The Big Trades

So I've been gone for awhile and haven't been able to keep up with my weekly posting but that doesn't mean the trading stops. Oh no, it's always on wherever I am and tonight I want to bring to the table some of the bigger trades I've been in over the past couple of weeks.

Big Trade #1

My (99.41)

• 4x AEther Vial (Played, valued at 8) - 7.99
• 1x Warren Instigator - 5.49
• 1x Siege-Gang Commander (Foil) - 4.99
• 2x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle - 2.99
• 1x Primeval Titan - 44.99
• 1x Inferno Titan - 8.99

His (98.97)

• 1x Jace, the Mindsculptor - 85.99
• 1x Sun Titan - 8.99
• 1x Seachrome Crest - 3.99

Net (-0.44)

Even though dollar-wise this is pretty even I picked up yet another Jace, the Mindsculptor and you really can never have too many of those guys.

Big Trade #2

My (131.20)

• 1x Elspeth Tirel - 39.99
• 1x Venser, the Sojourner - 37.99
• 3x Dragonskull Summit - 8.79
• 3x Rootbound Crag - 5.98
• 2x Sunpetal Grove - 7.47
• 1x Wurmcoil Engine - 14.99
• 1x Sword of Body and Mind - 15.99

His

• Lots of stuff all non-Type 2 that roughly equals 300$

Net(~$200)

The abyss. The place where good old Magic cards go to when the casual kitchen table players open stuff in prereleases and boxes. I was talking to a guy at the LGS about how mana is so important to a good deck and he had told me that he needed a certain number of the M11 dual lands to complete his sets and I said I had them for trade and I got the magical "Well, it's all in boxes at my house." Awesome, I went over to his place and went through a 5000 count box plus a good 8-9 fat pack boxes of old extended and legacy staples. Highlights are a playset of Noble Hierarchs, AEther Vials, Crucible of Worlds, Thoughtseize, Path to Exiles, and parts of the legacy Fish deck.

Don't be afraid to go big when trading. Often times you can get piles upon piles of good 3-4$ uncommons just because the person isn't using them anymore and they are "Just an uncommon." And about the abyss, we need to get these cards out of the boxes in closets and out onto the market to keep the trading game alive. Whenever you're at a prerelease or launch event try and bring home some of the staple cards and load up on casual appeal.

Thanks for reading.

Path to Power - Basics of Trading

So you've decided that you would like to become a trader...

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!

Weekly Trading - 9/19 through 9/25

Yay for prerelease week. So Scars of Mirrodin is legal on the 1st of October and we just finished up the prerelease weekend. I signed up for the Saturday release because usually that's the biggest turnout. I filled up my binder as much as I could during the week in preperation. I know I said I would be posting more general theory on Magic and trading but I've been a little busy with other thing but I promise it is coming. Eventually.

Trade #1

So I've been trying to find foil Knight Exemplar's for a local at the shop and on draft Sunday was able to find one in a binder. I told him to look through my stuff for anything he would like and found a foil Island and Maelstrom Pulse. Well the foil Exemplar isn't worth that much to me so I kept looking. I asked him to value the STP and he placed at $3 so that was added in. By finding the random foils for regulars I become "That guy." who has everything and can get something specific for someone.

My (14.98)

• 1x Island - ZEN #236 Foil - 4.99
• 1x Maelstrom Pulse - 9.99

His (25.97)

• 1x Sun Titan - 8.99
• 1x Knight Exemplar - Foil - 8.99
• 1x Swords to Plowshares - UNL - 7.99

Net (+10.99)

Trade #2

New people during draft days are always good to run into. They don't have a lot on them generally but also are usually casual players who only draft to pickup new cards. The guy's first words to me are something along the lines of "I don't think I have anything you want." Sometimes this is the case but if I can make something if anything work out then they walk away happy and the next time they pull something crazy in draft they are more likely to go to the guy who hooked them up in the first place.

My (2.98)

• 1x Reverberate - 2.49
• 1x Roil Elemental - .49

His (10.47)

• 1x Sunpetal Grove - 3.49
• 1x Dragonskull Summit - 3.99
• 1x Brittle Effigy - 2.99

Net (+7.49)

Trade #3

Yes the Exemplar gets turned around to the guy who wanted it. I know Coralhelm Commander has been slowly growing in price because of Legacy fish. Whether or not they will be played in Standard is yet to be seen so I will continue to pick them up when I see them.

My (8.99)

• 1x Knight Exemplar - Foil - 8.99

His (14.23)

• 1x Coralhelm Commander - 4.49
• 3x Sea Gate Oracle - .25
• 1x Celestial Colonnade - Foil - 8.99

Net (+5.24)

Trade #4

Away with the Swords! Yeah they have been sitting in the binder since the Vaults came out and now people are trying to pick them up. I see their value falling soon but we'll see. I would rather have regulars in my binder to trade away then a Vault foil because of the process they go through. I don't understand why Wizards continues to mess with the foiling process in promotional sets. Look at the Elspeth vs Tezzeret foil process!

