APB for Mike Glow

[sethburn]

Hello All,

I am trying to track down Mike Glow. A google search bought me here as apparently he used to be one of the mods here. It appears he no longer is. Does anyone have any contact information for him? Thank you for any assistance.

Seth Burn
poohburn@yahoo.com

[Mulletus]

I heard he got robbed.... like some yu-gi-oh kid stole all his magic cards or something. Then i heard he got a job, like a grown-up one. So i havent seen him in a long time. but yeah i think he created this site.

[sethburn]

Getting robbed is obviously miserable, but I'm sure SOMEONE has an e-mail address at least, if not a cell # or something.

Seth

[DeathwingZERO]

A buddy of mine has talked to him in the past couple months, and possibly more recently. PM me info and I'll forward it to him to see if he can get ahold of him.

[ForceofWill]

Mike Glow invented the format, didn't you know?

[Illissius]

Hi there, btw. I used to like your articles back in the day.

[sethburn]

Illissius: Thank you, I used to enjoy writing them.

[Afro]

Karma couldn't have caught up to a better person imo.

[sethburn]

Afro: What do you mean?

[TeenieBopper]

A lot of people don't like Mike. To put it nicely, he was a really aggressive trader.

[Di]

I talked to him a few months ago on AIM, but lost his nick. I'm fairly certain some of the Rochester people would have some information on him though as he is usually in that area ripping off Yu-Gi-Oh kids.

Out of curiousity, why are you looking for him? He's been away from Magic for a rather long time.

[Afro]

I mean this guy is/was by far the WORST person I have ever seen trade magic cards. Back when Legacy was 1.5 the Albany crew would go up to cuse all the time for tourneys. Some of the most lobsided trades ever were done by this guy and it made me cry inside. I'm not the type of person who will jump into a trade and be like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" but damn did I want too. I'll never forget watching one of the trades go down....

Glow: Wrath's for trade?
Random: Sure
Glow: These look pretty beat. How does $3 ea sound?
Random: Umm...sure I guess.


I used to buy/sell/trade like mad before I sold my collection. There was rarely a trade/purchase I made not in my favor unless it was a pimp foil for my collection however never would I have the balls to offer $3 on a wrath, beat or not.

In the end I saw 4 wraths, some morphlings, 4+ wastes on that kids side of the trade. I just had to walk away as it was making me sick to my stomache.


Many say that it isn't his fault and the people selling/trading the cards should be responsible for knowing the value of their own cards. While this is true there also the part about being able to live with yourself when you are essentially stealing from people at every magic event you go to.

Oh and the dude looks like a pig. Seriously.

[sethburn]

I don't play the magical cards anymore either. I am looking for him just to catch up after all these years. As for being a scummy trader, I have nothing really to say to that.

[APriestOfGix]

I mean this guy is/was by far the WORST person I have ever seen trade magic cards. Back when Legacy was 1.5 the Albany crew would go up to cuse all the time for tourneys. Some of the most lobsided trades ever were done by this guy and it made me cry inside. I'm not the type of person who will jump into a trade and be like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" but damn did I want too. I'll never forget watching one of the trades go down....

Glow: Wrath's for trade?
Random: Sure
Glow: These look pretty beat. How does $3 ea sound?
Random: Umm...sure I guess.


I used to buy/sell/trade like mad before I sold my collection. There was rarely a trade/purchase I made not in my favor unless it was a pimp foil for my collection however never would I have the balls to offer $3 on a wrath, beat or not.

In the end I saw 4 wraths, some morphlings, 4+ wastes on that kids side of the trade. I just had to walk away as it was making me sick to my stomache.


Many say that it isn't his fault and the people selling/trading the cards should be responsible for knowing the value of their own cards. While this is true there also the part about being able to live with yourself when you are essentially stealing from people at every magic event you go to.

Oh and the dude looks like a pig. Seriously.

If i could pull that off, w/o people jumping in, I would. Thats not scummy, thats smart, save your money!

[Bardo]

If i could pull that off, w/o people jumping in, I would. Thats not scummy, thats smart, save your money!

It's serious douche bag like behavior--no two ways about it.

[T is for TOOL]

It's serious douche bag like behavior--no two ways about it.It's a victimless crime. Like punching someone in the dark.

[sethburn]

Where are the libertarians when we need them? It is a case of someone profiting from having more knowledge than their trading partner. Nothing less.

