MTG thread
- Thread starter brekk
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
fanaskin
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these aren't mutually exclusive things at all, the report echoes the sentiments of everyone that hasbro is milking mtg now but it will cause long term damage. all the other hasbro divisions aren't doing well and they're milking mtg to make up the difference, you pointing to an article during that time saying "hey hasbro is A.) making lot's of money and B.) mismanaging the brand is literally saying the same thing.
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Ukerric
Bearded Ape
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At the moment, it looks like they're trying to amp special ultra-rare collectibles (it started with the Secret Lairs, of course, then came "old Legends" "numbered special edition"). Plus the ludicrous cash grab that was the 30th anniversary edition.
Thing is, all of this happened before in the collectible card world, and it was not a sign of good health for the company. Combine with shitty Quickstart editions that no one wants, the continuous degradation of basic boxes in favor of the collector editions, the complete abandon of the LGS channels in favor of slightly more profitable per-unit direct sales... Hasbro/WotC makes all its decision based on the collectible market rather than the players' one, although the latter is the one that truly fuels the... well, the game.
Thing is, all of this happened before in the collectible card world, and it was not a sign of good health for the company. Combine with shitty Quickstart editions that no one wants, the continuous degradation of basic boxes in favor of the collector editions, the complete abandon of the LGS channels in favor of slightly more profitable per-unit direct sales... Hasbro/WotC makes all its decision based on the collectible market rather than the players' one, although the latter is the one that truly fuels the... well, the game.
ronne
Nǐ hǎo, yǒu jīn zi ma?
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You guys are overthinking this way too hard.
The economy is in the shitter, food costs are skyrocketing, energy, etc.
People are cutting discretionary and entertainment spending, and MTG is probably the dictionary definition of those things.
Magic ate shit in 08-09 as well, and it's gonna eat shit for the next few years now as well.
The economy is in the shitter, food costs are skyrocketing, energy, etc.
People are cutting discretionary and entertainment spending, and MTG is probably the dictionary definition of those things.
Magic ate shit in 08-09 as well, and it's gonna eat shit for the next few years now as well.
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Mahes
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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For me Magic was in a much better place in 08-09. Hasbro is making so much easier not to bother with the game.
Mist
REEEEeyore
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There are quite a large number of MTG players who got into finance and investing at major firms in the past 20ish years.
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Mist
REEEEeyore
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Youth employment rate is astronomically high by the standards of our lifetimes. Kids couldn't find any jobs from 2007-2010, certainly not ones that could afford magic cards. And it wasn't much better from 2005-2013. Now you've got "NOW HIRING ALL SHIFTS" signs everywhere for jobs paying 16-20 bucks an hour at all the places where kids work.
The economy sucks for genxers and boomers, but it's fantastic for kids under 30 compared to when we all graduated.
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ronne
Nǐ hǎo, yǒu jīn zi ma?
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Yea but kids aren't the driver they were a decade ago either. The entire scene of teenage/early 20s competitive standard grinders is just gone. And they can't afford modern, not really, even on 15$ minimum wages or whatever.
Their primary market is like 30something manchildren playing commander now, and that crowd is fast running in to the wall of their mediocre do nothing job working at Whole Foods or whatever.
Mist
REEEEeyore
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WotC has been very good at expanding their audience, if they need more players they'll find them. The B&M ecosystem is the real problem at the moment.
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ronne
Nǐ hǎo, yǒu jīn zi ma?
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Aazrael
Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Always been interested in Magic but never had the chance to play or collect much. My only nerd friend escaped to Muurica when I was 20.
That Rudy guy is popping up a lot now on my youtube with the drama and I just got curious. Is the market for these cards mainly collectors? Is the actual playing population too low and they make money by hooking the whales (who seem very upset now)?
Sucks I never could get into this world, too few nerds around when I was a kid.
That Rudy guy is popping up a lot now on my youtube with the drama and I just got curious. Is the market for these cards mainly collectors? Is the actual playing population too low and they make money by hooking the whales (who seem very upset now)?
Sucks I never could get into this world, too few nerds around when I was a kid.
Wingz
Being Poor Sucks.
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Always been interested in Magic but never had the chance to play or collect much. My only nerd friend escaped to Muurica when I was 20.
That Rudy guy is popping up a lot now on my youtube with the drama and I just got curious. Is the market for these cards mainly collectors? Is the actual playing population too low and they make money by hooking the whales (who seem very upset now)?
Sucks I never could get into this world, too few nerds around when I was a kid.
Bit of a list but not gonna go into it too much.
The second video I have above, go to 3:24 and look at the right for year 22 releases. You can see the progression through the decades of release amounts. Wizards keeps releasing more and more and more and they increase prices and print runs. Also the 30th anniversary which was supposed to be a celebration for everyone you can buy 4 booster packs that you can't use in tournaments for the low low price of $1000 +. There is something called the reserved list which means that they won't reprint cards an they lied about that. They started serialized chase card sets (very beginning of the second video again ..wizards then vs now).
WoTC is pricing themselves for the collectors only it seems and doesn't care about the individual or even the LGS anymore.
Shit just happening all at the same time.
By contrast Metazoo, Pokemon,FAB, Weiss, etc all lowered their print runs and in some cases lowered the prices due to the downturn in the economy. WoTC/Hasbro increases print runs and prices, there is so many different products you don't have time to play with any of them before another format comes out.
Just some of the highlights.
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fanaskin
Well known agitator
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Always been interested in Magic but never had the chance to play or collect much. My only nerd friend escaped to Muurica when I was 20.
That Rudy guy is popping up a lot now on my youtube with the drama and I just got curious. Is the market for these cards mainly collectors? Is the actual playing population too low and they make money by hooking the whales (who seem very upset now)?
Sucks I never could get into this world, too few nerds around when I was a kid.
nah just a relative handful of cards from the 90's that are on the reserved list really appreciate value which collectors go for, or sealed product. the rest is based on market demand for putting into decks across various formats.
if it's not on the reserved list or maybe specific arts that for some reason or another will never be used again wizards can just print your $200 card into a $0.50 card at any time, would be suicidal to invest into.
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fanaskin
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each card has like 4-6 variants now so the chase variant "alt frame textured foil" can be like $2-500 while the base card is like $30, the vintage stuff starts at like $300 and can go into the thousands but there's less places to play them so that's why collectors go for those (plus reserve list)
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