My (12.49)

• 1x Sword of Body and Mind - FtV:R Foil - 12.49

His (27.47)

• 1x Spreading Seas - Foil - 2.49
• 1x Island - Unhinged Foil - 11.99
• 1x Abyssal Persecutor - 12.99

Net (+14.98)

Trade #5

So a few guys around the shop are attempting to build a blue Fish deck for standard. Naturally Coralhelm Commander is one of the better lords to have in a merfolk deck so they were picked out of my binder pretty fast. Also the new MPR mailings came in, sadly I didn't hit enough tournaments to make the Day of Judgment level but I got the better of the 2 textless spells as far as trading them away goes. The trade was really for the Warren Instigator and Jace Beleren but I asked for the dragons and Tuktuk as throw ins.

My (13.97)

• 2x Coralhelm Commander - 4.49
• 1x Brave the Elements - Textless Promo - 4.99

His (14.47)

• 1x Tuktuk the Explorer - .99
• 1x Warren Instigator - 4.99
• 2x Hoarding Dragon - .75
• 1x Jace Beleren -6.99

Net (+0.50)

Trade #6

Prerelease day! Woot! One of the biggest days when it comes to trading because not only is there a ton of people but most of them are not locals and they don't come to nightly tournaments or FNMs. The story behind this trade is that a group of people came down from Kingman and Lake Havasu. Why? I have no idea but according to them there is barely any Magic near them. The only problem I noticed with these guys is that they have no real... I guess sense of patience. As I'm dealing with the kid below a bunch of others showed up and starting flipping through my binder. Now as I'm trying to be polite I'm keeping an eye on my binder and trying to close this deal below. I have no problems with people glancing at my binder while I'm trading but when one of the kids tried pulling out a card I had to ask him to wait until I was done and I think at that point they understood that I only will deal with one person at a time. Funny thing about the trade below was that he was adament about getting a uncommon back for the foil Cursecatcher. Some people.

My (13.20)

• 1x Tainted Isle - .99
• 1x Jhoira of the Ghitu - 2.49
• 1x Horizon Canopy - 4.99
• 1x Ancient Hellkite - .49
• 1x Hellkite Overlord - 3.49
• 1x Hoarding Dragon - .75

His (16.94)

• 1x Merfolk Sovereign - .99
• 1x Leyline of the Void - 1.99
• 1x Ancient Ampitheater - .99
• 1x Ethersworn Canonist - 2.99
• 1x Gemstone Mine - 3.99
• 1x Cursecatcher - Foil - 5.99

Net (+3.74)

Trade #7

Apprently they don't get MPR up there either. This guy had no idea they even made Terminate and Unmake in textless. Don't ask me. He wasn't so sure about the trade because I seem to be getting more as far as rarity was concerned until I threw the Canonist into the pile. It was almost an immediate "Yes." Not to mention the kid had vampire nails... what do they do out there? Sheesh.

My (20.21)

• 1x Lightning Bolt - Textless Foil - 10.99
• 1x Vault of Whispers - .75
• 1x Terminate - Textless Promo - 2.99
• 1x Unmake - Textless Promo - 2.49
• 1x Ethersworn Canonist - 2.99

His (38.44)

• 1x Ajani Goldmane - 6.99
• 1x Phylactery Lich - 5.99
• 2x Steel Overseer - 7.99
• 2x Thirst for Knowledge - 1.25
• 2x Everflowing Chalice - .99
• 1x Mishra's Factory - 5.99

Net (+18.23)

Trade #8

This trade still kind of irks me. The tournament was about to start so we were clearing the tables and this guy had been watching me trade for a bit. So he went through and pulled out the cards he wanted. From looking at the cards on the table I knew I was losing out on the deal but there were a bunch of people around watching the trade go down. So to save face and show the others I was easy to deal with I told the guy that it was fine and scooped up the cards. By this point I had a stack of newly acquired cards to throw into the binder and we were off to starting the tournament.

My (25.47)

• 1x Day of Judgment - 4.49
• 1x Goblin Guide - 6.99
• 1x Cryptic Command - 13.99

His (22.71)

• 1x Merfolk Sovereign - Foil - 1.49
• 1x Ancient Tomb - 6.99
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor - 1.25
• 1x Obstinate Baloth - 7.99
• 1x Flooded Grove - 4.99

Net (-2.76)

Trade #9

Now this trade made me feel better about my skills as a trader. A local player knew I had a few Baneslayers for trade so he attempted to get them from me. At first he offered me 3 Gideons straight up for the Baneslayers but I told him I'd rather break the 3rd Gideon into smaller cards. He aggreed to that so I came out with the following trade and went on happily with my day.

