[Article] Cook's Kitchen: Magic Money

[Bryant Cook]

Cook's Kitchen: Magic Money

Read it or not.

[KevinTrudeau]

How's Johan Santana looking this year?

[caiomarcos]

I don't usually give feedback on articles posted on these boards, but for some reason I really enjoyed this reading.

[Backseat_Critic]

Bryant,

Nice article. It's nice seeing something that's not completely crammed with decklist this, and metagame that. I too sold off my collection when I was 18, back in '99. I had a big stack of duals (40+), a closet full of Force of Wills (opened a ton of Alliances packs), and a playset of the major chase rares (Balduvian Horde, what?). The only stuff I didn't have was power. If there is one lesson to be learned, it's actually to hold onto as many copies of legacy playable uncommons. The dual lands were the crown jewel of my old collection, but the copious stacks of forces, wastelands, and stps could would be worth more than the rest of my collection several times over. Kids, don't throw away the 50 Dismembers you opened from drafting...

I have no regrets though. At the time women and booze seemed more important, and they probably were. I don't even really reminisce about the prices. In short, I like the way my life turned out and wouldn't wish for a time machine (too much hassle, what with paradoxes and all).

I ended up getting back into magic and legacy in 2005. I bought all the blue duals/fetches, forces, intuitions, tabernacles, moats, wastelands, etc. It was actually pretty cheap back then too. I am still trying to finish off my dual land collection, but it has gotten more pricey. Thankfully, I already have playsets of the blue ones...

Anyway, I think this is something that a lot of us, especially legacy players, can relate to. As a group we tend to have been around the game for a long time, and also have stories about quitting and getting back in. For me, I started in '94, took a rest from '00 to '05, and have been going strong since then.

The main point I'm trying to make, after all my nonsense, is in regards to your predictions of legacy's future. You mentioned an underground sea for 220, and lamented that legacy may die due to a buy in that is too high. I don't think I agree with this sentiment, and it has to due with some of the things I talked about earlier.

First off, legacy is an awesome way to play this game. Second, standard is pretty pricey too, and the expected value in dumping your cards is low. Legacy may have a higher buy in than standard, but it can be eased into. The format doesn't rotate, so you don't need that chase rare today. Also, there are some decks that are pretty cheap and not bad either (burn, elves). But then main reason why I don't see legacy dying is because it is ultimately held up by the old school of magic players. We grew up with the game, and now we're grown up. I still think the game is awesome, just like when I was 14, but now I'm older and have access to much more money. For me, it's a hobby like golf is for my dad. We're big boys, and we can decide how to burn some of our cash (to the chagrin of our wives at times). I find the people who play legacy with me are in similar situations. That is to say, old players, around the game for a long time, with steady incomes and established lives.

From my experience, these are the rank and file of legacy players. The pro tour chasers who need those duals to play in next week's GP are the ones who groan about the buy in prices and the death of legacy. It's the old blood that gives them someone to play with day in and day out in their local stores. We're not going anywhere, and we are more numerous than our voices would imply. The legacy diehards will keep going even if the tournament scene moves on. Maybe, it's just that my definition of a dead format differs from others. I didn't think legacy was dead before the boom either.

Legacy is dead. Long live legacy.

Backseat Critic

PS - I recently moved to Naples, Italy. Anyone play legacy in these parts?

[Jander78]

Good article man. But, wouldn't getting Peter's original powers buy you nothing in the real world? Also, if you did manage to have those powers including Hiro's abilities, the Delorian would be redundant freeing up Sarah Chalke. Also, AIDS already cures cancer, so looks like you have another wish free! (Screw the noble aspect, get greedy.)

Anyway, entertaining read. Good job.

[Zilla]

Good article, Bryant. Your story reminds me a lot of myself. I've been playing since alpha, and when I graduated high school (way back in 1997) I sold my favorite deck. It had 17 Moxen, 2 Black Lotuses, and a single Tropical Island for its manabase.

