My advice is to stick with one deck per format. Trade everything you have to complete those decks. Then STOP SPENDING MONEY.
There is no need to play magic if you are dead from not being able to eat. Unfortunatley you havn't learned the value of a dollar yet. Once you are out on your own, can't eat or pay rent, you will sell your cards real quick. Yes, Magic is very fun and addicting, but in the end it's just a game. Not worth living on the streets for.
Being able to visualize my money, savings, and spending helps identify not only where most of my money is going into, but what 'leftover' cash I have. After putting some of the leftover money into my savings (going to be buying a house soon), I put a bit to the side of which I can spend it on whatever I want. Think of it like a weekly allowance. You get X dollars a week, and an item you want is X*4; therefore, you set a goal to work harder to get that item sooner. In time you will get that item, you are happy that you have it and in the end, you still have a lot of money left.
You probably have a better chance of winning the lottery then becoming one of the handful of people making a living of playing MTG. Same with poker.
Being unable to control your spending is not a career choice.
I disagree that the odds of being successful in this game are THAT low since many people have made a living out of this game. Its just not the ideal lifestyle for most people. Not everyone wants to play Magic 24-7 and deal with the stresses of trying to win all the time and talk about the game nonstop.
Im just saying if you like loved this game so badly to where your blowing all your resources on it, why not make it more constructive to where its actually making money for you instead of you going broke. If the OP really wanted to play the **** out of this game he should play more competitively, get hooked up with sponsors, and not have to live on the streets some day and be able to do what he wants to do.
I disagree that the odds of being successful in this game are THAT low since many people have made a living out of this game. Its just not the ideal lifestyle for most people. Not everyone wants to play Magic 24-7 and deal with the stresses of trying to win all the time and talk about the game nonstop.
Im just saying if you like loved this game so badly to where your blowing all your resources on it, why not make it more constructive to where its actually making money for you instead of you going broke. If the OP really wanted to play the **** out of this game he should play more competitively, get hooked up with sponsors, and not have to live on the streets some day and be able to do what he wants to do.
Because his issue seems to be indicative of compulsive behavior more than really really loving MTG.
What you're saying is like telling someone who loves to compulsively shop and spend way beyond their limits to get into fashion design or something. It's nonsensical, and completely misses the actual issue at hand.
Because his issue seems to be indicative of compulsive behavior more than really really loving MTG.
What you're saying is like telling someone who loves to compulsively shop and spend way beyond their limits to get into fashion design or something. It's nonsensical, and completely misses the actual issue at hand.
Right i see what your saying. Its like comparing a body builder who spends all their resources into food and training for something verses a slob who binge eats all the time for no reason. One is very productive while the other is extremely destructive.
I just never understand why anyone buys so many cards if they arent being used towards anything. Being in a **** ton of debt and having a bunch of cardbord thats not doing anything for you isnt fun. Magic is fun but i could not see myself spending more than 100-200 dollars on 1 deck and trying to win enough to make that back first. Let alone a deck that I dont plan to use competitively.
If your not playing competitively then I dont see the difference between real and proxied cards then. For the "sake of having them", well I would love to have a house full of TV's and video games for the "sake of having them", but I wouldnt have a house to put them in. Like I just dont understand how this isnt that simple of a conclusion to get to. We all love to want so many things but we should just be grateful for what we have and leave it at that.
I initially gave up MtG because I was spending more than my available resources and ... more importantly ... I still wasn't happy because I wanted to spend even more than that.
If it's possible for you to moderate your spending while continuing to play by following some of the prior suggestions, then by all means feel free to do so. In my case, it wasn't, so I moved to less expensive hobbies (reading library books, computer games).
Fast forward 10 years. Where I previously had more time than money, now that ratio has flipped and I've returned to the game. I spend about $6K/year now (which buys a Legacy deck, an EDH deck, a few casual decks, and cards to enhance/maintain existing decks) after taking care of family expenses and financial goals (i.e., payoff my house, pay for daughter's college, and retire by age 50).
