A PSA: Watch out for counterfeit tarot decks!
I’ve been getting emails about a lot of counterfeit copies of the Forager’s Daughter Tarot on various websites like Temu, AliExpress, Amazon, Shein, and even Etsy. This has been a huge problem for a while in the indie tarot community, and unfortunately, it’s now affecting my work in a big way as well.
I know many of you are aware of these awful practices and avoid buying decks from these sites. But I wanted to share a quick announcement on what to look out for when you see The Forager’s Daughter tarot (and any other deck, really) on any of these sites.
First, I want to clarify that I am the only authorized seller of the FD Tarot. If you aren’t getting it through my Etsy or webshop, it is most likely a counterfeit. This of course excludes people selling their own personal copies, but otherwise those are the two places where an authentic deck can be purchased.
The second thing to note is that the authentic FD Tarot comes with a full sized, hardcover guidebook. I sell the cards and the book as a set, not on their own. There are no digital copies of the guidebook available, and any deck being sold without the physical guidebook is, most likely, a counterfeit.
The third thing to be aware of is the style of box the cards come in. All editions of the tarot deck, including the first and second editions with dark borders (which is now out of print, so definitely a scam if you see new circulations of these), come in a hard box, either a two-piece with thumb-cut or the magnetic clamshell style. The FD Tarot is not sold in a tuck box!
It’s important to recognize that these counterfeit companies are stealing my, and other creators’, intellectual property that we have worked so hard to design and produce. It’s a direct violation of copyright laws. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get these false copies removed from these sites.
What should you do if you suspect you have a counterfeit deck?
If you accidentally bought a counterfeit deck without knowing, first - don’t beat yourself up! It is getting harder to tell the difference in shop listing photos between real and counterfeit decks.
What you choose to do with that deck is completely up to you. Some people prefer to gift them or give them to thrift shops. I’ve heard of some cases where the cards were used in art or collage pieces or as small gift cards to friends and family. You might wish to keep the deck and use it as normal, and that’s okay too. Reading tarot is about the energy you put into it.
If you don’t want to use the counterfeit deck, you can find another that calls to you or find the creator/publisher of that deck and purchase an authentic copy directly from them.
At the very least, you should report the seller/shop that you received the deck from if you’re able to.
