Last year, I ran the first Holiday Magic Card Exchange, and it was fantastic. Cards came and went to people all over the world, like personal wrapped gifts filled with Magic-y goodness. The original thread can be found here.
This year, I'm excited to bring it back and present to you...
MTGSalvation Holiday Magic Card Exchange II
If you participated last year, there is just one major change. I put it in underline and bold font near the bottom, so make sure to read it.
How it will work:
Everybody will send me one or more personally altered Magic cards. I will then randomly redistribute them and send each participant back someone else's card(s).
By personally altered, I mean that it has a personal artistic modification. Signing your name (forum and/or real, or at least your initials) is necessary. Beyond that, try and alter the card somehow. You don't necessarily have to go to the extremes that the people in the altered art card thread in artwork do (although I certainly think it would be awesome if some people sent in cards that had a very high level of awesome in their alterations!), but make it something that the person who receives it will enjoy. An example of what you could do would be something like this:
You can also find the full album of the cards from last year here.
If you're not artistically inclined, don't worry. It doesn't need to be extreme, but it should be more than just a signature. In general, if you wouldn't be happy with receiving it from somebody else, it's probably not good enough.
The Sending Rules
You may submit any number of cards. However, you will receive the contents of what one other member sent. If you send four cards and the person who is randomly chosen to give you what he sent sent just one card, the cards of other people won't be piled on to make it an equal number.
You will not know who will be receiving the items you send ahead of time.
You may send a letter or photograph with your card if you would like the person who receives your card to also have a letter or photograph. This is definitely not mandatory, and is just an additional kind gesture. If you wish to send any other kind of item, please clear it with me first via PM.
Please be courteous with your modifications. Don't make any overly offensive modifications.
How to Participate:
To participate, you must have at least 100 posts. This is to ensure that people who nobody knows don't sign up just to participate and that the person who receives their card can connect it to MTGSalvation. However, I AM willing to allow exceptions to this rule. Some people might only post in a certain area but are still well known, or might have a lot of posts in areas where posts don't count. Give me a good enough reason and I'll let you be a part of this. I'm going to be pretty lenient on what reasons I'll allow, so don't be afraid of rejection. If you want to talk about being eligible to play, send me a PM.
To send me a card, you will need my address. Send me a PM and let me know that you want it for this purpose and I will give it to you. In addition, please give me your address in that PM.
There is no signing up, and there is no limit to the number of entrants. I must simply have what you send by the 17th of December, 2008. That's over a month from the time I post this. The key here is that I need to have it. Make sure to budget enough time for the card to come via mail. For reference, I live in Washington State in the United States. If you are from outside North America I certainly do not have any problem with you wanting to be a part of this, but please keep in mind that the same deadline applies. If your card comes late I will try and pair you with another straggler, but I make no guarantees that you won't just end up with your card back.
Tips & Suggestions
Please, please, please make the card you modify at least somewhat playable. Taking a Dreg Reaver off your desk and modifying it a little will cause the person who receives it to be unhappy. Unless you like making people unhappy of course. In that case, it will undoubtedly be the one person who has a Dreg Reaver theme deck. It's just bad all around. It doesn't have to be a rare, and I'm not asking you to part with anything expensive. Even an easy to find common like Tarfire or Mulldrifter works. (Although if you could spare a playable rare it would definitely brighten someones day and see play in public settings where people could marvel it!) You don't know what formats the person who receives it plays, but if you make it something playable it'll at least fine the way into that persons 5 color deck, highlander deck, cube, a future standard deck, or something.
Try and make your card show off your personality or forum persona! Maybe you're a well known control strategist. Send a altered and signed Counterspell. Maybe you've had your avatar as Incinerate that flashes to a Keldon Marauders and everybody knows you by it. Send out altered, signed versions of both. Maybe you're Kraj or Memnarch6. Use an Experiment Kraj/Memnarch. If you popularized Pyromancers Swath combo, send out a altered signed Pyromancers Swath. Being able to connect a member with the card is a way to make your signed, altered card cool without having to be great at modifications.