I initially gave up MtG because I was spending more than my available resources and ... more importantly ... I still wasn't happy because I wanted to spend even more than that.
If it's possible for you to moderate your spending while continuing to play by following some of the prior suggestions, then by all means feel free to do so. In my case, it wasn't, so I moved to less expensive hobbies (reading library books, computer games).
Fast forward 10 years. Where I previously had more time than money, now that ratio has flipped and I've returned to the game. I spend about $6K/year now (which buys a Legacy deck, an EDH deck, a few casual decks, and cards to enhance/maintain existing decks) after taking care of family expenses and financial goals (i.e., payoff my house, pay for daughter's college, and retire by age 50).
I live a bit more modestly, but I would say at my peak I spent around $1,000 on magic every year - about $200 per set ($100 for a box, $100 for the cards I didn't get in the box that I wanted). I've cut that in half by just relying on the secondary market and play casual pretty exclusively.
My advice on this topic would be to find a 'sustainable' hobby. What I mean by this is something where you can spend money once and have something that 'works' forever. MTG doesn't seem to work like this for you (or for many people, for that matter)n due to the constant allies of new releases, deck upgrades and the like.
In my case, this 'hobby' is the use of a piece of technology. I recently bought myself a tablet computer, and for the years in which it works I have to spend nothing more on it, and yet there is always something new to do with it. Other examples have already been mentioned, such as exercise and video games which I also engage in.
Hope this helps.
I live a bit more modestly, but I would say at my peak I spent around $1,000 on magic every year - about $200 per set ($100 for a box, $100 for the cards I didn't get in the box that I wanted). I've cut that in half by just relying on the secondary market and play casual pretty exclusively.
Yeah, I couldn't hold myself to that (I tried!) When I first negotiated this hobby with my wife, I thought I could hold myself to a box per set and maybe a deck/year. That was before I realized how quickly the Standard metagame changed.
There are a few more expensive hobbies (home theater, collector cars), but a far greater number of less expensive hobbies.
Yeah, I couldn't hold myself to that (I tried!) When I first negotiated this hobby with my wife, I thought I could hold myself to a box per set and maybe a deck/year. That was before I realized how quickly the Standard metagame changed.
There are a few more expensive hobbies (home theater, collector cars), but a far greater number of less expensive hobbies.
Yeah, that's why I only play casual. I'm also married and I just can't justify that kind of spending. Even then, I've built something like 30 casual decks. I basically restrict myself to Planeswalker-themed decks, Guild-Themed Decks, and the few Tribal Decks I have. Even then I feel like it's a lot, but when my group plays, we'll play sometimes 8 or 9 games a night, so it feels good to switch it up week to week. I'm trying to keep myself to 20 casual decks and no new decks without dismantling an old one first (and no decks based on set-specific mechanics like the Werewolves, I get bored with them too fast).
Military buddies of mine have had similar issues - lots of free time when not on active duty and extra cash if not with wife and kids.
One of them blew through a few grand in a couple months - he then asked me how I afforded this hobby with a part time job and going through college (at the time and mind you this was about 4 years ago). I demonstrated to him how becoming more trade savvy and aware of trending card prices could help him cut down on his spending or even make him money depending upon how he went about it. He then went on to make Magic a self sustaining and sometimes profitable hobby for him.
Now that you're neck deep in cards you should follow the advise of many posters here and go through your collection to determine extras. But instead of trading them into the shop or selling them try to gain a better understanding of card values and start becoming more actively involved in trading.
Although currently I have a good job and usually get any cards I need through tournament prizes I still try to keep up with current card prices and keep a healthy collection just in case I need to assemble cards on the fly for a deck I'm interested in playing. Just always keep in mind what decks/cards you're not actively using and use them like a resource. There's alot of people out there that build a deck, play it twice, and then never pick it up again. But they still refuse to take it apart because of sentimental value.
