Collecting - The Disease 69
An anonymous reader writes "Gamers With Jobs has an interesting piece this morning on the nature of collectibility in games. While primarily a personal account of one man's journey into the hell that is Magic: the Gathering, it raises interesting questions about the difference between real-world and virtual-world collecting, and the economic motivations behind both." From the article: "I sit down. I play. I get schooled by a 12-year-old for two hours as he teaches me the ropes with a condescension reserved for teenagers with grownups by the throat. Each game is a bet — loser gives the winner the top card off his deck: Ante. I leave a dozen cards short. I had discovered a great game, and people to play it against. But that's not why the night sits burned into my brain with razor sharp clarity. No, it's because that Tuesday night in San Francisco, I became a collector."
Ante (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Ante (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ante (Score:3, Insightful)
But thinking about that is exactly why I never played ante.
The valuable cards were usually the more powerful cards, since even the rarest of cards wasn't worth much if it was crap. Often these valuable cards would form the foundation of a deck. So not only did you turn over a valuable card for your ante, you are now deprived of that powerful, pivotal card in the game that follows, increasing the odds that you'll lose, and pote
Appropriate site. (Score:2)
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:3, Insightful)
Money and time are the reasons I gave it up.
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:2)
That happened when the Mirage set came out. Tourney rules were changed, cards were banned, phasing was introduced, and an entire generation of M:TG players threw in the towel because we didn't care to rebuild everything we had becaust WotC decided to change things up on us.
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:1)
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:1)
Re:Appropriate site. (Score:1)
Cardboard Crack (Score:5, Funny)
Thurgood: Hi, I'm Thurgood.
Entire Group: Hi, Thurgood.
Thurgood: and I am addicted to marijuana.
Entire Group groans
Addict: You in here for some marijuana?!? Marijuana!?!? Man, this is some BULLSHIT!
Bob Saget: Marijuana is not a drug! I used to suck dick for Magic: The Gathering cards!
Addict: I seen him!
Bob Saget: Now that's an addiction man! You ever suck some dick for Marijuana?!
Addict: HUH?!
Thurgood: No, I can't say I have.
Bob Saget: Yeah I didn't think so...
Addict: Boo this man! BOO!!!
Everyone "boos" him and throws bottles and trash at him
Ah, yes (Score:3, Funny)
So many wasted college nights...
Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:5, Insightful)
I have been caught up in the collecting bug in the past and as soon as I'm done, I just wonder where all my time/money/space/soul has gone.
Where are you Pogs now?
TW
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
Ironically enough, I have a good friend who used to work for Enron. I just sent him an email to see if he ever received any certificates by any chance. My email address is in my profile. If you're really int
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:4, Insightful)
Another example is a card game that I collect called Killer Bunnies. Similar to Magic but there are only small number of rare cards, the rest are part of standard booster packs so there are no surprises. When the rare cards first come out they're usually pretty easy to find. They can be found on eBay between $4 and $10 a piece (a lot for a card to a non collector I know). However it would seem that the value of such cards increases as time goes on. The first two rare "Omega" cards I have and purchased for $10 a piece I've seen up for auction on eBay recently for over $175 a piece. This might seem silly to some people but I still play with those cards. To me using those things is just as much fun as trying to complete the collection.
Some collectors will go out of their way and pay any price to complete their collection but I find with a bit of research, digging, and patience you can find what you're looking for without making worthless investments.
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Collecting leaves me feeling cheated (Score:2)
My kids play with my mom's beanies. Beanie babies are actually fun to play and throw around. Beanie baby wars! You just can't do that with cars though.
Piracy Addiction (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Piracy Addiction (Score:2)
now, I'm happy just collecting ROMs and music... I've completely lost interest in collecting software I'll never use.
however, I do miss Magic. too bad the game isn't what it used to be. and too bad I didn't spend the 35$ on the black lotus when I first started. damned thing sells for 1000$+ now.
Re:Piracy Addiction (Score:1)
Kids these days... (Score:4, Insightful)
I may lose a few, but I build my decks myself, from cards I get either from lots, pre-built decks from WotC (which I buy to get used to new mechanics, and usually rip apart after a few games) or booster packs. When I beat someone, it's with a deck I built, not one I copied from someone else.
Given deck B, why is it a killer deck? (Score:2)
For adults, the fun of Magic is in learning why that deck is killer, how the mix of lands, creatures, spells, etc. was optimized.
Re:Kids these days... (Score:2)
Where's the world series of Magic money? (Score:2)
Uhh... here: (Score:3, Insightful)
It looks likes it's only 50,000 - but that's understandable given the somewhat smaller player base/television exposure/connections to real-money-gambling/etc...
