MTG Salvation

I'm encountering a bug where clicking on the connect button shows everything as offline. The sites are reachable from the computer I use, is there any way to fix this?

I understand the plight. Going from cash to cards has always been easy, but card to card and card to cash (without losing 50%) has always been tough. I know this sounds like a dirty plug but honestly have you tried a centralized or reserve service? Not saying my website specifically, but even something like TCGDirect or COMC.com. If you've ever preordered anything, you've used a reserve service as you give money out for a preorder, then they reserve that thing for you. They're fairly new compared to retail (which has been around since the start) but it's a strictly more efficient way to do things.

You are getting introduced to the game within a game - the economy minigame. Don't forget to check places like mtgstocks.com/interests and similar sites to start watching for cheap pickups and watching price spikes. You can't avoid retail store prices if you're new, but afterwards start looking at marketplaces for buying and selling instead of buylisting at 50% yet buying for full price from retail outlets. You'll always lose if you'll always take retail buylists and pricing.

The exclusive buy-a-box promo is WotC playing a dangerous game I think. They need to be very careful or very competent and I'm not sure they're either.

There's a very large swing in what people could call normal amounts of time spent in this game. Playing a couple times a year or a couple times a day can both fit into a pretty normal schedule if you want it to. I've done both of those, and I've found even just playing prereleases and the occasional game is satisfying enough for me.

Collecting is a form of playing. Entertainment doesn't always fit into classical moulds. If it's fun, make a sport of it. Just don't go too crazy.

Magic knowledge is something that builds up over time. Don't rush it, even if it takes years, and it's also not for everyone. Patience is a virtue.

Although I always try to bring people to the blue side, I think green really fits. The best way to know for sure it to play a bunch of games and to try to focus in on what you like the most.