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Currently Playing in T2: Esper Control
Currently Playing in Modern: U/W Control
The question is what goals do I have over five years. For example, if I consider playing EDH and Modern then buying up specific staples to build up that aspect for the collection is fine as I have two years to build up two collections of shock lands. Equally, I have a limit towards "expensive cards." I always look for cheap dollar rares to use in place of expensive ones, and I will almost always trade before I buy. I trade around value, up a dollar or down a dollar. If it "feels right" we trade, if the person is trying to douche then I'll end the trade easily.
My kids play so I can just as easily, so I'm not worried about "spending too much" when you have 3 people that play since each of them have their own decks. Equally, this makes most of my decks not really "my decks" as some of my old Legacy decks could be getting used or something like that.
Year to year, it depends on the block. I don't buy casepacks unless if I want the product and get a discount. I prefer to buy during specials and sales times and try to look at the roller coaster rides that some cards go through on the ban list.
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Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
Over the last three months i spent around 4000$ on Magic as i was getting into vintage. But this was all money i knew i was going to work in during the summer. Sure i was pretty out of cash during the summer. But i had already put away around 800$ for each month which covered rent and food and put them into another account (especially for food and rent). Once you start understanding that you put away the money for the important things (rent and food) you can have an account that is filled with money that you could TECHNICALLY spend. I spent all of that money during the summer on magic cards, but i had to make sacrifices. I couldn't do much else, and as long as you're fine with putting yourself on such budgets it's fine.
But you can only do this for so long, at some point you have to save some money. Make sure that when you spend money you actually have the money. My tip is buying into the formats you like the most and stay away from the others. And every month: Put away money for the important things. When those are paid, you can use the rest of the money for whatever you want. Just make sure to have a buffer for when something goes wrong (broken stereo, tv, broke your leg etc.)
You know, the crazy thing is, due to the poor quality of the sets, the last 6 months have been some of the cheapest times (for me at least) in the history of MTG.
I spent maybe $60 on the Prerelease and drafting Gatecrash, another $60 doing the same for Dragons Maze, I haven't spent a penny on M14 and have no plans to, and shelled out around $50 to finish off my playset of shocklands. And that's it. Maybe an FNM entry fee for a Modern game here and there, but definitely less than $200 over that timeframe.
To the OP, I'm curious, what did you spend that $3000 on? You didn't mention buying into Legacy. If you spend the bulk of that buying into Modern, then it's not so bad since you can play for no additional investment.
"Spend within your means" is a timeless saying that also applies to Magic.
Borrowing a deck is easier than what most people think. Befriend people in your LGS and eventually they'll be willing to let you use their decks. With that you basically plummet your MTG cost to $0 except for the tournament fees. You can just treat them to Chilis or whatever for allowing you to borrow their deck.
Why spend $3000, when you can just leech off another player who spent $3000?
I don't think I have ever spent beyond my means collecting.
I got into magic when I was pretty young and took a very long hiatus between middle school and college. After college, when I got a full-time job, is when I started spending more than I think I should. I wasn't going overboard, but looking back, I don't think I needed to spend what I did.
The easiest solution for me was to set a strict budget. I now spend $25/paycheck on randoms, and I limit myself to one booster box per set.
Another thing is to go through your binder from time to time. If you want something new, trade for it rather than buy it.
I have recently got into legacy so this has not made my wallet happy. However, I still make myself put a large amount into my saving account each pay period and set a price limit on cards.
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EDH RGOmnath, Locus of ManaRG URThe Locust godUR
Modern UWMiraclesUW
Legacy BGIce Station Zebra (Living Fins)BG UBRGrixis ControlUBR RGLandsRG
The easiest solution for me was to set a strict budget. I now spend $25/paycheck on randoms, and I limit myself to one booster box per set.
One of the things I did years ago to get my MTG budget under control was drop the whole "buy a box of each set" thing. It was just such a waste of money. I used to try and convince myself I was getting "trade fodder: or whatever, but when I stepped back, looked at what I was spending and what I was getting out of it, I dropped that habit like a bag of bricks. I also stopped taking packs as wining and got store credit instead. Sealed product is just a huge waste of $$.
Sure, it was less exciting getting 4x playsets for $30 off eBay, but my spending per set probably decreased about 50% on average.
