Are you a player or a collecter?

[Hellion]

This is a question posted for all you guys out there.

Are you a collecter or player of Magic cards?

A collecter means you scout around, looking for powerful cards to collect. Most of the time, you prefer older cards and tend to look for really cheap bargains. You take extra effort to pay for the card via the condition, rarity and how old the card is.

A player means you participate in Magic tourneys and trade heavily for the best and newest cards. You keep only the most useful cards for yourself to be used in future dominate decks. eg. Birds of Paradise, Wrath of God....ect.

SO which are u?

Insights most welcome!

 

[arhar]

I am 75% player, 25% collector. Mostly, of course, I play, but when I trade, I don't look just for Absorbs and Rages. I'll gladly trade for any powerful old cards - just last weekend, I acquired my 2nd Moat (mint, Italian, at $25 trade value, whooooo! ) ... However, I don't just trade for those cards to have them, I use them in my multiplayer decks I also collect foils by John Avon (I have all of them except for Millstone) and Cyclopean Mummies... So I guess I'm somewhat of a collector.

 

[Istanbul]

That's a question I've often asked myself.

COLLECTOR:
1. I will trade for cards for my sets before I will trade for cards for my decks.
2. Cards for my sets must be NM/M unless they are expensive (read: $20 or more). Even then, they must be passable.
3. Getting four of a rare card is a big thing for me, to the point where I actively try to get a fourth of any rare I have three of.
4. I keep a list at all times of what cards I need to complete my remaining sets.

PLAYER:
1. I spend my time thinking up ways to use cards, not ways to store them.
2. I usually have no less than 10 decks formed at any one time.
3. The first thing I look at in a spoiler is what cards would fit into established decks.
4. The majority of my time on eBay is spent looking for cards for my decks. Collection purchases are an afterthought.
5. I try to take at least one deck with me anytime I think people *might* be playing Magic someplace, just in case.
6. I do not take apart decks for my collections.

So I guess I'm 60% player, 40% collector. Though these ratios may vary, depending on my state of mind and whether or not I see a Beta Mox for $50.

 

[Hetemti]

I collect specific things. Like cards from Revised/Unlimited...but only playable ones. That way, I can at least have some respect for my white-boarder cards...since Revised/Unl coolness trumps whiteboarder crappyness.

Specific cards I "collect", like Viashino Cutthroats, Lightning Bolts, and Restricted cards (The affordable ones, Sol Ring, Black Vise, Balance, Wheel of Fortune, Mind Twist, NOT Channel (sry Wonka)) is cus they're good enough to be put into almost any deck, and I want to ensure that if I make a deck that wants a particular power card, I'll have it. Hopefully, a revised/unl one.

I've officially sworn off booster packs as of last friday. It's singles-only from here on out. For the $7 I spend on a Bind, Planar Dispair, and foil Order-n-Chaos, I could've gotten a (needed) Wheel. Nevermore for boosters. They just pain suck at $3.50, the local price.

Do note, that all my "collecting" is for cards I need, or want to use in my decks.

Current maindecked Revised/Unl cards: 33 (All eight decks have at least one Revised card in it. ^_^)

 

[Azreal the Soulmaster]

dear god, you pay 3.50 for boosters!

I collect legends. I love legends I keep them in a seperate binder and whenever I need one for a deck I proxy it. I like to build decks and play against people whenever possible. I think deck building is the most fun part of magic. I'd say i'm about 55% player and 45% collector.

 

[Hetemti]

...like there's a way to get them cheaper?

 

[Zadok001]

I play. Pure and simple. Collecting is secondary, and mostly used for getting more cards to play with. *grin*

 

[Duel]

I play. Pure and simple. Simpler than Zadok. Not only do I not care about collecting, since I never intend to sell my cards (if it comes to that, I'll give them away) I don't even keep them in top condition. I have more waterlogged cards with bends and rough edges than all y'all. Anyone want a beat-up demonic consultation? How about a ripped demonic hordes? I have a bent agenda that's practically straight, got it for 50 cents. And the back of my Demonic tutor is almost perfect, even if the front is distorted.......