Try and keep the modifications tournament playable. They don't have to be of course, but being able to play what you receive through this at a event and then tell the story behind it would be really awesome. In general, to keep a card tournament playable its artwork needs to be recognizable and the thickness can't have changed, so anything like stickers could be a problem. As always, before playing with an altered card at an event, always check with the head judge to make sure that it's okay.
Please don't be upset over what you receive. If you spent hours slaving over your card only to receive a playset of basic lands with stick figures fighting on them and a signature, you don't get to petition to receive "something better" than that. This is all for fun. Although, as always, it would be great if people put in a little effort so that people are excited over what they receive.
Please don't post your cards ahead of time. Part of the fun is the mystery of receiving them!
Finally, along with your card, please send me a self-addressed and stamped envelope. It makes it easy all around for me to get your gift back to you in a timely matter.
Post if you have any questions, concerns, or comments. This is a lot of fun, and I'm very excited to be doing this again! I will be participating as well, and I guarantee that I will have at least one rare in my batch of signed and modified cards, if that's any incentive for you to join the fun.
I'm looking forward to receiving your altered cards in the mail!
I was thinking of last year's event the other day. I'll be joining in again, so advanced apologies to anyone offended by the stick figures fighting on basic land notion that gets my submission; my skills aren't much better than that.
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[The Crafters] | [Johnnies United]
My anecdotal evidence disagrees with yours! EXPLAIN THAT!
I'm in, all I need to do is figure out what I want to send...I have some ideas, and about a month to get everything set up. best see if I can swipe some acetone from my sisters...
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Les, do you still have mine from the last time? If yes, then I'm obviously in (though I didn't send you an additional envelope, IIRC). Otherwise, well, I'll try to do something new, heh.
Ooh, I have another idea: can I send you another pack of cards in addition to the previous one? Even if it won't arrive in time, you still have something to send.
Les, do you still have mine from the last time? If yes, then I'm obviously in (though I didn't send you an additional envelope, IIRC). Otherwise, well, I'll try to do something new, heh.
Ooh, I have another idea: can I send you another pack of cards in addition to the previous one? Even if it won't arrive in time, you still have something to send.
I still have yours from last year, and was planning to use that as your submission. If you want to send more cards to add along to the previous ones, that's totally fine.
I'm in again this year. I'm sure that Gavin plays with the Chocolate Rain I sent him all the time. I have some Elfball playables and will prolly use those this year. Standard is so boring right now. *le sigh*
i know i have a low post count but have been a regular around reading articles and posting occasionally for 2+ years. hope i get in on this awesome idea!!
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I am interested in buying collections and staples (fetches, legacy, vintage) PM me
If you were to get cards would you rather get a bunch of single alters for things like Highlander and EDH
or
Playsets Standard
Playsets Block
Playsets Extended.
@Saph: Personally, I'd love something for a Cube or EDH. That's just my preference, since my friends tend to like the random foils and alters in a Cube or a deck. *nod*
Do they have to be painted? Or is this a completely open alteration? If so, then i shall submit something, but it'll be cutting it close as i'd only be able to send it on the 15th-17th.
If you were to get cards would you rather get a bunch of single alters for things like Highlander and EDH
or
Playsets Standard
Playsets Block
Playsets Extended.
I prefer random cards, as I often draw "cooler" inspiration from random groups of cards than from sets. However, I'd guess that, in general, playsets are more desired than individuals, and would figure that Standard is the most likely to please a random Magic player.
That said, I'm probably going to base my work off of random insight rather than what's actually being played by people. Hence my submission for the last one: a copy of each Ith-related card, of which only Maze of Ith could be considered playable, and a Black Vise.
I'd say do whatever. People will be happy with any of it.
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[The Crafters] | [Johnnies United]
My anecdotal evidence disagrees with yours! EXPLAIN THAT!
Do they have to be painted? Or is this a completely open alteration? If so, then i shall submit something, but it'll be cutting it close as i'd only be able to send it on the 15th-17th.
I Has a Grand Idea.
