This sounds sort of like someone who has played an MMO for a very long time, and then realizes how much money they have spent on the game over the years. Honestly, there's nothing crazy or wrong about owning 30 grand in mtg card product, especially if that is mostly from legacy and vintage. That kind of a collection is something that develops over a very long time.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I can sympathize. I was like this with Poker. I supported myself through law school with poker. Then when I became a lawyer I didn't have enough time to do it well. Poker is even more "all-in" than Magic. If you are one of the best then you can make thousands of dollars and if you aren't then you lose thousands of dollars. I realized I couldn't devote enough time to poker while also being a lawyer so it wasn't profitable and it stopped being fun.
Isn't it a shame that the better we get at something the less pleasure we derive from it because it isn't new? Lots of things are like this.
I wouldn't advise quitting though. Over the years I've had countless people tell me they were quitting either Magic or poker and they always came back. I can surely understand quitting COMPETITIVE magic. Competitive Magic to me never made sense anyway. The payoffs are so low compared to poker and the cost is so high.
But I don't know a single person, lawyer or otherwise, who doesn't spend a few hours a week at a hobby. Sadly for many people their only hobby is TV. Personally, I would rather spend that time playing Magic. I play Magic almost every day and I haven't spent a dime since 2010. How? I play PRE. The prizes are only a couple bucks but entry is fee. I then parlay those winnings into Pauper, particularly now that leagues are back. I'm about a 70% win rate in league which I then parlay into drafting Cube when it's open. I found Magic Online is a really good outlet. I think Magic as a collectible card game is awesome. The flavor, the stories, etc. Magic as a competitive game is TERRIBLE. The cost to entry is high, the payouts are low, the competition is too good to squeeze too much EV. My recommendation is taking up Pauper on MTGO. Low stress but you can still use it as an outlet for your competitive streak. Great format because the competition is strong but the barrier to entry is low.
I had to login and reply to you even though it is really annoying when you forget your password. I am so glad that with what you said which is exactly what I am thinking and I agree with every single word you said . Magic is good, competitive Magic not so good. The cost of entry is way too high and the payout is low and always not guaranteed that you win since MTG players are highly competitive. You need a pricey deck to win and save money for traveling expenses. Not to mention the time you are wasting for training on competitive Magic and the feeling you get when you lose and get nothing.
I spent a lot on standard when Khans came out (new to Magic) and felt standard is cheating players with their new standard rotation system, so I switched to Modern and spent quite a lot of money to build Abzan control and aggro, Jeskai and Azurios and Izzet, Naya aggro, and some other fun to play competitive decks like Hate bears. I was working on building my Modern collection and it was really important for me to have all cards I want. I feel like I am satisfied with my Modern collection, but always worried that will come a day when my Modern collection value will go down in price or become worthless since banning is the ax. What I currently do is play my favorite Modern decks and buy what I see is interesting from new sets and pre-order cards before price hike (like thing in the ice I thought this card was good in Modern and bought a set for $60). I miss standard, but I can't play competitive standard and definitely going to stop spending a lot of money on the game. Drafting and go to pre-release events and play Modern. Not sure for how long I can play Modern, but I enjoy it.
just my two cents though: Don't sell your cards, even if you don't ever decide to come back playing don't sell them, why? Because since you are a physician, a profession which should get you a fair amount of income, 30 grand is not what is going to change your life,
I understand where you are coming from but that doesn't work. I've been in the game since Beta, and I am finally at the point where I am almost out....and there is only one way out...GET RID OF EVERY CARD YOU OWN. Do not leave a trace of MTG in your home. A lot of people including myself (until recently) don't understand the level of addiction that MTG can produce in long term players.
It truly is like crack or alcohol....once you quit, you can never look back. Recovering alcoholics do not leave whiskey in their home, and recovering MTG addicts shouldn't leave any cards in their homes either. Strangely enough, it's not as bad for people who are only a year or 2 into the game. It's the guys like myself who started way back at Alpha/Beta era.
If you are quitting, then quit properly...Once all your cards are gone, you will probably never muster up the strength to go out and regain all the cards you once had. That's why you have to get rid of it ALL.
just my two cents though: Don't sell your cards, even if you don't ever decide to come back playing don't sell them, why? Because since you are a physician, a profession which should get you a fair amount of income, 30 grand is not what is going to change your life,
I understand where you are coming from but that doesn't work. I've been in the game since Beta, and I am finally at the point where I am almost out....and there is only one way out...GET RID OF EVERY CARD YOU OWN. Do not leave a trace of MTG in your home. A lot of people including myself (until recently) don't understand the level of addiction that MTG can produce in long term players.
