Being a budget player, it is often difficult to get certain expensive or hard to find rares and mythics. I know that obviously trading is an easy way to get what you need, but is there another way to get those cards you're looking for? I sometimes compete at my LGS and can get about $5 of instore credit for getting things, but I'm looking for more. Any ideas you can give me?
Note: My playgroup generally does not allow proxies, so no need to suggest this.
You can reduce the cost of your cards by adding entertainment value to your purchases.
For example, buy a booster box and use the packs for Packwars or Winchester Draft with your friends, instead of going to bars, seeing movies or renting DVDs etc. The money from your entertainment budget that you would have spent can off-set the cost of the box, and you get to keep the cards at the end.
I'm 15 dude! I can't even drive where I need to yet. I could never afford a whole booster box! Most I've ever bought is a fatpack on occasions.
And I'm talking budget as in, "I barely ever have more than $40 at one time" kind of budget.
Make a list of what you want.
Put it all in your cart.
Hit "Optimize". If you're REALLY on a budget, allow up to "moderately played" for the condition.
In my experience, it's just not ever going to get better than that.
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Current Favorite Decks: Creatureless Bolas Control with Lethal Vapors, Green Enchantress/Kavu Lair card draw, and Shriekmaw/Mulldrifter/Dignitary Flicker.
Honestly, the best thing to do is make friends with people that have lots of cards and borrow from them. If you're good enough to consistently win packs or credit, offer a share of the winnings as incentive to lend you cards.
Failing that, you need to prioritize your money. If you're 15, you probably don't have a lot of expenses. Save your money for cards, if that really why's important to you.
Make a list of what you want.
Put it all in your cart.
Hit "Optimize". If you're REALLY on a budget, allow up to "moderately played" for the condition.
In my experience, it's just not ever going to get better than that.
Keep in mind that you can get screwed on shipping when you do this. It's cheaper to buy 4 commons at 25 cents + $1 shipping from one person than 4 commons at 5 cents + $1 shipping from 4 people.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
The cheapest way to by packs is in bulk. If you and 2-3 friends club together and buy a box to share between you, you will get much more for your cash than if you each spent the same amount on packs individually.
Save up. Work out which cards you need the most, and work towards getting them, saving wherever you can. Its better to get one $40 a card a month than to buy a few smaller cards that you don't actually need every week.
Or you can just go without the cards. Go rogue/budget. Or play Pauper/Commander. Or use an Event Deck.
Make friends with someone with a large collection and borrow cards off them.
Hope that helps
~ Tim
EDIT: back when I played competitive Standard, I bought boxes for Packwars and then traded my butt off to get the cards I needed. It took me 3 months to get a playset of Vengevines, but once I did I owned with them.
Most of my friends are budget too. My current thing is saving up and buying what I need as you suggested, I was hoping there might be a better way or something. I barely ever buy cards just because of the lack of funds and the fact that I can rarely get to my LGS.
And I'm very hard at work. If you're interested, you can check my Prossh, Skyraider of Kher deck in my sig. Its about 90% trades/winnings and worth around $250. Best and favorite deck of mine. I very much appreciate the advice though.
The cheapest way to by packs is in bulk. If you and 2-3 friends club together and buy a box to share between you, you will get much more for your cash than if you each spent the same amount on packs individually.
It's still a collective waste of money. The EV of a booster pack is ridiculously low. Scratch off lottery tickets have better odds. If you are any kind of budget, you ALWAYS buy the cards you want as singles. It is always the best way.
Trading is usually a pretty rough way to get good cards. Most people want to trade for good cards, not trade them away. And you need to find people willing to make fair trades. And go through hundreds of binders hoping to find what you need. Trade cards are like Linux: They're free, as long as you value your time at $0
If you are on a budget, your best bet of to find a group of players to pool funds, buy cards, and you all share them. This can be difficult if multiple people want to play the same decks, though.
The reality is that there's a cost to play MTG, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. If there was any realistic way to bypass the price of Magic cards and get them on the cheap, everyone would be doing it.
