The mtg player ecosystem is a complex system. I can't do much more than suggest plausible contributing factors to what you're experiencing.
-The collapse of the middle class. Mtg is not a game for poor people, and many of the rich will have better things to do. As the middle class has declined, more players are under financial stress, and this stress contributes to their antisocial behavior. I should also say that the decline of the middle class goes beyond money: not having good careers also means a lack of purpose, self respect, and fulfillment.
-Increased social isolation / atomization. The number of people who have zero friends or very few friends has increased significantly. This phenomenon is probably amplified in the mtg demographic. It is not a wholly negative thing, because it will mean some people are actively looking to make friends in the mtg scene. However, when you interpret the stat as "the number of people who have very few friends and have not made the effort to change that has increased", you understand that many such people are not actively looking to make new friends despite their isolation.
-The particular evolution and stasis of the mtg ecosystem. This is less about what's been happening in society and more about how like-minded people attract and repel others. People tend to continue to engage in the activities they enjoy, and they stop doing what they don't enjoy. Let's say mtg started as a mix of friendly, easy going people plus cutthroat/jaded/antisocial people. Then let's say, through randomness, or through some mechanic maybe inherit to the nature of the game, the percentage of the latter group increased. The friendly types will enjoy themselves a bit less as the group becomes colder. This leads some of them to quit, which leads the group to become even colder, and the feedback loop continues until we are in the state you see today, where the people who are looking for the social environment you describe are staying away, yourself included.
-The increase in autism. Autism has been rising in the last 20 years. It's not something that can explain all the behavior you see, but like I said, this is a complex issue, and there may be nonlinear effects to a social group from a linear increase in number of autistic people.
-How much of it is you? You mention you are about 40 years old. Most people are interested in making friends that are close in age. Maybe the young people are nicer to each other and less nice to you. I don't expect this to be the case, but it's a possibility.
I'm unsure how to respond to most of that. No offense.
What do you mean by afford standard? Are you playing aggro/control/midrange? if you get an aggro deck it will be way cheaper or stick to mono-colored. A midrange or control will cost you serious cash if you aren't careful. 3-color decks will cost way more just because of the manabase. Also do want a Tier 1 build or Tier 2? Those should help figure out where the costs should be.
I'm oblivious to current standard prices, but a few years back? A competitive, non 'copy the latest PTQ winners deck' could easily run someone a few hundred dollars. Today may be different. Again, I've no basis for your answer beyond prices 'back in the day'. Though, if anything in Standard is at all historical, it's still right difficult for a monocolor/aggro deck to take out a properly made tri-color. In essence, GL winning.
Have you considering trying to find some folks who play with proxies? Many of the people I've played EDH with over the years are 100% okay with proxies.
You can also have a blast playing EDH with a $50 deck. TappedOut values one of my favorite lists, cycling tribal, at $70-80. Most of my more casual decks come in at $125-300.
To be honest, I haven't. I'm a vintage or standard nut. I'd get back into it, but I really don't think I can afford even standard. What with the expenses of life? It's either half of a standard deck (half), or my spawnling in a week of summer camp.
LOL, meanwhile the Serendib Efreet misprint can be had for about $6 or less. Yeah, I totally feel what you’re feeling. I quit Magic when I moved to a new city because the new players were awful, greedy and self centered. My old stomping grounds were super friendly (unless you cheated) and cool to hang out with.
I tried again several times over the years but it was always the same. Epic jerks and/or LGS owners who didn’t give a flip.
It wasn’t until Shadows over Innistrad was released that I got back in because my son found my old collection. We tried to play at a local LGS chain but we easily got pushed out by classic Jeff Albertson or modern Sheldon Cooper types. It would be another two or three sets before I found one of the LGSes was placed under new ownership and the place is absolutely awesome now. Everyone is super friendly, it’s relaxed, and cheaters are dealt with old school.
I know it’s disheartening but keep at it. Try and find a like-minded individual to play kite hen table with. Before I found my LGS, I hooked up with a co-worker and played during lunches at work. It was enough to keep my interest.
As for prices. Yeah, that was mind blowing when I first saw the new prices. Cards that once sold for $60 are now $600+ and others have fallen dramatically to the point of worthlessness. Prices are so far out of reach and so skewed that I really don’t want to carry around any of my Legacy decks. I get called a “scrub” for not putting more than $500 into any of my Commander decks. My vehicle probably won’t fetch more than $5k, why am I carrying around a deck worth twice that? Yeah, no thanks.
So yeah, I get it. It can be rough sometimes. I have a spouse and kids too and only my youngest two really understand what Magic means to me. There are bills to pay ($450 for a week of camp?!?), mortgage, car loans, etc. It can be nuts and stressful sometimes.
If you really want to play, just hang in there. You’ll find the right time. Otherwise, don’t worry about Magic. Just move on and find something else to your liking. First rule is to take care of yourself, you don’t need to take care of Hasbro investors.
I'm of the same mindset now. I was going to buy myself a m/nm favourite card of mine for my 40th birthday recently. Saw the price, and laughed. That's half a new top of the line gaming pc.
I think one of the above posts were right. Just nostalgia.
going to various shops in my city, and each was the same. Cold, distant, robotic.
There's 3 decent sized lgs in my city. I even went to the 4th that equates to a single particle board table, amongst a hoarders level of card boxes in a small store space. Each and every single one panned out the same. The Socially Inept, tossing decks around that are blatant copies of the latest PTQ top decks, with a bare minimum of anything remotely close to personable or friendly behavior. To the point of thinking 'What's actually wrong with these people?'.