It truly is like crack or alcohol....once you quit, you can never look back. Recovering alcoholics do not leave whiskey in their home, and recovering MTG addicts shouldn't leave any cards in their homes either. Strangely enough, it's not as bad for people who are only a year or 2 into the game. It's the guys like myself who started way back at Alpha/Beta era.
If you are quitting, then quit properly...Once all your cards are gone, you will probably never muster up the strength to go out and regain all the cards you once had. That's why you have to get rid of it ALL.
I totally agree and you know what? The money that you make from selling the cards (and the things you might buy with it) will always remind you of Magic. It will always leave this tiny addictive trace behind. So what you should to is just give them away to some poor kid who can't afford a lot of cards. Someone like me. Pm me if interested
I like this thread, real people sharing their love and struggle with this game. Its also interesting how this thread pops into my life again as I get ready to get out of magic again...Oh Richard Garfield how you toy with my emotions.
I can sympathize. I was like this with Poker. I supported myself through law school with poker. Then when I became a lawyer I didn't have enough time to do it well. Poker is even more "all-in" than Magic. If you are one of the best then you can make thousands of dollars and if you aren't then you lose thousands of dollars. I realized I couldn't devote enough time to poker while also being a lawyer so it wasn't profitable and it stopped being fun.
Isn't it a shame that the better we get at something the less pleasure we derive from it because it isn't new? Lots of things are like this.
I wouldn't advise quitting though. Over the years I've had countless people tell me they were quitting either Magic or poker and they always came back. I can surely understand quitting COMPETITIVE magic. Competitive Magic to me never made sense anyway. The payoffs are so low compared to poker and the cost is so high.
But I don't know a single person, lawyer or otherwise, who doesn't spend a few hours a week at a hobby. Sadly for many people their only hobby is TV. Personally, I would rather spend that time playing Magic. I play Magic almost every day and I haven't spent a dime since 2010. How? I play PRE. The prizes are only a couple bucks but entry is fee. I then parlay those winnings into Pauper, particularly now that leagues are back. I'm about a 70% win rate in league which I then parlay into drafting Cube when it's open. I found Magic Online is a really good outlet. I think Magic as a collectible card game is awesome. The flavor, the stories, etc. Magic as a competitive game is TERRIBLE. The cost to entry is high, the payouts are low, the competition is too good to squeeze too much EV. My recommendation is taking up Pauper on MTGO. Low stress but you can still use it as an outlet for your competitive streak. Great format because the competition is strong but the barrier to entry is low.
I had to login and reply to you even though it is really annoying when you forget your password. I am so glad that with what you said which is exactly what I am thinking and I agree with every single word you said . Magic is good, competitive Magic not so good. The cost of entry is way too high and the payout is low and always not guaranteed that you win since MTG players are highly competitive. You need a pricey deck to win and save money for traveling expenses. Not to mention the time you are wasting for training on competitive Magic and the feeling you get when you lose and get nothing.
I spent a lot on standard when Khans came out (new to Magic) and felt standard is cheating players with their new standard rotation system, so I switched to Modern and spent quite a lot of money to build Abzan control and aggro, Jeskai and Azurios and Izzet, Naya aggro, and some other fun to play competitive decks like Hate bears. I was working on building my Modern collection and it was really important for me to have all cards I want. I feel like I am satisfied with my Modern collection, but always worried that will come a day when my Modern collection value will go down in price or become worthless since banning is the ax. What I currently do is play my favorite Modern decks and buy what I see is interesting from new sets and pre-order cards before price hike (like thing in the ice I thought this card was good in Modern and bought a set for $60). I miss standard, but I can't play competitive standard and definitely going to stop spending a lot of money on the game. Drafting and go to pre-release events and play Modern. Not sure for how long I can play Modern, but I enjoy it.