My (49.98)

• 2x Baneslayer Angel - 24.99

His (74.95)

• 2x Gideon Jura - 26.99
• 2x Stoneforge Mystic - 6.99
• 1x Goblin Guide - 6.99

Net (+24.97)

Trade #10

After the tournament I stuck around to trade with those who had stayed and wanted to trade some Scars cards. My sealed pool had offered me some good trade fodder in things like Tempered Steel and Grand Architect. I like the Arbiter and I think it will go up more then some other rares from Scars.

My (3.49)

• 1x Tempered Steel - 3.49

His (3.49)

• 1x Leonin Arbiter - 3.49

Net (0.00)

Trade #11

Oh right I had a Steel Hellkite too. So again that fish deck came up during trades and someone wanted both my Architect and Hellkite. I needed to refill on  some staple cards so I picked up Jace ( You can never have too many Jeffs. ) and some Extended staples.

My (7.48)

• 1x Grand Architect - 4.99
• 1x Steel Hellkite - 2.49

His (31.47)

• 1x Jace Beleren - 7.49
• 1x Noble Hierarch - 13.99
• 1x Knight of the Reliquery - 9.99

Net (+23.99)

Trade #12

A trade with my friend B. Page. I see the Titans possibly coming down after rotation and Stoneforges have slowly been gaining value over the past couple of days. Even though I lost value on paper I think I can turn the Stoneforges into much much more soon. He told me he needs to stop picking up Titans but I think this might be the 3rd or 4th he's gotten from me. Thanks buddy!

My (8.99)

• 1x Inferno Titan - 8.99

His (6.99)

• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 6.99

Net (-2.00)

So that's all for this week. Hopefully Scars brings a new level of value to my binder. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Weekly Trading - 9/12 through 9/18

Another week in the books and another post of trades. Pretty busy week between finals at school and making it to the card shop on a regular basis. The reputation I've developed has really helped me in trades when people know that I have cards they need, and as I get to know everyone around the shop I know to pick up certain cards for certain people. I was also asked to start writing about general Magic related things as well as a primer essentially on trading, and how to get into the trading game. So be on the lookout for a post soon, on to the trades!

Trade #1

Pretty simple trade here. I know Legacy is starting to become more and more popular around town and one of the better decks in the format is Fish. So when I see staples like Lord of Atlantis sitting in binders I tend to pick them up on the cheap.

My (2.23)

• 1x Crystal Ball - .49
• 1x Aether Adept - .25
• 1x Cancel - Promo - 1.49

His (3.99)

• 1x Lord of Atlantis - 3.99

Net (+1.76)

Trade #2

EDH is big at the local shop, so my random rare pile will get raided every once and awhile and I'm able to pick up old super commons and uncommons like Kitchen Finks for some random dollar rare. Unfortunatly most EDH players tend to keep their better cards in their decks and not out on the trade tables.

My (1.25)

• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse - 1.25

His (3.49)

• 1x Kitchen Finks - 3.49

Net (+2.24)

Trade #3

Another little EDH trade. My Chords have been sitting around after the last Extended season when I played Elves! but since then they haven't done much for me.

My (1.49)

• 1x Chord of Calling - 1.49

His (4.49)

• 1x Birds of Paradise - 4.49

Net (+3.00)

Trade #4

So there's a new guy around the shop and hasn't gotten a whole lot on him to trade away for the stuff he needs. He was attempting Mono-W and I told him to go looking through my binder for anything that he liked. The thing with new players when trading is you don't want to rummage through their stuff and say "Nah, you ain't got nothin' I want." Instead try and find even super commons or uncommons to try and make nice. That way when the guy wants to try a different build or color he's not going to go to just anyone but the guy who hooked him up in the first place.

My (3.99)

• 2x Armament Master - .75
• 1x Honor of the Pure - 2.49

His (7.96)

• 2x Lightning Bolt - 1.49
• 2x Merfolk Soverign - Foil - 2.49

Net (+3.97)

Trade #5

Gideons will go up, I have no doubts on that. How much depends on Scars of Mirrodin. The fact that all the cheap Planeswalker removal is rotating means that a 'Walker that comes out and protects Jace and yourself could be very important to control decks. A recommended pick-up wherever possible.

My (31.70)

• 3x Cursecatcher - 1.99
• 1x Fauna Shaman - 12.99
• 1x Arid Mesa - 11.99
• 2x Burrenton Forge-Tender - .75

His (52.47)

• 2x Gideon Jura - 24.99
• 1x Wall of Omens - 2.49

Net (+20.77)

Trade #6

Another recommended pick-up. With O-ring and Path gone we have no way to remove problematic creatures for good, I'm looking at you Vengevine. So with Brittle Effigy out there control decks have a way to get rid of them plus Iona and Emrakul from the Polymorph decks, in addition to that it has a CMC of 1, giant Trinket Mage target.