[Nihil Credo]

Rip-off trading is like sex: it's fair and fun to do it with a consenting adult, but with kiddies it's a crime.

[T is for TOOL]

Where are the libertarians when we need them? It is a case of someone profiting from having more knowledge than their trading partner. Nothing less. EXACTLY. I suppose I should draw on real life parallels for those of you that are having trouble understanding the situation.

You have an STD and as far as you know the girl you are dating is unaware of this fact. You could bring it up in a conversation at some point, but it is quite likely that revealing your condition to her will greatly reduce your scoring chances. She may not know about your condition, but that's her fault for being an ignorant trading partner. This is a simple example of you profiting from having more knowledge than your partner. Nothing less.

Where is Alix when you need him. He'll show you what's what.

[Wallace]

The best part about Glow is all of his stuff is worth more than yours.

Mike " Got any FOW's for trade? "
Me: " Yeah sure, what do ya put them at? "
Mike: " IDK like $12. "
Me: " I think I will hold on to them. "

1 Week Later

Me: " Hey Mike you got any FOW's for trade? "
Mike: " Yeah. "
Me: " What do ya put them at? "
Mike: " $25 "

:confused:

[Anarky87]

People need to know what the value of their own cards are when going into a store or event. I mean, you're actually the consenting person for your stuff. It's not like they're taking your cards and you can't stop them. Just say no if they're under valuing your stuff. If they make comments about it, then pack up your trade and move to someone else.

I've had a lot of people say things like, "Geez!" or "Are you kidding?" when I quote them prices. If they do it a lot, I just tell them I'm not eBay. Or if they're being a total asshole about condition, I usually say, "Look, do you want the card or not? I'm not here all day."

A guy that went with to GP:C spent Friday doing mostly trades. He came back to the room and said, "It's pretty much worthless down there to trade. Nothing but sharks everywhere." He said he couldn't remember the number of times he just closed his binder and walked away from people, because they were valuing FoW at like $8, $10-11 for your blue duals.

While I don't really appreciate people who try to rip off everyone, if you do get ripped off, it's your own fault. The best thing is to use their pricing against them. I kinda realize my posts just turn into stories. I need to curb that.

[Solpugid]

I'm not sure how many of you are joking and how many are serious, but rip-off trading is NOT just a case of intelligence vs. ignorance. That may be the case, but by suggesting lopsided trades you are being blatantly dishonest with the intent to profit from someone else's misfortune. That's pretty friggin terrible. Especially if the victims are kids, since (pretty much by definition) they will be rather ignorant of the rules and/or a tad shy with aggressive adults.

The best way to solve these problems is to go to drafts and win some T2 cards. Then, trade those cards for Legacy cards of similar current value, but greater long-term value. Like, for instance, a stomping ground for a taiga back when Guildpact first came out. Both parties will be happy since they play different formats, and (here's the key) no one was really ripped-off.

[APriestOfGix]

I'm not sure how many of you are joking and how many are serious, but rip-off trading is NOT just a case of intelligence vs. ignorance. That may be the case, but by suggesting lopsided trades you are being blatantly dishonest with the intent to profit from someone else's misfortune. That's pretty friggin terrible. Especially if the victims are kids, since (pretty much by definition) they will be rather ignorant of the rules and/or a tad shy with aggressive adults.

The best way to solve these problems is to go to drafts and win some T2 cards. Then, trade those cards for Legacy cards of similar current value, but greater long-term value. Like, for instance, a stomping ground for a taiga back when Guildpact first came out. Both parties will be happy since they play different formats, and (here's the key) no one was really ripped-off.

I'm also a kid. That dosn't stop me from trying to get a good deal.

Although, for some really new/younger players, i might tell them (if a cards for cards trade, and i'm robbing them), that i think this trade is in my favor a bit.

But if not, fucking learn your cards. Some dude traded me a Bayou for a Playset of Raging Goblins, he really wanted the gobs for his gob deck, and the Bayou was of no use to him. BEST TRADE EVER!!!

[kabal]

Some dude traded me a Bayou for a Playset of Raging Goblins, he really wanted the gobs for his gob deck, and the Bayou was of no use to him. BEST TRADE EVER!!!

Sure he did.