Another thing is to go through your binder from time to time. If you want something new, trade for it rather than buy it.
I so this as well, every once in a while I go through my trade binder and any junk rares I have I dump to SCG for store credit. I get like $40 a shot, and whenever I go to an SC event I bring along a shoebox of 2000 bulk cards and trade them in for store credit. I have a couple hundred bucks in credit there now.
I also don't speculate of "chase" rares, it's really a waste if you don't plan on playing the card. When I find a deck I like, I proxy it up, play it a bit, if I still like it, I go on SCG, and I buy it. Sure, it seems like I'm spending $200 or so a shot, but I only have to do it once every 6 or so months, and store credit covers most of it.
One of the things I did years ago to get my MTG budget under control was drop the whole "buy a box of each set" thing. It was just such a waste of money.
I absolutely agree. The only exception is playing limited with friends, but even then you split the cost.
Sure, it was less exciting getting 4x playsets for $30 off eBay, but my spending per set probably decreased about 50% on average.
I agree. I found myself paying $100 for the box, and then another $100 for all the cards I wanted but didn't get. I'm skipping the randomness now, except for limited events.
Some of my friends are upset that I 'buy' the cards I want, but I also have less cards taking up space and I'm spending less money on the game overall.
I have a pretty large collection and spent a lot of money on mostly modern decks. After a while, you look through sales threads and you get to the point where you really don't need anything. Even though you spent a lot at one point, the longer you play the game you eventually stop buying as much. This of course doesn't account for standard.
I played UWR control in standard for the past year. And instead of buying Voice of Resurgence and anything newly spoiled, I just plan on playing UWR or URB for the next standard season. All you really need is Eatherling, Sphinx's Revelation and everything else is cake.
I absolutely agree. The only exception is playing limited with friends, but even then you split the cost.
Drafting with friends is what cubes are for. I have 2 proxy cubes that are a BLAST to draft and it doesn't cost anything other than what we feel like tossing in for prize support.
I agree. I found myself paying $100 for the box, and then another $100 for all the cards I wanted but didn't get. I'm skipping the randomness now, except for limited events.
Some of my friends are upset that I 'buy' the cards I want, but I also have less cards taking up space and I'm spending less money on the game overall.
Anytime I hear people saying there are buying a box because X card just got spoiled, I'm reminded of Family Guy.
Peter, given the choice of a boat or a mystery box: A boat's a boat, but a mystery box could be anything! It could even be a boat! And you know how much I've wanted one of those!
It completely baffles me when people say "OMG, Thoughtseize is in Theros, I am so buying a box now!" For the price of a box and a CHANCE to get a Thoughtseize, you can just go buy 3 Thoughtseizes!
Think about how much you've spent on Magic. Think about how much you're making. Think about how much your current bills are.
Create a budget in which 3/4ths of your disposable income (the amount of money that's left over after bills/necessities) goes into a savings account. You can still be free to spend whatever's left on luxuries like Magic cards, cable TV, Netflix, or whatever floats your boat, but keep in mind the exact dollar amount you're allowed to spend. If you find you prefer one luxury over all the others, stop paying for the rest of the luxuries you've previously enjoyed or start working more hours to afford it, keeping with the 3/4ths rule. If you choose to sell things you've already bought for cash rather than trading, the 3/4ths rule should also apply - 3/4ths of any money you make selling cards goes back into savings.
If it makes it easier, get a savings account without a debit card or ATM card attached to it & have a percentage of your disposable income automatically deposited into that account. Example: if you spend 50% of your income on bills & the remaining 50% is fun money, you'd want 62.5% deposited into your regular account (5/8ths = the 1/2 for your bills & 1/8th, which is 25% of the remaining total, as spending money) & the rest put into your savings account.
Keep this budget until your savings account reaches the level that it was before you started playing Magic. If you slip up, go without something; your number one goal should be not to beg for money at all during this time.
At the end of however long it takes, see if you really feel like spending all your money on Magic cards again considering how much time & effort went into rebuilding your savings account.