Completely open alteration. You can send any method you choose. So whatever your grand idea is can certainly come to fruition.
If you were to get cards would you rather get a bunch of single alters for things like Highlander and EDH
or
Playsets Standard
Playsets Block
Playsets Extended.
Just speaking for myself, I tend to prefer them to be cool one-ofs because the primary place where I'll use them is in Cube or other fun formats. But every Magic player is different, so it's hard to cater to everybody. I think the safest is typically powerful Standard legal cards, but whatever seems like the best to you is probably good.
I agree with above, one-ofs would be awesome for cubes, edh, what have you.
I will be sending a pm!
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"The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition."
"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."
~Carl Sagan
T2:Rafiq ControlWUG EDH:Ramirez Extended:NinjaffinityUXB Peasent: Rites of InitiationUR Themed:Oðinn's ArmyGR Multiplayer[T1.5]:Elves of RivendellG
I'm in. I'll be able to send in SOMETHING (depending on how much time I have).
I assume the cards can be... slightly non-legal? Because modifying cards for something like a Cube would be fun to do.
Also, if I send in more than 1 card, they go to multiple people? (or can I specify that?)
Also, I find it odd that it's SO random. It would almost seem better if you were given the person's name ahead of time, and could base your gift off of what you know about them?
This year, I'm excited to bring it back and present to you...
If you participated last year, there is just one major change. I put it in underline and bold font near the bottom, so make sure to read it.
Everybody will send me one or more personally altered Magic cards. I will then randomly redistribute them and send each participant back someone else's card(s).
By personally altered, I mean that it has a personal artistic modification. Signing your name (forum and/or real, or at least your initials) is necessary. Beyond that, try and alter the card somehow. You don't necessarily have to go to the extremes that the people in the altered art card thread in artwork do (although I certainly think it would be awesome if some people sent in cards that had a very high level of awesome in their alterations!), but make it something that the person who receives it will enjoy. An example of what you could do would be something like this:
You can also find the full album of the cards from last year here.
If you're not artistically inclined, don't worry. It doesn't need to be extreme, but it should be more than just a signature. In general, if you wouldn't be happy with receiving it from somebody else, it's probably not good enough.
To participate, you must have at least 100 posts. This is to ensure that people who nobody knows don't sign up just to participate and that the person who receives their card can connect it to MTGSalvation. However, I AM willing to allow exceptions to this rule. Some people might only post in a certain area but are still well known, or might have a lot of posts in areas where posts don't count. Give me a good enough reason and I'll let you be a part of this. I'm going to be pretty lenient on what reasons I'll allow, so don't be afraid of rejection. If you want to talk about being eligible to play, send me a PM.
To send me a card, you will need my address. Send me a PM and let me know that you want it for this purpose and I will give it to you. In addition, please give me your address in that PM.
There is no signing up, and there is no limit to the number of entrants. I must simply have what you send by the 17th of December, 2008. That's over a month from the time I post this. The key here is that I need to have it. Make sure to budget enough time for the card to come via mail. For reference, I live in Washington State in the United States. If you are from outside North America I certainly do not have any problem with you wanting to be a part of this, but please keep in mind that the same deadline applies. If your card comes late I will try and pair you with another straggler, but I make no guarantees that you won't just end up with your card back.
Please, please, please make the card you modify at least somewhat playable. Taking a Dreg Reaver off your desk and modifying it a little will cause the person who receives it to be unhappy. Unless you like making people unhappy of course. In that case, it will undoubtedly be the one person who has a Dreg Reaver theme deck. It's just bad all around. It doesn't have to be a rare, and I'm not asking you to part with anything expensive. Even an easy to find common like Tarfire or Mulldrifter works. (Although if you could spare a playable rare it would definitely brighten someones day and see play in public settings where people could marvel it!) You don't know what formats the person who receives it plays, but if you make it something playable it'll at least fine the way into that persons 5 color deck, highlander deck, cube, a future standard deck, or something.
