Parallel? How do you set the VTA?

I use a deck of playing cards.

This is a very good question. You simply cannot adjust it with the eyeball method.... The playing card method might be good but only providing your arm has absolutely no taper to it. The only arm that I have used that makes this adjustment easy is the SME...with a horizontal line printed on its side..however adjusting its VTA is more difficult than others. In the end..the ear is the final arbiter, however I think tonearm setup is unduly difficult. Each arm has its own tricks, but I don't think any of them is easy.

I agree with John(McGrogan)and Stringreen. The most important thing is setting by ear, not by looks. Parallelability is only a stating point. Try raising or lowering the arm at the rear(pivot)in small bits at a time. After each movement, listen to the sound until you hear the best sense of clarity, detail, air and overall balance. In other words, there's a point at which you will detect a sense of rightness or that everything has fallen into place. Once you've arrived there, try in some way to make a mark or measurement(as to where the tonearm sits on its post)enabling you to return to that "magical" point without difficulty in case things go awry. I assume you already realize if you're using a new cartridge, that after the its suspension has become more flexible and settled in after hours of use, you will probably need to readjust the tonearm to its best position. Good luck!

I agree with Stringreen. The eyeball method can be quite misleading and unreliable, even if the tonearm is not tapered like the Classic wand. What prompted this post was the discovery that as I kept changing the VTA, the index card seemed to show hardly any change. I found it rather confusing, and wondered whether there was a more reliable method to ensure the tonearm is parallel as a base from which to make adjustments. I suppose a tiny bubble level could be a way to go, but affixing anything to the tonearm will then affect the VTA so it needs to be taken into consideration.

I eyeball it and sometimes I will use a ruler but that is only a start, listening is how I ultimately decide. My suggestion do not get hung up on methodology and trust your ears.