Where does everyone buy their decks these days? My local metaphysical shop closed, and I miss being able to see decks in person before buying. Looking for trustworthy online sources with good prices and authentic decks.
I want to support creators directly but not sure where to find them and of course a good price and delivery is good too.
Most readings leave you with more questions than answers.
Get unlimited tarot readings and actually ask the follow-up. Full spreads, not generic meanings or automated generators.
I used to always get my decks on Etsy, but there are so many stories of Tarot scams on Etsy now.
Decks showing up with missing cards, if they show up at all. Shoddy quality and knock-off prints allll the time.
And it turned out that a lot of times, you werenât even supporting any original creators. They were all crappy AI art stolen from the real creators.
In short: please donât buy Tarot decks or readings on Etsy.
My last decks I got from this thread. Youâre buying direct from the deck owners through their store and youâre getting them cheap and fast. Iâd rather go into a store but or buy them at a fair face to face but itâs just not viable any more.
I totally get missing that in-person experience. After my local shop closed last year, I had to figure out the online thing too.
For most of the popular decks, I get from our own lists like this. Iâd rather trust a Tarot reader to pick out the good quality decks than a salesperson. I donât mind if the deck comes from Amazon, yeah, itâs boring, but zero counterfeit risk. For indie decks though, it can get tricky. Etsy can be solid if you check for Star Seller badges and read reviews carefully because thereâs a lot of scams there too.
Iâve gotten some beautiful limited editions from TarotArts too - theyâre pricier but Beth actually knows her stuff and everythingâs authentic. Instagram is where I find most indie creators now. Follow the artist directly, buy from their Shopify or when they launch on Kickstarter. Just backed one last month that hit 500% funding. Supporting creators directly means they get way more money than going through retailers.
You donât have to handle a deck in person to get a feel for it. Full flip-through videos and good photos or scans show the symbolism well.
Most of the time, I donât mind going through Amazon because you are supporting creators, theyâre just selling their decks through Amazon. Just avoid buying from third party merchants so you donât get weird copies and youâre getting the original that comes from the creator.
For reliable sources, buy straight from the publisher-US Games, Llewellyn, Lo Scarabeo, or Hay House-and match the ISBN on their site with any listing you see elsewhere. If youâre using big marketplaces, stick to the publisherâs official storefront and double-check the card count and the guidebook length to avoid fakes.
I learned this the hard way DO NOT buy from Temu, Wish, AliExpress, any of those sites. bought what I thought was the Wild Unknown for $12, and itâs literally printed on paper thinner than playing cards. Couldnât believe I fell for something like that.
The corners were sharp, not rounded, colors all washed out, and I swear the deck has weird energy. Threw it out and bought the real one.
Itâs so tough when a local shop closes, that feeling of being able to handle a deck before you commit is something special. Iâm sorry youâre missing that connection.
I really like getting them through Kickstarter if Iâm just looking for a random deck. Thereâs nothing like backing a project from the start and getting a first edition. You have to be patient because it can take a year or more to get the deck, but youâre directly helping an artist make their vision real. Plus, you get a deck that might be impossible to find later.
If thereâs a specific deck I want, then Iâll find their store or go through Amazon - itâs usually them selling there anyway.
If thereâs no Kickstarter I like and thereâs no specific deck I have my eye on, then I look for threads like this and wait for you guys to give me deck FOMO.
Almost as bad as Etsy! Yes AliExpress you might as well just print the cards yourself on the printer 
If you want to support creators but also need to watch your budget, signing up for deck artistsâ newsletters can help, they usually send out 15-20% discount codes when they launch new decks. Or, better yet, make sure youâre on the Tarot Guru emails and youâll get alerts for various creators from the newsletter.
You might want to check out threads like the cheap Tarot decks or popular Tarot cards because readers like @Sploots will share some links to good deals for decks there.
Have you tried checking nearby towns? Sometimes there are metaphysical shops in random strip malls or downtown areas you wouldnât expect. Even if itâs a drive, most shops will order specific decks if you ask. I really like getting my cards locally (and impulse buying who knows what else in their store).
For online, Iâve bought from sellers on Etsy before, lots of independent creators sell there. Llewellyn and Hay House sell directly to if you want to make sure youâre getting authentic decks. They have sales sometimes.
Barnes & Noble has been carrying more tarot decks lately. At least you can look through the guidebooks there and see if you like the art style before buying online. I still check my local shop when Iâm in the area to see whatâs new, but I end up ordering most of mine online these days.
I see a lot of people focused on expensive indie decks, but donât sleep on mass-market ones. I donât want to see the Tarot community wind up as some kind of hipster thing where we ignore good decks just because theyâre popular. Theyâre popular for a reason!
