This topic occasionally comes up when a popular vlogger goes on a purging mission to shed themselves of too many oracle and tarot decks they’ve amassed. How many is too many? Clearly, this number is subjective and all in the eye of the tarot/oracle owner.

I have a small collection because I have just started out on the collector’s journey. There are folks in our community who have hundred and thousands of decks in their collection, while there are others who only work with one tarot deck. I knew one deck would never satisfy my thirst for new decks, as I love to look at lots of different art styles and I do readings for others. No two people are the same, so I ensure I give thought to which tools/decks I will use in a reading and one or two decks would not cut it in the type of readings that I do. But, do I really need 100s of decks?

I have to admit – when I see videos from the top dog vloggers showcasing their massive collections, it can cause bouts of envy. I then remind myself that although I would like 100s of decks, purses, shoes, crystals – I do not have room. I live in a four bedroom house with my three kids, a husband and one day soon a puppy. I do not have the luxury to carve out tons of storage for my decks. I want my decks to not be crammed or crushed by the weight of others.

I also want to be able to touch all of my decks throughout the year. I have this thing about having decks sit for months and years without being touched. I also had this same thing when I was a child and had too many dolls that no longer were played with. It’s not fair. Decks should be played and utilized. Sure, there’s the lust worthy collector’s deck that is never touched. But, the vast majority of decks we obtain are to be use and to be read with. It’s a shame when many do not get used.

I do not want to become a deck hoarder. My mother hoards designer bags. The tags are still on many of her bags and she may very well never use them. I know I have hoarder tendencies in my genes, so I combat it with some forethought and planning.

The small cabinet that stores the majority of my decks will be my barometer on if I have too many decks or if I have room to get more. As that cabinet fills up, I become a lot more selective on what goes in it. I also start to think about what decks I can give, sell or trade away. Once the cabinet is filled, no more new decks will be coming into my home.

Going into deck collecting with a plan and a vision of what your collection will grow to BEFORE it gets there is an effective way to manage your collection without becoming a large, massive distraction for you. Too many decks overwhelms the reader and oftentimes we spend so much time fretting over not using certain decks when we really should be letting go of the duds in the group and focusing on the decks that we are resonating with.

The other major issue is a plan and budget cuts down on spending on decks that may or may not work. I do not like to sell or trade decks. In fact, it is a strong reason why not too many decks come into my home – because I do not want the hassle of storing decks that do not resonate or selling/trading them when I need more space. It is better to bring decks in that I LOVE than ones I hope will one day become a top deck in my collection. I do not have time or energy for storing decks that are just so/so to me. Plus, I have to spend money on many other things in my life, and decks is just a small part of my monthly/annual budget.

Vlogger Nandora has an Excel spreadsheet, a budget and a formula to calculate the amount she’s spending annually on her decks – which is an excellent idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGFcjMMyyh4.

Collecting or hoarding? How do you ensure its one versus the other in your life?

Much love,
Kim
Abundant Life Tarot