How that Karakas has been spoiled as a reprint, I'm ready to pull the trigger to build my Eldrazi deck in Paper as well.
But I currently own zero Paper cards. What's the best way to acquire cards at a reasonable price (as a European) when time is not an issue? (I can't make it to GP Prague anyway.)
Given that other people might be buying in with EMA, this topic might be of general interest.
You folks seem to get cards cheaper than we do. I buy from TCGplayer and eBay if the local don't have it. Ymmv
In Europe we use Magiccardmarket. Good site, reasonnable prices.
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I was more thinking about the process. Tips how to get the most bang for the bucket, e.g. ordering singles everywhere should increase the overall postage. Stuff like that.
- Try to get all the cheapest stuff in one order from some online store. Card Kingdom is my go-to but they`re mostly all the same, just make sure you find one that has all or almost all the cards you need. You don`t want to spend postage and time on five dollar cards.
- Get the more expensive stuff from Magiccardmarket.eu. They have the lowest prices by a huge margin, but you are not very likely to find a lot of different cards from the same seller, so because of the postage it only pays off for the more expensive cards. Make sure you look at the shopping card price and not the list price, because people charge wildly different fees. That $14 dollar card might end up cheaper than that $12 card.
- Trade away whatever you can for stuff that you need. Converting cards to other cards is a lot more profitable than converting cards to cash.
- Try to predict reprints so you don`t buy something right before it gets reprinted and goes down in price. This goes for you, Cavern of Souls and Chalice of the Void, you`re way too expensive right now. Those cards will be reprinted at some point, it`s only a matter of when.
- Any standard staples from the Zendikar block might crash when they rotate out in September/October.
- Buy reprints and new cards you need a while after release, about when people stop drafting it. Going by the rule of thumb, that would mean picking up Karakas in maybe late August, but keep an eye on it from release, because who knows how Eternal Masters behaves.
- Buy everything that you need from the Reserve List right fucking now. The price tag on City of Traitors is obscene, but it`s not coming down, so bite the bullet. Magiccardmarket is our best friend.
Build a Want list on mkm. Then use the shopping wizard to find the best price for your buck. You can select Reduce Price or Reduce Shippements. Through that you can usually find the best options.
Stop wasting time chekcing all permutations of possible buys, go to work, make that extra money, don't bother loosing pennies on extra shipping or making time wasting calculations how to squeze the most value (in the end the differnece will be just few euros), just buy the freaking deck from MCM, it's not like eldrazis are really that expensive of a legacy deck (city of traitors, sometimes karakas being the only really expenisve card).
People are sometimes so narrow minded. trying to save cents wherever they can only not to notice they are loosing real money elsewhere.
but if you are from Europe there just for the sake of this topic: buy from Magic card market, they have by far the widest selection of cards with affordable rpices - much cheaper then other stores or ebay (although with ebay you can rarely find some better deals).
If you do not have access to Magic card market, then I guess ebay is the next best thing, or try and find a store that has reasonable stock and prices. Maybe someone else can fill in
And for god's sake don't bother loosing some extra euors/dollars. It's almost pocket change compared to other expenses we have in life.
For chaff like cards (so low value cards), you can simply use this tool:
http://magiccardwantlist.wente.dk/?lang=en
Yes, you have to pay something for it, but you will safe A TON of shipping cost (I used the tool several times and I saved way more, than I paid for it).
Greetings,
Kathal
When I went to GP Seattle, I found the vendor prices to be pretty decent; perhaps have someone scout prices and be your proxy buyer. Store credit from weekly legacy events is another good path; from your posts @Barook you seem like a pretty dedicated Eldrazi player, so you should have a pretty good feel for what cards translate into store credit via wins.
I imagine the must have cards (above ~2 euros individually) are 4x Tomb, 4x Temple, 4x TKS, 4x Mimic, 3-4x Endless, 4-12 other critters (Smasher, Ulamog, Revoker, Endbringer), 4x Chalice, and either ~3x City or ~3x Eye (I don't know which of these two translates into more wins, probably Eye?). Let's say Eye is what you go with since the price is incredibly reasonable right now, and let's also say that going to a fourth copy doesn't translate to more wins since it's legendary. Even though you're more focused on W/G builds featuring Displacer, just filling in the holes, staying on the colorless build, is probably good enough to accrue store credit (Factory, Petal/ESG, Crystal Vein, Thorn, Crossroads, maybe Ghost Quarter). The expensive missing pieces going forward are Karaki (multiple Karakas), Citys, Wasteland, Mox Diamonds (wow, these actually are up at $70), and Caverns. Even with the timing of EM for lower Karakas/Wasteland prices, I think a Caverns playset is probably gives more wins per euro (and begins to allow Displacer). After Caverns the priority is probably Karakas -> City -> Wasteland -> Mox. Unfortunately you can't use fetches, so getting one copy of a land doesn't really help generate wins/store credit...try buying all needed copies of a land together.
Please delete
Last edited by Sidneyious; 05-25-2016 at 10:12 PM.
Also, go to your LGS and tell everyone that you're trying to build the deck. There's a decent chance someone has the cards, hasn't been able to move them, and will give you them for a fair price. I bought ~half of Enchantress off an LGS buddy who used to play the deck, got sick of it, and wasn't able to sell or trade away the cards since then. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some disenfranchised Eldrazi pilots, be they Legacy or Modern players.
