Over the years, I have learned new tricks on how to stock your binder to look visually appealing toward whatever type of trader you are looking to find, but most of those tricks have been subtle changes such as separating cards by format. This week, I want to talk about a whole new bindering method that I feel will save you a great deal of headache and time at any major event. Over the past year, I have noticed that the number of traders at any particular event has grown drastically but that the quality of trades has gone down dramatically due to everyone trying to “binder grind.” Since this is now a much more common occurrence than before, I believe it is appropriate to shift with that trend and prepare your binders accordingly.

This binder is probably the one I would spend the most time focusing on because in many trades, it may be the only one you ever have to pull out. Even if you come across a value trader, this binder gives you a bit of a buffer zone to figure out exactly what the other trader’s intentions are. If he seems to undervalue your cards, it’s a clear indicator that he is just there to grind, saving you the hassle of negotiating with cards your know will trade well otherwise. This also gives you some flexibility when trading with these types since you can give the value trader the value he so desperately fixates on while moving cards you know are dropping for slightly lower than current retail and picking up cards you believe are on the incline.

Given the present situation on the trade floors, I feel this new binder is almost a must if you are looking to go to any major event. You have the entirety of this first binder to decide what is the best avenue from this point, and you can almost always tell by the end of the first binder whether a trade is worth continuing. This binder also works well in general trading since most people will try to find something they need in each trade, and since you want to part with every card contained within, you can gain value just by turning these cards into format staples, even at a small theoretical retail hit.

The third pile is very much a mixture of what’s left, and I divided this pile into a number of other piles for separate binders, but if you have a small collection, it may be best to put it all together. From here, I took the format staples that did not fit into either of the other categories and separated them into a Standard and non-Standard binder, allowing myself to actively know where a card would be if someone were seeking something in particular. Separating your formats also allows you to save time if you know the person you are trading with is strictly a Legacy or Standard player.

After pulling all the staples, I would take what would be considered just above bulk or Commander cards and put them in a binder for the more casual crowd. I like to avoid the above scenario—when someone has very little trade stock and is looking to gain a high-value card from you—and having a binder that is perhaps more within that person’s price range is a great way to do this. Most of the cards in this binder have very little monetary value, so if you can trade anything from here into staples or high-end cards, you are doing very well, and if you truly want to annoy an aggressive shark, this binder can fill that role as well.

The last thing I want to talk about in regards to creating binders is something I see so many traders do that I just can’t comprehend. If you have a card you feel is going up or that you are looking to hold onto, leave it in your bag or at home. Having cards in your binder means they are for trade. Granted, everyone deserves a page to express him- or herself, but if you feel Assemble the Legion is going up, don’t leave it in your binder just to give me a high price when I ask how much it is currently. Same thing goes for cards you just acquired and are not looking to trade. If something has to be in your binder but you don’t want to trade it, turn it backward or upside-down. This represents to me that you have a reason to hold onto that card and are merely keeping it there for safe keeping.

As always, it seems just when I get into a rhythm, it is time to wrap things up again. I hope everyone who is able to make it to a major event this weekend keeps these tips in mind. I have a wedding to attend this Friday, which prevents me from attending the Grand Prix, but that does not mean I won’t be keeping my finger on the financial pulse through coverage and insider tips. Join me again next week, as I should be able to hammer down a time to get my interview done and bring you all the results. As always, thanks again for reading, and please feel free to contact me through the comments section below or on Twitter.

@CryppleCommand

Ryan Bushard