Locations
Since the beginning of this article series, I have been working on what can be described by some as a glorified pack to power. Though I feel there is more to learn from this type of project than there is from pack to power, for the most part, they are right. I mean, how much can really be involved in up-trading? Today, I want to concentrate solely on that subject as the project wraps up and I decide where to go from here. I have run into a lot of people mimicking Medina and his pack to power journey, and although I find the concept a bit beaten into the ground, I understand the drive and thrill that keeps people going. I have seen and helped many people on their personal quests, and it amazes me how many different trade styles there are out there, each with a unique approach to the subject. Is there a particular way that would be considered the best? I don’t believe anyone can claim to have everything down, but from what I have experienced and learned from others, I have put together a solid formula to complete the quest both quickly and efficiently.
The beginning is, of course, always the most challenging part of any quest; the first step is always the hardest, after all. How do you go about taking that bulk rare you opened and turning it into a Mox? First, you have to employ some help. The easiest way to do this is to have a friend help you along the way or advertise that you are doing pack to power and need an initial trade; a lot of people are willing to help. If you want to be a true sportsman and grind the quest, I would suggest placing the pack’s worth of cards in the back of your actual trade binder, waiting for someone to inquire about one of them. Obviously, this can take forever and is probably just a fool’s quest, but it is always an option. I suggest sticking to one of the former options . . . so that you won’t start your journey bashing your head against a wall.
Once you have a few low-dollar, better-than-bulk cards to deal with, the real action begins. From here, you want to find someone who is willing to pick up those cards, even at a reduced rate, for a few $2- to $3-dollar rares. Heartless Summoning is a great example of a card people are seeking that still has a relatively low retail value. From there, it is best to try to obtain a format staple that you can trade for a premium. If by this point, you have $10 in rares, trading into a Phantasmal Image would be a good pickup.
Once you have reached the point at which you have a midrange card—or if you opened one initially—it is time to start the process over again. People are usually happy to trade away their slightly-better-than-bulk rares or uncommons for a staple, which is great for you. Ideally, this is where you begin value trading; seeking cards such as Drogskol Captain or Commander staples such as Mana Vault will allow you to easily move cards in your binder at all times. Repeating these past few steps will allow you to build a strong base of cards to work with when you make it into the high-dollar value trades that come next. If possible, you want to have $30 to $50 dollars’ worth of cards by this point—before moving on.
Buy price: $2
Retail: $3
Buy price: $8
Retail: $10
Buy list: $3
Retail: $4
Buy list: $4
Retail: $5
From this point, the quest is in the final stretch—you’re essentially repeating this exact same process over and over again until you have enough to build into a piece of power, a set of Extended, or whatever your heart desires.
Most people assume you have to make insane trades with high dollar differences to do a successful pack to power, and although that is an option, you may find it is a lot harder to get people to trade with you if all you are doing is overvaluing your cards and undervaluing theirs. No matter what your quest, no one wants to give away free money, so though you can find the occasional person willing to work on this principal, it is rare and a waste of your time. Instead, making fair and even trades while incrementally grinding with the above tactics is what I have used and seen being the most successful method.
Now let’s assume you are finally ready to trade into that piece of power. Where do you go looking for power? You always have the option of buy-listing your cards and just buying it if you are desperate, but in reality, the best way is to go back to those same floor traders who have been helping you throughout this journey. This saves you both time and hassle as they can tell you how far away you are, and they also are willing to trade Standard and Commander cards for power, which most people are not. In this part of the process, you have to understand that you are not going to receive full retail for your cards—frankly, power demands a premium that your $10 Standard card does not.
If you were to approach me and had followed all of the above steps and I had, say, a Mox Pearl that was in slightly played condition, I would be willing to trade for your cards at buy-list numbers and reduce the price of the Mox accordingly. Retail on a Mox Pearl is currently between $350 and $400 for a slightly played copy. This means that if we were doing buy-list numbers, the Mox would come out to approximately $300 in value. This works out well for both parties because the floor trader is receiving a solid cash price on his Mox, and you have walked away with one of the rarest cards in Magic for a binder of chaff.
This article was inspired by Jon and what he did, and I am glad it has gotten so many people involved in trading over the past few years. A new record was set a few weekends ago by Ogre from Just Games, who as far as I know, has now done the biggest and fastest pack to power yet, wherein he started with a bulk rare, and within just the two days at Star City Games Columbus, he managed a Limited Edition Beta Black Lotus! That’s a tough act to follow, but I am sure someone is up for the task. Who knows—I may just throw my hat in the ring and devote a weekend in the future to just that.
That’s all I have for this week. I am hoping to begin the interview articles next week, starting with the man, the myth, the legend, Jon Medina of LegitMTG. We will discuss exactly what it takes to go from a small-time floor trader to an up-and-coming retail site, the trials involved with starting your own card business, and what gave him the motivation to take that next step. I also want your opinions on this article series—with the quest nearly complete, I have accomplished my initial goal and need your input on whether I should continue writing.
I have had a few business ventures come up that have gotten in the way of my initial idea to do a case to completion, so for now, I will be shelving the project. I want your opinions on whether I should continue writing financial articles—I feel I have a lot more to offer the public, but if the journey was the only appeal, I don’t want to waste your time with something you no longer care about. Let me know in the comments what you think of this series and if you would like it to continue. Don’t hesitate to let me know exactly how you feel—good or bad. With that out of the way, I also want to give some shameless plugs for places I will be popping up soon.
This is a link to the IAMA I will be doing in the near future, as requested by some members of the community, so please feel free to join in and ask me anything. I will do the best I can to answer any and all questions. Pick my brain. This is your chance! I will post more information as soon as I know a date and time.
Second, I will be starting a podcast this week called Brainstorm Brewery on MTGCast. I will post a link when I have more info, but for those of you who love podcasts or don’t always have the time to read the articles, I will be joined by a few other financial names to talk shop—not only about the financial world, but about everything from Legacy to Standard as well!