This is an important life lesson about financial planning & if you get yourself under control right now you will potentially be saving yourself from a world of trouble later when you're living independently.
Magic doesn't have to be expensive. You can control the costs by choosing (1) format (2) crowd you're playing with. If you're playing standard and you're regularly playing in FNM, of course it will be expensive.
Here's some financial advice from someone who had to learn the hard way about keeping track of finances at an early age (my mom often stole thousands of dollars of money from me in order to feed her pill addiction):
1. Keep a budget and track all your expenses. Make an Excel or Google Drive spreadsheet with bills, rent, gas, food, savings, and discretionary spending. Ideally you should try to save 10% of your income for emergencies, but I've seen people go at 50%. Keep your savings separate from the rest of your money. Put this in a CD, or if you don't trust the banks like my grandparents told me not to, keep it under the mattress and separate from your spending money. Don't use all your discretionary spending during the same week as you get your money, or else you'll dip into your other accounts.
2. Pay off essentials first. Rent, bills, loans, etc. By the way, never, EVER get a payday loan or any other type of loan from predatory lending companies. I've cashed my check at these places and saw old ladies crying at the desk because they couldn't pay the 25% monthly interest.
3. Do not take out any student loan money for spending, ever. The interest is at 6.8% or higher. This doesn't seem like much, but spread out over ten years it adds up to thousands of dollars.
4. Keep an eye on your bank account. Waitstaff and credit card payment methods at gas station are notorious for fraud and stealing your money. Depending on how much they take out, they may only reimburse you for a fraction of what the thieves stole, and you must report the fraud within a short time span or else the bank won't reimburse you. If you pay bills online, keep up to date on the latest anti-malware software.
5. If you have a problem with impulse control and blowing your money, it may be a sign of an underlying problem combined with other symptoms. Getting psychiatric help for any morbidities is a sign of strength rather than weakness in a society that emphasizes "no help no matter what, and damn the consequences because hyperindividualism."
I just got into magic about 4 months ago, and so far I have spent around $600 (that's a conservative estimate unfortunately).
As long as my wife and I are able to put money into savings every month, pay the mortgage and the car payments, moneys is going into the IRA, etc. then I don't feel too bad. I just make sure the essentials are covered and that my wife has spending money, then I will spend my money how I choose.
All I can say is get into eternal formats. After you spend X amounts of money, you won't have to spend much more for around 6 months.
Or try to figure out prices and try to make a profit out of Magic. I have a friend who tries to research cards that are strong in general and he has made a good profit with just standard marketing(around $100 or so). He basically bought cards that he thought were strong and cheap(for their current price) at the time(inquisition of kosilek, Sphinx revelation, JTMS(after Zendikar block rotated out), Lilliana, Hellrider, Aristocrat etc.) While you may fail sometimes, you can still try and make a profit out of Magic
There is no need to play magic if you are dead from not being able to eat. Unfortunatley you havn't learned the value of a dollar yet. Once you are out on your own, can't eat or pay rent, you will sell your cards real quick. Yes, Magic is very fun and addicting, but in the end it's just a game. Not worth living on the streets for.
I buy HP and Damaged cards!
Only EDH:
Sigarda, Host of Herons: Enchantress' Enchantments
Jenara, Asura of War: ETB Value Town
Purphoros, God of the Forge: Global Punishment
Xenagos, God of Revels: Ramp, Sneak, & Heavy Hitters
Ghave, Guru of Spores: Dies_to_Doom_Blade's stax list
Edric, Spymaster of Trest: Donald's list
I disagree that the odds of being successful in this game are THAT low since many people have made a living out of this game. Its just not the ideal lifestyle for most people. Not everyone wants to play Magic 24-7 and deal with the stresses of trying to win all the time and talk about the game nonstop.
Im just saying if you like loved this game so badly to where your blowing all your resources on it, why not make it more constructive to where its actually making money for you instead of you going broke. If the OP really wanted to play the **** out of this game he should play more competitively, get hooked up with sponsors, and not have to live on the streets some day and be able to do what he wants to do.