Theyâre affordable, the guidebooks are usually really solid for beginners, and you can find them easily. My mass-market Crow Tarot gets more use than some of my pricey decks.
Iâve been ordering from Tarot Arts lately and they do this nice thing where they wrap each deck in tissue paper with a handwritten note. They also throw in a free sample of incense. What I really like is their photo galleries, they show every card in natural lighting, which helps when youâre trying to decide on a deck.
Apollo Tarot in the UK is good too. They show when each deck arrives and the print run details. Their packaging has these little protective corner guards that Iâve been keeping (I have a bunch now). Little Red Tarot sometimes includes random freebies like crystal chips or mini guidebooks from other decks. Itâs a nice surprise when you open the package.
Iâve found a lot of new decks on Kickstarter. You can often grab early-bird deals and special editions. I only buy from Kickstarter campaigns now, but I have more than enough decks. I donât actively look to get more.
Yeah, you wait 6-12 months for fulfillment, but you get exclusive editions, sometimes signed, and know your money goes straight to the artist. Plus, watching the campaign updates and being part of the creation process feels special. The Literary Tarot campaign was cool and I was there from the early days. This really only works if you already have your decks and youâre just slowly collecting.
If you want to support artists directly, check their own websites first; plenty sell through their personal shops. If not, Etsy or Big Cartel are common spots for indie decks. You get the real thing and the money goes straight to the artist.
When you see those suspiciously cheap decks on sites like AliExpress, theyâre always counterfeits that hurt the creators who work hard on these designs.
Save up and buy directly from the artistâs website or their authorized retailers. The deck arrives with better energy for readings, and youâre supporting the artists so they can keep creating. Check the deck creatorâs official social media for their list of legitimate sellers. Many indie artists will even do payment plans if you message them directly.
Iâve gotten really into the second-hand market. There are a couple of great Facebook groups, âTarot Marketplaceâ where people buy, sell, and trade. Itâs a good way to find out-of-print decks or just pass along a deck that didnât connect with you to someone who will love it.
When local tarot shops closed, I started looking online for decks.
Facebook Marketplace and Mercari are surprisingly good for out-of-print decks if you know what questions to ask sellers. Always request photos of the actual deck, not stock images and make sure you ask about the guidebook, corner shape and cardstock thickness. I found a first edition Dreaming Way for $45 when itâs going for $200 on eBay. Some people just donât know what they have
Iâd avoid Amazon, personal choice and too many fake decks on there. Hard to tell whatâs real and what isnât. Plus, buying from indie creators through Amazon doesnât really help them much since Amazon takes such a big cut.
For authentic decks from creators, try:
Etsy shops where artists sell their own designs
Kickstarter for new deck launches
Publishers like Hay House, Llewellyn, and U. S. Games have their own sites
Book Depository has decent prices and free worldwide shipping
Little Red Tarot and Tarot Arts are good indie retailers too. They usually have deck flip-throughs so you can see what youâre getting before you buy.
The World card made me think about finding decks internationally. Instagram has been pretty good for this, lots of deck creators post their work there and you can message them directly. I found my last deck by scrolling through and seeing an artistâs work. Some of them do custom commissions or announce limited releases only in their stories.
The #indietarot and #tarotdeck hashtags help find new creators too.
Iâve had good luck there too.
In traditional cartomancy practices, pre-owned decks were actually preferred by many readers because they believed the cards had already been âawakenedâ through use. The energy of previous readings was seen as adding depth rather than contaminating the deck.
I actually have to respectfully disagree about Amazon being full of fakes if youâre careful about what youâre buying.
The key is buying directly from the publisherâs storefront on Amazon, not third-party sellers. When you see âShips from and sold by Amazon.comâ or the actual publisher name (like U.S. Games Systems or Llewellyn Publications), youâre getting the real deal. Itâs the random third-party merchants that are sketchy.
That said, Iâm really glad you mentioned Book Depository!
I have to (respectfully) disagree here. When you work with multiple divination tools like I doâŚtarot, runes, pendulums, oracle bones⌠thereâs an energetic exchange that happens when you physically touch them.
A video can show you the artwork and symbolism, sure, but it canât tell you if a deck wants to work with you. It is not the same thing.
Iâve ordered decks based on gorgeous flip-throughs only to find they feel completely dead in my hands. Meanwhile, a deck I almost passed over in a shop practically hummed when I picked it up. Same thing happens with my rune sets.
I need to feel the weight, the texture, the material. Bone runes speak differently than stone ones, and you canât get that from photos.