[Afro]

I'm not sure how many of you are joking and how many are serious, but rip-off trading is NOT just a case of intelligence vs. ignorance. That may be the case, but by suggesting lopsided trades you are being blatantly dishonest with the intent to profit from someone else's misfortune. That's pretty friggin terrible. Especially if the victims are kids, since (pretty much by definition) they will be rather ignorant of the rules and/or a tad shy with aggressive adults.

Very well put. I would just like to mention that when I first started trading I took the low road. I would lowball like a mother (not to glow standards mind you) and make around $50-75 at a friday night tourney. Nothing huge but that adds up a lot over 2 years into a hell of a collection. I had one of the top collections in Albany and could have continued on my way but you know what happened? I grew the fuck up. I couldn't look the people I was trading/playing with in the face. I stopped trying to make around 25-50% profit on a single trade and started trading at small profits like $1-5. You get more trades this way when others see you are not a huge douche.

Also Glow was horrendous for taking out TONS of cards from binders and pressuring the person to do the trade. I've seen him drag trades out for 30 min plus. Then the person trading with him feels they must trade something or they just wasted time. Lots of people use this tactic.

<3 the line "I'm not ebay." I think at one time or another all serious traders use this line. Another favorite of mine is "Scrye says this is worth...." My response...."Scrye also values my Pale Moons at 3.50."

I didn't mean for this thread to turn into one of ethics. I used to do a lot of shaddy stuff (buying known stolen cards, lowball like fuck, etc etc) I was of the thinking if I don't pounce on this sale or trade then someone else will take my place. I was right of course but after a while you just feel like shit looking at the cards your playing knowing how you got them. Basically if you can live with yourself and you don't find anything wrong with it then continue what your doing. All I know is that it finally caught up with Mike Glow and will probably will with you too.

[DeathwingZERO]

You all seem to forget that the "shark" mentality is EXACTLY how businesses stay alive. You want to bitch about things, talk about websites like SCG, etc. You want to talk about someone who's got the nerve to rip off people because they are ignorant, GET OUT OF MAGIC.

It's that simple. I've been a store owner, I've been on the other side of that situation, and I've been the shark in between. Magic sales are nothing more than a stock market. I can't say how many times I've gone to shops, taken them for their money rares, then sold them back a month or two later, post rotation/regionals, etc. It IS a matter of intelligence vs ignorance, because that's how the game is sold on the secondary market.

Here's a good example. I recently sold off a bunch of cards. Most notable were my duals and FoWs. I had 9 FoW, all were pretty played. I got roughly $10 each out of them from a shop, fully knowing I could trade them off for $15-25 in various conditions. I was also given $25 each on my Underground Seas, which were turned around at $50. Same for the Tundras.

I accepted the deal, because it's how it goes. I needed the money, and didn't have time to shop the cards around to people willing to put out more, through either eBay or various forums. The only reason I even posted my bling for sale thread was because while I was getting rid of those at prices I wanted, I was making up for not getting what I wanted out of previous deals because I needed the money asap.

There's no difference if Glow or anyone else for that matter (a perfect example is Shane from CCGHouse, knowing him personally I know how he got into being one of the biggest online vendors over the years, and sharking had EVERYTHING to do with it) wants to be a shark, and the sharks that are behind the counter at your favorite hangout. If anything, the ones not behind the counter are making the real money, because there's no overhead.

Seriously, if you don't like dealing with sharks, don't. But if someone else is willing to, then try to out-shark them. Outbid them right in front of their faces, be a bigger dick than they are right to them, while being a better trader. If you hear someone say they're willing to give $5 for something worth $20, say you'll give $10. Worst case scenario is you piss off the shark to the point they won't come back anymore. It's a tactic I've used often, and one that's earning the karma points. If your not willing to do that, go back to playing the game, and let the dealers make the money the way they know how.

@Seth: I contacted my buddy and let him know you were looking for Glow. He said next time he's able to get ahold of him he'd pass the info on.

[TeenieBopper]

You all seem to forget that the "shark" mentality is EXACTLY how businesses stay alive. You want to bitch about things, talk about websites like SCG, etc. You want to talk about someone who's got the nerve to rip off people because they are ignorant, GET OUT OF MAGIC.


1) Mike Glow was not a store.
2) Stores don't stay alive by being sharks, at least not in the long term. they stay alive by not making stupid decisions.

Play the Game is notorious for "shark" like behavior. Now nobody plays magic there.

You can fleece a sheep many times, but skin him only once.