When I was a poor kid playing standard I would buy packs and trade into what I wanted. I wouldn't shark anyone but with time and perseverance I always got what I needed. When that process wasn't fast enough I would work side jobs mowing lawns, collecting cans, and cleaning homes.
Now I have a full-time job but I still do side jobs to help pay for the hobby. I also actively look for good deals online and settle for lower conditions of cards. I virtually never pay "book" price for a card.
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The Collection:
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
Get familiar with EBay, as it will generally be where you find the best deals on singles, and is often the best place to sell stuff you aren't using too.
Regarding trading, someone did bring up a great idea that I think makes a lot of sense: Instead of wasting $$ on packs and hoping to pull trade bait worth anything, use your money to buy Legacy staples, then trade them at a premium for Standard staples (assuming you don't play legacy and want to play Standard). You spend $150 on a Lightly Played Underground Sea, and can probably pretty easily trade it for $175 worth of standard staples, and ave no shortage of people wanting to trade with you.
Regarding trading, someone did bring up a great idea that I think makes a lot of sense: Instead of wasting $$ on packs and hoping to pull trade bait worth anything, use your money to buy Legacy staples, then trade them at a premium for Standard staples (assuming you don't play legacy and want to play Standard). You spend $150 on a Lightly Played Underground Sea, and can probably pretty easily trade it for $175 worth of standard staples, and ave no shortage of people wanting to trade with you.
Again, where am I going to find the money to buy Legacy staples if I can't even afford a booster box? Its a nice idea but this just doesn't work for a budget player who's only been in the game for a year and a half.
It's still a collective waste of money. The EV of a booster pack is ridiculously low. Scratch off lottery tickets have better odds. If you are any kind of budget, you ALWAYS buy the cards you want as singles. It is always the best way.
This ^ Dont ever buy packs expecting to get equal to or greater value in cards than what you pay. Buy singles, online from TCGplayer stores or eBay if you want to get the most for your money. Buy boosters if you enjoy getting random cards that are worth less than what you paid for on average.
Also, at 15 you can start working part time. Nothing feels better than buying stuff with money you worked hard to earn. It will make you appreciate the value of working. And give you some extra cash to spend on your hobby.
you could always hijack your parents' CC j/k but in all seriousness save up your b'day money or allowance and give your parents the money if they have an ebay account and ask them to buy you a collection on ebay I think you can get around 2500 cards for like $30 or so. Ultimately you could go ask your neighbors to cut their grass, that's what I used to do when I was your age and it's sad that I actually made more $$ doing that than what I do now lol also i'm pretty sure fast food places hire 15 y/os and wally world hires 16+ so just give it time and you'll be ok. Keep in mind too minimum wage is supposed to hit $9 soon too and you have the advantage of living at home so when you get a job invest in cards onslaught fetch, FoW, etc etc... hard to believe that 6 years ago a set of FoW was only $60-$80
I allow my self 20 dollars a week. I sometimes skip weeks to buy the more expensive staples. So If I want a Voice, I will wait 2 weeks and buy it. 80 bucks a month isn't that hard.When I was 15, I got a 20 dollar a week allowance if all my homework, and my grades were above Bs. I saved up all the money they gave me for a year, and showed them the 900 dollars in 20s. It showed I can be responsible with money and they gave me a 10 dollar raise. So ask your parents if you can have a small weekly allowance, if you keep up your grades, that's what I did. And got around 30 dollars until I got my first job at 17.
Also, at 15 you can start working part time. Nothing feels better than buying stuff with money you worked hard to earn. It will make you appreciate the value of working. And give you some extra cash to spend on your hobby.
This. I still remember 15 1/2 being one of the "richest" times of my life. While I went to school, I worked at McDonald's and would get $150-200 every 2 weeks. But, that money could be used for whatever I wanted. My food, clothing, gas, etc was all paid by my mom.
Nowadays, with the economy being how it is and having constant bills, it seems like there isn't much left.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Again, where am I going to find the money to buy Legacy staples if I can't even afford a booster box? Its a nice idea but this just doesn't work for a budget player who's only been in the game for a year and a half.