Because his issue seems to be indicative of compulsive behavior more than really really loving MTG.
What you're saying is like telling someone who loves to compulsively shop and spend way beyond their limits to get into fashion design or something. It's nonsensical, and completely misses the actual issue at hand.
Right i see what your saying. Its like comparing a body builder who spends all their resources into food and training for something verses a slob who binge eats all the time for no reason. One is very productive while the other is extremely destructive.
I just never understand why anyone buys so many cards if they arent being used towards anything. Being in a **** ton of debt and having a bunch of cardbord thats not doing anything for you isnt fun. Magic is fun but i could not see myself spending more than 100-200 dollars on 1 deck and trying to win enough to make that back first. Let alone a deck that I dont plan to use competitively.
If your not playing competitively then I dont see the difference between real and proxied cards then. For the "sake of having them", well I would love to have a house full of TV's and video games for the "sake of having them", but I wouldnt have a house to put them in. Like I just dont understand how this isnt that simple of a conclusion to get to. We all love to want so many things but we should just be grateful for what we have and leave it at that.
If it's possible for you to moderate your spending while continuing to play by following some of the prior suggestions, then by all means feel free to do so. In my case, it wasn't, so I moved to less expensive hobbies (reading library books, computer games).
Fast forward 10 years. Where I previously had more time than money, now that ratio has flipped and I've returned to the game. I spend about $6K/year now (which buys a Legacy deck, an EDH deck, a few casual decks, and cards to enhance/maintain existing decks) after taking care of family expenses and financial goals (i.e., payoff my house, pay for daughter's college, and retire by age 50).
I live a bit more modestly, but I would say at my peak I spent around $1,000 on magic every year - about $200 per set ($100 for a box, $100 for the cards I didn't get in the box that I wanted). I've cut that in half by just relying on the secondary market and play casual pretty exclusively.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
In my case, this 'hobby' is the use of a piece of technology. I recently bought myself a tablet computer, and for the years in which it works I have to spend nothing more on it, and yet there is always something new to do with it. Other examples have already been mentioned, such as exercise and video games which I also engage in.
Hope this helps.
There are a few more expensive hobbies (home theater, collector cars), but a far greater number of less expensive hobbies.
Yeah, that's why I only play casual. I'm also married and I just can't justify that kind of spending. Even then, I've built something like 30 casual decks. I basically restrict myself to Planeswalker-themed decks, Guild-Themed Decks, and the few Tribal Decks I have. Even then I feel like it's a lot, but when my group plays, we'll play sometimes 8 or 9 games a night, so it feels good to switch it up week to week. I'm trying to keep myself to 20 casual decks and no new decks without dismantling an old one first (and no decks based on set-specific mechanics like the Werewolves, I get bored with them too fast).
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
One of them blew through a few grand in a couple months - he then asked me how I afforded this hobby with a part time job and going through college (at the time and mind you this was about 4 years ago). I demonstrated to him how becoming more trade savvy and aware of trending card prices could help him cut down on his spending or even make him money depending upon how he went about it. He then went on to make Magic a self sustaining and sometimes profitable hobby for him.
Now that you're neck deep in cards you should follow the advise of many posters here and go through your collection to determine extras. But instead of trading them into the shop or selling them try to gain a better understanding of card values and start becoming more actively involved in trading.
Although currently I have a good job and usually get any cards I need through tournament prizes I still try to keep up with current card prices and keep a healthy collection just in case I need to assemble cards on the fly for a deck I'm interested in playing. Just always keep in mind what decks/cards you're not actively using and use them like a resource. There's alot of people out there that build a deck, play it twice, and then never pick it up again. But they still refuse to take it apart because of sentimental value.
Currently Playing in Modern: U/W Control
My kids play so I can just as easily, so I'm not worried about "spending too much" when you have 3 people that play since each of them have their own decks. Equally, this makes most of my decks not really "my decks" as some of my old Legacy decks could be getting used or something like that.
