I recently ordered an aged, marked tarot deck from La Servente Magic Shop in Italy. There were a few hiccups getting it shipped to Montreal, but the customer service was responsive and ultimately sorted things out. I have not seen anyone mention this deck on the Cafe, so I thought I would share my thoughts.

Let us start with the cons. The card stock is a bit lighter than I would prefer, more in line with the old Outlaw Effects Carnie Tarot than the heavier stock used in the Gemini Artifacts reissue of that deck. The cards are also slightly smaller than I might expect, though others might consider that a plus. And that is really it. Those are the only (minor) drawbacks. The upside is considerable.

To the specifics: it is a 22-card Marseille-style Major Arcana. The artwork and coloration are superb, and the print quality is excellent. The aging is tastefully done - subtle rather than theatrical - and to my eye, that is the right approach. Overly distressed decks often look artificial to anyone with a decent eye. These feel genuinely timeless. The finish is also lovely.

In addition to the core 22, the deck includes 17 gaff and utility cards, which greatly expand the range of possible effects. But the real standout feature here is the marking system - and it is brilliant.

Now, I realize most of us who perform bizarre magic are in our early twenties, have perfect eyesight, never drink, and always perform in well-lit venues. But for the rest of us - the middle-aged, myopic, low-light tipplers - marking systems matter. And this one delivers. I have purchased a half-dozen aged, marked tarot decks, and this is by far the most usable system I have encountered.

Quick aside: I do not believe spectators, even with playing cards, are looking for marks - and with tarot decks, it would not occur to one in a thousand. Yet many designers insist on baroque, ultra-subtle codes that are practically unreadable in performance. I would much rather have something legible. These markings are discreet, but once you know what to look for, they are instantly readable. A real standout feature.

The video support is also impressive: over three hours of instruction, thoughtfully organized with timestamps and chapter headings. It is not pitched at advanced readers, but the foundational material is excellent - covering some basics of cold reading and tarot, taught by someone with evident depth and real-world experience. The tutorials are in English, with a noticeable Italian accent, but the content is solid, useful, and generous. Having made video content myself, I know how much work this level of polish takes. They went the extra mile where many would not have bothered.

In short: I like my other decks. But this is the one I will be reaching for now.

https://laservente.it/shop/ventura/

TL;DR:

The best thing I have bought in a long time. Might have to order a second deck.

Those look pretty darn interesting.. What is the cost in US dollars? .. I had a difficult time figuring that out......

Looks like with shipping to the USA it is about $185... Beautiful cards but a bit too pricey for me for another Tarot deck.

I am not sure about the pricing - not in the US. If I recall the website automatically added VAT to my order, which La Servente later refunded. That might mean the price you are seeing isn't entirely correct.
If you are curious, you might send them an email. I found them very helpful, and I am sure they would want potential US buyers to have a clear idea of the cost.

I added it to my cart and then checked out. If my estimated price is incorrect then they should qualify that. All said, VAT would only lower the price a bit (prob ~$20) so buy as your will...

I am not buying a marked tarot deck unless it is complete.

Fair enough. I’m sure you have alternatives. For my purposes I only need the Major Arcana, so I recently bought Ventura and am very happy with it. The artwork is, in my view at least, a fine rendition of the Tarot de Marseilles imagery. As has been commented, there’s a good, easy to read m*****g system. And Matteo Filipini is a charismatic host of the tutorial/workshop, which offers some useful thoughts and advice.

Not a cheap purchase but it’s a classy overall package and, for a deck that’s going get (and already is getting) used, well worth the investment. A word also for the service from La Servente. Paolo there was most helpful (and Google Translate is your friend through the online ordering process!).

If you read professionally, then having a full deck makes sense. But for most performers, a short presentation is enough, since many people aren’t familiar with tarot. Even a simple one-to-three card pull can be engaging and serves as a perfect gateway for deeper exploration later on. For a show, the 22 cards are really all you need.

Are there any other recommendations for good marked tarot decks, with a marking system that’s usable in the real world?

I only need the major arcana. If they’ve been aged, all the better, but not vital.

