I was done a while ago for the most part. Its just annoying trying to get values on cards just right. That being said its nice to be able to find really weird edh cards I need or casual jank thats not worth much that I want but I find its quicker and simpler to just order the cards straight up, especially with exspensive stuff than try to trade for it all.
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Currently Playing:
Modern: RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy: UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander: UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
In general, I do not trade much. I find that trading generally goes much better in an environment where one does not look at the game as in investment, but as one where it is viewed as a game before everything else. This is my general approach to trading, and I tend to trade with like minded people, but my group is also much smaller too. I tend not to trade if I need something severely, I will rather buy if I cannot easily trade for it in my small circle.
I used to like trading way back when. Now I really dislike trading for a few reasons. I don't really play standard or modern and since most people only have newer stuff, they don't have what I want or need. Nor do I care for people trying to nickel and dime to get exact even value. Or just trying to win a trade or make stupid offers like a bunch of standard stuff for duals or forces. Much easier to just go out and buy what I need.
I usually trade down within a couple of bucks if it's for stuff that I need. I am reaching the point where I'm going to have to buy singles (which I used to do) rather than trade, even though I'd prefer to not spend any money out of pocket if I can avoid it.
If there is no trading and card investing involved I wont be able to complete my Legacy Jeskai delver deck, my modern Junk, Scapeshift all those stuffs.
Trading is great, but I've been doing less and less of it for the last six or so years. Mostly due to having less time, with family and work and also as I sell more cards and keeping seperate trade stock from sales stock is a royal pain.
When I do trade I either know exactly what I need (and the values) or I'm just moving something that I believe is better to trade than to sell at the moment. For example I'm trading away my extra Khans fetches, but mostly Polluted Deltas, as the quick sale price has dropped below the level I'm comfortable with, but average price is still high enough that I'm very happy to move them for other cards I either want for my own use or I feel could be sold easier. For RTR I decided to just put all extra shocklands in a box and forget about them, until they become worth selling. I'm still sitting on them, so now I'm testing a new system. Selling all I get and moving them towards one of each foil fetch. I'm missing only the Delta now.
Few weeks ago I traded away a Mana Crypt and a Taiga, getting a foil Khans Strand, two foil Eidelon of Great Revels and few smaller cards. Both traders got what they wanted and depending on how the Eidelon keeps getting played, I might get quite a bit ahead, or lose out on certain profit of the Crypt and Dual. Yet these type of trades are my favourites. I had the bigger items, getting to a point where we don't have to balance for every quarter and I can be pretty fair on trading down, not having to start calculating any extra downtrade costs. It also helps that Crypts were 25 and Taigas 20 euros, when I got them. I don't let that affect trading, but it makes occasional mistakes much easier to swallow.
So trading is fun, but hard to do with limited time and doesn't mesh too well with selling cards. Sometimes it still is the best way to move cards that are not well positioned for sales or have some wear, that doesn't show well on scans. Also there are some good ways to gain value when trading, which are not open when selling and buying.
I was a vicious trader at some point (2011-2012). Especially when EDH began being popular, I traded all those in for fetchlands, blood moons and others. The trades I completed made people think I was nuts. No I have multiple modern decks to manage.
I still trade and I think its pretty fun. The only problem is, is that I such an effective and profitable trader, that I have everything I need. The only things I need I either buy or try to trade through winboosters from the FNM.
I really loved the art of trading and bargaining, but I haven't pulled a succesful major trade from the FNM in a very long time. I tend to give away cards where especially the younger are interested in that are rotting in my binder.
After being on the lower-hand side of trades involving cards I didn't know the exact value of at the time due to card spikes, I always just pull my phone out. If someone doesn't like it, they can go and try to profit off someone else (cause thats what their trying to do).
The biggest reason I use my phone on all trades is because of Modern causing so much price fluctuation of cards, and because of all the large tournaments that can spike a cards price from one month (or week) to another.
The way I look at trades is, if people want what I have they either: need to have what I want, or have 'safe' cards to trade for. If a card has reasonable play in modern/legacy/EDH i'm more than happy to trade what they want for it. I used to trade for things I didn't need, and then you end up with lots of standard cards. I now only trade for exactly what I need, or for things I know I can use to trade for what I need. Modern staples, lower-priced Legacy cards and SB cards and things like Fetches.
