ISBN Numbers

[Joan Marie]

I looked into this once and thought that you couldn't get one for a deck of cards but today I got a deck from US Games and it has one. Actually two. maybe one is for the LWB and one for the deck.

Does anybody here get an ISBN for their indy deck? I like the idea of it.

[DuckSoupProductions]

I've been getting ISBN numbers for all of my decks that are printed offset and in quantity: but not for the print-on-demand decks. So the first edition Zirkus, the Trick or Tarots and the new edition Tinker's Damns all have them. It makes everything easier ion terms of marketing them wholesale and through other online retailers.

Actually, bought about 15 ISBNs back in 2013 when it looked like I would be publishing more books. So I had them saved up and could just assign them to the decks as they came out. The Bowker website makes buying and managing them relatively easy -- but the price keeps going up.

[Joan Marie]

Actually, bought about 15 ISBNs back in 2013 when it looked like I would be publishing more books. So I had them saved up and could just assign them to the decks as they came out. The Bowker website makes buying and managing them relatively easy -- but the price keeps going up.

Hey deck creators,.

I recently spent several days on this topic trying to get it sorted.

What confused me initially was that ISBN numbers are meant for books. The whole system was set up specifically for books. Tarot decks get around that by attaching the ISBN to an accompanying book or booklet or even LWB and putting the same number on the tarot card box.

Essentially this is a bit of a stretch in some cases. By that I mean, the deck is the product, not the LWB. No one is using the ISBN to find the LWB.

But I wonder is anyone using an ISBN to find a tarot deck?

But everyone says you have to have this if you want your deck sold in shops. But here's the thing, why wouldn't a regular barcode number suffice for shop owners to manage their inventory? Does it really need to be an ISBN?

Where I live in Frankfurt Germany, I tried to obtain an ISBN for my recently published deck (and LWB). I was highly discouraged from doing this by the local issuer of these numbers. (The law is you must obtain an ISBN from the country you live in.)

They told me that although technically I could get an ISBN, they didn't approve of the practice of slapping them on any product just because it contained anything remotely able to be called "a book." They felt this diminished the entire purpose and meaning behind ISBNs. Part of the passion here may have to do with the fact that Frankfurt is the home of the world's largest and oldest (500 years!) annual Book Fair. They respect books here. A lot.

I have to say honestly I agree with the sentiment. Books is Books. And the ISBN system was established for books, for a reason.

So I really started looking into it and I learned that store owners need a bar code (ISBN or whatever) to track the inventory in their stores. That's it. It doesn't need to be a pricey ISBN number. Any good EAN number will do. Bowker seems quite happy to sell ISBNs. And big publishers get them very cheap in massive quantities so they take any chance to slap them on anything they can. But shops sell all kinds of things and I guarantee you everything doesn't have an ISBN on it, so why would it be a requirement for Tarot Decks?

I ended up purchasing 10 EAN numbers. (13-digit just like an ISBN) I bought them from the official international purveyor of EANs to insure they are unique, although, to be honest, I'm not sure that was even necessary. I paid €55 for 10 numbers, BUT, I have to renew that fee yearly, that's $55/yr for all 10. Or what, I don't know. That's actually a good question. There is also an option to add 10 more for a reduced price but the yearly renew rate stays at $55 for all 20. But in any case, 10 ISBNs on Bowker is going for $295 right now. 1 is $125. So my up-front money out is a lot less. But it will be a few years before it equals the price for ISBNs.

I'm just wondering what anyone else thinks about this practice which has become so common it isn't really questioned, of attaching ISBNs to Tarot decks? Is it really neccessary? Who is it really helping? (my guess is Bowker)

The guy here in Frankfurt said that there is no "policing" of International Standard Book Numbers to make sure they are used for proper books (which the rules clearly state) and not allowing the definition of a book to be stretched to absurdity.

I realise that an ISBN number is registered and identifies the product uniquely, but does anyone really search for a tarot deck using one? Do shop owners really require it?

Does anyone else think this is some kind of idea we have all been sold on and maybe we should question it? Or am I missing something important?

[DuckSoupProductions]

Thanks for this info.

The ISBN is really useful if you want to sell your decks through bookstores, whether they are technically books or not. In America, all U.S. Games Systems decks, for example, have an ISBN number. Booksellers are set up with inventory software that relies on ISBN numbers. Additionally, the largest wholesaler of books in the USA (Ingram) uses ISBNs. If you want ingram to sell your deck, and if you want to be listed in BOOKS IN PRINT, the ISBN is, I believe, necessary. (I could be wrong). At one point, I was hoping / expecting to wholesale decks primarily to bookstores. That never happened, however -- but because my main decks have numbers, I don't have to rule it out for the future.

They are printed matter. The pages just aren't bound!

ReL EANs -- wow, having to renew them all the time is just outrageous!! I do like the fact that if you have an ISBN number attached to your work, that number MEANS your deck -- in perpetuity.