So while my collection is fairly small, (all of it can fit in a messenger bag)it's getting to the point where I don't want to lug it around when I go to my LGS. Sure I can take only my decks, but I like to my reserve of cards in case I like to make changes or build a new deck. So I am trying to downsize my collection. So I'm looking for tips on culling.
But to do that, I need to figure out what to axe. Creatures with no effects or are really expensive for what they do comes to mind, but after that I'm not sure where to go from there, as there are a lot of cards that would be sub-optimal for a veteran player, like Searing Spear, that are not great, but still can be useful for someone like me who does not have as big a pool of options. Or perhaps should I wait to have a large pile of junk before I go through the effort?
Get right with the idea that you don't need to take every single card you own with you everywhere.
Agreed. I keep all of my cards, even the draft chaff. Never know when they might be useful for a cube or something.
But the only things I carry with me are a trade binder and 2 or 3 decks. Everything else is in storage boxes at home.
One guy at the local store doesn't even carry his trade binder, because he has so much. Instead he just brings a list for potential traders to look over.
First of all, your deck(s) should be complete and ready to play by the time you get to the LGS. Bring a few decks if you want to switch it up. And have a sideboard for each deck for changes. All that can be done at home, picked over, organized and in boxes, in your knapsack and ready to go out the door to play. Carrying around your collection is completely unnecessary. My Standard, Modern and EDH decks w/sideboards, mat, dice, etc. are already packed for FNM. Other than tokens needed for those decks, that is all I need to bring. The rest stays at home and any major tweaking will happen here, not at the LGS.
I do not even know how one could build a deck at a LGS, this seems like an impossible task for me based on how long it takes me and how much physical space I need.
Oh wow, there are replies to this. Thanks notifications. But yeah, all of my decks are complete and have sideboards. It's just that me and my long time partner like to experiment and trade for what we need when tweaking decks. I suppose that I can just leave my non deck collection at home.
I do not even know how one could build a deck at a LGS, this seems like an impossible task for me based on how long it takes me and how much physical space I need.
Our LGS has four foot square and four foot six tables (which can be easily slid together for more space), as well as each table having two shelves six inches underneath the main table surface (sorta like a keyboard thing for a computer desk) to hold stuff like food trays and deck boxes away from the main playing surface. So our tables had plenty of room. Our issue was that we didn't have enough tables because MTG, Pokemon, and star wars night are all on the same day. I'm really glad they expanded into the basement.
I have recently downsized, just for tidyness/space reasons. Basically I decided that if I thought I'd never use a card, there wasn't too much reason to keep it around, especially if cheaply replaced. So, setting aside my commander decks, my EDH cube, my box of rares, and my uncommons, oh, yes, and my back-up cube, and the remains of my Innistrad and Conspiracy cubes, I went through the rest and kept about 75 cards of each color, figuring if I ever felt the need to make a left-over pauper cube I can do so.
That left a grocery bag full of vanilla creatures, duplicates, basic lands, and generic under-powered spells. It was kind of fun prioritizing, actually. I've still got the bag, and will offer it to friends who might want it, but I'll toss it out eventually.
As someone who just downsized their collection, this is what I did. Now in your case, you can carry your entire collection on you, I couldn't, as my collection before downsizing was around 20,000 cards.
So, I have my cards sorted as follows: White cardboard boxes and Holiday Gift Boxes for Commons and Uncommons, Large 3" D Ring Binder for strong commons/uncommons for deck building, Large 3" D Ring Binder for my Rares, Ultra Pro Art binder for Foil Commons/Uncommons, and another for my Non-Tradables, then my decks are all in deck boxes.
I went through all of my White Cardboard boxes of Commons/Uncommons one last time and pulled all cards I think I may use, or had ideas for decks for. I was able to fit all of them into 2 Fatpack/Bundle Boxes. I kept 1 Fatpack/Bundle box of Basic Lands. I kept a second Fatpack/Bundle box of Full Art basics. I then went through my Rare binder, and pulled about 50 - 60 cards of every color (except Land, too valuable to downsize unless it's that bad) and put them in a box. I then sold around 10,000 of the bulk cards, making sure to include around 800 Basic Lands, and all of the rares I pulled out and boxed up. I didn't get much for it, but, now I don't have so much garbage sitting in my place literally doing nothing.
