French Suited Tarot Reviews

The French suits have long been the dominant pattern for tarot games, most of which are played with 54 card packs. When it comes to the 78 card packs, you cannot underestimate the variety available - though very little of it is available outside of France.

This is where eBay comes into its own. There are many French sellers who offer packs on the world-wide auction but if you want some of the harder to find packs, then you must look on the International auctions.

Internet translators, such as Babel Fish, can be very useful for making transactions like this - although many sellers in France speak some degree of English, it would be a little rude to just assume this. To this end, you might find these phrases, given to me by a friend, to be of use to you:

Thank you for your response

Merci pour votre reponse.

Would you be willing to post to the United Kingdom and if so, could you tell me the postage cost?

Est-ce que vous expediez en Angleterre (au Royaume Uni)? Si c'est le cas, pourriez-vous me dire quel en est le tarif?

I would very much like to purchase the item but the eBay auction is marked as postage only to France. (If the item is so marked then eBay will not allow you to purchase from outside of that postage area)

J'aimerais beaucoup acheter cet article. Cependant, eBay n'autorise l'achat autant que la vente est marquee comme affranchissement uniquement pour la France.

With Regards,

Cordialement votre

Standard French Faces

There are many packs with these facings, those shown in the gallery here - and that I usually use - are from France Cartes and cost less that £5.

If you would like something a little more classy or just flashy, you can get some nice cards from Grimaud with a gold back, gilt corners, and strong two part box for about £10.

Prices are going to be higher for the States due to the exchange and cost of import from Europe.

The best places to buy these are:

PlayingCardSales: Standard Gilt

Tarobearslair: Stardard Gilt

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Tarot Lanvin

This pack was commissioned by the French perfumers Lanvin. Published by Grimaud with gold backs, gilt corners and a good two part hard box, the physical quality is excellent.

The images may divide players - some finding themselves indifferent, while others will simply love them. The trumps are given a range of colourful abstract patterns, while the courts have been coloured with pattern fills to create a very different look.

Sadly, these are not available to buy in the shops but there are sometimes one or two eBay traders who sell them from about £15-£20.

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Tarot of the Regions of France

This is an attractive and popular pack from Grimaud - interestingly, one side of the box is printed in English which I hope is a good sign for Tarot in the UK and US.

The courts display a range of regional dress while the trumps feature various rural scenes.

The cost is £10.25 for the UK and about $19 in the States.

PlayingCardSales

Tarobearslair

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The French Revolution

There are two packs that I know of celebrating the French Revolution, this was both my favourite and the only one that I’ve been able to obtain so far.

Sadly, this is not widely available and you will need to seek it out on eBay. There was a French trader selling it for £25 a while back.

The scans here do not do the pack any justice, and this is one of my favourites. I find the artwork simply beautiful and unique. Sadly too beautiful and scarce for me to play with.

I wish you luck finding this - it will be worth any efforts!

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Argio Orell

(sold as the Alan Tarot / Tarocchi di Alan)

This should perhaps belong under reproductions but I feel it deserves to be considered a little more main-stream than that. Created in 1910 by Italian artist Argio Orell, this was commissioned by the Austrian-Lloyd Steamship Lines, presumably for their passengers, a fact which may indicate how just popular the games were then.

This ranks as one of my favourite packs, it is certainly among the most beautiful ever created. Each of the suits features a different culture in its courts, while the trumps cover a broad range of styles and themes. The scans here simply don’t do the cards justice.

Modiano have done a very nice job. The card stock and coating are excellent, making fairly durable cards and they are packaged in a two part hard box. I would call these an essential buy for any card lover.

I am happy to add that Tarobearslair is now importing this pack to the US!

European shoppers can expect to pay between £15-£20 depending on the exchange.

PlayingCardSales

Tarobearslair

Alida Page 1

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Foreign Legion

Yes, is sometimes seems that there is very little not represented in tarot packs. This one, printed by Carta Mundi is a very nice quality with some nice artwork. For military collectors, this is one for the shopping list but I’m sorry to say that is is going to mean keeping an eye open at eBay. I’ve seen a few show up for auction, fetching prices between £10 - £25.

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Pino Zac Tarot de l’an 2000

Satirical cartoonist Pino Zac is not a newcomer to playing cards - his previous being a 52 card pack of erotic transformation cards. The pips of this tarot also qualify it as a transformation pack though its theme is a satyr on modern living.

The cartoons are rather good, making an entertaining pack. The quality, published by Grimaud is also excellent. This is one for both the collection and the gaming table for everyday use at an affordable £10.

PlayingCardSales

Tarobearslair

Alida Page 2

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Humour Libre

Another eBay find and I’m sorry to say that I know almost nothing about it. I purchased them from a Belgian trader nearly a year ago and haven’t seen them since. You should keep an eye open for them though, as this collection of cartoons from various artists is good fun. The best of the cards make use of the double ended aspect, like our valet here.

Happy hunting!

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Tarot des Fleurs

Once again, this might belong in the reproductions heading but deserves a place here because it seems to be very popular - and rightly so.

This pack, published by Dusserre with a very high standard, is a reproduction of a pack originally published in 1910. Like the Orell, the art cries out Belle Époque. It is very, very beautiful and a big favourite of mine. I cannot imagine anyone not loving this, making it an excellent choice of gift.

I’m happy to say that thanks to tarobearslair, this is now available to US shoppers.

playingcardsales (£12.75)

tarobearslair ($19.00)

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Piatnik Tarock

This is the standard Tarock pack from Piatnik, the prices can vary depending on your choice of backing. They are quite beautiful with trump designs that always make me smile.

Be aware that this is a reduced pack of 54 cards used for playing the games in section two of this site’s text Tarocchi.

The cheapest pack is $11.99 in the US but not available at the moment for the UK - however, there is a nice Persian backing at just £6.50.

playingcardsales (£5.00)

tarobearslair ($11.50)

tarock.net ($12.99)