Magic is an expensive game. If you have no income, you aren't going to be able to afford standard cards. Period.
Borrow decks if you can to play in FNM. A lot players will let you borrow a deck if you agree to give them half of your prize winnings.
Like others have suggested, though, get a part time job if you want a little cash to blow on Magic Cards. If you work 15 hours during the week, you'll have plenty of money to start a standard collection, and once you have things that people want you can expand your collection with shrewd trading.
If your parents won't let you get a job or you're too lazy, well, don't worry too much about it. You've got a 40 year period of full time jobs ahead of you, so enjoy the free time while it lasts, even if you're broke. I can buy all the Magic cards I want, and would gladly trade that for a surplus of leisure time.
This ^ Dont ever buy packs expecting to get equal to or greater value in cards than what you pay. Buy singles, online from TCGplayer stores or eBay if you want to get the most for your money. Buy boosters if you enjoy getting random cards that are worth less than what you paid for on average.
Also, at 15 you can start working part time. Nothing feels better than buying stuff with money you worked hard to earn. It will make you appreciate the value of working. And give you some extra cash to spend on your hobby.
I dunno man I had bought a box of ravnica when it first released and got 2 dark confidants. 1 of each shockland, and a few of the other higher end cards at the time again I had bought a box of GP at release and got a foil burning-tree shaman + normal, 1 of each shockland, 2 niv-mizzets and ghost council maybe I was just lucky but buying boxes and cases are the way to go for playing T2 and since prices are so jacked up it's probably an even greater time to buy boxes
I dunno man I had bought a box of ravnica when it first released and got 2 dark confidants. 1 of each shockland, and a few of the other higher end cards at the time again I had bought a box of GP at release and got a foil burning-tree shaman + normal, 1 of each shockland, 2 niv-mizzets and ghost council maybe I was just lucky but buying boxes and cases are the way to go for playing T2 and since prices are so jacked up it's probably an even greater time to buy boxes
No. Do not listen to this, it's just factually incorrect. It's very basic math that the average contents of a box are worth less than the price of a box, except in incredibly rare cases (there was a time in standard that the contents of a box of Future Sight were worth more than the boosters were retailing for.)
DO NOT BUY SEALED PRODUCT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE YOUR DOLLAR.
This ^ Dont ever buy packs expecting to get equal to or greater value in cards than what you pay. Buy singles, online from TCGplayer stores or eBay if you want to get the most for your money. Buy boosters if you enjoy getting random cards that are worth less than what you paid for on average.
Also, at 15 you can start working part time. Nothing feels better than buying stuff with money you worked hard to earn. It will make you appreciate the value of working. And give you some extra cash to spend on your hobby.
But that darn shipping! That's what makes online shopping so difficult.
And sadly I wouldn't have a way to get to any places like that and I don't have any neighbors. My friend has a job though and I'm just like "Dude I wanna do that!" He has to get up at like 3 in the morning every day though and builds porta potties, so maybe I don't want THAT job.
you could always hijack your parents' CC j/k but in all seriousness save up your b'day money or allowance and give your parents the money if they have an ebay account and ask them to buy you a collection on ebay I think you can get around 2500 cards for like $30 or so. Ultimately you could go ask your neighbors to cut their grass, that's what I used to do when I was your age and it's sad that I actually made more $$ doing that than what I do now lol also i'm pretty sure fast food places hire 15 y/os and wally world hires 16+ so just give it time and you'll be ok. Keep in mind too minimum wage is supposed to hit $9 soon too and you have the advantage of living at home so when you get a job invest in cards onslaught fetch, FoW, etc etc... hard to believe that 6 years ago a set of FoW was only $60-$80
I don't really get allowance (totally stinks) but I do often use b'day money for magic stuff, along with asking my relatives to get me magic product for my b'day, Christmas, etc. It was kinda cool when my uncle bought me two packs of RTR and I pulled a Vraska, the Unseen or when my grandma threw an m13 booster pack into an Easter basket and it had Liliana of the Dark Realms (back when she was worth $8).