Try and make your card show off your personality or forum persona! Maybe you're a well known control strategist. Send a altered and signed Counterspell. Maybe you've had your avatar as Incinerate that flashes to a Keldon Marauders and everybody knows you by it. Send out altered, signed versions of both. Maybe you're Kraj or Memnarch6. Use an Experiment Kraj/Memnarch. If you popularized Pyromancers Swath combo, send out a altered signed Pyromancers Swath. Being able to connect a member with the card is a way to make your signed, altered card cool without having to be great at modifications.
Try and keep the modifications tournament playable. They don't have to be of course, but being able to play what you receive through this at a event and then tell the story behind it would be really awesome. In general, to keep a card tournament playable its artwork needs to be recognizable and the thickness can't have changed, so anything like stickers could be a problem. As always, before playing with an altered card at an event, always check with the head judge to make sure that it's okay.
Please don't be upset over what you receive. If you spent hours slaving over your card only to receive a playset of basic lands with stick figures fighting on them and a signature, you don't get to petition to receive "something better" than that. This is all for fun. Although, as always, it would be great if people put in a little effort so that people are excited over what they receive.
Please don't post your cards ahead of time. Part of the fun is the mystery of receiving them!
Finally, along with your card, please send me a self-addressed and stamped envelope. It makes it easy all around for me to get your gift back to you in a timely matter.
Post if you have any questions, concerns, or comments. This is a lot of fun, and I'm very excited to be doing this again! I will be participating as well, and I guarantee that I will have at least one rare in my batch of signed and modified cards, if that's any incentive for you to join the fun.
I'm looking forward to receiving your altered cards in the mail!
Its no biggie, but your date is a year behind, just thought I would point that out :).
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Millionaires, I hear it's good Music (Disclaimer: lyrics not PG-13) Thanks, CC
...?
Just go to the post office and buy the "US" stamps which are like $1.00 each and you'll be just fine. Either that or attach 2 Canadian stamps...
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
Now, time to find a Memnarch and a new mod for it.
[GTC] Gatecrash Patch for MWS (249/249)
Ooh, I have another idea: can I send you another pack of cards in addition to the previous one? Even if it won't arrive in time, you still have something to send.
Standard: :symw::symub:Esper Highlander:symub::symw:
EDH: Korlash, Heir to Blackblade Edric, Spymaster of Trest
The same way everybody else does. Just send them to me. Just make sure to send them early enough, it takes a few weeks for them to get here.
I still have yours from last year, and was planning to use that as your submission. If you want to send more cards to add along to the previous ones, that's totally fine.
If you were to get cards would you rather get a bunch of single alters for things like Highlander and EDH
or
Playsets Standard
Playsets Block
Playsets Extended.
[GTC] Gatecrash Patch for MWS (249/249)
I'll put in some legal ones too.
I Has a Grand Idea.
~Center of the Gaming Universe~
Microsuck
That said, I'm probably going to base my work off of random insight rather than what's actually being played by people. Hence my submission for the last one: a copy of each Ith-related card, of which only Maze of Ith could be considered playable, and a Black Vise.
I'd say do whatever. People will be happy with any of it.
Completely open alteration. You can send any method you choose. So whatever your grand idea is can certainly come to fruition.
Just speaking for myself, I tend to prefer them to be cool one-ofs because the primary place where I'll use them is in Cube or other fun formats. But every Magic player is different, so it's hard to cater to everybody. I think the safest is typically powerful Standard legal cards, but whatever seems like the best to you is probably good.
I will be sending a pm!
"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."
~Carl Sagan
T2:Rafiq ControlWUG
EDH:Ramirez
Extended:NinjaffinityUXB
Peasent: Rites of InitiationUR
Themed:Oðinn's ArmyGR
Multiplayer[T1.5]:Elves of RivendellG
I live in a blue state now (NV)
I assume the cards can be... slightly non-legal? Because modifying cards for something like a Cube would be fun to do.
Also, if I send in more than 1 card, they go to multiple people? (or can I specify that?)
Also, I find it odd that it's SO random. It would almost seem better if you were given the person's name ahead of time, and could base your gift off of what you know about them?
Either way, sounds fun.
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