MTG Salvation

So, I hate white bordered cards. They're ugly, since the majority of cards (or soon to be majority at some point) are black-bordered.

Now, what I've done with some commons and uncommons is just sharpie in the black border. I've also touched up like faded edges, signs of play, etc. Now, I've heard some say that it significantly affects the value of the card, stuff like that.

Now, on some of the cards I have or would do this to, it's rather doubtful I'd actually trade them. They're either crap uncommons etc or it's a card that I'd never trade in the first place.

What do you guys think, where do you guys stand?

I paint all my white bordered cards black. I buy cards to play with them and I hate white borders. When I trade them people don't really care:

My Force of Will was a little banged up (but it was cheap :P), so I painted the borders to look like new. Probably not trading it anytime soon

Well, it is undeniable that sharpie-ing in black borders greatly affects the value of the card. Also, it is pretty hard to do in a way that actually looks good. Even touching up a border to hide wear from play is glaringly obvious a the right angle. My preferred solution is to just get black border versions. For the less than 1% of cards that that's not an option, well, they're just meant to be white border. You get used to them only being white border. As much as I prefer black borders, I don't think, for example, my devastation would look better with a sharpie border.

Quote from Ellis Wyatt

Well, it is undeniable that sharpie-ing in black borders greatly affects the value of the card. Also, it is pretty hard to do in a way that actually looks good. Even touching up a border to hide wear from play is glaringly obvious a the right angle. My preferred solution is to just get black border versions. For the less than 1% of cards that that's not an option, well, they're just meant to be white border. You get used to them only being white border. As much as I prefer black borders, I don't think, for example, my devastation would look better with a sharpie border.

Why not just get the portal version the only cards that I am aware of that do not have a blackboarder version of themselves are P3K cards and I like the fact they are white boardered. For the most part I agree white boarders suck.

They're your cards. Do whatever you want to 'em. Black border generally looks nicer, anyway. (I'm looking, sorta casually, for a white-border Spike Weaver because I think he looks cuter in white border. White border is the puff-paints of Magic, and Spike Weaver deserves puff paint.)

Of course, be honest and up-front while trading, etc., etc.

Galspanic: Those black borders look really tight (though it's hard to really tell in that pic). What kind of paint are you using? Just acrylics? Using any thinners or anything to avoid brushstrokes?

Of course, if you're greatly affecting the value of a $1 card, or have no intention of ever selling/trading the card in question away, then those concerns aren't really an issue.

I'm on Sanity and Galspanic's side with this one, having sharpie'd my fair share of otherwise white-bordered cards. It's not a problem for anyone in my playgroup, and it helps me deal with my huge dislike of white-bordered cards. So, win-win, in my opinion.

I use a good black airbrush paint, a fine tip brush, 3 layers of paint, and a matte spray.... and a bit of practice. I also use a damp paper towel to prep them since the white borders tend to be kind of gross.

It does take a bit off time and effort but knowing that most of my decks never have any white borders is very comforting - well worth any loss in value.

I am actually weird but I like white border cards...

I prefer to just make my cards that aren't big money completely borderless.

Quote from Tormod

If you're going to "blacken" your borders, please do not use a sharpie. The black and the gloss quality doesn't match at all. I like galspanic's approach. Do a quality job painting the border.

I found this one post a while ago that says that some kind of art eraser can dull the sharpie's shinyness, one sec...

The word document I saved it as says that a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can dull the sharpie.

If the card is cheap and plentiful I'd go with the rule of style: If it looks cool, go for it.

If it's valuable, I'd stay away from self-alters. Even if you tell yourself you'll never trade it, life happens sometimes. I'd always take the original white border over someone's ability to color in the lines. Unless you're a professional artist that can do extended/full art well, but that's a different matter entirely.

Quote from Galspanic

I paint all my white bordered cards black. I buy cards to play with them and I hate white borders. When I trade them people don't really care:

Thats pretty sick Gal....
Didn'tyou white border a Karthus a one point though (it looked pretty sick too though)

While I guess I don't have anything against people who paint their borders, I'm kind of against it in principle. I feel that restricting oneself to black borders is an interesting deckbuilding restriction, and if I really wanted to play with a card that bad, I'd shell out the $100s for the black bordered version. Just filling in the borders feels like "cheating" myself.

Then again, this is from the guy that feels that "modern frame" is an interesting deckbuilding restriction, so YMMV. I really like nonintuitive deck restrictions - they breed creativity.

Whiteboarder dual lands seem good in a deck alwaya fetching for them.

Quote from Secularon

Whiteboarder dual lands seem good in a deck alwaya fetching for them.

True, but the Duals just plain look bad anyway IMO.

If only they'd "reprint" them in gold border...

I have most of the commonly tutored for cards altered for that exact reason - Sure, they look pretty, but all I have to do is put the deck on its side, tilt, and I can see all my duals right away!


(And I have gold paint for the sole purpose of gold bordering cards... to be a dick.)

Quote from Galspanic

I have most of the commonly tutored for cards altered for that exact reason - Sure, they look pretty, but all I have to do is put the deck on its side, tilt, and I can see all my duals right away!


(And I have gold paint for the sole purpose of gold bordering cards... to be a dick.)

Way to go, Galspanic. I'm proud of you.

(No sarcasm :))

i like white bordered card better. i hope it comes back.

I despise white borders, but I'll endure them if they are cards I need in a deck. I don't want to paint them on the off chance I muck it up.

This is the only true way to blacken white-bordered cards:

That's even better than:

I am actually a huge fan of destroying valuable cards like this. There is a certain brazenness that I admire. There is a guy in my playgroup that bought a collection from a guy and half the cards had the guy's first name in ball point pen on them just to mark them as his. B.A.D.A.S.S.

10 years ago i hated white borders, and seen them as inferior. Right now i like them and even consider them "pimp" in a way. If i have an option of buying desired card for EDH in black from 10th edition or in white from earlier editions, I'll go with the white.

I'm going to be honest: If I saw you trading black-bordered cards when the white border is natural (as an attempt to increase the value), I'd accuse you of fraud.