Seems to me that the chinese version has changed the original aspect ratio; it is wider, and the crackled back one has more white framing, which is why the card stock of both of them is almost the same. I got the centennial in a tin along with the deluxe blue version of AGM, and I compared them to the scans of the original RWS we have available online. It seems to me that the centennial is based on the original white /blue lillies version, and the deluxe/premium are based on the Pam A. They both have extensive digital modifications though, invisible to someone who doesn't work with digital art, but they are damn near the original thing. The deluxe (and I assume the premium) version, you can see the texture of the stone, which is a faithful reproduction of the original Pam A printing, but the lines are somewhat thicker, which is what happens after many printings of the same source back in the day. The later the printing, the thicker and less detailed the lines. We just have no way of knowing, out of all surviving copies, which were the first on the printing line, and which of them were used for the modern reproductions we see today. The Centennial has an overlay of an old paper texture, super delicate and well done, but we miss the texture of the stone, making it like a modern version of what we can imagine we would have if we reproduced a deck from Pixie's original paintings instead of reproductions of prints. The centennial also has the original aspect ratio, just like the deluxe/premium, but has a thinner, more proportionate border. I also used to have the premium in the highest standard, but then I got the centennial edition, and can see the utter care in the release of the version. The only possible drawback is that, as it looks more aged, some of the colours are a bit too dark and they could have managed it better. For example, the blue sky in the sun card is way too dark, whereas on other cards, you can see a light blue sky. That is literally my only grip with the Centennial but one I can get over very quickly.
Fab video - love the comparisons and hearing your thoughts. I have ordered the deluxe RWS AGM and can't wait to get it! The pocket sizes look awesome too! 😍 Much love ❤️
Hi, I like the Premium pocket as well, unfortunately it's as out of print as the English Premium normal size version so will be difficult to find going forward. Premium refers to the crackleback editions; standard edition is the one with the Rosecross back and deluxe refers to the giant standard Rosecross back deck.
Hi Simon - thanks so much for watching and writing. Yes it's difficult to find the Premium editions; indeed, it's hard to find any AGM version of the RWS, if you live in the UK or the US. It's not out of print, it's just been removed from the official online sites to restrict its purchase. If you're in the US or UK, you have to scour third-party vendors in order to find it.... You may be right about Deluxe referring to the giant size (I think I remember seeing the phrase "deluxe format"); sorry if I got that wrong! But "standard format" does refer to size, not to a specific edition.
Hi again - checking out an old URL I had - I'm realizing, yup, "Deluxe" does refer to size not to edition. Three sizes: Deluxe (giant), standard and pocket: www.koenigsfurt-urania.com/shop/produktansicht/premium-tarot-von-aewaite-deluxeformat.html
Thanks for sorting this out , was wondering about the differences between the deluxe and premium AGM versions of RWS. Have the English pocket size, same version as yours.
Hi Cosmic Arcana - thanks so much for writing. +Simon Fernades points out in the comments that I may have gotten the terminology wrong; it may be that "Deluxe" refers to size not the edition. You can still see on the AGM-Urania website the orange box Premium edition, and as I'm realizing now the three sizes are called: Deluxe (giant), standard (normal size), pocket. www.koenigsfurt-urania.com/shop/produktansicht/premium-tarot-von-aewaite-deluxeformat.html- But in any event; if the box is blue, it's the one with the cross backs - and came out in 2015, not in 2016 or 2017.
Love your videos! I used to hate RWS but after looking at your videos I get interest. I am thinking in this pocket size . I recently got my centennial bit it has a printing error in the borders. I am sad now.😳
I can't tell between the centennial and the AGM one, but the US games version has a way wider aspect ration, it makes the illustrations look funky. But I can't tell very well between the centennial and AGM. But that's a deal breaker concerning the US games version!
Hi Leisa a question if I may.. I don't know if you saw my pocket Tarot of A.E. Waite arrive yesterday from AGM? But mine is in a tuck box and doesn't have the crackle back, it has the rose cross the same as the deluxe. It seems there are now many versions to the AGM decks too?
