So, with the release/leak of Eternal Masters, I've been tracking the price changes on dual lands on mtgstocks (3 days and from about $20-$50 they've jumped) and it has been insane. I've been building my cube and pimping it out, slowly but surely, for the last 7-8 years having quit competitive magic for it altogether. I dreamed and still do of having a fully foiled, pimped cube. But with Modern Masters, expeditions, and now Eternal Masters, the price I have to pay for the cards I want (even in non-pimp form apparently now) is getting insane. I know that simply not pimping out my cube is an option, but it takes away the fun for me.
It's been a hell of a ride acquiring all I have so far, but it just isn't fun anymore...in fact, it's kind of taxing. Every time some old card is reprinted in a new extra mythic super spectacular foil, I start to sweat. I want it, I can scheme to get it, but in the end, I just end up emptying out my wallet for a piece of foil-covered cardboard.
A few years back I decided to make what I call a "94 and Before" cube as a nostalgic lookback on my childhood, learning to play MtG with my big bro in the early 90's when I started. I'm thinking of selling off my regular cube to fund that project and just calling it a day with new Magic cards altogether.
Anyone else feeling a little exploited by Wizards? I mean, it sells packs and for the people that can afford the cards, awesome for them. But I can't/won't anymore.
If you are spending above your comfortable means on cards, you should consider proxies. The aesthetic is nice, but at the end of the day I get enjoyment from my cube by playing it, and I just can't afford to spend money on new cards. Proxies aren't for everyone, but if playing cube is your number one enjoyment and the ultimate goal, then it's easily the most cost-efficient method. (Note, mods: I am not sharing any ways to make the proxies.)
I appreciate the input, but it isn't so much buying beyond my means as I'm sick of paying out the wazoo on a constant basis. For me, the chase of cards and the headache therein is now outweighing the fun of the hobby. I'm thinking that a less hectic and less let's call it "dynamic" market for the contents of the old-timer's cube just sounds relaxing. Having to constantly update the list, chase new cards/versions of cards, sell off cards, keep up with spoilers...I think my heart isn't in it anymore and it is only getting harder to do. Wizards is wise to our game and is printing stuff directed at people who play casual formats as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the competitive world...but in an egregiously greedy way. I know that sounds stupid because A) just don't buy it, B) they're a company and selling product is their goal, and C) for the people who want those cards, this is awesome. I just don't want to participate anymore. It has put a sour taste in my mouth.
For a long time I thought I would try to get every card in my cube eventually through trade and/or judicious use of spending money. I got the allied fetches once they were reprinted, and I've accumulated a couple duals by trading away other cards I just don't have any use for. Let's be realistic though...with two kids and other priorities it's tough, and when you consider that my playgroup meets fairly infrequently now that we all have a lot going on, dropping nearly a thousand dollars on cardboard isn't productive. Even spread over time in smallish purchases there are just better things to be doing with that money. I found cool full-art dual proxies I like and printed those out, proxied the enemy fetches, and our group has had plenty of fun without things like Snapcaster and Vendilion Clique that I can't afford right now. (Or put another way, I get much more enjoyment out of Fallout 4 or a nice dinner with my wife than I do out of owning a Snapcaster Mage that may or may not even be drawn in a given cube session.)
The bottom line is that the entire point of a cube is for your entertainment, so if it's not fun, find something else. Your 94 cube sounds cool (and I was so glad to be able to support that in the secret santa) and if that's where your heart is right now, go for it.
I tend to be on a pretty slim budget when it comes to pimping out my cube, but I don't feel like I'm constantly spending "out the wazoo". Some pay checks I'll allow myself fifty bucks for cube. Other pay checks I can't spend anything. And sometimes you have to make the hard choices like spending five bucks on a foil M11 Lightning Bolt instead of 200 on the judge promo. The guys in my group will also donate foils from time to time.
I'll be the first to tell you that I absolutely despise the secondary market and how easy it is to manipulate. I hate that WotC can put out an item with a suggested MSRP and shops will immediately start it at three times that amount just because it's a limited printing and there's value to be had within the contents. I can't wrap my mind around Daze, a freaking common, being a 100 dollar foil while there are mythic foils in the quarter bin. The alternate art foil Tahngarth, Talruum Hero is over 60 bucks. Why? What demand is there for that specific version of that specific card? I get that it's a bit more rare than the other artwork, but 60 bucks more rare? Really?
