As I was contemplating where to start this week’s article, I read back through last week’s comments and suggestions, and I must say you all have very good questions and advice. Unfortunately, I cannot cover everything immediately. Given time, though, I hope I can answer all of your questions and more. This week, I will be discussing uptrades; in addition, I will be taking some of the more popular questions from last week and answering them in depth. Your comments and questions are truly what shape this article, and I must say I appreciate all of the feedback I have been receiving.

Last week, I covered a few downtrades I performed in the beginning of the quest to both flesh out the binder and add more cards to the pool. Uptrading, as I’m sure you already know or have figured out, is the opposite act, wherein I trade multiple lower value cards for a high-priced staple or sought-after card.

Roberto

• −2 Sun Titan M12 4.99
• −2 Phantasmal Image 6.99

Total: 23.96

• +1 Chandra, the Firebrand 31.99

Total 31.99

Net: +8.03

While this was a profitable trade, there is more than just the numbers at work here. When we look at a net gain of 25% on a trade, that is typically a pretty good deal; this, however, does not always make for a good trade. Look at the cards traded away. We see a mythic that has both been reprinted and promo’ed; this tells us we are unlikely to see a price spike. On the flip side, we have a rare from a new set that is scarcely opened and is playable in not only Standard, but Eternal formats as well. Trading the Images away was the correct move in this scenario because I received a high-dollar mythic that I can quickly move. Though Chandra currently demands a $30+ price tag, this is unlikely to persist due to her lack of play. Unloading cards like Chandra quickly is the key to ensuring a gain while at the same time having high-dollar cards in the binder. Situations like this always look appealing on paper; just remember when dealing with online retail pricing that the actual and perceived values on cards can be very different.

JR

• −1 Drowned Catacomb M12 2.49
• −1 Rootbound Crag M12 1.25
• −1 Sunpetal Grove M12 1.99
• −1 FOIL Rites of Flourishing M12 2.99
• −1 FOIL Mana Leak M12 4.99
• −1 Frost Titan M12 3.99

Total: 17.70

• +1 Koth of the Hammer SOM 21.99
• +1 Steel Hellkite SOM 1.25
• +1 Argentum Armor SOM 0.99
• +1 Temple Bell M11 0.49
• +1 Luminarch Ascension ZEN 2.49
• +1 Mistform Ultimus LGN 0.49
• +2 Vault of Whispers MRD 1.25
• +1 Darksteel Citadel DST 1.49
• +1 Great Furnace MRD 0.99

Total: 31.43

Net: +13.73

Though this looks extremely skewed in my favor on paper, a closer look shows how we got our values. The Koth of course is the big-ticket item in question, and although it was in mint condition, it had an SCG Open stamp on it, which caused him to devalue it. This is a great way to acquire cards for cheap from people’s binders, and something I like to take advantage of when possible. Just because a card may have some form of damage does not mean you should not be looking to pick it up. This rule has its exceptions, such as foils; however, in general, these will usually net you a better deal. Once devalued, it is very easy to turn a profit with the next trader, who will either value it at full, caring little for condition, or allow you to devalue it to a lesser degree than when acquired.

The above trade demonstrates another technique that very few people use even when they have the chance. In this particular trade, we happened to be about $2 off in value from my cards to his Koth; after seeing little else I needed for the binder, I asked him to do something: pick cards for me. This may sound crazy at first, given you aren’t choosing what you are receiving, but in general, state that you will take any rare (or rare-equivalent in the cases of the Mirrodin lands) at X value in trade to make up the difference. When trading with someone experienced like JR, you will typically end up with the dregs, but that’s okay because you acquired them at bulk prices in trade value, meaning at worst you make 100% cash value. However, when dealing with someone who does not know obscure card prices, you may actually have some gems handed to you. People in general like this principle, as it allows them to empty their binders of cards they no longer want while filling a void with something desirable. Use this tool to quickly fill bulk boxes, which later can be used to trade with Commander/casual players, or else sold off to vendors.

