Buying a gift for a Dune fan gets interesting when two tarot decks with nearly identical names are $197.01 apart. What does the extra money buy? For starters, the box Paul Atreides had to stick his hand in. The matching Gom Jabbar comes with it, too.
What comes in the $225 pain box set?
Insight Editions’ Bene Gesserit Tarot Collector’s Edition pairs a hand-painted polystone replica of the pain box with a metal replica of the Gom Jabbar. That dark opening in the front of the box is what makes it so recognizable. You could put it on a shelf without a single card in sight and a Dune fan would know exactly what you’d brought home.
The set also includes 78 oversized cards illustrated by Sarah Rain Hammond, a guidebook, and a velvet pouch with a lace overlay. The publisher lists it at $225.
What do you get with the $27.99 deck?
The standard Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck and Guide gives you all 78 cards and a 128-page guide by Minerva Siegel. Chani, Duncan Idaho, and Lady Jessica all turn up in the deck. If your person wants to shuffle the cards and figure out what drawing a sandworm means for their afternoon, this is the one I’d pick.
Shopping from a wish list? Check the ISBN before you order. 9798337401867 is the collector’s set with the replicas. 9798337402154 is the $27.99 deck and guide. Insight lists shipping for the standard edition to the U.S. and Canada.