Yeah, not to beat a dead horse, but I NEVER understood why competitive Magic players didn't just play poker instead. In fact, many of them have (E. Froelich/David Williams). David Williams is a great example of Magic helping someone understand strategy, then moving on. He got 2nd in the WSOP, making him a millionaire. I was watching Worlds videos on YouTube recently and the top prizes for Magic tournaments seem to under 50K. This is for the absolute best players in the world. WEEKLY Friday night tournaments in poker rooms typically are 50K guaranteed events. These aren't even big tournaments at major casinos. My local casino has a 50K gtd tournament every week. Compare that to FNM where maybe you could $20 of packs if you do well. Magic decks cost money. Imagine a poker game where not only did you have to buy-in to the tournaments, but also had to pay for the DECKS. Sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars. You can argue you have to play for poker too, the rake for cash games or your buy-ins for tournaments. But ah, you have to BUY-IN to Magic tournaments as well, plus pay for your deck.
This means nothing to a casual player, someone who is in it for the art or social scene, or is a collector. But we're talking about competitive Magic players. Any player with a win rate > 67% or over 1800 rating could probably win 50K+ a year playing poker if they spent all that time playing poker instead of Magic, if they studied poker books, hired a coach, etc. I'm not encouraging poker either, not by any means. I'm actually highlighting how hopeless competitive Magic is by comparison. My only logical conclusion for myself is keep playing Magic but not take it too seriously. It's hard to take it seriously, at least for me anyway, when your maximum prize is winning a couple of packs.
Your post really hit home for me. I'm also 34, a PhD, with a wife and a life and all that. I'm also sitting on a collection that seems to be getting more and more valuable each year, that I play with less and less. Tournaments are possible, but I just don't love it any more because of the time commitment.
It finally hit me--I really only play for fun any more. But I also like to collect. So keep collecting! Sell what you don't love and keep the rest. My play group is super casual. We play 50 card EDH with 5 rares max. It's ridiculously relaxed, cheap, creative, and the most fun I've had in magic for years. I have 8-10 of these decks, a couple boxes of my favorite legacy decks and cubes, and am in the process of selling the rest off. I think this is a sustainable state as I move into my late 30s and beyond. I love magic and it's been a part of my life since 1994 when I was 12 years old. It's the best game that's ever been invented and means different things to different people at different points in your life.
I came to the same conclusion about a year ago, I've spent much time reflecting on it. After sitting on the fence for a long while I finally came to the decision to sell out this july when SCG visits. I'm going to use the funds to fuel another collecting hobby that i get much more enjoyment out of these days, watches, and it doesn't depend on interacting with someone else for me to enjoy it. I will miss the game, the decision didn't come easy, but wotc is taking it in a direction i disagree with. After 20 years its time to say good bye.
I'm happy for you man. If you're able to override that temptation to play if you keep your cards that's excellent. Personally I feel like it's a waste of time as well. I am not very social when I go to events, I just focus too much on playing and winning. That's what I find fun. But losing kills my vibe because it's hard to determine if it was my fault or just variance that made it happen. And that's kind of the main thing that turns me off. You can get extremely good, and be a better, smarter player than your opponent and still lose to variance. I'm not making money off of playing. I used to dominate fnms and buy singles with store credit and then sell for cash, but that's hardly enough money for the effort I was putting into learning the meta and constantly keeping up.
I have sold out of standard before rotation a few times now and I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. Each time I bought back into the game, (even back when I played YGO on and off too) my anxiety would creep back into my life. I think it's because this is a hobby that does almost literally nothing to benefit me as a person, and my subconscious knows that, and doesnt like it. And while I absolutely love going to events and playing a bunch of magic, it's the time I spend keeping up with the game and testing that becomes a huge waste of time. And I refuse to just have some old deck that I never update and just run that deck that never works.
I bought into modern instead this time around hoping that I could do exactly that, but I learned that modern evolves just as much as standard, and there is even more variance to deal with.
I feel like it even affects my MMA training because there's always that extra thing taking up space in the back of my mind. Not that I'm thinking about magic specifically while I'm having punches thrown at me, but in general my ability to be in the moment becomes more weak than it normally is. It's as if there is less free space in my mind so it's harder to find when I want that inner silence lol
So I'm not sure. Part of me wants to see if I can teach myself discipline and the other part feels like I should just accept it and get my priorities straight.
