From: http://www.outlaw-effects.com/store/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=132&Itemid=188Price: Currently on special limited time offer for 75$.
From the website:Concept and design by Outlaw Effects and Cody Stoltz original art by Cody Stoltz
Tarot of the Dark Dawn is an original art twenty two card arcana deck. Hand aged and printed on very special 200 pound stock.
The cards measure 5 x 3 inches. They are marked and one way. They arrive in a hand made, hand aged velvet pouch with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
DDT is a limited edition of 150 units.
My thoughts:I have been tampering with tarots for a while and wanted to buy a deck of marked aged tarots. After considering the Carnie Tarot for several months (they are quite pricey for a non professional like me), I decided that the Circus theme didn't fit me and fought my CUPS back. Unfortunately when this new deck appeared, I simply couldn't hold it any longer and bought it.
My overall impression is excellent: the cards are of the best quality and the aging is outstanding. I love the art (you can get a fair impression from the pictures on the site): it is evocative and has a nice 19th century feeling; the skeletonish theme it's not too stretched (as it looks like from the pictures on the Carnie deck, at least IMHO), so I really feel that the deck can be used for everyday readings as well as for bizarre effects and routines (and being not too over the top, I feel it is particularly well suited for this).
The back pattern is simple enough (maybe I would have avoided the star, but still) and I particularly like the fact that it has large simple shapes, which for me adds credibility; the marking system is extremely easy to read (provided you know the tarots, of course) and is really learned in minutes.
A very nice touch for me (I have been looking for this for a while) is the fact that the cards are rectangular in shape (no round corners), which adds a lot to the perceived age of the deck.
On the minus side: the velvet pouch is not on par with the deck (it feels a bit cheap to me) and you will receive no booklet whatsoever apart from a single page explaining the marking system, but of course if you need instructions on how to use a deck of tarots you shouldn't be buying this.
I would also have preferred the names of the cards to be printed in a language different from English (or no name at all), but I know it's just me.
Overall, I would say that this is an excellent product and if you are looking for a new item to add to your bizarre arsenal, this is definitely worth a look.
A small note on shipping times:O have been reading around people complaining of items never shipped or arriving much later than expected; my impression is that Rick is simply overwhelmed by the amount of orders he gets. On the other hand he is an extremely friendly guy and even if he sometimes doesn't answer the emails when he does he really goes the extra mile to keep you satisfied (and often answers even very late in the night). So my suggestion is: if you are worried about your order, just drop Rick a line every few days. Keep in mind, though, that the aging process takes time so in any case don't expect to receive your tarots before AT LEAST two weeks. The quality is well worth the waiting.