A few months ago Deckstiny (formerly known as Shuffle Tarot) very kindly sent me a package filled with their latest Tarot decks, one of which happened to be the first edition of their bright and beautiful ‘SmithTiny Tarot‘ along with their matching major arcana alternative – ‘The SmithTiny Classic Tales Collection’.
This cute, colourful, cartoon-inspired Tarot deck very swiftly became one of my favourite decks to read with. Not only did I enjoy flicking through the fun and funky characters but my children also enjoyed spotting and finding recognisable figures from their favourite Disney films featured within the cards. The SmithTiny is a Tarot deck for readers of all abilities and all ages.
Earlier this month I was super lucky to be sent the second edition of the SmithTiny Tarot (The SmithTiny Tarot Ver 2.5 – a Glossy ‘Halogram’ Edition) to work with, read with, share and review. I’m not sure whether the word ‘Halogram’ is spelt incorrectly and is meant to read ‘Hologram’ but having checked on the likes of Google I am unable to find any information regarding the meaning of the word ‘Halogram’ thus can only assume it is a spelling error.
Who Is Deckstiny?
Based in Thailand, Deckstiny (a company originally named Shuffle Tarot) is a team collaboration of author Mate Horonumber, illustrator JUJIIR & Petpodpot Pettoonza and artist Oomsin Phumphat.
Shiny New Packaging
Packaged in a neat, shiny, cardboard tuck box (different in design to the first edition) the SmithTiny Tarot arrives wrapped in a cellophane layer to ensure safe and secure shipping. Each deck arrives stamped and labelled with the exact edition and limited copy number which I feel makes each deck personal and special to the reader/ owner.
The Cards
Published by Deckstiny from September 2021 onwards, The SmithTiny Tarot Version 2.5 is printed on 310 GSM Japanese quality cards stock featuring glossy hologram coated, full-colour, borderless card fronts with simple, white, italic font titling, matt white and grey geometric card backs and plain white edging.
Additional Cards & Certification
The SmithTiny Tarot Ver 2.5 includes two extra art cards, a certification card (identifying and certifying the exact copy of the deck), and a special card titled ‘Happy Ganesh’ which gives a nod to Deckstiny’s popular ‘Ganeshian Village Tarot‘
The Major Arcana
Based upon the traditional Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck, the SmithTiny Tarot is a colourful, creative way of telling stories via cute and colourful characters. I rather like how Deckstiny have included traditional titling, imagery, and the relevant symbology via modern media.
The cards feature cartoon-style, cheery characters which makes the deck approachable, easy to understand and fun to work with for readers of all ages and abilities.
The Minor Arcana
Similar to the major arcana, the SmithTiny Tarot minor arcana combines traditional elements from the RWS Tarot with simple titling and easy to understand, modern images ideal for all readers.
The Suit of Wands
The Suit of Cups
The Suit of Swords
The Suit of Pentacles
A Direct Comparison
Although the packaging, card stock, card backs and titling are a little different to the first edition of the SmithTiny Tarot, almost everything else is identical including the card size (70 x 120mm).
The so-called ‘holographic’ glossy card coating is just shiny in my opinion, I don’t really see how it’s holographic despite looking at the cards from many angles. In comparison to the matt-printed first edition of the SmithTiny Tarot (which was super smooth to shuffle), the newer edition of this deck is a little stiff and awkward to shuffle thus not quite as enjoyable to read and to work with.
Left: First Edition Right: Second Edition
Yes, Deckstiny has altered the imagery ever so slightly by increasing the brightness by one step but the difference is minimal and in all honesty barely noticeable. They have also changed the titling and backing (removing the wood effect banner enabling readers to view the full image) to a more subtle and suitable font that I most definitely prefer. Deckstiny has however removed the glitzy red edging which I feel is a real loss as it would have really complimented the beautiful red roses featured on the second editions card backs.
Left: First Edition Right: Second Edition
I personally prefer the second edition grey and white card backs in comparison to the first editions mustard yellow card backs, though this is entirely personal preference and doesn’t really make a difference to readings.
What About The Classic Tales Collection?
Given that Deckstiny has created the second edition of their SmithTiny Tarot it begs the question as to whether they will create a second edition of their ‘SmithTiny Tarot Classic Tales Collection‘. I was personally rather fond of the Classic Tales Collection and certainly hope that Deckstiny considers creating a second edition of the addon-deck to match the newer, updated version of their SmithTiny Tarot.
A Walkthrough Guide
I have put together a short video offering a walkthrough of the second, glossy hologram edition of the SmithTiny Tarot.
Pricing & Purchasing Information
The second glossy ‘halogram’ edition of the SmithTiny Tarot is available to purchase online via Deckstiny’s (formerly known as Shuffle Tarot) Etsy store. The SmithTiny Tarot Version 2.5 retails from £44.67 however it is worth noting that shipping outside of Hong Kong is extremely pricy and for UK residents this deck may cost up to £75 to acquire.
Reading With The SmithTiny Tarot
Having spent the past few months reading and working with the first edition of the SmithTiny Tarot alongside the add-on pack of the SmithTiny Tarot Classic Tales Collection, I was already head over heels with this cute, colourful and charismatic deck. I’ve since spent the past week or two working with the latest, glossy edition of this deck (The SmithTiny Tarot Version 2.5) and I can report that other than the card stock, card backs, card edging, titling, bonus cards, and minimal colour differences, the decks are virtually identical thus I’ve found very little difference between using the two (other than when shuffling which is slightly more awkward with the newer deck) when it comes to readings.
To Summarise
Having spent time reading with numerous Tarot decks over the years, I’m well aware that each and every reader has a personal preference when it comes to the likes of card stock, card quality, card backs, titlings, bordering and such-like thus I was rather pleased to see that Deckstiny has recently redesigned and reproduced a number of their decks to reflect these requirements.
Though the SmithTiny Tarot comes without any form of a guidebook or instructions, it is so clearly illustrated and titled that it speaks for itself though I’m aware that beginner readers may wish to purchase a separate guidebook in order to get to grips with the basics of the Tarot.
Though I’m not entirely convinced that the SmithTiny Tarot Version 2.5 is ‘holographic’ as such, I can certainly vouch for it being shiny, though this results in the deck being slightly more awkward to shuffle. The titling is far clearer and I prefer that the full images on each card are now viewable, though I miss the glittery, red edging and the matt finish from the first edition of the deck.
I guess that at the end of the day, it boils down to personal preference as to which deck readers will prefer using and working with. Either way the SmithTiny Tarot is a bright, bold, cheery, and fun deck to work with which is accessible to readers of all ages and abilities and whether you go for matt cards, or whether you go for glossy cards is entirely up to you!
For further information upon the SmithTiny Tarot, Ver 2.5 (glossy hologram version) or alternative Deckstiny publications visit www.etsy.com/hk-en/shop/ShuffleTarot
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Product Rating
Disclosure: I was sent the above product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.