Yeah, it is TRULY confusing. Here's what I understand, so far: Your is the pocket version of the Deluxe. (I'm not sure whether that version also came in a sturdier 2-part box or box like mine.) The Deluxe is an older edition than the Premium. I think the Deluxe is no longer in print; the Premium - I think - superseded it.Both decks use the same remastering of the 1909 Pamela A deck -- so they both have the same crisp, wonderful images and coloration -- but the Deluxe has the Rosicrucian blue cross backs and slightly thinner card stock. The German version of the Premium was issued in 2016 in Standard, Pocket (and maybe Giant?) sizes; the English version of the Premium was issued first in May of this year -- and plucked from the US and UK markets a few weeks after issue. You can tell the Premium edition by the orange back of the box.
Mindful Tarot Ah I see, that's good to know, so I have the large deluxe (blue box with cross on the back) the premium standard sized (english and German in orange boxes) and the pocket in a tuck box that doesn't state whether it's deluxe or premium! My bad, I thought deluxe and premium was referencing the sizes. I did wonder why the backs were changing! 🤔 thank you Lisa 🙏🏼📿
Thanks for this video, it was very helpful, the AGM naming of the various decks is a bit confusing. Wonder if US games will ditch the copyright on the cards for the borderless edition, that would be great :)
Ah - that's a good point about the borderless.... I wonder how they'll manage that. It looks like copies of the deck are now available on eBay and elsewhere. I'm really itching to get my hands on it!
haha! soul sister! - yes -it's really the worst of all worlds! and now I get to be one of those people who can't read menus because my arms aren't long enough!!! xoxoxo
Seems to me that the chinese version has changed the original aspect ratio; it is wider, and the crackled back one has more white framing, which is why the card stock of both of them is almost the same. I got the centennial in a tin along with the deluxe blue version of AGM, and I compared them to the scans of the original RWS we have available online. It seems to me that the centennial is based on the original white /blue lillies version, and the deluxe/premium are based on the Pam A. They both have extensive digital modifications though, invisible to someone who doesn't work with digital art, but they are damn near the original thing. The deluxe (and I assume the premium) version, you can see the texture of the stone, which is a faithful reproduction of the original Pam A printing, but the lines are somewhat thicker, which is what happens after many printings of the same source back in the day. The later the printing, the thicker and less detailed the lines. We just have no way of knowing, out of all surviving copies, which were the first on the printing line, and which of them were used for the modern reproductions we see today. The Centennial has an overlay of an old paper texture, super delicate and well done, but we miss the texture of the stone, making it like a modern version of what we can imagine we would have if we reproduced a deck from Pixie's original paintings instead of reproductions of prints. The centennial also has the original aspect ratio, just like the deluxe/premium, but has a thinner, more proportionate border. I also used to have the premium in the highest standard, but then I got the centennial edition, and can see the utter care in the release of the version. The only possible drawback is that, as it looks more aged, some of the colours are a bit too dark and they could have managed it better. For example, the blue sky in the sun card is way too dark, whereas on other cards, you can see a light blue sky. That is literally my only grip with the Centennial but one I can get over very quickly.
To me the calligraphy is part of the artwork and should always be used, but I do like the cracleback.
Fab video - love the comparisons and hearing your thoughts. I have ordered the deluxe RWS AGM and can't wait to get it! The pocket sizes look awesome too! 😍 Much love ❤️
Let me know how you like the AGM! It's a truly beautiful deck - if you can get over the non-Pixie font it's pretty much perfect!
I have this deck in both the standard size and the pocket in English with the crackle backs. Love these decks.
Yes - they're wonderful, aren't they??
Hi,
I like the Premium pocket as well, unfortunately it's as out of print as the English Premium normal size version so will be difficult to find going forward. Premium refers to the crackleback editions; standard edition is the one with the Rosecross back and deluxe refers to the giant standard Rosecross back deck.