Also minimum wage where I live is actually up to about $10 (pretty sweet) but I just don't have a way to get a job ATM. Oh well. I do ask my parents for random tasks around the house to earn some extra $$$. Works sometimes.
Even at 15 hours a week at minimum you'll likely be making around $100 a week or so. I don't know what your parents are like, but I'm sure they'd give you rides for work. And if they see you're working they'll very likely be more willing to give you rides to your LGS too.
This. I still remember 15 1/2 being one of the "richest" times of my life. While I went to school, I worked at McDonald's and would get $150-200 every 2 weeks. But, that money could be used for whatever I wanted. My food, clothing, gas, etc was all paid by my mom.
Nowadays, with the economy being how it is and having constant bills, it seems like there isn't much left.
Ahh yeah man, nowadays parents expect their kids to help pay bills and crap which is stupid imo, that's why i'm holding off on having kids until i'm in a better financial spot same with getting competitive with mtg again I plan on going to school soon because I really want to start up my own gaming shop since the areas i'm in doesn't have 1 it would be a perfect opportunity for me if me and my g/f move back to Hattiesburg, ms because the shop I used to goto got shut down do to bad location and bad management, the first manager was cool but the guy who took it over just wanted a place for him and his buddies to hang out at last I heard everybody who went there now plays at a holiday inn or some crap lol
But that darn shipping! That's what makes online shopping so difficult.
And sadly I wouldn't have a way to get to any places like that and I don't have any neighbors. My friend has a job though and I'm just like "Dude I wanna do that!" He has to get up at like 3 in the morning every day though and builds porta potties, so maybe I don't want THAT job.
I don't really get allowance (totally stinks) but I do often use b'day money for magic stuff, along with asking my relatives to get me magic product for my b'day, Christmas, etc. It was kinda cool when my uncle bought me two packs of RTR and I pulled a Vraska, the Unseen or when my grandma threw an m13 booster pack into an Easter basket and it had Liliana of the Dark Realms (back when she was worth $8).
Also minimum wage where I live is actually up to about $10 (pretty sweet) but I just don't have a way to get a job ATM. Oh well. I do ask my parents for random tasks around the house to earn some extra $$$. Works sometimes.
Right on man! Just start doing stuff around the house and tell your parents that you really love mtg and that you want to get more involved in it. I was sorta lucky my parents were pretty cool about it, my mom used to bring me and my bro pokemon cards when I was around 14 or 15 when she'd get off of work at that time it was actually considered cool or w/e wish we had gotten into mtg though
lots of jobs offer weekend work too granted i'm sure you want a day to relax but depending on how far you are from fast food jobs you could always walk or ride a bike and usually schools are pretty close to fast food joints. Heck my first real job was a dish washer at pizza hut easy as pie and since I smoke the waits would cover my cigarettes for bussing tables and we got free pizza as long as we cooked it ourselves and didn't go overboard
lots of jobs offer weekend work too granted i'm sure you want a day to relax but depending on how far you are from fast food jobs you could always walk or ride a bike and usually schools are pretty close to fast food joints. Heck my first real job was a dish washer at pizza hut easy as pie and since I smoke the waits would cover my cigarettes for bussing tables and we got free pizza as long as we cooked it ourselves and didn't go overboard
Getting a part time job during school MIGHT be possible. Although it would be during my usual MTG time, I could deal with it in order to have more money around. I'm also not sure if any places around me are looking for part time workers...
The coolest place I could get a job is the local electronics store. The guy who owns it is really nice and lets people just hang out and game all day on his systems. Sadly last time I checked he had like 25 applications on hold, so that doesn't really increase my odds...
If you don't have money, it takes effort to get cards. Here are some tips:
1) Set a weekly budget for yourself. This might be hard without a steady income, but if you're motivated enough, you can do it.
2) Don't spend all your budget every week. Saving even a little money over a long period of time will help you afford more expensive cards eventually.
