Magic: the Gathering?

[Binford 6100]

hi, what would be a nice starter for a complete noob? (father & son doing something together)
need at least 2 decks to be able to play against each other
no need fancy stuff like jin-gitaxias core augur (was browsing a card forum and liked this one)
will not play tournaments or anything. even old/outdated cards would be fine
how to ask someone to dump his old cards so that i won't get robbed?
i understood that old cards are basically worthless. just want to see that in practice

[anisoptera]

Add me to the lengthening queue of people who would like to sell collections.

I have a few complete sets on and offline...

[2nd_lawl]

Old cards are not worthless, some are actually very expensive (in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars each).  What determines a cards worth a combination of rarity, condition, and playability in tournaments(basically how "good" the card is).  For casual play, 2 simple mono-colored decks would be enough to learn the basics and have some fun with a friend.

[FireFox31]

The best way to get started is with an official pre-built "Intro Pack" (aka "Starter Deck") from the manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro.  These decks are ready to play, fairly simple and demonstrate the mechanics of the game.  As you learn more about Magic, you'll realize that these decks have advanced tricks built into them, so they can take your game to a higher level.

There are many intro packs to choose from.  Each year, Wizards of the Coast releases new cards, grouped into a Core set and three related Expansion sets.  Wizards creates a few intro packs for each set they release.  The Core sets are broad and basic while the Expansion sets are more focused and complex.  Thus, as a new player, you'll do best to buy a Core set intro pack, which will cost roughly $10.

For that same $10, you could buy 1000 bulk cards from someone.  With this formidable pool of cards, you could build your own decks and freely change them around.  Deck building is a fun part of the game that you miss with intro packs, but it requires some knowledge of the game.  The downsides of bulk cards are: cards bought in bulk are often random from Magic's 18 year history, meaning your decks will be less coherent than a pre-built intro pack.  Also, many people selling bulk cards are dealers who may include tons of copies of the same card, foreign cards, or not provide a good variety of cards.

To clear up a misconception:  Old cards do have value.  Like Legos, all of the cards ever printed can be used together.  Some newer cards are more powerful than older cards, which happens often with creatures.  However, you can play variations of Magic in which old cards are highly useful.  A variation called "Block Constructed" allows you to only use cards from a single year (group of three related sets, as mentioned above).  This simplifies the game by eliminating many of the rules and mechanics introduced after that specific year, and leads to a fair game of Magic just as the designers intended it - people opening packs and playing with the cards they got.

I have a few intro packs / starter decks for sale.  I also have bulk cards which I can specially compile to allow good deck building opportunities (specific year, sets or colors of your choice; no foreign cards and few duplicates).  PM me if you're interested or would like more information.  I'm glad to help anyone get into the game.

[dayfall]

Go to Boardgamegeek.com.  Hopefully there will be more bitcoin trades for boardgames there.  All I have traded so far is geekgold for bitcoins.

[ataranlen]

Alright, So we just got the New Phyrexia sets in where I work.

Old cards are not worthless, some are actually very expensive (in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars each).  What determines a cards worth a combination of rarity, condition, and playability in tournaments(basically how "good" the card is).  For casual play, 2 simple mono-colored decks would be enough to learn the basics and have some fun with a friend.

Indeed, You can either spend money on old decks, or spend money every few months on new sets to have any chance at winning

[Binford 6100]

The best way to get started ...

you sir, best get started by getting a wallet an paste me your tipping jar's address because your 2 cents i would like to reward. it was a good read and had me convinced for both, tipping you for this post and give mtg after all those years finally a try.

[Binford 6100]

What determines a cards worth...

well, i had such a bulk random 1000 cards for 10 bucks type of sale in mind. what i found out is i need starter packs & be careful when buying bulk.

For casual play, 2 simple mono-colored decks would be enough to learn the basics and have some fun with a friend.

yep, mono-colored i had in mind. not having to worry which deck, what color. no deck building before a game. a dump of bulk cards i thought might be a good idea because of a good chance to find a complete deck inside. did not know that there are 18 + 18*3 different sets and/or expansion sets.

[2nd_lawl]

Yea The Game is nearing 20 years old, and they have been releasing about 600+ unique new cards a year for the bulk of that time. I would be happy to slap together a few mono-colored decks with land and send them anywhere in the US for .1 BTC + whatever shipping is.  Im a pretty serious MTG player so i have TONS of cards lying around, the .1 is more for the effort of putting the decks together .  Anyway if you are interested let me know.

[FireFox31]

Thanks ptmhd.  Magic is a fun game and I'm glad to help people get into it.  My wallet address is now in my signature.

0.1 BTC for a deck is a good deal!  I have some old official pre-built decks for 1 BTC.

[Binford 6100]

I would be happy to slap together a few mono-colored decks with land and send them anywhere in the US

if i'd pay the shipping, would you send them to europe? interested i am, i started actively shopping right now.

[ripper234]

This is great! I love to see more and more legitimate uses for Bitcoin.
Linked to this thread from Draw3Cards and its blog.

[Fiyasko]

Someone's got New phyrexia cards?
Im buying them

[ataranlen]

Someone's got New phyrexia cards?
Im buying them

I responded to your PM.

I work directly with a distributer of Trading Cards, so I can get as many ordered as needed of Fat-Packs, 6 and 15 card boosters, and starter Decks. I only ship to the US, No PO Boxes. My rate is always Cost+shipping Directly into the current USD->BTC rate.

Also, my phone died, so no picture of my 4 full FatPack boxes of Mirrodin Expansion Cards yet >.< I'd be willing to sell these in bulk as well, or perhaps singles.

[FireFox31]

I detect a need for a Bitcoin/MTG trading site...

Done, kind of:

http://CoinGamer.com/
My Magic: The Gathering inventory, for sale exclusively accepting Bitcoin.

I've started a new thread for it.  Thanks for your interest.

[billybitcoin]

Hey im looking to sell a bunch of my old cards, havent played in years.