Year to year, it depends on the block. I don't buy casepacks unless if I want the product and get a discount. I prefer to buy during specials and sales times and try to look at the roller coaster rides that some cards go through on the ban list.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
But you can only do this for so long, at some point you have to save some money. Make sure that when you spend money you actually have the money. My tip is buying into the formats you like the most and stay away from the others. And every month: Put away money for the important things. When those are paid, you can use the rest of the money for whatever you want. Just make sure to have a buffer for when something goes wrong (broken stereo, tv, broke your leg etc.)
I spent maybe $60 on the Prerelease and drafting Gatecrash, another $60 doing the same for Dragons Maze, I haven't spent a penny on M14 and have no plans to, and shelled out around $50 to finish off my playset of shocklands. And that's it. Maybe an FNM entry fee for a Modern game here and there, but definitely less than $200 over that timeframe.
To the OP, I'm curious, what did you spend that $3000 on? You didn't mention buying into Legacy. If you spend the bulk of that buying into Modern, then it's not so bad since you can play for no additional investment.
Borrowing a deck is easier than what most people think. Befriend people in your LGS and eventually they'll be willing to let you use their decks. With that you basically plummet your MTG cost to $0 except for the tournament fees. You can just treat them to Chilis or whatever for allowing you to borrow their deck.
Why spend $3000, when you can just leech off another player who spent $3000?
I got into magic when I was pretty young and took a very long hiatus between middle school and college. After college, when I got a full-time job, is when I started spending more than I think I should. I wasn't going overboard, but looking back, I don't think I needed to spend what I did.
The easiest solution for me was to set a strict budget. I now spend $25/paycheck on randoms, and I limit myself to one booster box per set.
Another thing is to go through your binder from time to time. If you want something new, trade for it rather than buy it.
I have recently got into legacy so this has not made my wallet happy. However, I still make myself put a large amount into my saving account each pay period and set a price limit on cards.
RGOmnath, Locus of ManaRG
URThe Locust godUR
Modern
UWMiraclesUW
Legacy
BGIce Station Zebra (Living Fins)BG
UBRGrixis ControlUBR
RGLandsRG
One of the things I did years ago to get my MTG budget under control was drop the whole "buy a box of each set" thing. It was just such a waste of money. I used to try and convince myself I was getting "trade fodder: or whatever, but when I stepped back, looked at what I was spending and what I was getting out of it, I dropped that habit like a bag of bricks. I also stopped taking packs as wining and got store credit instead. Sealed product is just a huge waste of $$.
Sure, it was less exciting getting 4x playsets for $30 off eBay, but my spending per set probably decreased about 50% on average.
I so this as well, every once in a while I go through my trade binder and any junk rares I have I dump to SCG for store credit. I get like $40 a shot, and whenever I go to an SC event I bring along a shoebox of 2000 bulk cards and trade them in for store credit. I have a couple hundred bucks in credit there now.
I also don't speculate of "chase" rares, it's really a waste if you don't plan on playing the card. When I find a deck I like, I proxy it up, play it a bit, if I still like it, I go on SCG, and I buy it. Sure, it seems like I'm spending $200 or so a shot, but I only have to do it once every 6 or so months, and store credit covers most of it.
I absolutely agree. The only exception is playing limited with friends, but even then you split the cost.
I agree. I found myself paying $100 for the box, and then another $100 for all the cards I wanted but didn't get. I'm skipping the randomness now, except for limited events.
Some of my friends are upset that I 'buy' the cards I want, but I also have less cards taking up space and I'm spending less money on the game overall.
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I played UWR control in standard for the past year. And instead of buying Voice of Resurgence and anything newly spoiled, I just plan on playing UWR or URB for the next standard season. All you really need is Eatherling, Sphinx's Revelation and everything else is cake.
Drafting with friends is what cubes are for. I have 2 proxy cubes that are a BLAST to draft and it doesn't cost anything other than what we feel like tossing in for prize support.
Anytime I hear people saying there are buying a box because X card just got spoiled, I'm reminded of Family Guy.
Peter, given the choice of a boat or a mystery box: A boat's a boat, but a mystery box could be anything! It could even be a boat! And you know how much I've wanted one of those!