I didn't intend to make it about my story but maybe seeing someone that completely agrees might make it easier for you to make a decision. For me, I have another hobby that I would rather pursue. For you, you have a real career and a bunch of kids to keep you busy. We are probably the obsessive types and a game like this, where there is no right answer when it comes to playing and deck building, and where there is always something new to be trying, it's going to be too time consuming for our own good. Especially if tthe game hasn't left you with a whole lot of improvement on a personal level
Did it ever occur to you that neither cockatrice nor tournaments existed back when Magic was first printed? Did you ever think about maybe playing it with a small group of friends like God intended, occasionally dueling random strangers just to see what crazy new deck they might have that you've never seen before? Suddenly, it won't seem like such a waste of your time.
I think you missed the point. I quit 2 years ago because I was spending too much time thinking about and doing Magic.
This sounds sort of like someone who has played an MMO for a very long time, and then realizes how much money they have spent on the game over the years. Honestly, there's nothing crazy or wrong about owning 30 grand in mtg card product, especially if that is mostly from legacy and vintage. That kind of a collection is something that develops over a very long time.
I am a compulsive person and I had a similar problem with Star Wars Galaxies (before it was ruined). I had a similar revelation then, sold my character for $500 and never looked back. That is part of the reason I was able to look at this as a similar problem and make the change I needed to; I'd done it before to good effect. I will never again play an MMORPG.
just my two cents though: Don't sell your cards, even if you don't ever decide to come back playing don't sell them, why? Because since you are a physician, a profession which should get you a fair amount of income, 30 grand is not what is going to change your life,
I understand where you are coming from but that doesn't work. I've been in the game since Beta, and I am finally at the point where I am almost out....and there is only one way out...GET RID OF EVERY CARD YOU OWN. Do not leave a trace of MTG in your home. A lot of people including myself (until recently) don't understand the level of addiction that MTG can produce in long term players.
It truly is like crack or alcohol....once you quit, you can never look back. Recovering alcoholics do not leave whiskey in their home, and recovering MTG addicts shouldn't leave any cards in their homes either. Strangely enough, it's not as bad for people who are only a year or 2 into the game. It's the guys like myself who started way back at Alpha/Beta era.
If you are quitting, then quit properly...Once all your cards are gone, you will probably never muster up the strength to go out and regain all the cards you once had. That's why you have to get rid of it ALL.
I didn't need to get rid of all of my cards and I am fine. Yes, that does increase the temptation some but Magic isn't like alcohol or another drug in its level of harm and I have been able to hold back any urges to get back into it on a grand scale.
I like this thread, real people sharing their love and struggle with this game. Its also interesting how this thread pops into my life again as I get ready to get out of magic again...Oh Richard Garfield how you toy with my emotions.
Yeah, not to beat a dead horse, but I NEVER understood why competitive Magic players didn't just play poker instead...
I have a degree in Math and Physics and love Poker and am fairly decent at it but I don't really have time for that either. I know you weren't suggesting that for me, however.
Your post really hit home for me. I'm also 34, a PhD, with a wife and a life and all that. I'm also sitting on a collection that seems to be getting more and more valuable each year, that I play with less and less. Tournaments are possible, but I just don't love it any more because of the time commitment.
It finally hit me--I really only play for fun any more. But I also like to collect. So keep collecting! Sell what you don't love and keep the rest. My play group is super casual. We play 50 card EDH with 5 rares max. It's ridiculously relaxed, cheap, creative, and the most fun I've had in magic for years. I have 8-10 of these decks, a couple boxes of my favorite legacy decks and cubes, and am in the process of selling the rest off. I think this is a sustainable state as I move into my late 30s and beyond. I love magic and it's been a part of my life since 1994 when I was 12 years old. It's the best game that's ever been invented and means different things to different people at different points in your life.
I've kept most of my collection except the Power 9 and don't plan on selling anything more. I don't really have friends that play much Magic or that wouldn't prefer doing something else when we're together so I play from time to time, mostly EDH.
I was very social at events and that is something I miss. However, there are better social outlets without all of the smelly and unfriendly people that are mostly male. Certainly not all Magic players are smelly, but the ratio is higher than the general population.
When my daughter, who is 12, was playing her Tron deck on it the other day, she beat her opponent, and he called her a small-d*ck Japanese (he saw from her location that she lives in Japan).
When my daughter, who is 12, was playing her Tron deck on it the other day, she beat her opponent, and he called her a small-d*ck Japanese (he saw from her location that she lives in Japan).