Hi Simon - thanks so much for watching and writing. Yes it's difficult to find the Premium editions; indeed, it's hard to find any AGM version of the RWS, if you live in the UK or the US. It's not out of print, it's just been removed from the official online sites to restrict its purchase. If you're in the US or UK, you have to scour third-party vendors in order to find it.... You may be right about Deluxe referring to the giant size (I think I remember seeing the phrase "deluxe format"); sorry if I got that wrong! But "standard format" does refer to size, not to a specific edition.
Hi again - checking out an old URL I had - I'm realizing, yup, "Deluxe" does refer to size not to edition. Three sizes: Deluxe (giant), standard and pocket: www.koenigsfurt-urania.com/shop/produktansicht/premium-tarot-von-aewaite-deluxeformat.html
Thanks for sorting this out , was wondering about the differences between the deluxe and premium AGM versions of RWS. Have the English pocket size, same version as yours.
Hi Cosmic Arcana - thanks so much for writing. +Simon Fernades points out in the comments that I may have gotten the terminology wrong; it may be that "Deluxe" refers to size not the edition. You can still see on the AGM-Urania website the orange box Premium edition, and as I'm realizing now the three sizes are called: Deluxe (giant), standard (normal size), pocket. www.koenigsfurt-urania.com/shop/produktansicht/premium-tarot-von-aewaite-deluxeformat.html- But in any event; if the box is blue, it's the one with the cross backs - and came out in 2015, not in 2016 or 2017.
Love your videos! I used to hate RWS but after looking at your videos I get interest. I am thinking in this pocket size . I recently got my centennial bit it has a printing error in the borders. I am sad now.😳
I can't tell between the centennial and the AGM one, but the US games version has a way wider aspect ration, it makes the illustrations look funky. But I can't tell very well between the centennial and AGM. But that's a deal breaker concerning the US games version!
Hi Leisa a question if I may.. I don't know if you saw my pocket Tarot of A.E. Waite arrive yesterday from AGM? But mine is in a tuck box and doesn't have the crackle back, it has the rose cross the same as the deluxe. It seems there are now many versions to the AGM decks too?
Yeah, it is TRULY confusing. Here's what I understand, so far: Your is the pocket version of the Deluxe. (I'm not sure whether that version also came in a sturdier 2-part box or box like mine.) The Deluxe is an older edition than the Premium. I think the Deluxe is no longer in print; the Premium - I think - superseded it.Both decks use the same remastering of the 1909 Pamela A deck -- so they both have the same crisp, wonderful images and coloration -- but the Deluxe has the Rosicrucian blue cross backs and slightly thinner card stock. The German version of the Premium was issued in 2016 in Standard, Pocket (and maybe Giant?) sizes; the English version of the Premium was issued first in May of this year -- and plucked from the US and UK markets a few weeks after issue. You can tell the Premium edition by the orange back of the box.
Mindful Tarot Ah I see, that's good to know, so I have the large deluxe (blue box with cross on the back) the premium standard sized (english and German in orange boxes) and the pocket in a tuck box that doesn't state whether it's deluxe or premium!
My bad, I thought deluxe and premium was referencing the sizes. I did wonder why the backs were changing! 🤔 thank you Lisa 🙏🏼📿
Thanks for this video, it was very helpful, the AGM naming of the various decks is a bit confusing. Wonder if US games will ditch the copyright on the cards for the borderless edition, that would be great :)
Ah - that's a good point about the borderless.... I wonder how they'll manage that. It looks like copies of the deck are now available on eBay and elsewhere. I'm really itching to get my hands on it!
they have different aspect ratio
omg we are so alike.. nearsighted with reading glases i feel your pain and the Emperor is my soul card too
haha! soul sister! - yes -it's really the worst of all worlds! and now I get to be one of those people who can't read menus because my arms aren't long enough!!! xoxoxo
OMg and i swear it happened over night.. suddenly my arms go shorter
I want an albano in a tin too now
Annalisa! Yes oh yes! - Are you just dreaming and scheming here, or are there indeed plans for an Albano in a tin???????? Be still my beating heart! -
SAdly I'm just wishing. I hope someone (cough Kaplan) reads this lol