It completely baffles me when people say "OMG, Thoughtseize is in Theros, I am so buying a box now!" For the price of a box and a CHANCE to get a Thoughtseize, you can just go buy 3 Thoughtseizes!
Think about how much you've spent on Magic. Think about how much you're making. Think about how much your current bills are.
Create a budget in which 3/4ths of your disposable income (the amount of money that's left over after bills/necessities) goes into a savings account. You can still be free to spend whatever's left on luxuries like Magic cards, cable TV, Netflix, or whatever floats your boat, but keep in mind the exact dollar amount you're allowed to spend. If you find you prefer one luxury over all the others, stop paying for the rest of the luxuries you've previously enjoyed or start working more hours to afford it, keeping with the 3/4ths rule. If you choose to sell things you've already bought for cash rather than trading, the 3/4ths rule should also apply - 3/4ths of any money you make selling cards goes back into savings.
If it makes it easier, get a savings account without a debit card or ATM card attached to it & have a percentage of your disposable income automatically deposited into that account.
Example: if you spend 50% of your income on bills & the remaining 50% is fun money, you'd want 62.5% deposited into your regular account (5/8ths = the 1/2 for your bills & 1/8th, which is 25% of the remaining total, as spending money) & the rest put into your savings account.
Keep this budget until your savings account reaches the level that it was before you started playing Magic. If you slip up, go without something; your number one goal should be not to beg for money at all during this time.
At the end of however long it takes, see if you really feel like spending all your money on Magic cards again considering how much time & effort went into rebuilding your savings account.
This is an important life lesson about financial planning & if you get yourself under control right now you will potentially be saving yourself from a world of trouble later when you're living independently.
Good luck!
1. Keep a budget and track all your expenses. Make an Excel or Google Drive spreadsheet with bills, rent, gas, food, savings, and discretionary spending. Ideally you should try to save 10% of your income for emergencies, but I've seen people go at 50%. Keep your savings separate from the rest of your money. Put this in a CD, or if you don't trust the banks like my grandparents told me not to, keep it under the mattress and separate from your spending money. Don't use all your discretionary spending during the same week as you get your money, or else you'll dip into your other accounts.
2. Pay off essentials first. Rent, bills, loans, etc. By the way, never, EVER get a payday loan or any other type of loan from predatory lending companies. I've cashed my check at these places and saw old ladies crying at the desk because they couldn't pay the 25% monthly interest.
3. Do not take out any student loan money for spending, ever. The interest is at 6.8% or higher. This doesn't seem like much, but spread out over ten years it adds up to thousands of dollars.
4. Keep an eye on your bank account. Waitstaff and credit card payment methods at gas station are notorious for fraud and stealing your money. Depending on how much they take out, they may only reimburse you for a fraction of what the thieves stole, and you must report the fraud within a short time span or else the bank won't reimburse you. If you pay bills online, keep up to date on the latest anti-malware software.
5. If you have a problem with impulse control and blowing your money, it may be a sign of an underlying problem combined with other symptoms. Getting psychiatric help for any morbidities is a sign of strength rather than weakness in a society that emphasizes "no help no matter what, and damn the consequences because hyperindividualism."
As long as my wife and I are able to put money into savings every month, pay the mortgage and the car payments, moneys is going into the IRA, etc. then I don't feel too bad. I just make sure the essentials are covered and that my wife has spending money, then I will spend my money how I choose.
Just gotta be careful
Or try to figure out prices and try to make a profit out of Magic. I have a friend who tries to research cards that are strong in general and he has made a good profit with just standard marketing(around $100 or so). He basically bought cards that he thought were strong and cheap(for their current price) at the time(inquisition of kosilek, Sphinx revelation, JTMS(after Zendikar block rotated out), Lilliana, Hellrider, Aristocrat etc.) While you may fail sometimes, you can still try and make a profit out of Magic
Thanks Argentleman;)
WB Teysa token aggroBW (retired)
MAKING (Onmath, Numot, maybe something in Esper)