That’s it for this week’s lesson; I will be discussing both uptrading and downtrading in depth throughout this article series, as they are the two most common forms of basic trading. Understanding when it is correct to unload a high-dollar card for a plethora of lower value cards, or vice versa, can net you both a healthy binder and a solid profit.

Last week, I asked you, the readers, for input on this and future articles, and I received a number of responses and questions. I am glad to see so many questions coming in, and while I may not answer them all this week, they will not be ignored.

It seems like a circle in Google+ for Box to Extended might be useful. I mean, we could at least offer Ryan premium trades there first. :P Even if we don’t, I’d be interested in adding people to a general trade circle.

I wanted to cover this first and foremost, along with another subject I have been mulling over with people on Twitter in reference to MOTL. This seems like a great idea—that can both bring the community together as well as give me a place to post trade updates and have/want lists. I am sad to say I am not the most technologically up-to-date person, but this is something I’ll go ahead and set up.

As for MOTL, I am still undecided whether I want to post a Box to Extended page; I have a few concerns that have kept me from doing so. The first issue I face is the fact that since I would be starting with zero references, so I would have to send first, and while this doesn’t worry me significantly, I do believe it opens an opportunity for the collection to lose money. The second and biggest concern is the time factor: I have already completed fifty-plus trades, and the project has been going for a little over two weeks now. Updating an online list in addition to the spreadsheet seems like a lot of work, causing both frustration on my part and theirs if a card is traded away before I see a post. During a weekend event, I will regularly turn over 75% of a binder’s contents, making my list outdated nearly every week. What is your input? Would you like to see a MOTL page, or is there an easier way to provide public trades?

As someone new to the trading scene, I appreciate the approach you took I’m this week’s article. Perhaps a discussion of online trading in a future article? Also, do smartphones and instant access to price data have a bearing on your trades or do you just know where you value a card and go from that?

This has been a popular question in the trade world over the past few years, and although technology does play a factor, a good floor-trader usually has his or her own pricing standards. I will cover this more in depth in the future, discussing both how to approach a pricing schematic and how to value cards on the fly. As for the online aspect, once I have the spreadsheet up and have set up a Google+/MOTL account, I will devote an article just to online trading.

On the topic of the spreadsheet, I will have a list of the current cards I have “locked in” that I will not be trading. This consists of mostly commons/uncommons/bulk rares I have acquired. From there, I will be posting another spreadsheet with a list of tradable cards for the public in order to proceed with online trades. This would have been done sooner, but I did not expect the flood of cards I have been trading for, and considering the collection is well over 3,000 cards now, it has taken some time to input the data.

 . . . [D]escribe the strategy you’re using to get to Extended in more depth. It looks like you started out trying to just flesh out the binder to improve your position. At what point do you actively turn to filling in gaps in sets? Are you trying to trade only in the Extended card pool unless a good trade beyond that presents itself? Say you completed a set and someone sets up a trade with a few cards from that set, is it hard to break the set to make the trade or is it not really something you even think about? Do people give you a funny look when you ask for a pile of commons as a throw in on a trade?

As stated, the first goal was to flesh out a solid trade binder full of both staples and fodder. Now that I have a solid base to work with, I will begin collecting particular cards from the sets in question while also looking for older cards. I do not trade for only Extended cards; a trader has to be well-rounded in order to succeed in building a solid collection, picking up everything from the latest Standard tech to Legacy staples. Although the first goal is, of course, Extended, the end goal is far larger, and, as I stated before, the key to success will be resource-management, so only trading for cards I currently need would hurt me in the long run.

When a set is completed, I will attempt to hold onto it in full unless a deal comes along that is too good to refuse. It is likely, however, that when a set is complete, I will still have cards left over from that set for trade. I have been picking up multiple copies of a lot of cards, of which in the end only one copy will be locked into a set.

