed the wrong card for a PAM-C Sun) The stock and general feel of the cards are good. However. This is a reprint of the PAM-B deck version of the deck and NOT the 1909 original. The original Rider-Waite Deck print run was from December 1909 until April 1910. This original print had a roses and lilies back, and is the earliest version of the deck. Up until around 1940, there were four different prints of the deck. Named. PAM-A, PAM-B, PAM-C, PAM-D. PAM-A April 1910 until approx. 1920. PAM-B 1931 until approx.1940. PAM-C Approx 1920 until 1928. PAM-D 1920 - 1931. As you can see there was an overlap in print runs, and the exact order cannot be determined. However PAM-B, was not the first, and it was the worst of these. The reasons for it being considered the worst, are the poor colour, notably problems with the colour blue. And the poor and sometimes incomplete engraving. Famously the plate for the Sun, was never finished. Lines are missing from the cloth held by the child, the "red standard", referred to by Waite. And the sun flower on the far right lacks seeds. There are also a few other missing lines. Looking at the Fool, the problems with the colour blue can be seen. In addition, for some reason in the "Tarot Original 1909", the fool has been shrunk, and then the image stretched at the bottom to make up for the lost height. The backs of course are wrong, the original back was blue, as shown. The "Tarot Original 1909" has a similar back, that has been recoloured. I am deducting 1 star, for not being a 1909 reprint, and 1 more for being a poor PAM-B reprint. I would have been quite happy for an accurate PAM-B reprint for my collection, but with changes, possibly in error with the Fool, a changed back, and misleading advertising. I think 3 stars is very generous. I don't understand it, the appearance of the 1909 edition is well known in the Tarot community. Please can we have an accurate reprint. With the correct colours, and the correct back.

Just as described

Not bad feel about them

Love them

I was so excited to receive my deck today. Yes, the card quality may not be the greatest, but it still does a fantastic job at giving concise messages. I had been using a mini German version which I love, but wanted a bigger tarot in English and found this for such a reasonable price. I’m very happy with my purchase and plan to use it every day :)

A problem that I've found with the majority of Tarot decks regards the colours. A lot of tarot readers, being a little too flowery for my liking, like the colours to pop. Vibrancy in the cards is of the utmost importance. This deck however, has a very muted colour scheme, to the point where some cards, the Death card in particular, may as well be black and white, and I LOVE IT. My aesthetic preference is swayed heavily towards the aged, the darker, the used look as opposed to the new and blindingly colourful. You have to remember that these decks can produce bad readings, it's not all flowers and perfect love walking into the sunset. The card stock is good and will last a long time. There are some bad reviews because it is not the original 1909 deck as advertised, so unless you're a serious collector, that will be the least of your worries.

I gave this tarot deck (the Tarot 1909) four stars because I do like it. But there are issues. Positives first. This is a nice clean printing on good matte card stock. The card stock is thin and flexible but it has a core which means it is very resistant to creasing. Ideal for riffle shuffling. The deck is very similar to the Original Rider Waite which is one of the most popular tarot decks here on Witch Please. However, the Original RW has terrible blotchy printing and is, frankly, godawful. If you want a similar deck with better printing then get this one, the Tarot 1909. I personally like these faded puce colours, they do give the deck a nice 'aged' feel. These colours are an accurate representation of the original deck it's based on. BUT... Negatives. This deck is misnamed. Tarot historians now identify the original 1909 Rider Waite as being the Roses and Lilies deck. The actual 1909 original deck is published by US Games as the Centennial Smith Waite tarot. This Lo Scarabeo deck is actually based on a 1920s/early 30s printing of the deck known as the Pam B. This deck has some sloppy artwork ( particularly the Death Card) which makes it more challenging to learn from. The original 1920s deck was created from reworked printing plates made by an artist with less skill than Pamela Colman Smith. No fault of Lo Scarabeo but beware of this. However, I do enjoy using this deck - it is a classic 'old looking' RWS and it reads well assuming you are not a learner. It is one of my workhorse decks for professional reading.