While I do sometimes modify decks while I'm at my LGS, I try to only do so if I get knocked out of a game that is still going, or if I get there early and no one is there to play yet.
Either way, Just try to keep your decks good to go when you go, separate rares and strong/valuable commons and uncommons into a binder, and only bring that. Leave the rest of the junk at home, or bundle it up and try to sell it. Honestly, even if you only get enough for a cheap single or two you want, it's still better than them sitting around doing absolutely nothing, when someone new to the game could have a bunch of fun with a ton of random cards.
But to do that, I need to figure out what to axe. Creatures with no effects or are really expensive for what they do comes to mind, but after that I'm not sure where to go from there, as there are a lot of cards that would be sub-optimal for a veteran player, like Searing Spear, that are not great, but still can be useful for someone like me who does not have as big a pool of options. Or perhaps should I wait to have a large pile of junk before I go through the effort?
I currently have no idea what i'm doing with my life right now, or ever for that matter.
My 720 Peasant Cube
Agreed. I keep all of my cards, even the draft chaff. Never know when they might be useful for a cube or something.
But the only things I carry with me are a trade binder and 2 or 3 decks. Everything else is in storage boxes at home.
One guy at the local store doesn't even carry his trade binder, because he has so much. Instead he just brings a list for potential traders to look over.
Our LGS has four foot square and four foot six tables (which can be easily slid together for more space), as well as each table having two shelves six inches underneath the main table surface (sorta like a keyboard thing for a computer desk) to hold stuff like food trays and deck boxes away from the main playing surface. So our tables had plenty of room. Our issue was that we didn't have enough tables because MTG, Pokemon, and star wars night are all on the same day. I'm really glad they expanded into the basement.
That left a grocery bag full of vanilla creatures, duplicates, basic lands, and generic under-powered spells. It was kind of fun prioritizing, actually. I've still got the bag, and will offer it to friends who might want it, but I'll toss it out eventually.
So, I have my cards sorted as follows: White cardboard boxes and Holiday Gift Boxes for Commons and Uncommons, Large 3" D Ring Binder for strong commons/uncommons for deck building, Large 3" D Ring Binder for my Rares, Ultra Pro Art binder for Foil Commons/Uncommons, and another for my Non-Tradables, then my decks are all in deck boxes.
I went through all of my White Cardboard boxes of Commons/Uncommons one last time and pulled all cards I think I may use, or had ideas for decks for. I was able to fit all of them into 2 Fatpack/Bundle Boxes. I kept 1 Fatpack/Bundle box of Basic Lands. I kept a second Fatpack/Bundle box of Full Art basics. I then went through my Rare binder, and pulled about 50 - 60 cards of every color (except Land, too valuable to downsize unless it's that bad) and put them in a box. I then sold around 10,000 of the bulk cards, making sure to include around 800 Basic Lands, and all of the rares I pulled out and boxed up. I didn't get much for it, but, now I don't have so much garbage sitting in my place literally doing nothing.
While I do sometimes modify decks while I'm at my LGS, I try to only do so if I get knocked out of a game that is still going, or if I get there early and no one is there to play yet.
Either way, Just try to keep your decks good to go when you go, separate rares and strong/valuable commons and uncommons into a binder, and only bring that. Leave the rest of the junk at home, or bundle it up and try to sell it. Honestly, even if you only get enough for a cheap single or two you want, it's still better than them sitting around doing absolutely nothing, when someone new to the game could have a bunch of fun with a ton of random cards.
Legacy - GW Enchantress
Modern - U Urzatron (In construction)
Multiplayer - B ZOMBIES
Casual - B Suicide Black
Casual - WURx Krark-Clan Ironworks
Pauper - URBx Affinity
Pauper - B Pestilence
Pauper - W Steel Soldiers
EDH - W Isamaru, Hound of Konda 1V1
EDH - GRB Kresh the Bloodbraided
EDH - GW Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
EDH - UR Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
EDH - RB Lyzolda, The Blood Witch
EDH - UW Bruna, Light of Alabaster (Reworking)
EDH - UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
EDH - UG Vorel of the Hull Clade
EDH - WUG Phelddagrif
EDH - BGR Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
Pauper EDH - G Garruk's Packleader
Pauper EDH - RG Bloodbraid Elf
CUBE:
500 Peasant Cube (52% Foil) Cube Tutor Page