My (.99)

• 1x Tectonic Edge - .99

His (2.49)

• 1x Brittle Effigy - 2.49

Net (+1.50)

Trade #7

I knew all those Lodestones would come in handy. I'm trying to pick up what I think are going to be big cards come rotation. Fetches are never a bad choice and Jace is still one of the better ways to deal with.. well.. Jace.

My (27.95)

• 1x Abyssal Persecutor - 12.99
• 3x Lodestone Golem - 3.99
• 1x Nantuko Shade - 2.99

His (30.95)

• 1x Arid Mesa - 11.99
• 1x Jace Beleren - 6.99
• 1x Birds of Paradise - 4.49
• 1x Basalisk Collar - 5.99
• 1x Cancel - Promo - 1.49

Net (+3.00)

Trade #8

Yes I know this is a questionable trade but believe me I barked and haggled but could NOT get this guy to trade any additional cards for the foreign one. I know that the Chinese one is worth more on paper and is near double on online retailers but there just isn't a market here in Vegas for foreign cards. This guy happens to be one of them and I would rather have a card I can move then can't.

My (6.49)

• 1x Dragonskull Summit - Foreign - 6.49

His (3.99)

• 1x Dragonskull Summit - 3.99

Net (-2.50)

Trade #9

Again, Legacy becoming more and more popular. Stapled such as Brainstorm and Daze will never really drop in trade value especially when dealing with someone who is just getting into it for the first time. Funny thing about this trade was the guy's friend was sitting next to him the whole time basically telling him not to trade anything because he wanted to use those cards. Problem is that guy lost a ~700$ deck last week when he left it outside the shop so I'm not too sure the other guy is going to listen to him.

My (16.71)

• 1x Daze - Nemesis - 2.99
• 3x Daze - DD: JvC - 3.99
• 4x Brainstorm - Promo Reprint - 1.75

His (29.65)

• 1x All is Dust - 14.99
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 5.99
• 2x Thirst for Knowledge - DD: EvT - 1.25
• 1x Trinket Mage - DD: EvT - .45
• 1x Everflowing Chalace - DD: EvT - .99
• 1x Wall of Omens - 2.49
• 1x Sunpetal Grove - 3.49

Net (+12.94)

Trade #10

Finally was able to move my set of Polymorphs. What a bogus call that was to pick up sets of these come Eldrazi time.

My (3.96)

• 4x Polymorph - .99

His (6.49)

• 1x Ajani Goldmane - 6.49

Net (+2.53)

Trade #11

A trade with my friend Hitchler, nothing too exciting.

My (2.98)

• 1x Condemn - Promo - 1.99
• 1x Celestial Purge - Foil - .99

His (5.99)

• 1x Leyline of Sanctity - 5.99

Net (+3.01)

Trade #12

Another new guy to the shop I saw at FNM. He was just coming back into Magic after a hiatus and wanted some staples to be able to trade, I picked through his binder and was able to find a few cards he undervalued such as the Lich and Bolt.

My (25.96)

• 1x Sun Titan - 8.99
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 5.99
• 1x Basilisk Collar - 5.99
• 1x Raging Ravine - 4.99

His (37.95)

• 1x Jace Beleren - 6.99
• 1x Lavaclaw Reaches - 3.99
• 1x Obstinate Baloth - 7.99
• 1x Lightning Bolt - Promo Foil - 10.99
• 1x Phylactery Lich - Foil - 7.99

Net (+11.99)

Trade #13

A trade with B.Page. Picking up extra Effigys here just in case the price begins to rise come rotation.

My (18.96)

• 2x Jace Beleren - 6.99
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor - Foil - 3.99
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor - .99

His (24.94)

• 2x Brittle Effigy - 2.49
• 1x Stirring Wildwood - 3.99
• 1x Horizon Canopy - 4.99
• 1x Coralhelm Commander - 4.49
• 1x Ajani Goldmane - 6.49
• 1x US Quarter - Infinite.

Net (+5.98)

Trade #14

The Verdant below was in a slightly worse condition then "Slightly Played" so I gave him 8$ in trade on it. When trading with this guy I noticed he wouldn't care if I threw uncommons and commons into the pile but would hesitate if I attempted to throw in rares. These guys tend to be the "rare for rare" type people. They don't value dollars but the rarity on the card more. The foil Voltaic Key is worth more then the Stoneforge I was attempting to get from him but he was more akin to keeping the two-drop. So I told him to go through and throw in what he think sis fair. This is what came out of it.

