Why Speculating Kittens are better than Trade Sharks

by Tony Guo

Every Magic player wants a trade binder loaded with duals, power nine, and standard staples.  Women have purses and red sole shoes to flaunt, Magic collectors have trade binders.  Trade binders act as subtle indicators of status among the magic community.  How does one build a dazzling trade binder?  There are three routes: spend a lot of money; trade like a shark; trade like a kitten.  

Assuming you are not loaded, option one is not viable for most people.  I barely make ends meet week to week.  I have student debts, insurance, car expenses, and a whole onslaught of other "living costs."  Many of my friends have similar financial restraints.  Buying pieces of cardboard... probably not the best idea when you are eating ramen.  

 

The other option is to trade like a shark.... this is not a wise long term plan.  It destroys Magic communities as well as your reputation in them.  In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I was a shark.  For me, the negative bitter after taste of knowingly ripping someone off was never worth the small "value" I added to a guilt filled binder.  I am not sure why I continued, even after recognizing how destructive of a process it was.  And unfortunately, sharking has become an accepted practice of "collecting."  

Chas Andres' SCG profile highlights this obsession: "He also traded a pack of Zendikar up to an Alpha Mox Sapphire, which he thinks was pretty freaking sweet."  So ripping off a lot of people was "freaking sweet."  And do not get me started on Jon Medina's ethics.  

My definition of a shark is a person who knows that there is value difference and uses this knowledge gap.  While sharks are initially successful, once they rip enough players off, a strange thing happens.  Players begin protecting each other from the known sharks.  Soon no one in the store will trade with that person. 

What other choice do I have to build up my trade binder?  If I don't have excessive money and I don't want to become a shark?  Well.... become a speculating kitten.  They are cute and have great community reputations.  What's the difference between a kitten and a shark?  

A kitten trades for Sublime Archangel when the card is 15 dollars. Said kitten gives 15 dollars worth of cards for the Sublime.  If the person wants less, a Kitten will notify him or her of the value difference and offer additional cards until the values are equal under whatever website they have decided.  Both sides are happy, because the trade is inherently fair.  Kittening is trading a 15 dollar stock for another 15 dollar stock.  Sharking is trading a 5 dollar stock for a 15 dollar stock. 

When the Sublime becomes 30 dollars (as of the time of this writing it is sold out at SCG at 30 dollars), the kitten celebrates because the price has doubled.  Repeat with Silverblade at 3.50 going to 7, Sigarda at 8 going to 16, Olivia at 5 going to 20, and many more.  

The kitten now trades the "valuable" standard card for legacy or EDH cards.  Being a kitten, they will offer a slight premium since legacy is harder to obtain.  Eventually the kitten will have an incredible trade binder, a good reputation the community, and most importantly many friends who respect the kitten's advice and reputation.  

*Disclaimer... Yes I know I am talking about kittens... and this sounds like some weird Yugioh friendship speech, but I stand by it.

.... how do I know what to invest in?  That's where this website comes in.  I will train you in the art of speculation in the hopes you will use it for good.  I can only hope...    

 

What I learned from the Inuyasha TCG: The future of Cardfight Vanguard, and Magic the Gathering

by Tony Guo

I have been mulling this article since I created this website.  The opinions are my own and they are just that... my opinions.  From recent youtube experiences, I expect negative feedback.  But if I can not always be right I can at least always be honest.  

When I was in high school I loved an anime show called Inuyasha.  When I learned about a card game based on the show.... I forced my local store to order a case.  I brought half the case for factory price (again, having a store owner as a friend has perks; be nice to them!).  I had a fun experience playing the game.  But the game ended soon after the anime ended.  

And here is the inherent problem with anime card games like Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Naruto, Shaman King (yes..... I did buy a case...), and Digimon, the show either ends or gets stale.  If anything is certain, it is that anime fans are fickle.  

Onto a discussion about CardFight Vanguard.  I think the artwork is beautiful, the mechanics are smooth, and the game flow is clean.  However there is little chance Vanguard will survive long term like Magic has.  I've invested in a "mixed" half case with this understanding (costing me 5 underground seas).  I will enjoy playing while it lasts, but eventually... it will end.  

The problem is that Vanguard is connected to an anime show.  I found the show very enjoyable.  All episodes are on youtube with no commercials.... unless you count the show itself as a continous commercial.  I've watched all of the subbed and dubbed episodes so far and the beach arc is my favorite (which I liked because Ren and Misaki's subtle interactions).  Okay.. before I digress too much... let me talk about why Vanguard will decline.  

The show is not popular even among Vanguard fanatics with thousand dollar binders.  Most viewers think the episodes are getting worst.  The show's purpose, to advertise the game, has for the most part failed.  An anime card game is tied to the hip with the anime show.  And the show is not good... (I like it but the general consensus is that it is incredibly bad).  

In conclusion what does any of this have to do with Magic the Gathering?  I posted whether I should trade legacy Magic cards for Vanguard. The overall response was no... don't be stupid.  Koby's post is among the most direct.  

"I don't recommend trading for other card games. They typically won't hold value unless you trade it right away for maximum profit. I recount a story of a friend who traded a set of Beta back in 1999 for a case of Young Jedi CCG + cash. The game went belly up in 6 months, making the trade just awful."    

 While I agree.... I still went out the next day to get half a case.  
  

Tips on Going to a Magic the Gathering Event: Life Hack

 

 By Tony Guo

I know this blog entry comes a bit early, but I recently returned from Dallas SCG and wanted to write with fresh memories.  Rather than talk about the decks and the actual event, I'm going to discuss my travel experience to Dallas.  