I am hot and cold on trading. I like how easy it is to look up prices so that everyone knows they are getting a fair shake, and will always let people know if they are trying to trade me their $10 card for my $2 card, for instance, and always try and get them to take a few more things to get closer to even amounts (sometimes people insist they are happy with the trade and don't mind losing some money on the deal, in which case, fine, but I'm never looking to rip someone off like so many traders seem to be doing).
On the other hand, with how easy prices are to look up and how obsessed magic players are in not "losing value" (maybe this is true for all TCG's - I don't know, I only play magic), there are so many people now who are obsessed with getting the trade "even" to within pennies and will look through your binder over and over trying to make up like $.45. It's like, dude, relax, that's 30 minutes at a meter. I'll throw in a couple quarters if it's so important. I never worry about being behind as long as the prices are close-ish.
I love trading magic cards. Its one of the most fair markets that you can participate in, in the sense that almost everyone has access to the same price data.
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Legacy
Death and Taxes Pauper
UB Teachings
Tortured Existence
Murasa Tron Modern
Pod (RIP)
Bloom(RIP)
Merfolk
If you're not skilled at trading, don't blame the art of doing it. I've gotten burned on trades just as I've gotten good deals too, both a result of my own skill at trading and knowledge of the market. Of course if you don't like trading that's fine, but don't discount the whole venture just because you've failed at it in the past.
I find trading in person to be mostly a waste of time b/c of one simple fact - most people don't have a 'want list'.
Online though, it's great and I will continue to use it.
I find trading in person to be mostly a waste of time b/c of one simple fact - most people don't have a 'want list'.
Online though, it's great and I will continue to use it.
It's funny you say that. I always take a Want List with me whenever I go out trading face-to-face. I find it saves a lot of time, and it helps get cards from people that didn't bring them with them but might have them at home. When it comes to online trading, though, I had to take my online trade thread down because it was just way too much micromanagement. I've found that approaching someone who has cards for trade works best for me.
I for the most part quit trading a few years ago. I live in a smallish town where there might be a total of like 15 people with active collections total in town. When new product comes out, you have to jump on people immediately to try to get trades figured out and the people you know would want something tend to obtain them very quickly through either pre orders or trading to the point where its hard to consistently trade.
The other issue I have is that I have a vast collection and most people I trade with do not have my own collection so I have to deal with needing very specific things. In a lot of cases people ask me if I have staples or something stupid for trade and I ask them if they have high value lands for trade in return or something lame because I rarely can figure out anything to trade off of them.
At this point, once in a blue moon I will offload my surplus to a vender if I can find a good deal. Otherwise I try to just buy singles for what I want and need.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
I only trade extra cards when I get more than a play set of them. That way I never worry too much if the value gets out of whack 2 years down the road. I kind of enjoy going through binders of older cards and picking up anything I don't have a play set of. I never take it too seriously and basically just trade when I am between rounds or need to burn time.
I have a feeling that the trading aspect of the game is slowly declining, considering how many websites are there who sell singles. Acquiring Magic cards is probably easier than ever.
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Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
In general, I no longer bring a binder to trade face to face because it's a pain and I've been sharked way too many times. I'll trade with friends no problem because I know they're not trying to rip me off and we give each other deals. I'll occasionally trade online, but usually it's from me looking at people's lists. As many have said, I have a real job now and when it comes down to it, I can just buy the cards I want instead of trying to trade for them.
I never really trade in person. Its just a hassle to haul everything around, not knowing if you have what someone wants or vice versa.
For a while, I was doing trading via MOTL but it became increasingly difficult to find fair trades. Everyone wants to come out ahead, even on small trades.
Now, I just started using PucaTrade and that's been smooth so far. The idea behind it should make it easy to get whatever you need for whatever you have. 5 $20 cards sent to different people can get you that $100 card you wanted (sent from someone else).
I've mostly converted to Pucatrade. It's so much easier not having to keep an eye on my trade stock while I'm playing too.
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
The dream has always been to trade off my jank rares for something I might play constructed wise, but usually that never happens. I think we tend to remember the times we've gotten burned (ie when I traded Karn Liberated for a few rares I needed or when I traded Land Taxes before they shot up in value), then when I headed up on top. I've sort of switched to Pucatrade since it's much easier than carrying my binders and risk them getting stolen (plus at big events, do you really want to lug your collection, playable decks, and mats/etc?).