Playin' for fun these days (Score:2)
Back in the day, I used to play cutthroat for cards, but these days I get much more enjoyment from making theme decks and killing people in interesting ways. I also haven't bought a card in close to a decade. It's a waste of time.
I did end up making a Neverwinter Nights modification called Demon [ign.com]
Re:Playin' for fun these days (Score:2)
Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:4, Interesting)
And, what did I get out of it in the end?
The friends I made playing casually weren't interested in much else, and subsequently, I found that I wasn't much interested in them. Tournaments and pre-releases are filled with trash-talking, cheating, and rules-lawyering, making them decidedly unfun. And the money I spent on cards could have been better spent on something that's more fun, more social, and just as fitting to my geeky lifestyle (like, say, video games.)
In other words, I got nothing beneficial from it, aside from the occasional interesting friend, triumphant tourney moment, or excellent deal on old cards. Consequently, this summer I made the decision to sell my entire $2500 collection via CardShark. Now, I'm raking in a load of cash, which I'll probably re-invest in music or games (i.e. things that are actually fun), all for a bunch of pieces of cardboard.
And that's not even getting into my whole rant about how Wizards hasn't given a damn about the gamers since the Ice Age block. But that would be getting off-topic.
So, if you take one thing from this post, let it be that, if you're on the fence about quitting and selling your collection, do it. Your life and your pocketbook will be all the better for it.
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:1)
No please...lets get off topic and rant about this. Ice Age truly was the last great era of Magic...I quit about the time Tempest came out. You're making me nostalgic thinking about Necrodecks, Jester's Cap/Mask, and my all-time personal favorite M:TG card...
Ach! Hans, run! It's the lhurgoyf!
-Saffi Eriksdotter, last words
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:2)
-After Ice Age, WotC officially cemented their "one core set + two expansions every year" business model. This officially destroyed the random fun of crazy combinations like the Ice Age-Chronicles-Homelands-Alliances block.
-Whereas Ice Age (and Alliances) had fun game mechanics that were intrinsic to the "feel" of the set (snow-covered lands), Mirage and beyond... didn't. It's almost as though Ice Age were made to be a new sub-game in its
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:2)
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:1)
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:2)
Re:Collecting: The Moneywasting (Score:2)
Pro Tour Qualifiers are for SUCKERS (Score:2)
Oblig (Score:4, Funny)
Thank You.
My Toys only got more expensive... (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, now my new "toys" are computers and electronics. When I spend money, it is a lot less frequent, but the items I am buying are much more expensive. I guess it comes with my more grown up interests. I have tons of DVDs and buy many used CDs now. The real disaster comes from my electronics though. I am about to purchase another computer. (Well, build it myself, but you know...) I own a Dell Inspiron 8600 and recently got a G3 iBook (nice and white, 800MHz, DVD/CD-RW, etc.) on ebay for $300. I also have a lot of electronics, HDTV, media player, and audio-phile 5.1 system.
My other interest include guns, which are not cheap by any definition of the word either. I have managed to curb some of my PC/console gaming, though I really think I am just stashing up until it comes time for the Wii. Actually the new PC is mostly for Oblivion and maybe the next UT. The fact is, even these are typically 10x or more expensive then my old habits and I am not really making 10x as much as in high school. Well actually I am, but I now have real bills...like electricity, water, gas...oh and that pesky rent...
The point is, any hobby or habit can get really expensive. I guess it just eventually comes down to what kind of money you are willing to spend and what you find interesting.
Where are parts 2 and 3? (Score:5, Insightful)
Collecting is here to stay. It will never go away. That's pretty much a given; it is important, however, to differentiate between two types. First, monetary collecting: your Magic cards, Warhammer figures, etc. Second, non-monetary collecting: "earned" items in MMOs, unlockable costumes/endings/characters, etc.
The good news with monetary collecting is that the internet helped implode a lot of markets. With Magic: the Gathering, I remember in the late 90's one card, a Juzam Djinn, carried a pretty hefty price, upwards of $150 if I recall correctly. It should be $175 or $200 now, if we're to believe increasing returns on collectibles and inflation (or eBay sellers with 0 bids). But quick look on eBay shows prices in the $100 area, per card. The most expensive card, the Black Lotus, also goes for about half of its previous price ($1000+).
(Now, some Magic player is going to rebut about how the changing of tournament rules is affecting cards. That might be true to a point. But in the past ten years we've seen the same thing happen with sports collectibles, comic books, term life insurance, and countless other markets; opening a market will have the effect of reducing prices since it reduces scarcity).