I have received some puzzled looks; however, when I explain the project most people are happy to unload their bulk on someone for a card they can actually use. When I sort through the “bulk,” I many times find cards of value that will actually be integrated back into the binders, making up the full value plus some of the initial trade.

I like where your column is going but i feel that money matters are not enough you have to talk about the people factor , like the show “the mentalist” perhaps, what do you say when you start the trade? do you go for the target card or just let them make the first choice for the trade? why are you using coolstuff? why not troll and toad or mtg.info? or e-bay? is it better to use a website at all or just go for your gut and meta game predictions? How do you salvage a bad trade negotiation? is that even possible? what kind of people do you trade to?”

This comment in particular warranted a post if for nothing but the first sentence. Trading is just as much about attitude and persona as it is memorization. There are a multitude of factors that go into a successful trade; microeconomics as well as macroeconomics, in combination with trade theory and pricing schemes, play a huge role. I cannot cover the details in this article, but this is certainly something that warrants a great deal of discussion in the future. I use CoolStuff because they sponsor the website and usually have a good median price between retailers. In trades, I have my own pricing index on my phone that hybrids a great number of sites as well as personal theory and input. I usually have prices memorized, but when I am required to look one up, I will use whatever site the other trader prefers.

Salvaging a bad trade is truly dependent on how much time and effort must be exerted in order to turn the situation around. For example, if I am participating in a $10 trade and the other person is being difficult, I will typically end the trade quickly and move on. However, if the values are significantly higher, the time and effort I place on the trade will also be higher. You realize at a certain point, though, that there will be some people you just can’t trade with. I know of a few people who will ask me at nearly every event, and I turn them down immediately. The effort I would have to put forth is just not worth my time. Some people are just looking to find people to bully in trades, and I don’t feel those people are worth what limited time I have on the floor.

Trading, unlike playing, truly opens you up to a wide spectrum of people. When trading, everyone is on equal footing and has objectives that typically mesh: obtaining cards they want for ones they don’t. In this vein, to trade with only one particular type of player would only stifle your ability to acquire cards, whether it be for a collection such as this or a deck you are working on for FNM. The beautiful thing about the Magic community is that everyone is looking for something different, whether it be casual or Commander cards all the way to Legacy/Vintage staples. Learning how to adapt and trade with each of these groups is an integral part of being a successful floor-trader, and something I will be covering in depth with each group.

What are you going to do with Extended, now Modern?

This seemed to be a popular question after last week’s announcement, so I wanted to quickly cover it before I sign off. I will be continuing with Extended and from there, instead of jumping right into Legacy, I will instead cover Modern first. With luck, this should be around the time the PTQ season is starting next year, so I will cover a lot of individual card analysis as well as how to best obtain a deck as cheaply as possible.

Well, that’s all for this week; if I keep going, I fear my editor will have my head. I truly appreciate all the comments and suggestions; it is very helpful to know what you all want to see out of these articles and allows me to sculpt and cater them to your needs. I will be covering many of your questions in future articles, going more in depth describing not only the basics but the tricks to making the most out of each trade no matter the situation. For next week, I am undecided on what would be best to cover first. All of these topics will eventually have an article devoted to them, but for now, I want you all to vote and let me know what you want to read about! In addition to voting, leave a comment and let me know if there is a particular point within that topic you would like to see covered or explained in depth for a better understanding. Thanks for bearing with me for this long. I know there is a lot to cover, and I hope you all learned something this week. Stay tuned next week to see what the topic of discussion will be.

As a parting word of advice for you speculators out there, pick up your Plow Under, Green Sun's Zenith, and Life from the Loam. So much of the Modern card pool has risen in value to far beyond reach of any reasonable calls at this point, but B/G/x control variants seem to be under the radar currently, and given the past popularity of such decks in similar formats, there is certainly money to be made.

Ryan Bushard,

@CryppleCommand on Twitter

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