3) Spend wisely. Stop buying fat packs, loose packs, fancy sleeves, dice, play mats, and any other extras you might be spending money on. The ONLY thing you need to play Magic is a stack of 75 cards. Focus on getting that first and foremost.
4) Set a long term deck goal. Budget decks are fine if your goal is to have short term fun. However, if you want to be competitive, to remain competitive, and still be on a budget, you have to build good decks with long term potential. Don't try to build "flavor of the month" decks, homebrews, or decks heavily relying on rotating cards. DO build a deck with a proven track record and one that is likely to continue to do well in tournaments.
5) Related to the last point, don't expect to jump in to competitive play immediately. It may take you a few months or more to get started. Right now is a great time to start preparing for Theros standard in October. You should be trading off Innistrad block and M13 cards for RtR block and M14 staples.
6) Learn how to play your deck inside and out. Learn your matchups and how to sideboard against them. Even if your deck isn't the number 1 top tier deck of the format, you can outplay a lot of opponents. No matter how much money someone has, skill is something they can't buy, but you can learn.
7) Read tournament coverage. Stay ahead of the curve. Know the new tech for your deck and for other decks.
8) Know your values. Trading is a huge part of staying on budget. Don't get ripped off. While watching tournament coverage, pay attention to which cards are being used and winning games. If you are savvy, you can trade or buy those cards at current values and trade or sell them when they go up in value.
9) Keep at it. Every break you take, every event you skip is a lost opportunity to progress. The more you play, the more you win. The more you win, the easier it is to keep up to date without spending more money.
10) Win. Easier said than done, obviously, but with all the practice you should be doing, you'll still need to enter tournaments and win prizes. Let your store credit accumulate over time and use it to pay for future entry fees if possible. Don't open packs you win. Trade them wisely for cards you want.
Singles are where it's at in my opinion. I bought booster packs the first few years after getting back into magic and all I ended up with was a book full of rares I can't use. Just do your homework and find a cheap deck. My favorite 60 card deck is actually my G/W Enchantress-Aura deck and it cost me 30 bucks if you don't count the lands I'm using. But if you built it for $30, the next time you had some cash you could spend $15 and get a full playset of Sunpetal Groves and your mana base gets significantly better. Buy in increments.
Note: My playgroup generally does not allow proxies, so no need to suggest this.
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
I'm 15 dude! I can't even drive where I need to yet. I could never afford a whole booster box! Most I've ever bought is a fatpack on occasions.
And I'm talking budget as in, "I barely ever have more than $40 at one time" kind of budget.
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
Make a list of what you want.
Put it all in your cart.
Hit "Optimize". If you're REALLY on a budget, allow up to "moderately played" for the condition.
In my experience, it's just not ever going to get better than that.
Failing that, you need to prioritize your money. If you're 15, you probably don't have a lot of expenses. Save your money for cards, if that really why's important to you.
Keep in mind that you can get screwed on shipping when you do this. It's cheaper to buy 4 commons at 25 cents + $1 shipping from one person than 4 commons at 5 cents + $1 shipping from 4 people.
Most of my friends are budget too. My current thing is saving up and buying what I need as you suggested, I was hoping there might be a better way or something. I barely ever buy cards just because of the lack of funds and the fact that I can rarely get to my LGS.
And I'm very hard at work. If you're interested, you can check my Prossh, Skyraider of Kher deck in my sig. Its about 90% trades/winnings and worth around $250. Best and favorite deck of mine. I very much appreciate the advice though.
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
It's still a collective waste of money. The EV of a booster pack is ridiculously low. Scratch off lottery tickets have better odds. If you are any kind of budget, you ALWAYS buy the cards you want as singles. It is always the best way.
Trading is usually a pretty rough way to get good cards. Most people want to trade for good cards, not trade them away. And you need to find people willing to make fair trades. And go through hundreds of binders hoping to find what you need. Trade cards are like Linux: They're free, as long as you value your time at $0
If you are on a budget, your best bet of to find a group of players to pool funds, buy cards, and you all share them. This can be difficult if multiple people want to play the same decks, though.