The biggest downside is risking the fact that you may be trading for fakes online, but I feel a bit more confident with Puca Trade.
Yeah, Pucatrade is awesome! My friends didn't need (or, really, have anywhere near enough either in value or that I even needed to trade for it) my extra Jace, the Mind Sculptor so I shipped it out on Puca. That got me, basically, $100 in trade credit with people all over the world. I wound up claiming most of a set of Swords (Fire and Ice, Light and Shadow, etc.) for EDH.
The same is true for all sorts of cards that I just don't have a use for. There's no one locally to trade with because 1) my good friends just don't need that many cards that I have (or the reverse) 2) local strangers are the value traders that insist everything be within a quarter value of an even trade or in their favor. My friends don't have either the supply or the demand and I don't want to deal with annoying strangers so I ship cards out on Puca when someone wants one. Once you have points for a card, it shows up at your door - like actual magic! And all the trades actually are even, at least as of the day of the trade.
And, since I'm trading on Puca, my want list is basically blank as long as I have points and I don't have need to carry a trade binder to events! Nothing I need? No need to bring trades!
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Currently running in EDH: WUBRG: Karona - Chaos towards Divine Intervention ** WUBRG: Karona - God Tribal ** WB: Teysa - Angels, Wrath, and Return from GY ** UB: Szadek - Control and Mill ** RWU: Zedruu - Everyone Draws Cards ** BUG: Damia - Gorgon Voltron Ramp ** URG: Animar - ETB effects and Beatdown ** WUB: Sharuum - Lots of Artifacts UG: Edric - Tribal Rogues ** W: Odric - Tribal Soldiers ** B: Shirei - Shadowborn Apostle Deck ** RB: Tymaret - Kill all the things!
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Modern:
RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs
RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy:
UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander:
UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
Modern: Burn
Legacy: Burn
Casual: Treefolk Tribal
Commander: Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
EDH: Xenagos, God of Revels.
When I do trade I either know exactly what I need (and the values) or I'm just moving something that I believe is better to trade than to sell at the moment. For example I'm trading away my extra Khans fetches, but mostly Polluted Deltas, as the quick sale price has dropped below the level I'm comfortable with, but average price is still high enough that I'm very happy to move them for other cards I either want for my own use or I feel could be sold easier. For RTR I decided to just put all extra shocklands in a box and forget about them, until they become worth selling. I'm still sitting on them, so now I'm testing a new system. Selling all I get and moving them towards one of each foil fetch. I'm missing only the Delta now.
Few weeks ago I traded away a Mana Crypt and a Taiga, getting a foil Khans Strand, two foil Eidelon of Great Revels and few smaller cards. Both traders got what they wanted and depending on how the Eidelon keeps getting played, I might get quite a bit ahead, or lose out on certain profit of the Crypt and Dual. Yet these type of trades are my favourites. I had the bigger items, getting to a point where we don't have to balance for every quarter and I can be pretty fair on trading down, not having to start calculating any extra downtrade costs. It also helps that Crypts were 25 and Taigas 20 euros, when I got them. I don't let that affect trading, but it makes occasional mistakes much easier to swallow.
So trading is fun, but hard to do with limited time and doesn't mesh too well with selling cards. Sometimes it still is the best way to move cards that are not well positioned for sales or have some wear, that doesn't show well on scans. Also there are some good ways to gain value when trading, which are not open when selling and buying.
Set to default
I still trade and I think its pretty fun. The only problem is, is that I such an effective and profitable trader, that I have everything I need. The only things I need I either buy or try to trade through winboosters from the FNM.
I really loved the art of trading and bargaining, but I haven't pulled a succesful major trade from the FNM in a very long time. I tend to give away cards where especially the younger are interested in that are rotting in my binder.
DECKS:
UB Faeries [Midrange/Tempo]
RWUGB Affinity[Aggro]
FAERIES TOO STRONK!!!1111
- Fae Prophecy, 201
5678The biggest reason I use my phone on all trades is because of Modern causing so much price fluctuation of cards, and because of all the large tournaments that can spike a cards price from one month (or week) to another.
