Legacy Allure

Posted on January 3, 2014

Over the past few months, I have talked about the best ways to invest in certain formats over time so as to allow your hobby to pay for itself. This week, I will be continuing that series by covering Legacy, the most popular Eternal format. Unlike Standard, Legacy never rotates and rarely is shaken up, leaving you with a far more consistent market that can be tracked through the course of years—not months. Though this means you are far less likely to have a strong number of cards spiking in a particular month, it does mean you are presented with a market in which the cards are unlikely to drop—outside of reprints and bans. This makes the idea of placing your money in Legacy cards much more alluring to long-term investors. This week, I want to concentrate on not only utilizing Legacy to turn a profit but how to also use the format to slowly grow your own collection to make the format much more accessible. That being said, this week, I will be primarily covering the subject as though you currently have a very small number of Legacy cards and are looking to expand. In the future, I will return to Legacy and talk about individual shifts and how to watch the long-term market to identify where to place your money.

Looking at Legacy from the outside can create an overwhelming sense of an overbearing market and format. The key is to not worry about particular decks in the beginning, as you will many times miss deals and future profit potential as you pick up cards you know you “need,” leaving yourself paying retail for most cards. The real key is to start either by buying a collection or by finding someone who will trade straight-up for your more-recently-printed cards. Once you have gained a small collection, you can then start upgrading that through trade—since Legacy is a slower-moving format, it also means you will probably trade cards at a much slower pace as well, which is why I suggest starting small so you don’t exclusively have Legacy cards. Using these cards as a draw for trade can be a great resource, and when you find the right person who needs that to finish a deck, you can ask for a premium because Legacy cards are usually harder to find than newer formats’ cards.

This may seem to be a really slow process, but the more cards you acquire over time, the easier it is for you to start pulling cards for decks when you find them for good deals. Unlike buying a deck if you can find even fifty percent from players, you create a format that suddenly seems far less inaccessible. As with anything, I suggest starting with real estate; this doesn’t exclusively means duals or fetches, but those cards are strong places to start. I also suggest targeting cards that have more wear, as many people are far more willing to come off them at a reasonable price. If you have access to a seller service, you can easily turn these cards around—usually for more than you traded them at, allowing you to then use that money to buy cards at a reasonable buy list from locals. Once you make it to the point at which you have a regular turn around, both locally and online, it is time to start hunting for your eventual Legacy collection.

When I was getting into Legacy a number of years ago, I turned this model into a way to slowly accumulate my forty-set of duals as well as a number of other staples. After doing so, I realized that not only can Legacy be cheaper than Standard in the long term, but it also has more sure returns if you hold onto cards for long enough. This helped reinforce my idea that Eternal formats are eventually where most players who play competitively will end up. The fact that you are not on a constant goose chase for cards leaves you with a far easier time preparing for an event, including but not limited to more time to test. It is also great for people who do not have enough time to play regularly, as a bit of light reading each week or two and a few purchases here and there can keep you within range of almost every deck in the format.

As a player, it is a relief to know that most of your cards are fairly safe from any sudden drops, and even those that are reprinted have the potential to go back up over time. In addition to that, cards are far less likely to drop due to the current metagame and instead usually only gain value over time even with limited play just due to how inaccessible many of them can be. While this makes getting into the format a daunting task, it is also a much more secure feeling when you look at your binder full of duals and staples after the journey.

For those looking to move into Legacy quickly, I ask that you reconsider; if, however, you are hell-bent on moving in quickly, it is best to look for auctions to snipe and retail sites that will hold periodic sales on Eternal cards they are overstocked on. This takes away at least some of the sting that can come from moving into the format quickly. The best time is during the holidays, as there are relatively few events, and it is likely that stores will be moving cards for less to keep inventory moving. Auctions can also be found ending at relatively low prices during the holidays as people concentrate their attention on family and friends and less on hobbies.

A great time to look for collections that may contain older cards is right after the school year starts. Many times, kids or their parents will sell collections when they leave for school as they are cleaning out their homes. More often than not, you can usually find a great deal from these people, as they no longer play and many times are just relieved to receive some amount of money for things that have been collecting dust in their closets for years. Beyond looking for collections, picking up singles is usually best right before a major Legacy event, as hype is everything for turning them around, and people usually become excited about the format a few times a year as a Grand Prix comes around or there happens to be a local StarCityGames event. Going in during these times is not necessary but usually creates opportunities for moving cards that may not always be available otherwise.

The last word of advice I have for the format is more relevant once you have a collection started, but it is still important to keep in mind. If a card has not spiked in a while, it is probably because it is about to do so. Though it may seem that Legacy prices stagnate other than the in demand staples, it in fact shows growth that surpasses most other formats as a whole. That is why the end goal of anyone looking to go into the format is much different than it would be for a rotating format such as Standard. The idea is to create a collection that is expansive and broad rather than aimed just at cards you believe will have short-term spikes. Even if some of your called shots do not work out, you will probably make money anyway as all of the excess you hold onto only grow. The real key for a Legacy player to understand is that no matter the hills and valleys of cards, overall, everything heads in an upward pattern. This means it is best to keep your money in Legacy cards rather than constantly stressing about reprints. Even if a card is reprinted, the long-term value may take a hit, but it usually still shows a positive growth over time.

Thank you for reading this week, and I hope everyone had a great holidays. I apologize for not writing last week, but between the major power outage here in Michigan and the holiday season that engulfed my life, it can be hard at times to keep up on all of the relevant financial information. On the subject of relevant information, be sure to check in next week as I cover a member of the finance community that is working on a project you will certainly want to check out. I have been using this site for the past few months now, and I must say it is the real deal for anyone looking to snag good deals just above buy list. I think any of you who read this series to advance your collection and push your hobby forward cannot afford to miss next week. As always, if you have any comments or questions, be sure to leave them below or tweet me. Until next week, stay warm, and enjoy the last of your vacations.

Ryan Bushard

@CryppleCommand