My (9.99)

• 1x Verdant Catacombs - SP - 9.99

His (14.71)

• 1x Voltaic Key - Foil - 5.99
• 1x Brittle Effigy - 2.49
• 1x Everflowing Chalice - .99
• 1x Sea Gate Oracle - .25
• 1x Celestial Colonnade - 4.99

Net (+4.72)

Trade #15

So a newer player asked me how to draft and I began to explain to him how drafting goes and what signals are and what to look for when he said to me "Hey I'll just buy a box and we'll do it." So he went and purchased a box of Zendikar and we held a mock draft, I won because I had drafted that set a lot and was able to get dibs on trading for anything cool he opened. Turns out a foil Marsh Flats and regular Marsh Flats are on my cool list. Foil fetchlands will net a premium to the right person.

My (29.99)

• 1x Baneslayer Angel - 29.99

His (40.97)

• 1x Marsh Flats - 10.99
• 1x Marsh Flats - Foil - 24.99
• 1x Island - ZEN #236 Foil - 4.99

Net (+10.98)

Trade #16

Ah ye old box of random crap. So the guy who bought the box above said he had a shoebox full of old cards he didn't care too much about and wanted to know if it was worth anything. I picked through and pulled out what I thought would be worth something. He netted a playset of Stoneforge Mystics and I restocked my Legacy playables.

My (23.96)

• 4x Stoneforge Mystic - 5.99

His (51.62)

• 3x Brainstorm - Promo Reprint - 1.75
• 1x Ancestral Vision - 4.99
• 2x Swords to Plowshares - Promo Reprint - 5.99
• 1x Swords to Plowshares - 3rd - 4.99
• 1x Mortify - 1.49
• 7x Lightning Helix - 2.99
• 1x Krosan Grip - 2.99
• 1x Gaea's Blessing - 1.99

Net (+27.66)

Trade #17

Whenever I trade a card out of my binder I always keep a note to myself to try and replace that card soon as possible. So when I saw a Baneslayer sitting in a binder I went for it and was able to pull out the trade. It's always a good thing to keep track of what cards float in and out of the binder so that you know what sells fast and what collects dust that way when a big tournament rolls around you can stock up on those cards.

My (23.98)
2x Misty Rainforest - 11.99
His (34.98)
1x Baneslayer Angel - 29.99
1x Celestial Colonnade - 4.99
Net (+11.00)

Well that's all for that week, hopefully I'll have some other posts up in the upcoming week with being off from school and all. Thanks for reading.

Weekly Trading - 9/5 through 9/11

Another week down and another week full of grinding trades. I've been developing a reputation at the local shop  as being easy to trade with and having the cards that people need. By having this rep I'm able to initiate trades pretty easily and grind through the week. As with everyone else at the shop starting to trade with others themselves their binders are constantly changing which is healthy for my growing binder. So here are the trades of the week.

Trade #1

So a guy I know is trying to finish off his Turboland deck and can't seem to find Oracle of Mul Daya. He can find Primeval Titans but no Oracle... sure. I threw in the Steel Overseer because I see a big spike in price just as Scars of Mirrodin is getting released but it will more then likely fall after that point. If it doesn't look like it's going to drop then I would consider picking these back up.

My (9.98)

• 2x Oracle of Mul Daya - 4.99

His (23.47)

• 1x Fauna Shaman - 13.99
• 1x Steel Overseer - 4.99
• 1x Celestial Colonnade - 4.49

Net (+13.49)

Trade #2

So this was a simple trade with my friend B.Page. He wanted my Fauna Shaman and I wanted the Misty Rainforest, the other cards thrown in were kind of a joke.

My (16.97)

• 1x Lodestone Golem - 1.99
• 1x Fauna Shaman - 13.99
• 1x Royal Assassin - .99

His (16.98)

• 1x Coralhelm Commander - 3.99
• 1x Misty Rainforest - 12.99

Net (+0.01)

Trade #3

I love trading around the end of a standard set. People will just start dumping off cards they don't want because they have little to no interest in playing in Extended or Legacy. In Picking up these Maelstrom Pulses I'll be able to grind through PTQ season with the Doran deck and then sell them off near the end. Easy money.

My (26.22)

• 1x Spreading Seas - .75
• 2x Lightning Bolt - Foil Promo - 10.99
• 1x Luminarch Ascension - 3.49

His (66.94)

• 4x Maelstrom Pulse - 9.99
• 1x Fauna Shaman - 13.99
• 1x Sarkhan the Mad - 12.99

Net (+40.72)

Trade #4

Ah the Duel Deck syndrome, how you treat me so good. So this week the Elspeth vs Tezzeret duel deck came out and people went nuts over picking up a foil Elspeth, even though the foil process they went through is even worse then the From the Vault series people still like them. The thing I like abou the duel decks is nobody cares about any of the other cards in the set. So I'm able to pick up cards like Swords to plowshares relatively cheap due to nobody wanting a non-Type 2 card.