On that note, local MtG Facebook groups are worth keeping an eye on if you're either picking up high-end singles or trying to buy whole decks. I got my duals through a TX MtG Facebook group.
He said time is not an issue. For some people, buying a deck a couple of pieces a time is an enjoyable process. If it was me putting that (or any) deck together, I`d only be considerate about the $30+ cards.Originally Posted by Mr Miagi
When it comes to trading and selling, though, I want to print your words on a fucking T-shirt. I HATE HATE HATE when people start haggling for dollars and cents as if it`s a sport. I suggest $20, they use about a 100 words to justify $18, and I DGAF about the two dollars, but I don`t want to spend time over loose change, and I don`t want to give in and look like a sucker, so I`m torn and I mostly feel like walking away from the whole thing (which is what I usually do).
I will haggle over the 2$ because money is a thing and cardboard is a hobby.
From Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/MTGLegacy/c...gacy_deck_not/
With everyone talking about card availability in the wake of the EMA reveal, I thought I'd share techniques I used to build up my Legacy collection. I hope to help someone build the deck they want, regardless of cost. Hopefully this isn't repetitive or reiterating anything in the sidebar. Scroll to the bottom for TL;DR.
Patience is the most important aspect of building a Legacy deck Following this guide to the letter will take time to build a deck, depending on cost. But once you shuffle up that coveted deck that's entirely yours, the sense of accomplishment is incredible.
I will assume the reader has chosen their deck and extensively tested it with proxies or online. If you need help with that, refer to the endless "what deck do I play" posts. Don't buy a deck you haven't tested or think you won't play. You'll just waste your time and resources that way.
FACTORS THAT WILL LEAD TO YOUR LEGACY DECK
First, time -- Identify when you're going to play the deck. Is the deck for weekly FNM, or is a StarCity, GP, or other big tourney coming to town? Giving yourself a timeframe for securing the cards for your deck is important, because you have to spread the cost across that time to make it easier.
Second, deck value -- Identify the total value of the deck you want. Could be a few hundred for burn, $3K for lands, or something in between.
Third, collection value -- Assess the value of your current collection. Is everything in your collection bulk, or do you have some decent staples for Modern, EDH, etc? Do you have a small or large trade binder? How many of the cards for the deck you want do you already own?
THE PROCESS
Try to start with a deck that you already have many cards for. Might as well make it easier on yourself.
Use time to your advantage. Divide the cost of the deck by the time you have until the event, I.e. $1000 by 6 months, which is $167. Save $167 a month in cash and trade stock, you'll have the deck ready to go.
Leverage your collection value. Trade aggressively, and trade for value. Ask for 1 or 2 bulk cards to sweeten each deal. Trade for popular cards, not necessarily what you need right away. If you get hot cards, you're more likely to attract trade partners with cards you need. Walk away from bad traders, disagreeable people, known thieves, or people that act like dealers with "buy mats".
Don't play drafts for a while. Put that money away towards buying your deck. Don't buy boxes of a new set. If your LGS has an entry fee for each week, skip a week or 2 and play casually. If you do draft, keep every bulk rare and take any bulk people don't want. Don't be afraid to be a scavenger -- the biggest value in bulk is sheer numbers.
Don't be afraid to drop your entire trade stock into a buylist. Even if you're not given 100% of the on-paper value of your cards, you can still get enough credit with a sufficient number of cards. Also send a bulk box to add some extra value, no matter how minimal. Always deal for credit, not cash. Dealers give more value in credit.
Move value cards that are sitting in your boxes/binders. If you have EDH decks you're not using, liquidate them. If you're sitting on 3x of a Modern staple you'll never play, move them. If you're skipping Standard FNM's, move the deck. If you have some value cards that you're attached to, move them. You can always get it back later.
Don't pass on an opportunity for savings. Buy moderate or heavy played cards and double-sleeve. Ask to see cards marked "damaged" - it could be a good deal - but don't buy a damaged card blind (I only did it once and it worked out, but it was a huge risk). Scour eBay for lowball or incorrect listings, but again don't take on too much risk.
Don't "pimp" your deck. Don't buy foils if you don't have to (unless it's cheaper than the non-foil).
SUBSTITUTIONS AND OPTIMAL LISTS
My personal goal was to obtain cards for optimal lists. Depending on your local meta or event you're playing in, or available budget, you may not need a list considered to be "optimal". Don't let this stop you from playing the game! Depending on the deck, using budget replacements can be an advantage! You'll know what's coming but your opponents won't! This style will help you learn the nuances of the deck and format as you build up your deck to the "optimal" list. Thanks /u/addelorenzi for pointing this out!
THE PAYOFF
Over two years, I obtained cards for multiple legacy decks by spending saved cash and dropping bulk cards into buylists. Out of my pocket over those 2 years I spent about $1000. The rest I got with the value of my cards. I can play almost any Legacy deck I want, but it's not a perfect system. For example, I have no Underground seas and no budget for Eternal Masters! But I do have at least 2 of every other dual, cards to build a ton of legacy decks, and most importantly of all: a collection I'm proud of!
TLDR (As promised)
Legacy decks are expensive, so you won't build one instantly
Build a cash and trade budget for the deck(s) you want. Spread it out over time
trade like crazy, grab bulk, and buylist aggressively
play less events that require an entry fee
Buy lower-conditioned cards for value
Don't foil or "pimp" your deck
Do these things and you'll have the legacy deck you want.
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