The bottom line is that while, yes, the secondary market can suck and it can be a pain in your wallet if you let it, it doesn't have to be. The most expensive versions of cards aren't necessarily the most pimp versions or the only options available to for pimp. You can often pick up Modern Masters or Conspiracy foils for less than the original printing. Certain promos are less than pack foils. Nonfoil alters can be less than some foils. Just budget what you can comfortably spend on your hobby and it can still be fun.
Anyone else feeling a little exploited by Wizards? I mean, it sells packs and for the people that can afford the cards, awesome for them. But I can't/won't anymore.
I feel like if anything, cube has largely taken me out of the rat race of MTG. Because I'm focused on cube instead of constructed formats, I only need one of any particular card. Snapcaster and LoTV could spike to $200 and I wouldn't care because I already have the one copy I need. Singleton rules.
I'll second DSF's suggestion to proxy to plug the gaps that are hard to live without. There's no way I was ever going to drop $2-3k+ to buy ABU duals, so I'm running some nice looking proxies which play exactly the same and no one cares that they're not the real thing. World Championship Editions also look pretty cool, IMHO, and I've saved a pretty nice chunk of change by running those versions of Force of Will, Wasteland, and Rishadan Port. There are also plenty of budget swaps that can still make for great cube cards. Jace, Architect of Thought costs less than $3 in Duel Deck foil, and did a lot of work before I got my (proxied) version of JtMS. It's just not worth driving yourself nuts over cardboard you can't afford. Set a budget for what you're willing to spend on MTG/cube cards for the month, stick to it, and have fun with the cards you have in the meantime.
I'd think long and hard before selling off your cube, though. It'll be hard to get back what you spent on it, and if you change your mind and decide you want your cube back you'll be starting all over from scratch. Take a break, maybe focus on your nostalgia cube for a bit, and see how you feel about it in a few months.
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Cube pimping for me is definitely part of the fun. I'd just say be happy with your OG versions and don't sweat it about the new mythic copies. Cube is magic history, so the originals have a nice touch to them. Just pimp slowly as you go, it'll make each new addition feel that much more special.
I like having every card in my cube be the original printing, but I use collector's edition cards for all the Alpha/Beta stuff. I also don't like foils. I remember when they introduced them. I disliked them then, and I'm too stubborn to admit they're kind of cool.
A cube is only fun for me if I can play it with people. I don't want to wince whenever someone riffle shuffles their deck. Despite efforts to keep down the value of the cube, Magic in general has just exploded in the last few years and card prices have gone crazy.
It sounds like pimping the cube isn't that fun for you anymore. It also sounds like you want some boundaries on your spending and doing the 1994 cube sounds like a good way to control that.
MTG prices have really gotten ridiculous since Lorwyn. I find it amazing that there are cards that have been printed in the last 3 years that are worth more than $200, the secondary market has really gotten out of control.
I don't think it's a bad idea to cash out at this point, from a markets perspective. The prices have gotten pretty frothy in my opinion, and there's probably a lot more downside than upside when it comes to card prices. If the money made from selling your Cube would significantly improve your life, go with the 94 Cube and sell your current one.
Great points about collector's edition and world championship decks. I've made use of both of those for less expensive but satisfying versions of cards.
Thinking about this a bit more caused me to reflect a bit. I remember being in college and being shocked that some guy would pay $50 for one of my old cards. Better still I had 4. I said, "Sure, nice doing business with you, chummmmmmmmp." All told, I sold him some Mana Drains, dual lands, and other stuff for about $900. Of course, what seemed just insane then seems downright reasonable ten years later. Sure, I wish I had the $4,000 or whatever those cards are worth now, but I only think of those cards as money. One time, they were something more. They excited my imagination, made me want to experiment, and took their final form in a crushing blue control deck based on Icy Manipulator and Winter Orb. They were something I cared about. Something I kept in a box with my name written on the outside to show they were mine and represented me in some way. They belong to that kid with the box, not me.