The way I look at trades is, if people want what I have they either: need to have what I want, or have 'safe' cards to trade for. If a card has reasonable play in modern/legacy/EDH i'm more than happy to trade what they want for it. I used to trade for things I didn't need, and then you end up with lots of standard cards. I now only trade for exactly what I need, or for things I know I can use to trade for what I need. Modern staples, lower-priced Legacy cards and SB cards and things like Fetches.
WBG Karador GBW
R Daretti R
RG Omnath GR
WRG Modern Burn GRW
WB Modern Tokens BW
DCI Rules Advisor as of 5/18/2015
On the other hand, with how easy prices are to look up and how obsessed magic players are in not "losing value" (maybe this is true for all TCG's - I don't know, I only play magic), there are so many people now who are obsessed with getting the trade "even" to within pennies and will look through your binder over and over trying to make up like $.45. It's like, dude, relax, that's 30 minutes at a meter. I'll throw in a couple quarters if it's so important. I never worry about being behind as long as the prices are close-ish.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
Death and Taxes
Pauper
UB Teachings
Tortured Existence
Murasa Tron
Modern
Pod (RIP)
Bloom(RIP)
Merfolk
Online though, it's great and I will continue to use it.
It's funny you say that. I always take a Want List with me whenever I go out trading face-to-face. I find it saves a lot of time, and it helps get cards from people that didn't bring them with them but might have them at home. When it comes to online trading, though, I had to take my online trade thread down because it was just way too much micromanagement. I've found that approaching someone who has cards for trade works best for me.
Modern: Burn
Legacy: Burn
Casual: Treefolk Tribal
Commander: Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
The other issue I have is that I have a vast collection and most people I trade with do not have my own collection so I have to deal with needing very specific things. In a lot of cases people ask me if I have staples or something stupid for trade and I ask them if they have high value lands for trade in return or something lame because I rarely can figure out anything to trade off of them.
At this point, once in a blue moon I will offload my surplus to a vender if I can find a good deal. Otherwise I try to just buy singles for what I want and need.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Signature done by perv90210
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For a while, I was doing trading via MOTL but it became increasingly difficult to find fair trades. Everyone wants to come out ahead, even on small trades.
Now, I just started using PucaTrade and that's been smooth so far. The idea behind it should make it easy to get whatever you need for whatever you have. 5 $20 cards sent to different people can get you that $100 card you wanted (sent from someone else).
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
I signed up for Pucatrade, but I can't guarantee a 48 hour turnaround on trades because of my work and class schedule. Is it still worth it?
Modern: Burn
Legacy: Burn
Casual: Treefolk Tribal
Commander: Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Yeah, just don't select "send a card" until you know you are going to be able to send things out. You do it all on your own time.
MuzzioU XenagosGR NahiriW GitrogGB MarathGRW MarchesaUBR JenaraGUW KarlovBW TazriWUBRG
Retired: RakdosBR
Great! That was my main concern.
Modern: Burn
Legacy: Burn
Casual: Treefolk Tribal
Commander: Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
The biggest downside is risking the fact that you may be trading for fakes online, but I feel a bit more confident with Puca Trade.
The same is true for all sorts of cards that I just don't have a use for. There's no one locally to trade with because 1) my good friends just don't need that many cards that I have (or the reverse) 2) local strangers are the value traders that insist everything be within a quarter value of an even trade or in their favor. My friends don't have either the supply or the demand and I don't want to deal with annoying strangers so I ship cards out on Puca when someone wants one. Once you have points for a card, it shows up at your door - like actual magic! And all the trades actually are even, at least as of the day of the trade.
And, since I'm trading on Puca, my want list is basically blank as long as I have points and I don't have need to carry a trade binder to events! Nothing I need? No need to bring trades!
WUBRG: Karona - Chaos towards Divine Intervention ** WUBRG: Karona - God Tribal ** WB: Teysa - Angels, Wrath, and Return from GY ** UB: Szadek - Control and Mill ** RWU: Zedruu - Everyone Draws Cards ** BUG: Damia - Gorgon Voltron Ramp ** URG: Animar - ETB effects and Beatdown ** WUB: Sharuum - Lots of Artifacts UG: Edric - Tribal Rogues ** W: Odric - Tribal Soldiers ** B: Shirei - Shadowborn Apostle Deck ** RB: Tymaret - Kill all the things!