The internet in general is like that, though the idiots get banned on MTGO. Cocktrice also has the problem that people try to be cheaty with rules.
Anyway, people quit all the time, then come back later. So don't sell your cards because getting them back later will be a lot of work and money. I got frustrated with MTG after Lorwyn and Alara (especially Alara with getting mana screwed every single game) and left for a couple years. Came back after ROE. Played but played less frequently from then on now that I have a career.
Realization of productive/desired vs non-desired influences in life is a very important, and sometimes elusive, issue. I play only limited and I do not have the concern about keeping or investing in cards, and when I find that I am not enjoying it I stop for a while, though that rarely occurs and when it does occur it does not last long.
Well, I love Magic. I have seven children and a couple of jobs.
I play Magic several times a week.
In fact, last night I got in three games of EDH while most of the kids were playing downstairs--except for the ones(s) joining my darling Sir and me in playing Magic.
Interesting read. I think the most important thing is that your quitting for the right reasons. Fun and satisfaction are major parts of playing magic, and you would be compelled to quit if the game no longer gave you either.
Here is my 2 cents on the best way to handle your collection. Do not liquidate all at once. Take the time to organize and take stock of your entire collection. look at the market and see what cards have the highest chance of going up or retaining value.
(Power sets, abur duels, etc)
I would suggest building at least one cube, and a few modern and legacy decks. I currently have one deck per format that I'm happy with, and don't feel like I have to spend large amounts of money on. (BUG reanimator, mono white control, bant commander, and mono black eldrazi for standard.
The important thing is that you can quit without quitting casual magic. Also just ignore ppl online, I've heard and experienced much worse. Don't take it personally. Don't let some sob Ruin your gaming experience. The best thing about magic is that you can play it without spending a dime with friends or your family. Teaching the game can be very rewarding, and so long as your kids like it, and can enjoy the game at face value you have every reason to keep most of the cards. Magic is a hobby, and an art form for me. I enjoy building and designing decks. Nothing really compairs to it. Only sell the cards that you either can't make a profit on or won't be using in the future. (Standard, modern) If I was young, and my parents had a huge magic collection is be thrilled to play with them. Just remind yourself what brought you into the hobby in the first place. For me it was the art, and some of the story. The just game just happened to be fun aswell.
I am a player based in Malta (EU) and one of the few female players in the community. I love playing Magic a lot and play for fun and not for fame or prizes or to play in Pro-Tours or whatever. I play commander/EDH, Oathbreaker and Pauper. I enjoy these formats a lot. My local community is small and we have two venues on the little rock. I used to compete in tournaments but not anymore. I played in four tournaments, the first two were meh, my first commander tournament was great but the last tournament, its participants were toxic, played those annoying stax decks and of course some people really smelled bad of sweat which is no plesent experience (don't they go and take a shower!?). I was put in a pod where everyone played blue control/stax decks (a very popular deck in Malta and they are so annoying and unfun to play against) I play Oathbreaker which is not that popular locally nor is Pauper.
I started playing when Gatecrash was out back in March 2013. I enjoyed my first game and took me quite a while to learn but I had Duels of the Plainswalker 2013 and it helped me a lot. I played Standard for a brief period and played Slivers with M14 and I fell in love with the deck becoming a Sliver player. I got into casual modern in 2014 and commander in fall 2013. In 2017, I went into sanctioned, playing in pre-releases. It was a friendly experience as pre releases were casual and fun. I returned back to Standard, it was a short time. I played in two Game Days. The last one which was during Hour of Devastation was absolute trash, why for five rounds I played most with control players with only one player who played Delirium. I quit playing standard on that same day. I got back into commander and built a Sliver Overlord deck (I love my deck). I never played standard since then and I do not want to anymore. I became a collector as well collecting promos, foils, planeswalkers and full art cards (I love my collection). In 2018, I started to notice the decline in quality with the Core 19 pre-release, there was a three man clique and they all talk about fame and of course control decks. I had a couple of issues as well, the clique being one of them and then the cheating was another issue and there were no judges present on site which is bad. That means that it was my last time that I went to that club after I learned that another club had opened. I was a pleasent experience and also a good place for casuals and it was just five minutes away from home until he had to move his premises to another part of Malta and the new place had wasn't as good as the old place and was almost fifteen minutes away from my home and where the club is, a lot of traffic and because there are so many cars in my country, the new club's location had a parking problem.