I flew from Houston to Dallas on Southwest (in my experience if you are flying in Texas to any of the southern states, Southwest is the cheapest).  Although George Bush International Airport is  closer to my home, I decided to try out Hobby Airport.  I have a weird tic, where I like saying I've traveled from different airports.  So far, my favorites are Helios Airport in London and Kotoka Airport in Ghana.  

My first mistake was taking an early flight.  The flight boarded at 6:15 am which on the surface isn't bad... but I scheduled an hour to get to the airport and another hour to check in.  I woke up before 4 am (I am glad I left early since my GPS went haywire and there are few road signs guiding you to Hobby Airport).  If you travel to or from Houston I would use the George Bush International Airport over the Hobby Airport.  

The most important piece of traveling is picking a good hotel.  Unless you are a grinder and magic is a source of income, you should treat the experience as a vacation and not cheap out on certain amenities.  A good hotel can make or destroy a good experience.

 My preferred hotel is the Embassy Suites.  The level of cleanliness is consistently high and the staff are always incredibly nice.  You get to wear a robe around, the meeting areas are gorgeous, and every room has a living room and couch (for the magic friend who is proud to say they are a leech).  

 The next issue is finding a great restaurant.  I am a foodie, a person who takes food too seriously.  If you are out of state, there is nothing like the Mexican food in Texas.  My favorite place to eat in Dallas is the Blue Goose.  The Goose offers a fun atmosphere and has amazing fajitas.  If you are interested leave a comment and I will post my top five restaurants in Houston, Williamsburg (VA), New York City, and Philadelphia.  

To conclude, unless you have a financial interest in going to an event (i.e. vendors, trade grinders, "professional players") you should treat SCG opens, Grand Prixs, and magic events as an ability to go on vacation and enjoy playing a game.  

The next event I will go to is probably Grand Prix San Antonio in November.  Let me know if you will be there.   

Buying from Ebay, Craigslist, MOTL, and Game Stores

by Tony Guo

I sold my magic collection many times.  Each time I sold, I was certain I would never come back... yet back I came.  In this blog I will discuss how to come back after selling, where to find the best "deals" and how to buy.  Because buying and selling are completely different I only focus on buying.

Buying

I buy singles off Ebay or MOTL (Magic Online Trading League), however these places are not ideal to buy or add to your collections.  I use them more for finding the missing piece of a deck. 

On Ebay, the price is bid up to a "fair" range.  Many auctions end higher than expected because of the number of potential bidders.  Another reason to avoid Ebay is the scam culture.  A common Ebay scam is for the auctioneer to write alpha/beta on boxes but never show the contents, or show a few alpha/beta cards.  While most of you would think that it would be ridiculous to bid on an auction of this nature, many scam auctions end in the thousands of dollars with multiple bidders.

MOTL is better than Ebay, but still not the best way to get that "deal" we are all salivating for.  In fact, it can be worst. MOTL users are experts in prices.  Some like "Gunslinga" deal with power 9 on a daily basis, while many are vendors/dealers.  The average knowledge of card prices on MOTL is incredibly high.  MOTL users know their prices. 

My Craigslist experiences have been hit or miss.  Recently I brought X force of wills for 40 dollars and X wastelands for 30.  However to find this "deal" there is a frustrating process.  The difference between Craigslist and Ebay or MOTL, is the knowledge gap.  On Craigslist you are more likely to find someone who has no idea what their cards are worth.  While you would think this would be good thing for people interested in buying... it isn't.  95% of the time prices are either absurdly high or the collection has been picked through (all the good cards were sold or traded away).  Add the creepiness factor that Craiglist brings, and not a receipe for success. 

And obviously, buying a collection from a store is a bad idea since they need to "meet overhead."  Not exactly...  :)

You might say at this point... I get it, it's a desert out there for buyers.  Is there some secret you are keeping from us?  ummm... yes...  

The best way to build a collection quickly and cheaply is the following:

Make good friends with your local store owner.  You can do this by being a regular customer, going to FNMs, ordering a box of the new stuff, talking to the owner, but most important making sure the owner knows you are spending money.  After a while, many store owners will recognize your loyalty and give you special discounts and/or reserve special products such as commander arsenal (I paid 75 dollars while the Ebay price is over 200).  

To come full circle, we have to answer the question "Who gets the best deals for magic collections?"  The answer: your local game store.  Old and valuable collections come through game stores all the time.  I've seen power nine, foil Jaces, and thousands of alpha/beta cards come through stores.  Not to mention, okay cards like force of will, wasteland, scroll rack, enlightened tutor, and onslaught fetchlands.  Sellers are often shocked to find out what a store will pay them (shocked as in they were expecting much less).  A reputable store will be fair.  But being fair for a store means paying 50%-75% of the true value which is much better than anything Craigslist, Ebay, or MOTL offers.  

That's all great... but how do I, the loyal customer, get these deals reserved for shops?  Well, it comes down to cash flow.  If more collections come in than a store can buy and liquidate then rather have another store buy the collection, your store may call its best customer and ask whether they would be interested.  When this happens offer to pay the store a 10% finders fee, hence making sure the store knows you appreciate their call and ensuring that they will call again. The store gains a lot by calling you.  They prevent other stores from selling the collection and competing with them but more importantly loyalty is a two way street. 

How realistic is this?  Well, last month my local game store could not purchase a collection of duals so they called me.  I was able to buy 4 tropical islands, 5 volcanic islands, and 3 tundras for 70 dollars each which was the buylist (I also brought a lot of EDH things for my Thrax deck). While the price was higher than the store would have paid, it was low enough to make me happy.  

What did the owner ask in return?  I pay for dinner that night.  

Please comment if you have any questions.  I can be found on youtube as newlawstudent.