Now, monetary collecting in gaming is pretty bad in my eyes, especially for games kids play, since it puts kids without well-off parents at a distinct disadvantage over equaly skilled kids whose parents give them huge allowances or equally skilled working professionals with large discretionary budgets.
Thankfully, in non-monetary collecting, time and skill are the real investment. Most "collectibles" in these games require no money: unique armor for your MMO character, unlockable costumes for your fighters/adventurers, or hats for your Nintendogs, etc. Still, there's some inequality, as people with time but not money constraints pay for training, gold, etc.
Collecting, be it virtual or real, is intrinsic to gaming, video and otherwise. What's a sports player always work for? A Super Bowl ring. Or the Stanley Cup. Or a gold medal. Or any number of physical objects that represent victory. There's a reason there are physical things attached to these victories. It's not that the jewelry is more important than the championship, it's just that it's an object. In MMOs where items serve (usually) a useful purpose it's nice to get a trinket to show you defeated some boss. But it's nicer to get Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood.
If Collecting is the Disease ... (Score:3, Informative)
Still Strong... (Score:1)
Why MTG sucks? (Score:3, Insightful)
Because the one with most money wins.
You can build an uber deck and pwn everyone with a common deck. You can build unbeatable machines. Some rules have been adjusted to prevent heavy abuse but... I got a taste of this playing the computer version of MTG with older ruleset. A deck consisting of LOTS of black lotuses (now forbidden), +3 mana), some gravedigging cards costing less mana to restore used cards than the black lotuses produce (so you have a perpeetum mobile, produce mana over and over), then more cards for pulling cards from library to hand (never run out of them) and finally a few that deal immediate damage to the enemy proportional to mana used.
Such deck would cost some $2000 or so.
So the gameplay looks like this: I use up all the black lotuses producing lots of mana. Dig more cards from library, some more from graveyard, then keep producing mana. Then in one or two blasts (two in case the enemy drew some "reflect" instant, one if I know he doesn't have any) I kill the enemy. In one round. Sometimes just for fun hitting for 60 damage. They don't get to use anything other than an interrupt if any.
Now if someone designs similar InstaGib deck, what fun is playing it?
Re:I made my own MTG clone game (Score:2)
Part of the fun is the randomness of the cards that you have available to you and how you use them to build the deck, at least it was for me. You can drop $15 (just looked it up) to get a pack with two intro decks (just to have a base) and a booster pack. When it starts to get old you can drop a couple more bucks on a booster pack or shuffle with your friends. As long as you don't start obsessively buying them it's not t
Re:I made my own MTG clone game (Score:2)
Re:I made my own MTG clone game (Score:2)
Re:I made my own MTG clone game (Score:2)
We found the password for it on-line, it was protected, and then we created Perl scripts to interact with the decks created in the database. We would use the tool to create a deck using any and all cards that existed at the time. Then we would save the decks in an XML fil
For Me... (Score:2)
What? Freaking pieces of cardboard? (Score:3, Interesting)
I thought he was talking about collecting real games! [atariage.com] I've got well over 2000 cartridge/disc games for various console game systems, some that most slashdotters haven't even heard of. (Arcadia 2001, anyone?)
Yeah, sure, I got some of those stupid cardboard things, but I get stacks of 'em at a nearby thrift salvage store. If I find a card I don't have, cool. When I'm tired of it, I'll sell 'em.
What's the difference? Those cardboard things were made to be collected, with intentional artifical rarities. The video games weren't. A rare card is often highly desirable when playing a CCG; a rare video game is usually rare because it's a total stinker.
The fun is in playing. (Score:1)
At one point I was spending about 20 dollars a week on the game though (but I havent spent any in the past few months). True, I once did play for...24 hours straight or so (went to a tournament at 5, got back to dorm around 1 in the morning and played with friends til 5 the next day), but in generaly I think I have it under control (of course, all addicts think that). Even so, twenty bucks a month was about the maximum I EVER spent on the game, and for
Well (Score:2)
Proxies (Score:2, Interesting)
A disease? (Score:2)
I collect CCGs, RPG books, video games, legos, dolls, stuffed animals, artwork, books, DVDs, anime, comic books and manga.
I surround myself with the things I enjoy. I collect them, but not obsessively so. I don't spend hundreds of dollars on one rare card, but I'll easily drop $200 at once to get an entire run of a CCG I find interesting. I'll buy every book by a particular author and read all of them. I l
Collecting is dead (Score:2)
I got in to magic just before it exploded into the big collection phenom it is now. I got out shortly after that happened. The person who said the Black Lotus was valued at
Don't Listen to Dr. Phil (Score:3, Interesting)