My (10.74)

• 1x Soul's Attendant - Foil - .75
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - Foil - 9.99

His (27.98)

• 2x - Thirst for Knowledge - DD:EvT - 1.49
• 1x Trinket Mage - DD:EvT - .55
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 4.99
• 1x Mishra's Factory - DD:EvT - 4.99
• 1x Wall of Omens - 2.49
• 2x Swords to Plowshares - DD:EvT - 5.99

Net (+17.24)

Trade #5

A trade with my good friend Hitchler who I am training in the ways of the trade. He had a Baneslayer for trade and we came to this trade below. The thing with teaching someone how to trade is being able to get them to understand that cards should flow through like water, if you never "need" anything and just grind through eventually you won't have to buy a single card for any deck you want to build. Such is the life of a grinder.

My (21.47)

• 1x Inferno Titan - 10.99
• 1x Celestial Colonnade - 4.49
• 1x Celestial Colonnade - Buy-a-Box Promo - 5.99

His (33.48)

• 1x Baneslayer Angel - 31.99
• 1x Cancel - Textless Promo - 1.49

Net (+12.01)

Trade #6

So hanging around in the shop in the middle of the week can pay off tremendously. Randomly this guy comes in with a  giant box of cards, we all figure he's going to sell them to the store for some quick cash and take off but instead he sits down and starts pulling out binders. The dish is the guy is getting back into Magic after about a year break and needs some Type 2 stuff. I flip through his binders and find some old Legacy staples and ask him if they are for trade. His reply is one of the best things to hear to a trader, "Oh that old thing yeah sure, I don't play any of the old cards." With this mentality you can grab crazy deal like the one I did below. Nothing beats my other friend Loster who traded a Overgrown Tomb for a Grim Tutor, figure that one out.

My (13.70)

• 1x Wanderwine Hub - 1.99
• 2x Drowned Catacomb - 3.99
• 1x Traumatize - 1.99
• 1x Haunting Echoes - .75
• 1x Everflowing Chalice - .99

His (53.21)

• 2x Windswept Heath - 18.99
• 1x Zur the Enchanter - 1.49
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice - 12.99
• 1x Treefolk Harbinger - .75

Net (+39.51)

Trade #7

Shineys, foilys, whatever you want to call them people will always want them. Playable foils hardly ever stick  in my binder less then a week.

My (12.99)

• 1x Cryptic Command - Foil Promo - 12.99

His (20.98)

• 1x Verdant Catacombs - 11.99
• 1x Obstinate Baloth - 8.99

Net (+7.99)

Trade #8

Case in point, this guy again only plays in Type 2 so could care less about the older cards. The filter lands will be a staple in the upcoming Extended season and I'm hoping they make a quick jump to $10
 so I can cash out at the end of the season.

My (4.73)

• 1x Celestial Purge - Textless Promo - 1.99
• 1x Kor Duelist - Foil Promo - .75
• 1x Armament Master - Foil - 1.99

His (11.33)

• 1x Flooded Grove - 5.49
• 1x Mystic Gate - 5.49
• 1x Nantuko Monastery - .35

Net (+6.60)

Trade #9

Now here is a controversial point, below is an obvious lopsided trade to the point where I actually told the guy he needed to go find something else. He turned me down at every point saying "No, I have too many cards already." Not sure how you can have too many cards but he was happy with the 1 Omnath and a happy person will come back to me at another time with more stuff.

My (2.99)

• 1x Omnath, Locus of Mana - 2.99

His (17.69)

• 1x Deathmark - Foil - .75
• 2x Leyline of the Void - 1.99
• 1x Eye of Ugin - 3.99
• 1x Lodestone Golem - 1.99
• 2x Overwhelming Stampede - 3.49

Net (+17.70)

Trade #10

A friend of mine is building a Fish deck for both Standard and Legacy and needed the Coralhelm Commanders, he was trying to move his Gideons so I happily took them off his hands. A story about that altered Rhox War Monk though was I picked it up about a year ago in some random trade and it's sat in my binder to the point where it was just like a "Oh, that's cool, did you do that?" sign. I priced it as a foil card and was finally able to move it.

My (14.96)

• 3x Coralhelm Commander - 3.99
• 1x Rhox War Monk - Altered Art - 2.99

His (39.98)

• 1x Scalding Tarn - 13.99
• 1x Gideon Jura - 25.99

Net (+25.02)

Trade #11

This was the same guy as above who had the Windswept Heaths. He came back after reorganizing his stuff from a box of binders to a single binder. I pulled the Cryptic Commands out and he asked me what would be good trade fodder for him, I told him the Stoneforge is always good to have so he took that. He then went through my bulk rare box and pulled out some stuff for his friends to finish up their decks.

