Tarot & Oracle Decks — The Wild Unknown Tarot (Kim Krans)

Published · Researched 2026-09-20

Research date: 2026-09-20 (PDT). Method: social-first (Threads, FB groups, forums via web).

Overview

• Creator: Kim Krans (artist, author; The Wild Unknown series).
• Publisher: HarperOne (HarperCollins) for the official box set; originally self-published by Krans (~2012, pre-Harper era).
• Purpose: 78-card tarot deck rooted in nature/animal imagery, minimalist line-art with rainbow color bursts; intended as an intuitive, contemporary alternative to RWS-style decks. No human figures; suits renamed and re-imagined (e.g., Daughter/Mother/Son/Father court structure in originals).
• 2026 edition status: The Official Keepsake Box Set (2016) remains the current in-print edition; in continuous reprint. ISBN 9780062466594.

Social standing

• Community pulse: Strong, durable cult following. The Wild Unknown is one of the few indie-origin decks that crossed into mainstream bookseller shelves while keeping credibility with collectors. In 2026 it still surfaces as a recommendation staple for readers who want a non-RWS visual language. Qualitatively high — not fading; discussed as a "modern classic" on tarot forums.
• Consensus praise: Artwork (hand-drawn, animal/nature symbolism), the keepsake box presentation (box-within-box with lifting ribbons, magnetic closure), and the 200+ page illustrated guidebook written for beginners and intuitive readers. Multiple reviewers call the guidebook one of the best included guidebooks in any mass-market set.
• Recurring complaints/failure modes:
  • No reversed-card meanings in the guidebook — called out repeatedly (BooksRun review 2021: "I do wish that the descriptions weren't as optimistic... would have liked more information about reversed cards"). Dealbreaker for some reversal readers.
  • Card stock debates: The Tarot Forum cardstock thread shows the deck as a favorite for tactile feel ("thick matte... feels SO NICE", self-published edition praised). But a BooksRun reviewer of the box set found cardstock "not as great as I thought... still durable." Card thickness makes shuffling harder for small hands — recurring minor grumble.
  • Counterfeits: AliExpress/aliexpress.ru carries knockoff "Wild Tarot Cards" listings with lookalike art — a recurring community warning. Buy from publishers/bookstores, not AliExpress/eBay sellers.
• Overhyped warnings: None found against this deck specifically; the complaint pattern is aesthetic polarisation (some readers find the animal/nature minimalism too "pretty" to read sharply) rather than quality failure.
• Verified quotes:
  • "The Wild Unknown deck is my favorite tarot deck to use. It has got some amazing energy and the art work is beautiful... it's a great beginner's guidebook for this deck." — BooksRun reader review, "Sarah says" comment thread (booksrun.com, Apr 2021, on 9780062466594).
  • "My favorite cardstock is my Wild Unknown tarot, even if it's a little thick... it just feels SO NICE!" — The Tarot Forum, CARDSTOCK thread (thetarotforum.com, Mar 2019; echoed by a second poster: "I so agree with you on the Wild Unknown! I have the self published one and it's wonderful.").
  • "Hi! I was wondering if there's a swap group or something that helps replace missing cards from tarot decks? I found a lovely old Wild Unknown deck missing three cards. Any advice?" — Threads @caffeinated.crystal (2026-09-09); reply suggests printing replacements from images on mjstarot.com — evidence of strong used-market circulation and owner dedication.
  • "Worry less about memorizing all 70+ cards, and concern yourself with memorizing what each card says to you! ... The seven of swords will tell me something different than it tells you." — Threads @raven (2026-08-14), in a thread discussing intuitive reading with this deck — evidence of ongoing enthusiast practice in 2026.

Social validation

• Tier: T3 (single-platform only: Threads carries identifiable owner discussion; Facebook Groups showed no useful collector discussion for this deck; Instagram evidence is weak — IG's CLI is account/profile scoped with no general keyword search, and public web search surfaced no identifiable Instagram owner posts. Forum/retail-review owner evidence below is strong but falls outside the FB/IG/Threads tier definition).
• Named sources + proof:
  1. Threads, Sept 2026 — owner-seeking-replacement-cards post (@caffeinated.crystal, 2 replies) and Aug 2026 intuitive-reading thread (@raven) — live community practice.
  2. The Tarot Forum (thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/5807-cardstock-how-important-to-you/) — multiple owners, cardstock praise, 2019, still crawled 1 day ago (durable thread).
  3. BooksRun reader reviews (booksrun.com, 2021) — box set value, guidebook quality, no-reversals complaint.
• Links: https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/5807-cardstock-how-important-to-you/ ; https://booksrun.com/9780062466594-the-wild-unknown-tarot-deck-and-guidebook-official-keepsake-box-set-box-tcr-cr-edition

Key specs

Pricing (dated 2026-09-20)

• MSRP: $39.99 (per bookandmortar.com listing showing sale from regular $39.99).
• Street (US): $33.99 new at bookandmortar.com (in stock); Alibris new from $23.28.
• Street (UK/EU): £17.99 at axelbooks.com (sold out, RRP £25.00); Finland €45.41 special at bookoutlet.fi.
• Canada: CA$49.99 Amazon.ca (in stock); CA$57.50 mysticmoons.ca.
• Australia: AU$59.50 at thenile.com.au (RRP $69.99).
• Used range: Alibris used from $13.92; FB Marketplace search returned 0 active listings (2026-09-20); Karrot (Toronto) active used listing exists — price not captured (page required login); treat used range as $14–$25 US equivalent (UNVERIFIED for direct marketplace prices).

Included / else needed

Included: 78 cards, 200-page guidebook, keepsake box set. Else needed: nothing required; a reading cloth and reversal-friendly supplement help reversal readers.

Support reality

• In continuous reprint via HarperOne — stock available at major booksellers 2026. No official missing-card replacement program found (UNVERIFIED). Counterfeit knockoffs ("Wild Tarot Cards") circulate on AliExpress — community consensus: buy from reputable booksellers.

Community verdict

The Wild Unknown remains the benchmark indie-to-mainstream tarot deck a decade on: beloved art, best-in-class packaging and guidebook for the price, with the durable complaint that Krans skips reversed meanings and the stock runs thick. It is consistently recommended to intuitive readers and collectors rather than reversal readers, and owners still hunt for replacement cards rather than replace the deck — a strong loyalty signal.

Sources

• www.thetarotforum.com — retrieval date not recorded
• booksrun.com — retrieval date not recorded