So I never regret selling them. That money paid a bill, kept a roof on my head, bought some hot dogs and ramen or whatever boring adult thing I spent the money on. When I eventually came back to Magic, it was different. I discovered drafting. Creatures were actually good. I played in my first tournament. Magic has something new to offer me now.
Thinking about this a bit more caused me to reflect a bit. I remember being in college and being shocked that some guy would pay $50 for one of my old cards. Better still I had 4. I said, "Sure, nice doing business with you, chummmmmmmmp." All told, I sold him some Mana Drains, dual lands, and other stuff for about $900. Of course, what seemed just insane then seems downright reasonable ten years later. Sure, I wish I had the $4,000 or whatever those cards are worth now, but I only think of those cards as money. One time, they were something more. They excited my imagination, made me want to experiment, and took their final form in a crushing blue control deck based on Icy Manipulator and Winter Orb. They were something I cared about. Something I kept in a box with my name written on the outside to show they were mine and represented me in some way. They belong to that kid with the box, not me.
So I never regret selling them. That money paid a bill, kept a roof on my head, bought some hot dogs and ramen or whatever boring adult thing I spent the money on. When I eventually came back to Magic, it was different. I discovered drafting. Creatures were actually good. I played in my first tournament. Magic has something new to offer me now.
I just noticed you're located in SF. Do you go to Versus at all?
Thinking about this a bit more caused me to reflect a bit. I remember being in college and being shocked that some guy would pay $50 for one of my old cards. Better still I had 4. I said, "Sure, nice doing business with you, chummmmmmmmp." All told, I sold him some Mana Drains, dual lands, and other stuff for about $900. Of course, what seemed just insane then seems downright reasonable ten years later. Sure, I wish I had the $4,000 or whatever those cards are worth now, but I only think of those cards as money. One time, they were something more. They excited my imagination, made me want to experiment, and took their final form in a crushing blue control deck based on Icy Manipulator and Winter Orb. They were something I cared about. Something I kept in a box with my name written on the outside to show they were mine and represented me in some way. They belong to that kid with the box, not me.
So I never regret selling them. That money paid a bill, kept a roof on my head, bought some hot dogs and ramen or whatever boring adult thing I spent the money on. When I eventually came back to Magic, it was different. I discovered drafting. Creatures were actually good. I played in my first tournament. Magic has something new to offer me now.
My Cube has gone through a lot of iterations, and I think the only cards that have survived all the cutting and the upgrades since the first iteration are my set of Revised duals. 8 of them I pulled myself from a box of Revised that I bought as a teenager, and I remember being more way more excited about the Vesuvan Doppelganger from that box. I picked up a couple of Taigas for something like $9 bucks each during that same era because I wanted to build a deck with Ernham Djinn, Orcish Lumberjacks, and Tinder Wall. I was going to buy regular ones for $8 but the vendor talked me into upgrading to autographed ones for that extra dollar. One of those signed Taigas is the only non-stock card in my Cube. My Badlands is one that I bought off of eBay to complete my cycle of duals when I first put together my Cube...what is it, 7 years ago now?
I look at my Cube these days and I'm proud of what I've put together. The thing is sleek, balanced, and shiny, an improvement over my original Cube in almost every way. Still though, like many of us here, my Cube group doesn't get together as much as it used to. While the new cards are generally better than what we had when we started off MTG, I completely understand the urge to say "Screw this new crap, I want to play with the Schuler art Serra Angels and creepy bald guy Sengir Vampires that I used to." The way that prices have grown in the past few years hasn't helped either, when I stop sometimes and think about how much I'm paying for a piece of shiny cardboard it's a bit embarrassing.
Sorry, that was a bit of a ramble. Back to the original topic, I think that if you've lost your emotional connection to your Cube, trying to keep it up is probably just going to lead to regret down the line. It's probably best to move on and refocus on what matters most to you.