While I do make a marked tarot, if you are only using majors play with just using a stack and a peek at the next card. People don't know the order for the major cards. Even ordering them 0-21 it doesn't get picked up on. If you then get a marked deck it's still worth using a stack.

Neil Tobin has a nice marking system if you use Rider-Waite Tarot.

Useful tip, thank you. As you say, even using a deck with numbers on the faces, and in the 0-21 order, people are highly unlikely to register that you’re employing a stack.

I’ll look that up, thank you. (Though my preference has always been for the Marseilles deck.)

The original 1930 first edition of Tarot de Marseille at the Surnateum..

https://logs.surnateum.com/tarot-de-marseille-1930/

Wow. Just beautifull.

I am looking forward to receiving this full marked deck:

https://alakazam.co.uk/products/anchor-t......77&_ss=r


Paul McCaig.

That does look promising. When you receive the deck, I’d be interested to hear what marks you give the marking system!

You can see the markings on the trailer if you watch it. Looks like the Phil Smith one. Another coded in the lines. I think the marks on both these and Phil's bunica tarot stand out as obvious, but I'm never sure how much that is because I'm familiar with that sort of marking. But another reason to use a stack so you appear not to have gone near the card.

Mine just came in the mail. I’ll be putting up a review later today.

Ever since Outlaw Effects put out the Carnie Tarot many of us have been searching in vain for a complete marked tarot deck. I personally was one of the people that Outlaw Effects ripped off. Rick Roth owes me well over $100! He said that he was mentally ill and could not complete the project. This did not stop him from selling the Carnie Tarot to another company who would not honor his orders. I am obviously very upset about this still, but I digress.

I would like to say straight up from the beginning that neither the markings on the Anchor Tarot nor on the Phil Smith Bunica Tarot deck are obvious. The Phil Smith Bunica deck must be read from the side. It is not easy to read and should be saved for small intimate settings. The Anchor Tower is easier to read. Please keep in mind that both the marks on the Phil Smith Bunica Tarot and the Anchor Tarot deck show up much better on camera than they do in person. (That’s the one problem with the optical marking system.) In fact, both require decent lighting. This is not a problem just put a small light on the table you reading the cards from. The Phil Smith deck uses the Rider Waite artwork. The Anchor Deck uses artwork that is “inspired by“ Rider Waite.

The printing on the Anchor system is far too dark for my taste. It should have been reprinted. It is a shame. Because it could’ve been a great deck. Now, as it stands, it is just so-so.

Neil Tobin has a very good marking system available from this Penguin Magic. I have adapted his system for use with the Robin Wood Tarot Deck. The Robin Wood deck has a design on the back with Celtic Knots. This design lends itself to Tobin’s system. I would put out my version of the marking system, but it simply borrows too much from Tobin’s. Neil Tobin even provides you with a very easy way to remember the major arcana.

The Bunica Tarot even has a brief reading for each card hidden in the marketing system and written on the other side. It has a wonderful design and a great deal of effort was put into the deck and the instructional video. It comes with a box within a box. This way your audience does not need to see a box which reads “Bunica Tarot.” This is not the case with the Anchor System. This is another lesson that the people who produced the Anchor Tarot could have learned from Phil Smith. Do you really want your audience googling the deck and finding out you’re using a marked deck? Once again, this should not be a problem because I have never seen a professional Tarot card reader take their cards out of the box. Go to Amazon or Etsy and order a Tarot bag or a wrap for your deck.

When doing a Tarot reading, you should not try to read the back of every card. Instead, try to give a more general reading. For example, if you see the Wheel of Fortune, you might want to say luck, will play a fate in your future. Before you turn over the cards, if you see the Emperess and one or two Queens, you might wish to say, “I see a great gathering of women.“ Phil Smith has some great ideas on his instructional video. Please support Phil Smith. He is a creator, mystery performer and thoughtful writer.

To the makers of the Anchor Tarot, you should have thrown out the entire print run and started over. It’s a shame that you turned out a poorly printed deck and a slapped together a video in an attempt to make a quick buck.

Unfortunately, my search for the best full marked Tarot Deck continues.