Hug it out.

Ertai's Familiar · Post by **Ertai's Familiar** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:33 am

Fellow addicts!

I've spent a ridiculous amount of money on cardboard this month and although I'm sure it pales in comparison to some of you.

Someone make me feel better about this.

berkumps · Post by **berkumps** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:53 am

*steps up to podium, clears throat*

Hello, my name is Mark, and I'm a CCG addict.

I don't even want to think of 2011, but here are some numbers from 2010 from a spreadsheet I use to keep track of purchases:

$670.18 spent on paypal fees for personal payments (0.5%) <-- does not take into account any paypal purchases that weren't personal (ie. Ebay)

$3,165.61 spent on shipping alone

I don't even want to list the actual cost of the items, but you can do the math to guesstimate the value of the purchases relative to those amounts!

Ertai's Familiar · Post by **Ertai's Familiar** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:55 am

I haven't actually looked at those stats for me but I'd imagine they are pretty stupid high also considering; probably not close to yours though!

Feel better already haha.

berkumps · Post by **berkumps** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:58 am

I'm just glad I don't collect artwork.

Ertai's Familiar · Post by **Ertai's Familiar** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:07 am

berkumps wrote:I'm just glad I don't collect artwork.

I had a very pleasant conversation with Jeff A. Menges a few months back at a tournament I attended.

It's incredible how much MTG artwork goes for these days. Unfortunate at the same time - apparently a lot of the artwork went for dead cheap in the beginning due to the game not being as popular/questionable longevity. He gave me some numbers for pieces he sold originally and what he found out they went for 8-9 years later up and until he lost track the difference was substantial to the point where I felt bad for the guy.

mystical_tutor · Post by **mystical_tutor** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:52 pm

Ertai's Familiar wrote:I had a very pleasant conversation with Jeff A. Menges a few months back at a tournament I attended.

It's incredible how much MTG artwork goes for these days. Unfortunate at the same time - apparently a lot of the artwork went for dead cheap in the beginning due to the game not being as popular/questionable longevity. He gave me some numbers for pieces he sold originally and what he found out they went for 8-9 years later up and until he lost track the difference was substantial to the point where I felt bad for the guy.

It is kinda relative though and a historic fact in the world of art. If and when the game ever dies out you will probably be able to get the art for close to the original price again.

DO feel sorry for him, though, if he is one of the old artists that sold that "worthless" WotC stock they got paid with for dirt cheap.

Blood · Post by **Blood** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:58 pm

Ertai's Familiar wrote:DO feel sorry for him, though, if he is one of the old artists that sold that "worthless" WotC stock they got paid with for dirt cheap.

I also had a long conversation with him at a vintage event in NY (went from PA ONLY because he was going to be there) and believe me he did very well from the magic work he did. Back then you got royalties every time your card was printed, and having cards that got printed in A/B/U/R/4th/5th was very nice!

He was hands down one of the coolest magic artists I have ever met.

thulnanth · Post by **thulnanth** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:52 pm

I chatted with Jeff at GenCon back around '96 or so - great guy. He did sell off all of his original ABU art for a song, except for Sea Serpent, which Richard Garfield told him was one of his favorites so he gave it to him. I think we talked for close to an hour about the early days of art and artists in the MtG universe - great conversation!!!

BTW, he's currently sketching some AP's for me and signing a few cards to boot... still a class act

Take it easy,
Jared

PS - Berkumps, can I share your spending habits with my wife, so she can see I'm not as obsessed as some out there? =D>

... if I had the money, of course, I'd be right there with you!!!

Ertai's Familiar · Post by **Ertai's Familiar** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:19 pm

Funny you should mention that Gary because I believe he did.

Blood that's fine and dandy but at the same time artists like Jeff get zip from promo cards like DCI Swords to Plowshares because the cards are "given" away at events. One could argue that those promo cards help attract players to events and WoTC makes money off those events (although I think GPs for a long time WoTC lost money on)- it's a grey area and sort of lame considering the cards are new prints of their artwork.

The Magic Librarities

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