I attended the Theros Beyond Death pre-release and I was excited with the new cards but not with the community. I noticed that the decline in quality has gone worse than back in Core 19. There wasn't too much attendence at the new club's location and also toxicity has started within the new club. I just did a decision and decided to retire from tournaments as I feel that I don't belong there anymore. I feel discouraged with the toxicity so I returned into the unsanctioned and I only attend pre-release from now on. I do not wish to quit but quitting tournaments was the best decision. I only play in pre-release in sanctioned play but I still play commander, pauper and oathbreaker in the unsanctioned (I mean playing at home).
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This is BogatyrOfMurom, a MTG player based in Malta. I play Commander, Oathbreaker and Pauper. I have been playing MTG since 2013. I played in different casual tournaments in the unsantioned and won some of them. I got into sanctioned in 2017 in Pre-Release Aether Revolt. My style of play is tribal, aggro, land destruction, reanimator and burn. My favorite of them all are Slivers.
If you need any advice, you can find me on tappedout.net under the same name.
Your land base typically wants to run at about 35%. That's about 21 lands on average.
If you're running fetch lands, then you can run something like 24, because they count as a two-for-one in the way they thin your deck and unadulterate the contents. Just mentioned this in another thread. If you're not running fetch lands, then you have to secure tighter mathematical proportions for yourself.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
WBG Karador GBW
R Daretti R
RG Omnath GR
WRG Modern Burn GRW
WB Modern Tokens BW
DCI Rules Advisor as of 5/18/2015
I had to login and reply to you even though it is really annoying when you forget your password. I am so glad that with what you said which is exactly what I am thinking and I agree with every single word you said . Magic is good, competitive Magic not so good. The cost of entry is way too high and the payout is low and always not guaranteed that you win since MTG players are highly competitive. You need a pricey deck to win and save money for traveling expenses. Not to mention the time you are wasting for training on competitive Magic and the feeling you get when you lose and get nothing.
I spent a lot on standard when Khans came out (new to Magic) and felt standard is cheating players with their new standard rotation system, so I switched to Modern and spent quite a lot of money to build Abzan control and aggro, Jeskai and Azurios and Izzet, Naya aggro, and some other fun to play competitive decks like Hate bears. I was working on building my Modern collection and it was really important for me to have all cards I want. I feel like I am satisfied with my Modern collection, but always worried that will come a day when my Modern collection value will go down in price or become worthless since banning is the ax. What I currently do is play my favorite Modern decks and buy what I see is interesting from new sets and pre-order cards before price hike (like thing in the ice I thought this card was good in Modern and bought a set for $60). I miss standard, but I can't play competitive standard and definitely going to stop spending a lot of money on the game. Drafting and go to pre-release events and play Modern. Not sure for how long I can play Modern, but I enjoy it.
I understand where you are coming from but that doesn't work. I've been in the game since Beta, and I am finally at the point where I am almost out....and there is only one way out...GET RID OF EVERY CARD YOU OWN. Do not leave a trace of MTG in your home. A lot of people including myself (until recently) don't understand the level of addiction that MTG can produce in long term players.
It truly is like crack or alcohol....once you quit, you can never look back. Recovering alcoholics do not leave whiskey in their home, and recovering MTG addicts shouldn't leave any cards in their homes either. Strangely enough, it's not as bad for people who are only a year or 2 into the game. It's the guys like myself who started way back at Alpha/Beta era.
If you are quitting, then quit properly...Once all your cards are gone, you will probably never muster up the strength to go out and regain all the cards you once had. That's why you have to get rid of it ALL.
I totally agree and you know what? The money that you make from selling the cards (and the things you might buy with it) will always remind you of Magic. It will always leave this tiny addictive trace behind. So what you should to is just give them away to some poor kid who can't afford a lot of cards. Someone like me. Pm me if interested
RIP Karn EDH
Yeah, not to beat a dead horse, but I NEVER understood why competitive Magic players didn't just play poker instead. In fact, many of them have (E. Froelich/David Williams). David Williams is a great example of Magic helping someone understand strategy, then moving on. He got 2nd in the WSOP, making him a millionaire. I was watching Worlds videos on YouTube recently and the top prizes for Magic tournaments seem to under 50K. This is for the absolute best players in the world. WEEKLY Friday night tournaments in poker rooms typically are 50K guaranteed events. These aren't even big tournaments at major casinos. My local casino has a 50K gtd tournament every week. Compare that to FNM where maybe you could $20 of packs if you do well. Magic decks cost money. Imagine a poker game where not only did you have to buy-in to the tournaments, but also had to pay for the DECKS. Sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars. You can argue you have to play for poker too, the rake for cash games or your buy-ins for tournaments. But ah, you have to BUY-IN to Magic tournaments as well, plus pay for your deck.
