I saw on St. Vlad's site that they have paper printed icons for $0.50 cents each. Is that an acceptable form of icons, or should they all be on wood like the others are? I also have an icon of the Theotokos (Deisis) so I know the Deisis icons are a collection.. so they'd just be labelled as Russian?
Paper icons are perfectly acceptable - it is the prototype we worship, not the physical object. This is why pious folk will never discard even a Christmas card with an image of Our Lord or one of the saints in the household trash, but will burn it and discard the ashes in the garden or some other respectful place. That said, my personal opinion is that even mounted paper icons fall a bit short of what we should aspire to, which is to have real icons, at least as the core of our home icon corner. Today, we are blessed that there are many fine iconographers available, and one can commission a hand-painted icon on almost any budget. Considering the amounts of money we all shell out for flat-screen TVs, iPads, cell-phone plans and monthly cable bills that often approach $200/mo, paying a few hundred dollars for a hand-painted icon comes down to a question of priorities for most of us. It's just like tithing - the first reaction of everyone is that we can't afford to. But when one really considers the matter, one can't afford not to. BTW, one of the most interesting commissioned icons I have seen in a family icon corner was of the Theotokos enthroned, with the patron saints of the mother and father prostrated before her, and the patrons saints of the current and hoped-for children grouped on either side. This was, of course, that family's main icon.
I don't understand the last part of your question.
David James