[DeathwingZERO]

1) It may be true that Glow wasn't a storefront, but like my post described, what does that matter? He probably could have easily bankrolled into it with what he had, or had someone put money into investing in a setup with him. I know of a few people that have done that, and are still doing good. I also know of just as many that continued being little sharks, and bankrolled themselves into college, etc. Money is money, and the Magic secondary market is no different than any other cutthroat business.

2) The sharks that are around now have to adapt, I'll give that much. Over time your prices need to get better, especially with Internet sales popping up. This cuts into the profits, and at the same time you need to be willing to buy at a better price than way more people than before. In order to survive, it's natural for a shark to change it's ways. This doesn't mean that at any given opportunity they won't take a pile of gold staring them in the face.

As far as shark stores, they're dying out to trends, not to loss of people. There will always be stupid fish, but there will be just as many people trying to prey on them. Internet businesses are already taking out huge chunks of storefront-based stores' money, I got to see that firsthand. It's also a much easier thing to get into now, putting down a couple thousand on new sets then immediately selling them on self-made websites or eBay stores with a little bit of advertising, and taking your couple bucks at a time profit, rather than making a living out of it.

As far as the secondary market is concerned, the sharks did win. But those sharks adapted to the times, and made even more in the Internet boom, and can now sit back on their cards and sell them cheaper, and buy them higher. The rest of the stores, unless already built on a solid foundation of customers, are dying out far too repeatedly now.

[wmagzoo7]

On the topic of Sharks in trading I can say I am half of one. Myself and my partner in crime for the philly area have done many a lopsided trade but when it comes to giving someone a price at such a low value as 3 each on wogs is an atrocity. If you are to rip off someone, not advising to because it creates some enemies, do straight up trades like i'll trade you this for that and it makes trades a lot more beneficial for both sides. I once traded 4 gleancrawlers and some scourge commons for 6 unlimited duals off of a full grown man while I'm 15, is it my fault that I owned him, or is it the other guys for ripping himself off. From his point of view he got 8 cards for my 6, from my point of view I made some money off of jank. I also don't ever EVER let myself get ripped off. If Mike Glow made some cash off of people for being dumb, let it be and say good job you made some money today. I personally know of a man, Andy Tolaga( don't know if I'm spelling it correctly) makes approximately 80K a year by just being a shark all around the magic world. The man follows the Pro Tours and makes money off of people's ignorances.

[Solpugid]

Seriously, if you don't like dealing with sharks, don't.

That statement completely circumvents the point I, and I believe others, are trying to make: if the player knows the rules (is experienced) and knows the cards (has had the ability to do research) he/she should usually be held responsible for making good decisions with his/her property (cards) in handling trades. (note: there are exceptions I will mention below)

HOWEVER, what you're suggesting is that an 10 year kid, going to his first tournament after 3 weeks of playing, and getting approached by a 35 yr old shark of a trader is to be held equally responsible. Maybe that kid ripped a thoughtseize and the trader who approached him pressured him into trading the thoughtseize for some crap rare. Should the kid, after so little time playing, know the rules and cards so well that he detects the lopsidedness? No. Should the kid be responsible for being mature enough to handle that kind of out-of-nowhere pressure? No. Is the trader being a dick? Yes!

It all has to do with context, and it all has to do with how much experience the "victim" is expected to have. For instance, a few years back I needed to get my hands on some shrapnel blasts asap for an event, and I made a terribly lopsided trade to get them. I knew perfectly well what was going on (despite my noobiness at the time), and the person who traded them to me was not unfair.

But the use of coercion and pressure to reach the same goal is NOT ok, and I don't think it's fair to assume that the "shark" is doing nothing wrong just because "all people should just be able to say no!". It's a matter of courtesy versus self-centeredness, and I worry about people who can't see it that way.

[troopatroop]

Sharks definitely took me for alot of money back in the days when I was younger. Getting cards stolen and practically taken from me wasn't enough to make me quit, but it was damn close.

[kirdape3]

*shrug*

If you're going to put money into a game (or have it put into the game for you), you'd better be able to defend that money by making good trades. It doesn't matter if you are 10 or 50; that money is entrusted to you and it's your responsibility to ensure its security.

[troopatroop]

*shrug*

If you're going to put money into a game (or have it put into the game for you), you'd better be able to defend that money by making good trades. It doesn't matter if you are 10 or 50; that money is entrusted to you and it's your responsibility to ensure its security.

