Man, this whole thing started when my buddy showed off his tarot cards last Tuesday. That Llewellyn deck looked crisp, real classic artwork. Got me itching to grab my own copy, right? Figured, how hard could it be? Just buy it online. Famous last words.
Step 1: Diving Into the Search Pit
Grabbed my laptop, fired up the browser, and just typed “buy Llewellyn classic tarot deck”. Boom! A gazillion results. Felt like diving into the deep end without floaties. Clicked the first few links, mostly those big, general marketplaces. Prices? All over the dang place! Saw one listing pushing like double what I thought it should be. Felt like they saw me coming. Needed a better plan.
Step 2: Playing Detective With Prices
Okay, time to actually look. Made a little list in a notebook like my grandma would do. Started checking out places I figured should know their stuff:
- Big Book Chains: Checked a couple major bookstore websites. Better prices than that first wild guess, sure, but still kinda “meh.” Plus, shipping felt slow.
- Occult Specialists: Then I hit up some shops known for candles and crystals. Prices were actually decent! One place had it listed for noticeably less. Felt like a small win. But then I saw the shipping cost. Ouch. Almost canceled out the savings.
- General Giants Again: Went back to those massive online stores. Scrolled way down past the sponsored stuff and the weirdly expensive sellers. Found a few sellers listing it for pretty reasonable, especially one warehouse seller. Shipping was free and fast. That perked me up.
Step 3: The Tipping Point – Used Options?
Almost pulled the trigger on that warehouse deal. But you know how it is… that little voice whispers “Maybe check used?” So I wandered over to a popular site for secondhand books. And boom! There it was. Somebody selling it “Like New” for a good chunk less than even my best new find. Photos looked clean, seller had decent ratings. Felt a bit risky, but also… tempting. Real tempting.
Step 4: Taking the Plunge (And The Wait)
Weighed it: Brand new from the warehouse with fast free shipping, or a bit cheaper “Like New” from a random person? Honestly? Went with new. That peace of mind knowing it wasn’t handled much and would arrive fast? Worth the extra few bucks this time. Clicked “Place Order”. Felt that little rush you get.
And then… the wait. Checked the tracking like three times a day. Patience isn’t my strong suit. Finally, THUD on the doorstep yesterday. Ripped that box open like a kid on Christmas.
Final Thoughts: It Pays to Dig (Literally)
So yeah, lesson learned big time. Don’t jump on the first price you see. These decks float all over the place:
- Bookstore chains were okay, kinda middle-of-the-road.
- Specialty shops had good deck prices but nailed you on shipping sometimes.
- Used markets are a gamble but man, the savings can be sweet if you find the right seller.
The Big Box Online Guys actually came through with the best total price new once I dug past the junk listings. Crazy.
Ended up happy I put in the legwork. Saved myself probably 15 bucks versus if I’d just grabbed the first one I saw. That’s like, what, two decent coffees? Worth it. Happy shuffling!