My (7.70)

• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 4.99
• 1x Lightwielder Paladin - .49
• 1x Halo Hunter - .49
• 1x Butcher of Malakir - .75
• 1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs - .49
• 1x Predatory Urge - .49

His (25.98)

• 2x Cryptic Command - 12.99

Net (+18.28)

Trade #12

A trade with a good friend who opened up the duel deck, I asked for the Swords and other stuff and he said he had more Swords if I wanted them, you can never have too many Swords.

My (21.98)

• 2x Marsh Flats - 10.99

His (35.47)

• 2x Swords to Plowshares - DD:EvT - 5.99
• 3x Swords to Plowshares - Revised - 4.99
• 1x Mishra's Factory - DD:EvT - 4.99
• 1x Trinket Mage - DD:EvT - .55
• 2x Thirst for Knowledge - 1.49

Net (+13.49)

Trade #13

Another trade with Hitchler, the green Leyline was a throw in and it ended up getting thrown at the store owner for an ice cold Pepsi. What the hell else am I going to do with the card?

My (20.97)

• 1x Marsh Flats - 10.99
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic - 4.99 
• 1x Day of Judgement - 4.99

His (26.98)

• 1x Gideon Jura - 25.99
• 1x Leyline of Vitality - .99

Net (+6.01)

Trade #14

This guy wanted my Verdant Catacombs but I couldn't find anything worth it in his binder, instead he asked for the textless Sign in Blood and I was able to trade it for a usable land.

My (2.49)

• 1x Sign in Blood - Textless Promo - 2.49

His (4.99)

• 1x Glacial Fortress - 4.99

Net (+2.50)

That's all for this week, thanks for reading.

Trader Etiquette

Today is not about value or posts of my trades during the week but rather etiquette. At the local gaming store I've noticed a few things have been happening since I started my intense trading practices, one of them being others have gotten into trading themselves. Others getting into the trading game is a great thing, however, some of them aren't quite sure of how to deal with others trading around a table. One FNM I was attempting to close in on a deal involving a foil Primeval Titan among other cards, now my trade partner and I had agreed on a value of around $60 for the foil Titan. The guy with the Titan wasn't a newbie to the game nor was he retarded when it came to valuing cards for playability. As I'm about to close the deal this kid, who I know pretty well mind you, comes up and exclaims "A foil Primeval Titan! Man, that thing is like 85 bucks!" Now I lose the trade because the guy I was trading it for figures that if someone at the shop values it that high he can get more then I'm giving him for it. This is a very irritating thing to happen to any trader, the fact that we had agreed on it's value only to have an outsider who hasn't been watching the trade go down step in and jumble the prices. This is something that people who aren't aware of the trading aspects of Magic don't quite understand, I don't value the cards at retail like most others. I'm sorry but a foil Primeval Titan isn't anywhere close to a Jace, the Mindsculptor in trade, not if I'm pulling it in anyway. Now, back to those at the local shop that are dipping into the trade game, and a little story about an incident the other day.

So, it's Tuesday, not a big day in the ways of Magic at the store since there aren't any tournaments going on but I decided to stop by anyway. Within a good 45 minutes to an hour about 5-6 others show up including a few friends of mine and some new faces. Me and a friend were finishing up a trade when this new kid came up and asked if that was my binder, I said yes and he began looking through it. At the same time I notice the rest of the people in the store kind of crowd around a different table with binders from a few different people splayed out. I unfortunately can't get a trade from the kid so I turn to watch what's going on behind me. Apparently this guy had a Vengevine and Grave Titan for trade and a few people were trying to trade him for it. I hear "Hey whoever has the best trade gets it man." This is the worst thing I could hear from a trade table, it basically means someone got into a bidding war over a card. I'm sorry but the trade tables aren't eBay. The trade finishes and the crowd disperses, my friend grabs me and pulls me outside. Here's the dish as told from my friend to me: My friend had initiated the trade and sat down with the guy to see what he had, the dude didn't have a binder but instead had everything in color piles. As my friend is looking through them a bystander, let's call him Bob, picks up a pile and starts looking through it to find a Vengevine and immediately pulls out his binder and initiates a separate trade. I have a giant issue with this, I don't mind someone watching my trade but if they see something they want they better just keep it to themselves until my trade is closed. Not only is it considerate but also what if my friend wanted that Vengevine, which he of course did, now he has to fight for it which isn't what trading is all about. So my friend says he'll trade for the Vengevine too along with the Grave Titan he found and the guy starts searching through my friend's binders, now Bob is watching this and is again trying to cut in and grab the Vengevine from the guy. At every chance Bob got he would say something along the lines of "Hey I have those, want to trade that Vengevine?" and would begin to pull cards out of his own binder and throw them on the table in front of the guy. This irks me a lot, and it shows the amateur and childish trading that can go on at a local store when something rare is on the line. Trade tables should not be eBay nor any other type of auction site, if I initiate a trade I have first dibs on anything in that person's stuff regardless if you see something you want or not. After hearing this from my friend I asked him if he was going to say anything to Bob about it, he said no but I insisted that he say something. That kind of stuff can't go on at the trade tables, we're not vultures, we don't circle around the binders and pick off cards as others are trying to get stuff they want.