Yeah, when you're 13 it's kinda hard. You're trying to make friends and not cause conflict. I remember the place I grew up playing in was an absolute den of thieves. Everyone was vulgar and verbally violent. Big, Mean, Greedy twentysomething yearolds were taking my money without me knowing. You can make excuses to make yourself feel better, but it's not just an economic thing, it's an emotional thing. Kids aren't emotionally strong enough to stand up to someone who is ripping them off. They're much more likely to trust someone they respect (Good magic players)on card values, because they just seem to know more about the game. I know I never really expected people I saw as my friends to steal from me, especially when they were so much older.

That's just my experience.

[Peter_Rotten]

Big, Mean, Greedy twentysomething yearolds were taking my Taigas without me knowing.

Tears.

[frogboy]

Different people have different values and different ways of maximizing their utility.

[georgjorge]

Above comment is kinda pointless here. The question is not whether different people trade cards in different ways, but rather where the border between behavior which is acceptable and behavior which isn't lies. Because you know, as with nearly everything in human society, we humans aren't absolutely free to do whatever we want, but have (or should) take other people (their emotions etc) into account.

Sorry for the rant, but it makes me a bit mad when people try to end arguments with dogmatic statements which don't take the complexity of life into account by a long shot.

[kirdape3]

Except that the idea is that in the end, you are responsible for your own actions and possessions. Get ripped off in trading? Find out what your cards are worth. Get your cards stolen? Don't have them in places where they could get stolen then. And so on. That responsibility is in force if you're 10 or 100.

[Cait_Sith]

Get your cards stolen? Don't have them in places where they could get stolen then.

Okay, if I keep my mint alpha playsets of all the power (hypothetical here) in a safe, and someone steals them anyway, its my fault for not renting out the US Mint? There is a line of where ignorance becomes victimization.

If I don't make the best trade on my part because I think Jittes are worth 10-15$ (as opposed to their more normal 15-20$) then it sucks to be me.

If a kid gets ripped off because someone CONVINCES them their cards are worth less, then we have a problem.

Pricing can get more convoluted then normal based on meta considerations (a card can be worth more in one area than another), damage (price guides are sketchy in their definition. It isn't strict guidelinage), set, foilage, and misprinting.

Each factor can alter the price in a different way, so it can be difficult to tell how much the card is actually worth.

[Bryant Cook]

I hope breaks all of his fingers permanently and can't bend them to hold cards.

[Michael Keller]

I mean this guy is/was by far the WORST person I have ever seen trade magic cards. Back when Legacy was 1.5 the Albany crew would go up to cuse all the time for tourneys. Some of the most lobsided trades ever were done by this guy and it made me cry inside. I'm not the type of person who will jump into a trade and be like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" but damn did I want too. I'll never forget watching one of the trades go down....

Glow: Wrath's for trade?
Random: Sure
Glow: These look pretty beat. How does $3 ea sound?
Random: Umm...sure I guess.


I used to buy/sell/trade like mad before I sold my collection. There was rarely a trade/purchase I made not in my favor unless it was a pimp foil for my collection however never would I have the balls to offer $3 on a wrath, beat or not.

In the end I saw 4 wraths, some morphlings, 4+ wastes on that kids side of the trade. I just had to walk away as it was making me sick to my stomache.


Many say that it isn't his fault and the people selling/trading the cards should be responsible for knowing the value of their own cards. While this is true there also the part about being able to live with yourself when you are essentially stealing from people at every magic event you go to.

Oh and the dude looks like a pig. Seriously.

Ultimately Magic ends up being nothing more than a game played for cash. Cards are cash. And if you don't know the value of your own things - that's no one's fault but your own.

Ethically wrong? Absolutely.

Smart? I think so.

[Cait_Sith]

I think not. Look how Mike Glow has a bad reputation among bigger buyers. People who are likely to spend 70$+ on a single REALLY nice card won't buy or sell with him, so his business will hurt.

[Raider Bob]

Glow stopped Trading Magic cards and now trades Yu-gi-oh Card on saturday morning at Altererd States or Sunday morning, basically he was having a hard time to finding magic players he hadn't ripped off and has gone to a new venue.

[Bovinious]

Do people still play/care about Yu-Gi-Oh?

[mikekelley]

No.

My local store just cleared out all their Yu-Gi-Suck singles and packs at half price because none of it sold.