 

[Azreal the Soulmaster]

I get my boosters for 2.96, that sucks that you have to pay 3.50.

 

[Gerode]

I'm 90% player. I'm only a collector in the sense that I don't like to give up valuable cards that I'm not currently playing with. I'd rather get cards to slip in a deck and play with then to make my trade binder look more beautiful.

 

[Apollo]

Player (if anything)

 

[arhar]

Man..... $3.50 for a booster? My local store sells one for $2.50, and draft set for $7..... I'm sorry to tell you that, but your store SUCKS!

 

[Spiderman]

I'm with Gerode and Apollo. I hardly don't do ANY collecting... although that idea that some of you have like collecting one weird common is pretty cool. I just have to pick one.

But I'd only trade to get cards for decks, never collect.

 

[Ransac]

I'm more of a player, because I like playing a fun game of magic(note: fun DOESN'T mean that you win, it must be a good game[even though I usually win]). But, if there is a card I like, I'll usually collect 4 or more of them.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Mundungu]

I am definitly more of a collector than a player, say 75 -25.

The reason is simple, with a job, wife and a life outside magic, the time for gaming is very limited.

90% of my time with magic is spent at home alone, and thinking about decks or reopganising my collection.

Why does the limited time to play made a collector out of me ?

1) The lack of playing practice makes for a general lack of knowledge of the cards, esp. of the new sets.

Collecting hte entire sets helps greatly becoming familiar with the cards without actually playing. And If I am looking for cards to put in a deck, I simply browse throught the sets (neatly arranged by blocks in individual binders).

So the lack of playing practcie made me a set collector.

2) PLaying little means that you cannot always be on the top of the wave : having the latest tech in Bloc format or even t2.
It is easier to have a few powerfull decks for extended, 1.5 or type 1 to upgrade with a few selected new cards. The collector will be ready to build any "proven archetype" thanks to its pool of good cards.

3) Being ready : when you feel like building a deck, you want to have the cards available RIGHT NOW, and you dont have the chance to go trade every day. So you trade "in advance" just in case you might need the cards. (e.g. I got 4 tithe even though I have no deck for them yet)

Since there is no real focus into deck building the collector, as you said will tend to get 4 of the "good rare" - just in case you suddenly feel like changing your cuirrent deck -

4) collecting "older cards" is easier than getting the new ones (not true for the "very old ones, but at least for the extended scene).
Why ?
a) proven value. Everybody knows which are the "real good cards" of older blocks. not much you can do wrong by having 4 morphlings. The "hiped" cards are also not necesserily the real good ones for the long term (eg Orim's chant)
b) cheapness & timing. Try to get your hands on absorbs or vindicate. When the cards are in bloc format or T2, there value tend to be ridiculously high. For 12 USD I prefer having 3 tradewind riders that a Vindicate, thank you very much.
c) Bloc rotation. The event every collector is waiting for. When a bloc rotates out, a great opportunity to get for cheap those power cards that are no more T2 legal.

5) Respect & Pride. That one might sound stupid, but if you do not have the time and ressources to become a "great player" with the best current bloc deck, at least you can gain the respect of your peers by the volume of your collection.

On a side note, this is why magic is great, even if you cannot play, you can still be active in the game, through the colelcting aspect.

0ne last note, I sincerely believe that you can build a great collection of even older cards if you are an astute collector.

Since I move from competitive play to a more "collecting" attitude, I actually spend less money, but increase the value of my collection.

As an example, without ever spending more that 20 USD cash per card and through good trading, I got myself over the last year :
4 Force of will
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Saphire
1 Timetwister
1 Moat
1 Berserk
1 Tabernacle at pendrell vale

enough "patting on my own shoulders", time to log off ..