At that time, the standard deck size was 40 cards, and deck sleeves didn't exist yet. My cards were beat to hell, but I sold the deck for 700 bucks (which at the time seemed like a huge amount of money,) so I could buy a flatbed color scanner.

Nowadays that deck would be worth like 10 thousand dollars. Easy come, easy go, amirite?

[Zalren]

I liked the article. Just like many of the others posted, I am an old school magic player. I have sold my collection three times and always come back and buy into magic again. Guess I just won't learn when to stop. I recently just got all 40 duals and all the classic Legacy staples. This time I tell myself that I will hold on to them but I keep having thoughts of selling them and getting into something different. Maybe there is something wrong with me lol.

[sdematt]

Definitely a good article, and one many older players can agree/share experiences with.

AIDS doesn't cure cancer, technically. It's one patient. The fact the person got a full bone marrow transplant, with CCR5(delta)32 receptors on his cells probably had more to do with it...

-Matt

[oldbsturgeon]

Its funny as I actually decided to sell the deck I had together today, esper stoneblade, and got about 1200 from a store for it.
I don't play and everytime I have ever bought cards again after selling, I still don't actually play the game.
Overall, its a good decision on my end.

[Gui]

Just don't forget that, with great powers comes great vilains with even more powers.

A nice set o wishes, but as mentioned by someone, you don't need a time machine if you got Hiro's power. Of course you could want it just for the lulz, but I figure you can craft something better for that one =P

[Michael Keller]

I remember back in 2003 when I owned sets of Workshops, Bazaars, Mana Drains, and Masks. I even had at one point two "extra" Workshops stuffed into my old binder - which today would be worth tens of thousands of dollars (Alpha Ancestral, Beta Mox Jet, Beta Duals, etc.)

Shit, I even sold my set of Imperial Recruiters before jumping ship (pun intended) in 2008 and got $400.00 for the set. To quote Ralphie from A Christmas Story: "...Son of a bitch."

Also, I think I hold the title for "Sold Out Most Times" in Magic over the course of eighteen years - and I can get a lot of people here to confirm that claim. If I can tell you all one thing, don't sell your cards unless you're sure you are done - or if you really need the money. "Quitting" Magic is one thing, selling your cards is another. Both don't necessarily go hand in hand.

[xfxf]

I think even if you quit Magic it makes sense to keep your cards around for a few years more in case you come back again or your cards see a price jump :). Most probably the price jump won't break even with the inflation but you'll come back to Magic >:D

[dahcmai]

I'm in a really precarious position. I have been playing since Legends and never sold off anything aside from getting rid of extra commons and trading anything I had more than 5 of. I always kept a playset and one for a set. I went back and got the older sets too while they were still cheap at the time.

I keep wanting to sell since it's pretty much an easy way to pay off the mortgage, but I keep watching prices go up and up and up. It's a mind twister. Sitting on collections like that is scary since the bottom could drop out. I've been slowly selling off a bunch of the vintage stuff though and I broke up the beta sets and sold off the commons, uncommons, and power.

When I sold off my Mana Drains and Library of Alexandrias, all of a sudden talk started up about unrestricting Library in Vintage. That was scary, I'd hate to have to rebuy any of that stuff again. Mana Drain has no hope of ever coming to Legacy and that was the only reason I sold those. I still sit on a bunch of the cards that are restricted and banned just in case. Saves me the trouble of buying them when they finally do undo them.

Someday I'll quit, but it sure is temping to do it early. I know I'd regret it. I love this stupid game.

[TheMinel]

PS - I recently moved to Naples, Italy. Anyone play legacy in these parts?

plenty I'm sure!!! big Magic community at tipo1.it (in Italian though...) with all the tournament and meeting places....

I'm also one of the long standing players (started with revised, then gave up and sold Moxes, duals etc when there were no tournament types, only 1 type really (and you had to have the P9 or go home :D ) who stopped playing after Alliance and now just recently got back into it.... hard work getting back up to a decent card collection indeed :)