People are different these days. Phones at the ready at all times, no interest in anything beyond what's in their own heads. It's uncanny and very odd.
TLDR: People are cold now. Prices are 'lolwut' levels of expensive.
I played long ago. Almost 20 years now. Before the internet took off. Back then? The neighborhood card shop was a place that was super welcoming of new players. Card prices were reasonable for Standard. FNM was a good time, every week, as everyone came about with something new and different. Drafts were common. Life was grand.
I dipped my toe back in maybe 5 years ago now. Things sure changed in a big big way. People were cold and distant. There was no welcoming atmosphere and certainly no sense of camaraderie. Prices for Standard were comedic to say the least. Forget anything vintage. FNM equated to "What are the pros playing?" as each and every deck was a copy/paste of those same decks. Thanks internet. Drafts are there, but it's akin to playing with Aspergeristic shut-ins that have zero sort of friendly anything, let alone behavior.
I hung on for a good 8 months, going to various shops in my city, and each was the same. Cold, distant, robotic. I sold what collection I had a couple years back now, to the tune of about $4.9k, paid off a bunch of debt, and gave up. At the time, I sold 4 Serendib Efreets to someone in Paris for right around $2500. Back in the day? 'Dibs were maybe $60/ea? I see they go for $900 on SSG today (lolwut?).
M20 is on the horizon. I got whimsical looking at what's out. Kind of reminded me of how things were before WOTC got bought out. Before the internet came along. Before people got 'more connected' via phones, and less connected face to face.
I thought of getting back in. Then realized that things would be the same as 5 years back. Prices would decimate my wallet. I've expenses now as an adult. Car payments, bills, family stuff. I can't dump X hundred into a halfway decent standard deck. Let alone Vintage prices for some of my old favorite cards (Vesuvan Dopplegangers are HOW MUCH?!). I'd be playing 'the pro' decks at every turn, and since I'm more into exploring the cards synergy on my own, instead of what X PTQ Pro that gets the expansion sets early does, that's not for me. And the people. I might as well play MTGOnline. Same personalities.
I miss the game. Can't get back into it for the above reasons. Just not the same. How do others do it?
I'm unsure how to respond to most of that. No offense.
I'm oblivious to current standard prices, but a few years back? A competitive, non 'copy the latest PTQ winners deck' could easily run someone a few hundred dollars. Today may be different. Again, I've no basis for your answer beyond prices 'back in the day'. Though, if anything in Standard is at all historical, it's still right difficult for a monocolor/aggro deck to take out a properly made tri-color. In essence, GL winning.
To be honest, I haven't. I'm a vintage or standard nut. I'd get back into it, but I really don't think I can afford even standard. What with the expenses of life? It's either half of a standard deck (half), or my spawnling in a week of summer camp.
You'd fit right in at the lgs' I tried. Let me help you with your friendly demeanor. There's a button to help me address you and your Nu-Male smile.
I'm of the same mindset now. I was going to buy myself a m/nm favourite card of mine for my 40th birthday recently. Saw the price, and laughed. That's half a new top of the line gaming pc.
I think one of the above posts were right. Just nostalgia.
There's 3 decent sized lgs in my city. I even went to the 4th that equates to a single particle board table, amongst a hoarders level of card boxes in a small store space. Each and every single one panned out the same. The Socially Inept, tossing decks around that are blatant copies of the latest PTQ top decks, with a bare minimum of anything remotely close to personable or friendly behavior. To the point of thinking 'What's actually wrong with these people?'.
People are different these days. Phones at the ready at all times, no interest in anything beyond what's in their own heads. It's uncanny and very odd.
I played long ago. Almost 20 years now. Before the internet took off. Back then? The neighborhood card shop was a place that was super welcoming of new players. Card prices were reasonable for Standard. FNM was a good time, every week, as everyone came about with something new and different. Drafts were common. Life was grand.
I dipped my toe back in maybe 5 years ago now. Things sure changed in a big big way. People were cold and distant. There was no welcoming atmosphere and certainly no sense of camaraderie. Prices for Standard were comedic to say the least. Forget anything vintage. FNM equated to "What are the pros playing?" as each and every deck was a copy/paste of those same decks. Thanks internet. Drafts are there, but it's akin to playing with Aspergeristic shut-ins that have zero sort of friendly anything, let alone behavior.
I hung on for a good 8 months, going to various shops in my city, and each was the same. Cold, distant, robotic. I sold what collection I had a couple years back now, to the tune of about $4.9k, paid off a bunch of debt, and gave up. At the time, I sold 4 Serendib Efreets to someone in Paris for right around $2500. Back in the day? 'Dibs were maybe $60/ea? I see they go for $900 on SSG today (lolwut?).
M20 is on the horizon. I got whimsical looking at what's out. Kind of reminded me of how things were before WOTC got bought out. Before the internet came along. Before people got 'more connected' via phones, and less connected face to face.
I thought of getting back in. Then realized that things would be the same as 5 years back. Prices would decimate my wallet. I've expenses now as an adult. Car payments, bills, family stuff. I can't dump X hundred into a halfway decent standard deck. Let alone Vintage prices for some of my old favorite cards (Vesuvan Dopplegangers are HOW MUCH?!). I'd be playing 'the pro' decks at every turn, and since I'm more into exploring the cards synergy on my own, instead of what X PTQ Pro that gets the expansion sets early does, that's not for me. And the people. I might as well play MTGOnline. Same personalities.
I miss the game. Can't get back into it for the above reasons. Just not the same. How do others do it?