Awesome.
Now there are different reasons for trading, some do it for money, others do it because they enjoy it over playing, and then there are people who just need certain cards and don't want to shell out the cash for them. Whichever reason you are doing it we all follow some of the basic principles of the trading game. Like the actual game of Magic there are plays to be made at the trading tables, there are misplays and punts that can either put you in the position of losing out on a trade or getting ripped. Don't let this put you off of the game though, trading is a skill and has its own sub-culture. The financial side of Magic is a monster to tame and you need to know the core elements and etiquette if you want to master it.
To start on the path of being a trader and getting what you want for nothing but the pieces of cardboard in your binder you need to understand that trading isn't just something to do every once and awhile, but something that you have to understand is always there and that you can save yourself some cash by following the rules of the game.
We'll start off on our journey by learning how to think about trading.
The Thought Process
The mental game of trading is a big part of being successful. Jonathan Medina summed it up best with the 3 points: Need nothing, trade for everything, and trade with everyone.
Need Nothing
This hooks into a phrase I tell myself every time I finish a trade: The cards will come back. When you need a card it makes you super vulnerable when trading for it. When that fetchland is sitting on the table and you need that card. The person trading it to you is going to pull every card they can out of your binder because they know that you need that card. I know I've used this strategy before when trading high value cards. My playset of Lotus Cobras were traded away for a stack of M10 duals, another stack of WWK Manlands, a foil Jace Beleren, and a Jace, the Mindsculptor among other random throw ins such as fetchlands. Now I got this trade because the person getting the Cobras needed them.
Trade For Everything
This I think is the thought process that separates most traders. I will trade for anything and everything a person has so long as it meets the value that we've agreed upon for my cards on the table. By doing this I am able to stock cards in my binder that may seem as odd but I know that someone will want it. By doing that you are able to gain the reputation of being the person to go to when something specific is needed.
Trade With Everyone
This one is easy to do, the thing is unfortunately most people won't do this. They will go to the few people they know and trade with them but will shy away from going up to someone and meeting someone new. I don't have any problems meeting new people and introducing myself. I try and get to know the person a little bit before asking them to crack open a binder. That way you aren't seen as being a jerk and just looking to level up your binder but are seen as a person who is genuine in getting someone that last dragon to make their EDH deck a true competitor.
The Trade Binder
The binder. The crutch of all trading opportunities. Building a good binder is a whole 'nother post and there isn't one true correct way to do it. There is, however, a rule for all binders and that is that you need a strategy while building it.
Like any regular Magic player you probably have a ton of decks build that you like to play and test but by doing that you are hanging your binder out to dry. All those sweet foils and fetchlands could be used to level up the binder and gain that extra life. So I went through a process called purging. I took every deck I owned and ripped them completely apart and unpimped the one deck I put together to play. I threw all of the cards onto the floor into piles and began my binder building process. By doing this you maximise the amount of value you can get out of your collection while at the same time having a competitive deck to play.
So that's pretty much the start of becoming a savvy trader. Once you've gone through and purged your collection and built the binder head to your local store and see if you can start the process. At the prerelease for Scars I got many compliments on the collection I carried with me and through this thought process of trading for everything and not needing anything I've begun to learn that the cards will always come back. I've started you down the path, now go trade!
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