This means nothing to a casual player, someone who is in it for the art or social scene, or is a collector. But we're talking about competitive Magic players. Any player with a win rate > 67% or over 1800 rating could probably win 50K+ a year playing poker if they spent all that time playing poker instead of Magic, if they studied poker books, hired a coach, etc. I'm not encouraging poker either, not by any means. I'm actually highlighting how hopeless competitive Magic is by comparison. My only logical conclusion for myself is keep playing Magic but not take it too seriously. It's hard to take it seriously, at least for me anyway, when your maximum prize is winning a couple of packs.
And I too supported myself through law school with poker.
It finally hit me--I really only play for fun any more. But I also like to collect. So keep collecting! Sell what you don't love and keep the rest. My play group is super casual. We play 50 card EDH with 5 rares max. It's ridiculously relaxed, cheap, creative, and the most fun I've had in magic for years. I have 8-10 of these decks, a couple boxes of my favorite legacy decks and cubes, and am in the process of selling the rest off. I think this is a sustainable state as I move into my late 30s and beyond. I love magic and it's been a part of my life since 1994 when I was 12 years old. It's the best game that's ever been invented and means different things to different people at different points in your life.
I have sold out of standard before rotation a few times now and I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. Each time I bought back into the game, (even back when I played YGO on and off too) my anxiety would creep back into my life. I think it's because this is a hobby that does almost literally nothing to benefit me as a person, and my subconscious knows that, and doesnt like it. And while I absolutely love going to events and playing a bunch of magic, it's the time I spend keeping up with the game and testing that becomes a huge waste of time. And I refuse to just have some old deck that I never update and just run that deck that never works.
I bought into modern instead this time around hoping that I could do exactly that, but I learned that modern evolves just as much as standard, and there is even more variance to deal with.
I feel like it even affects my MMA training because there's always that extra thing taking up space in the back of my mind. Not that I'm thinking about magic specifically while I'm having punches thrown at me, but in general my ability to be in the moment becomes more weak than it normally is. It's as if there is less free space in my mind so it's harder to find when I want that inner silence lol
So I'm not sure. Part of me wants to see if I can teach myself discipline and the other part feels like I should just accept it and get my priorities straight.
I didn't intend to make it about my story but maybe seeing someone that completely agrees might make it easier for you to make a decision. For me, I have another hobby that I would rather pursue. For you, you have a real career and a bunch of kids to keep you busy. We are probably the obsessive types and a game like this, where there is no right answer when it comes to playing and deck building, and where there is always something new to be trying, it's going to be too time consuming for our own good. Especially if tthe game hasn't left you with a whole lot of improvement on a personal level
I think you missed the point. I quit 2 years ago because I was spending too much time thinking about and doing Magic.
I am a compulsive person and I had a similar problem with Star Wars Galaxies (before it was ruined). I had a similar revelation then, sold my character for $500 and never looked back. That is part of the reason I was able to look at this as a similar problem and make the change I needed to; I'd done it before to good effect. I will never again play an MMORPG.
I don't like Cube at all. I do play EDH rarely.
I didn't need to get rid of all of my cards and I am fine. Yes, that does increase the temptation some but Magic isn't like alcohol or another drug in its level of harm and I have been able to hold back any urges to get back into it on a grand scale.
HAHA! Sure, they're in the mail...
I like this thread too. Thanks.
I have a degree in Math and Physics and love Poker and am fairly decent at it but I don't really have time for that either. I know you weren't suggesting that for me, however.
I've kept most of my collection except the Power 9 and don't plan on selling anything more. I don't really have friends that play much Magic or that wouldn't prefer doing something else when we're together so I play from time to time, mostly EDH.
I was very social at events and that is something I miss. However, there are better social outlets without all of the smelly and unfriendly people that are mostly male. Certainly not all Magic players are smelly, but the ratio is higher than the general population.