The reality is that there's a cost to play MTG, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. If there was any realistic way to bypass the price of Magic cards and get them on the cheap, everyone would be doing it.
Now I have a full-time job but I still do side jobs to help pay for the hobby. I also actively look for good deals online and settle for lower conditions of cards. I virtually never pay "book" price for a card.
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
Again, where am I going to find the money to buy Legacy staples if I can't even afford a booster box? Its a nice idea but this just doesn't work for a budget player who's only been in the game for a year and a half.
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
This ^ Dont ever buy packs expecting to get equal to or greater value in cards than what you pay. Buy singles, online from TCGplayer stores or eBay if you want to get the most for your money. Buy boosters if you enjoy getting random cards that are worth less than what you paid for on average.
Also, at 15 you can start working part time. Nothing feels better than buying stuff with money you worked hard to earn. It will make you appreciate the value of working. And give you some extra cash to spend on your hobby.
Dega midrange 1-0
This. I still remember 15 1/2 being one of the "richest" times of my life. While I went to school, I worked at McDonald's and would get $150-200 every 2 weeks. But, that money could be used for whatever I wanted. My food, clothing, gas, etc was all paid by my mom.
Nowadays, with the economy being how it is and having constant bills, it seems like there isn't much left.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Magic is an expensive game. If you have no income, you aren't going to be able to afford standard cards. Period.
Borrow decks if you can to play in FNM. A lot players will let you borrow a deck if you agree to give them half of your prize winnings.
Like others have suggested, though, get a part time job if you want a little cash to blow on Magic Cards. If you work 15 hours during the week, you'll have plenty of money to start a standard collection, and once you have things that people want you can expand your collection with shrewd trading.
If your parents won't let you get a job or you're too lazy, well, don't worry too much about it. You've got a 40 year period of full time jobs ahead of you, so enjoy the free time while it lasts, even if you're broke. I can buy all the Magic cards I want, and would gladly trade that for a surplus of leisure time.
I dunno man I had bought a box of ravnica when it first released and got 2 dark confidants. 1 of each shockland, and a few of the other higher end cards at the time again I had bought a box of GP at release and got a foil burning-tree shaman + normal, 1 of each shockland, 2 niv-mizzets and ghost council maybe I was just lucky but buying boxes and cases are the way to go for playing T2 and since prices are so jacked up it's probably an even greater time to buy boxes
No. Do not listen to this, it's just factually incorrect. It's very basic math that the average contents of a box are worth less than the price of a box, except in incredibly rare cases (there was a time in standard that the contents of a box of Future Sight were worth more than the boosters were retailing for.)
DO NOT BUY SEALED PRODUCT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE YOUR DOLLAR.
But that darn shipping! That's what makes online shopping so difficult.
And sadly I wouldn't have a way to get to any places like that and I don't have any neighbors. My friend has a job though and I'm just like "Dude I wanna do that!" He has to get up at like 3 in the morning every day though and builds porta potties, so maybe I don't want THAT job.
I don't really get allowance (totally stinks) but I do often use b'day money for magic stuff, along with asking my relatives to get me magic product for my b'day, Christmas, etc. It was kinda cool when my uncle bought me two packs of RTR and I pulled a Vraska, the Unseen or when my grandma threw an m13 booster pack into an Easter basket and it had Liliana of the Dark Realms (back when she was worth $8).
Also minimum wage where I live is actually up to about $10 (pretty sweet) but I just don't have a way to get a job ATM. Oh well. I do ask my parents for random tasks around the house to earn some extra $$$. Works sometimes.
Special thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the avatar and Inkfox Aesthetics for the sig.
Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
BRGProssh, the Chump-Block DragonBRG
BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
Even at 15 hours a week at minimum you'll likely be making around $100 a week or so. I don't know what your parents are like, but I'm sure they'd give you rides for work. And if they see you're working they'll very likely be more willing to give you rides to your LGS too.
EDIT: ah well, side jobs it is then. Or Pauper.