Weekly Trading - 8/29 through 9/4

So during the week I try and stop by the local shop on my way to and from school and work. By doing this I'm able to catch some people who are just there hanging out. A good way to start trades this way is to kind of sit around and chat with the people playing. Sometimes there are the super casual guys looking for that big green guy to fit their newest deck idea, other times there are some competitive players looking for foils or something for themselves. By being there and trading with these guys during the weeks I'm able to build a reputation as being easy to trade with.

Trade #1

So this trade was with a friend of mine who had been trying to get my DCI Path to Exiles off of me for awhile so I obliged and he was able to get the following trade. One thing about promos and foils though is that there are the two kinds of Magic players: the ones who care about pimping and the ones who could care less. When you are able to figure out who is who at your local shop you are able to filter cards through from one person to the other. I act as a middle man by pulling the foils and promos from the people who don't like them and trade them to the people who do.

My (14.47)
2x Path to Exile - Foil Promo - 5.49
1x Bloodbraid Elf - 3.49

His (39.44)
3x Path to Exile - 6.49
1x Celestial Purge - Promo - 1.99
1x Fauna Shaman - 13.99
1x Sword of Vengeance - 3.99

Net (24.97)

Trade #2

A small trade between me and my friend Hitchler. Again, stocking foils of cards that see play will hopefully be a factor. I'm hoping Leyline of the Void will see more play after rotation for the simple fact that we lose both Relic of Progenitus and Path to Exile and the Vengevine decks will need to be taken care of.

My (7.47)

1x Birds of Paradise - 4.49

1x Brittle Effigy - 2.49

1x Jace's Ingenuity - .49

His (9.49)

1x Leyline of the Void - Foil - 9.49

Net (+2.02)

Note : The price of the foil Leyline of the Void varies wildly wherever you look, averaged out it looks to be around $8-10 for the card so that's what it'll be trading at.

Trade #3

So when M11 came out I did a midnight draft at our local shop here and I opened a foil Nantuko Shade that night. I had a few people ask me for it and it had taken me up until now to finally get it out of my binder. This is one of the cards I wished I had moved immediately after opening because I probably would've gotten premium for it.

My (11.98)

1x Nantuko Shade - Foil - 5.99

1x Basilisk Collar - 5.99

His (16.72)

1x Jace Beleren - 7.49

1x Overwhelming Stampede - 3.49

1x Glacial Fortress - 4.99

1x Deathmark - Foil - .75

Net (+4.74)

Trade #4

A straight across trade that me and a friend of mine did while working on a different deal, I knew I could turn that Captivating Vampire around that same night because the vampire deck is popular with the casual crowd.

My (4.99)

1x Undermine - 4.99

His (5.99)

1x Captivating Vampire - 5.99

Net (+1.00)

Trade #5

I said I could flip the Captivating Vampire right over, now this guy I traded with is the absolute casual player. So I tried to stay away from pricing the cards and naming numbers and just went with what he agreed on.

My (12.47)

1x Captivating Vampire - 5.99

1x Omnath, Locus of Mana - 2.99

1x Leyline of Anticipation - 3.49

His (18.20)

1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor - .49

1x Coralhelm Commander - 3.99

1x Shared Discovery - Foil - .75

1x Celestial Colonnade - Buy-A-Box Promo - 5.99

1x Sovereigns of Lost Alara - Foil - 4.99

1x Evolving Wilds - Foil - 1.99

Net (+5.73)

Trade #6

I happen to find someone else who had cracked open a From the Vaults set and was willing to trade some stuff out of it. Unfortunatly he did want to keep the Mox Diamond and AEther Vial for his EDH deck but, guess that's why people bought them in the first place. Here's the trade.

My (20.97)

1x Damnation - Foil Promo - 17.99

1x Vulturous Zombie - 1.99

1x Savra, Queen of the Golgari - .99

His (24.98)

1x Sword of Body and Mind - FTV:R Foil - 17.99

1x Isochron Scepter - FTV:R Foil - 6.99

Net (+4.01)

Trade #7

Yeah, this was the trade we were talking about earlier where I was trying to argue pricing for this. I know the Counterbalance is worth more then the Path to Exile in the long run. The Counterbalance had some slight play on it so I knocked the price down a bit but I knew in the short time I would have the Path I would be able to profit on it much more then I would a singleton Counterbalance sitting in my legacy section.

My ( 8.49)

1x Counterbalance (SP) - 8.49

His (5.49)

1x Path to Exile - Foil Promo - 5.49

Net (-3.00)

In the end the Path will net me more so I take the hit now and will profit later. Thanks for reading.