Comments on: More on Downsizing: How Do You Approach a Format You Might Want to Play Someday?

By: phyrexian trader

phyrexian trader — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 09:54:04 +0000

I have a kid too, and I’m slowly down sizing my magic collection. I also love modern.

My tip: choose a deck. I play affinity.
1. it’s a huge time saver. To be up to date, I only need to read the articles of Frank Karsten.
2. Trading, buying and selling modern is very easy, and takes less time.
I keep affinity cards, I buy affinity cards on time (chalice of the void). I sell all the rest (2 playsets of forked bolt). Not having a deck makes that more complicated I think.

3. First thing you need to have success in this format is to know your deck. If you have no experience with your deck, you don’t make a chance. So if you ever play in an event, you want to play a deck you know.
When I play the mirror match, I know my win percentage is above 50% because most of the time, I know my deck better than he/she does.
in the US, there is one affinity player that made several GP T8 because he has the experience. Dickmann and his splinter twin deck is also a good example.

So if you ever want to play a modern event, you want to play a deck you know.
And I don’t like to stimulate people to play crappy software, but MTGO really helps me a lot to get experience with the deck.

By: iamnik77

iamnik77 — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 04:58:39 +0000

Like you I have a few modern staples lying around and I don’t really play modern. What should one do with these cards? That is a tough question Danny! Chas Andres once said more or less in an SCG article that throughout Magic’s history the best financial play would have been to acquire the cream of the crop cards and hold them forever. But past performance is no guarantee of future results. This leads me to my prescription of hold and watch. Watch what Wizards does with reprints, how frequently new format altering cards are introduced, and how market demand for today’s staples might shift. Who knows, maybe Wizards eventually squashes any incentive to speculate and then the only reason to own a Magic card is because you intend to play it at that point in time. Don’t you love the tension of guessing at this game’s future?

By: beaneau

beaneau — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 01:38:37 +0000

I would build a deck that you think/hope will always be fun to bring out when the time comes. If that means goyfs and bobs, sell the other stuff to acquire those. When that is all said and done, I would look for the right time to sell everything you aren’t likely to use with that deck.

That said, unless you need the money, all of this is likely to appreciate over time. Stay on top of trends and reprints, and buy/sell when the opportunities arise.

I gather I’m only telling you things you have already considered.