Yes, another list of decks sig.
R Daretti, Scrap Savant
WBR Zurgo Helmsmasher Equipment
BBB Erebos, God of the Dead Goodstuff
UBG The Mimeoplasm
URG All Creatures Animar, Soul of Elements
WB Teysa, Orzhov Scion sac and combo
WUB Sydri, Galvanic Genius
WUG Rafiq of the Many Aggro-Control
UBR Nekusar, The Mindrazer
WRG Mayael, the Anima
Casual:
BB Ad Nauseam Combo
BB Burn
Ahh yeah man, nowadays parents expect their kids to help pay bills and crap which is stupid imo, that's why i'm holding off on having kids until i'm in a better financial spot same with getting competitive with mtg again I plan on going to school soon because I really want to start up my own gaming shop since the areas i'm in doesn't have 1 it would be a perfect opportunity for me if me and my g/f move back to Hattiesburg, ms because the shop I used to goto got shut down do to bad location and bad management, the first manager was cool but the guy who took it over just wanted a place for him and his buddies to hang out at last I heard everybody who went there now plays at a holiday inn or some crap lol
Right on man! Just start doing stuff around the house and tell your parents that you really love mtg and that you want to get more involved in it. I was sorta lucky my parents were pretty cool about it, my mom used to bring me and my bro pokemon cards when I was around 14 or 15 when she'd get off of work at that time it was actually considered cool or w/e wish we had gotten into mtg though
Getting a part time job during school MIGHT be possible. Although it would be during my usual MTG time, I could deal with it in order to have more money around. I'm also not sure if any places around me are looking for part time workers...
The coolest place I could get a job is the local electronics store. The guy who owns it is really nice and lets people just hang out and game all day on his systems. Sadly last time I checked he had like 25 applications on hold, so that doesn't really increase my odds...
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Vaevictus Asmadi, Creator of [The Spirit of EDH]
EDH Decks
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BRGVaevictis Asmadi-Hoarder of ManaBRG
1) Set a weekly budget for yourself. This might be hard without a steady income, but if you're motivated enough, you can do it.
2) Don't spend all your budget every week. Saving even a little money over a long period of time will help you afford more expensive cards eventually.
3) Spend wisely. Stop buying fat packs, loose packs, fancy sleeves, dice, play mats, and any other extras you might be spending money on. The ONLY thing you need to play Magic is a stack of 75 cards. Focus on getting that first and foremost.
4) Set a long term deck goal. Budget decks are fine if your goal is to have short term fun. However, if you want to be competitive, to remain competitive, and still be on a budget, you have to build good decks with long term potential. Don't try to build "flavor of the month" decks, homebrews, or decks heavily relying on rotating cards. DO build a deck with a proven track record and one that is likely to continue to do well in tournaments.
5) Related to the last point, don't expect to jump in to competitive play immediately. It may take you a few months or more to get started. Right now is a great time to start preparing for Theros standard in October. You should be trading off Innistrad block and M13 cards for RtR block and M14 staples.
6) Learn how to play your deck inside and out. Learn your matchups and how to sideboard against them. Even if your deck isn't the number 1 top tier deck of the format, you can outplay a lot of opponents. No matter how much money someone has, skill is something they can't buy, but you can learn.
7) Read tournament coverage. Stay ahead of the curve. Know the new tech for your deck and for other decks.
8) Know your values. Trading is a huge part of staying on budget. Don't get ripped off. While watching tournament coverage, pay attention to which cards are being used and winning games. If you are savvy, you can trade or buy those cards at current values and trade or sell them when they go up in value.
9) Keep at it. Every break you take, every event you skip is a lost opportunity to progress. The more you play, the more you win. The more you win, the easier it is to keep up to date without spending more money.
10) Win. Easier said than done, obviously, but with all the practice you should be doing, you'll still need to enter tournaments and win prizes. Let your store credit accumulate over time and use it to pay for future entry fees if possible. Don't open packs you win. Trade them wisely for cards you want.
Good luck.
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