Radiant Rider-Waite® Tarot in a Tin Cards – February 10, 2015

Arrived on time and in perfect conditions. Size is perfect and the tin will allow me to take it for camping or any travel I should go on. I own a pocket version of the Universal Waite Tarot also produced by U.S. Games Systems Inc. The Radiant Rider-Waite cards are some millimeters longer. The cards are thick enough quality wise, I can shuffle these easily.I do notice what some said about the line work, the faces of the characters represented in the cards, and the coloring of these cards. There are also some minimal details that change from the original Rider Waite-Smith. But in general I don't find it wrong I think they are just trying to preserve the original art and the retouches were necessary for a better printed version of this tarot deck. However, I'm not a professional in tarot reading. So, maybe I'm not who to said what is right and what is wrong.I compared some cards with my pocket edition of the Universal Waite Tarot.I'm more that anything pleased with this deck. The only thing I would change is the size of the borders between the images and the border of the cards(white space). I would like also that the whole deck came numbered in roman numerals and not just the major arcana. But these are personal preferences and don't interfere in my liking of this little and cute tarot deck.It's an update of my review. I recently bought the edition of the Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot THAT COMES IN A NORMAL CARTON BOX. This edition came with normal size tarot cards 3"w x 5"l. These are made in Italy contrary to the ones in the tin that are made in China. The cardboard is of excellent quality and flexible enough to shuffle them without any trouble.

I love the size of this! Slightly longer than the universal waite pocket but the same width for sure. It's also better card stock than the universal waite sadly or at least it feels like it is. The only downside is the faces are completely different. Also the artist isn't named. Not Pamela Colman Smith but the artist who recolored the images. I feel like they deserve some credit! The Ace of Swords is absolutely beautiful! At first I wasn't sure if I was gonna like the borders and extra text or not but it honestly doesn't bother me too much. Gives me the same readings as my trusty universal waite pocket deck. Very good alternative depending on which art you like best. I say get both! LoL. Love the tin it comes in too! Very nice! Wish more decks came in tins.

Perfect pocket sized cards for tiny hands (mini was too small) easiest to shuffle flexible cards pretty and playful back art. front art is vibrant and very beautiful almost looks animated and I love that the titles are separate from the art.

happy with my purchase

EXCELENCT, FAST SHIPPING, GOOD PRODUCT.

*This review treats only the Radiant deck with some comparison to the US Games Universal Waite. It's quite long enough without adding in other versions of the RWS deck!*As many folks have pointed out, these cards are brilliantly, beautifully colored--they are jewel-like and lovely from that standpoint. But when I first bought mine and laid them out, I also noticed two other things:(1) Yep, they were stinky! As others have noted, a little airing-out quickly solves this problem.(2) They just seemed *different* somehow. The first and most obvious difference is that the original hand-lettering of the card titles is gone, replaced by a clean type font on wider white borders, which lends the cards a more modern feel. The second difference, which took me a few moments to realize, is that these drawings are *not* those of the "original"-style Rider-Waite decks. Pamela Colman Smith ("Pixie") drew specific facial expressions and informed many of the characters' poses and attitudes with subtle line choices. This deck has been redrawn and simplified -- to my eye, it has an almost cartoonish look. (One could perhaps more charitably equate these as similar to a stained-glass rendering; outlines and figures are simplified, and many subtle line nuances are gone, in favor of the boldness of the coloring.) In quiet acknowledgment of the alterations, US Games has removed Pixie's signature from each card and has noted that the deck is "based on drawings by Pamela Colman Smith."I point this out only because I think it's important to note that the coloring is *not* the only alteration made to these cards. If you have an earlier edition of this deck, you will notice the differences -- you may love them or hate them depending on your attachment to Pixie's original work. If this is your first Rider-Waite-Smith deck, you will be working with a different artistic style than the originals, although as others have pointed out the symbolism remains pretty much intact and, if you like the art style, the deck will be perfectly suitable. If you're not sure which version of the deck you'd like to purchase, I'd suggest looking at examples side-by-side online, or if possible, at your friendly local tarot shop. The differences in the drawings are noticeable throughout the deck, but specific cards for useful comparison are The Empress, The Emperor, The Lovers, and Justice. Take a look and see which style you prefer before you buy.A final note on color: There are of course many versions of the RWS deck, and about 20 years ago US Games came out with the "Universal Waite" colored by Mary Hanson-Roberts. Early printings of this version are quite softly shaded, almost pastel, and some tarot enthusiasts find them too "wishy washy." I recently bought a more recent printing because I am away from home, and found that this new printing has much brighter, more emphatic colors -- I consider them closer to those in the Radiant deck than to those in the earlier pastel Universal deck. If you like the drawing style of the "original Rider-Waite" deck but prefer brighter colors, the Universal might be your thing. Its colors are *not* quite as rich as the Radiant deck (the Radiant's yellows have a lovely infusion of deep orange, and its reds and blues are much deeper), but it *is* much richer than the old Universal printings. I hope this makes sense. Again, in-person comparison is probably your best bet.I enjoy my Radiant deck -- the colors merit the name and beautifully so. But I love my Universal decks -- Pixie's drawings are faithfully represented and Hanson-Roberts' recoloring draws the eye into them, highlighting symbolism and providing an aesthetic touchstone that earlier editions could be argued to have lacked. I hope this helps you as you decide which version to adopt as your own.

Beautiful cards with vibrant colors. I wish there were no frames or captions, but this is great for beginners. Instructions are too basic, but tarot reading cannot be compressed in such a tiny book. Be careful while shuffling, cards are very slippery. Overall, I am happy with this purchase, especially the size; I can take them everywhere.