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
When my daughter, who is 12, was playing her Tron deck on it the other day, she beat her opponent, and he called her a small-d*ck Japanese (he saw from her location that she lives in Japan).
The internet in general is like that, though the idiots get banned on MTGO. Cocktrice also has the problem that people try to be cheaty with rules.
Anyway, people quit all the time, then come back later. So don't sell your cards because getting them back later will be a lot of work and money. I got frustrated with MTG after Lorwyn and Alara (especially Alara with getting mana screwed every single game) and left for a couple years. Came back after ROE. Played but played less frequently from then on now that I have a career.
I play Magic several times a week.
In fact, last night I got in three games of EDH while most of the kids were playing downstairs--except for the ones(s) joining my darling Sir and me in playing Magic.
Magic: the Family Gathering
Here is my 2 cents on the best way to handle your collection. Do not liquidate all at once. Take the time to organize and take stock of your entire collection. look at the market and see what cards have the highest chance of going up or retaining value.
(Power sets, abur duels, etc)
I would suggest building at least one cube, and a few modern and legacy decks. I currently have one deck per format that I'm happy with, and don't feel like I have to spend large amounts of money on. (BUG reanimator, mono white control, bant commander, and mono black eldrazi for standard.
The important thing is that you can quit without quitting casual magic. Also just ignore ppl online, I've heard and experienced much worse. Don't take it personally. Don't let some sob Ruin your gaming experience. The best thing about magic is that you can play it without spending a dime with friends or your family. Teaching the game can be very rewarding, and so long as your kids like it, and can enjoy the game at face value you have every reason to keep most of the cards. Magic is a hobby, and an art form for me. I enjoy building and designing decks. Nothing really compairs to it. Only sell the cards that you either can't make a profit on or won't be using in the future. (Standard, modern) If I was young, and my parents had a huge magic collection is be thrilled to play with them. Just remind yourself what brought you into the hobby in the first place. For me it was the art, and some of the story. The just game just happened to be fun aswell.
I started playing when Gatecrash was out back in March 2013. I enjoyed my first game and took me quite a while to learn but I had Duels of the Plainswalker 2013 and it helped me a lot. I played Standard for a brief period and played Slivers with M14 and I fell in love with the deck becoming a Sliver player. I got into casual modern in 2014 and commander in fall 2013. In 2017, I went into sanctioned, playing in pre-releases. It was a friendly experience as pre releases were casual and fun. I returned back to Standard, it was a short time. I played in two Game Days. The last one which was during Hour of Devastation was absolute trash, why for five rounds I played most with control players with only one player who played Delirium. I quit playing standard on that same day. I got back into commander and built a Sliver Overlord deck (I love my deck). I never played standard since then and I do not want to anymore. I became a collector as well collecting promos, foils, planeswalkers and full art cards (I love my collection). In 2018, I started to notice the decline in quality with the Core 19 pre-release, there was a three man clique and they all talk about fame and of course control decks. I had a couple of issues as well, the clique being one of them and then the cheating was another issue and there were no judges present on site which is bad. That means that it was my last time that I went to that club after I learned that another club had opened. I was a pleasent experience and also a good place for casuals and it was just five minutes away from home until he had to move his premises to another part of Malta and the new place had wasn't as good as the old place and was almost fifteen minutes away from my home and where the club is, a lot of traffic and because there are so many cars in my country, the new club's location had a parking problem.
I attended the Theros Beyond Death pre-release and I was excited with the new cards but not with the community. I noticed that the decline in quality has gone worse than back in Core 19. There wasn't too much attendence at the new club's location and also toxicity has started within the new club. I just did a decision and decided to retire from tournaments as I feel that I don't belong there anymore. I feel discouraged with the toxicity so I returned into the unsanctioned and I only attend pre-release from now on. I do not wish to quit but quitting tournaments was the best decision. I only play in pre-release in sanctioned play but I still play commander, pauper and oathbreaker in the unsanctioned (I mean playing at home).
If you need any advice, you can find me on tappedout.net under the same name.
If you're running fetch lands, then you can run something like 24, because they count as a two-for-one in the way they thin your deck and unadulterate the contents. Just mentioned this in another thread. If you're not running fetch lands, then you have to secure tighter mathematical proportions for yourself.