The first rule I made about getting back into Magic was that I refused to allow myself to go beyond a specific budget. With that budget in place, I have Cube I have worked on for 3 years. It is not "complete" and there are several other projects for Commander and Modern I have not yet "completed" because I want so much. However, I just prioritize and set limits. For example, I exited Legacy because it was too costly. I limited my Cube based on one thing and that was price. If I bought a dual land for $400 versus using that to build a Modern deck, I built the Modern deck instead. It's the cost benefit analysis.
I feel what you might want to do is to just look at building a "Modern Cube" and then build for specific ideas and first get a good card base and over time pick up very specific cards you want to buy to "pimp" and really, really take your time. I would say you set your goals too high with an income too low. The time to start having such an Eternal Cube was 2010 really as the last time to have an affordable Eternal Cube. With that said, you do have other options to have an excellent Cube. There is also building a secondary Cube as well based on a theme.
When I started to Cube I knew that I had older cards, but many would remain on my Commander pile like my Duels. So instead of fretting around, I set limits to those expectations based on price and likelihood to see reprints. It has done me well to complete most of my sets and so forth. I feel that going forwards that most people prefer the capacity to see better cards come out over time as well that knock the socks off of older cards as well.
Once you have the skeleton, you put the mean on the bones, pimping is just the skin and make up on the skin. I feel the thing is, play with your Cube as is for now. If you want to "downgrade" and use the more expensive pieces to sell off to finish off a version that is most cost effective you while keeping your favorite pieces around that you want to show off as a collector.
I would say take sometime, really think about your goals and ideas. Realign your expectations to meet your budget and your needs. Moving from "I want everything" to "I want this specific thing" is a lot easier.
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@avaricious_magpie Lovely way to look at it. I was talking to my wife about it, with whom I've shared a lot of the financing and work that goes with owning a cube, and she is in agreement that we should refocus on the 93-94 cube. The way I put it to her was that we had serious reservations about leaving the world of competitive Magic, but we built a cube and have loved it for 7ish years...the same is happening now, so I think. We'll sell off this cube and bid it farewell with a melancholy, empty-nest wave goodbye, but we'll get a new baby and love that twice as hard. I've been obsessed with the early sets of Magic for 20 years and I can't imagine a more pleasing project.
@Frostdragon4 It boils down to this logic for me: I could easily drop $1000 for the next ultra mythic reprint of some old card that I already have in my cube in some other form, I just don't want to anymore. But if I don't have the latest and greatest, then in my mind my cube is incomplete, and if my cube will forever be incomplete, then I don't want to do it anymore. It's a dumb way to think, but its my weird compulsion. At the outset of building the cube, I made it a point to get the most expensive English version of each card in my cube and I haven't let that go until now, but I can't make a concession on the ideal without it ruining the idea of my cube. I built my cube on a *****ty pretense and it's my fault.
I had a tough time suppressing the gotta catch em all instinct. My main form of enjoying and playing Magic is draft, but I had multiple Modern Decks, a legacy deck, a cube, EDH decks and even a standard deck built for game day.
I still like to have some of those but recently sold a big chunk of that Modern stuff leaving me with one unccompetitive but favourite deck (Faeries). Haven't regretted it one iota and while everyone loses their mind over bans and eldrazi it feels nice sitting back with my arms behind my head "not my problem".
You have to make Magic work on your terms not Wizards. I was a bit snobby about proxies until I tried them. Now it's not just that they saved me money, it is also more relaxing when other people handle my cards. Which is what happens in the actual part of the game that matters, the playing!
I wouldn't even add the new Wasteland or Force of Will if I open them into my cube over my current proxy versions.
I don't have a Jace flip walker in my cube yet, not stressed. Cube and Magic existed before he did. I will add him eventually but on my terms not in the retail cycle Wizards want you to follow. They get my money every week for retail draft as long as they are doing a good job.
Relax, if the chase isn't fun then don't take part. I am sure your cube is already fun to play with.
Just make sure that you absolutely know the 93/94 cube is what you want before parting out your current one. There are always new cards coming out that I need to get for my cube, so it will never be complete in that sense, but that's a plus, in my opinion. It keeps the experience fresh. While the old stuff out of Legends, Arabian Nights, and etc is sweet, there will never be a new card printed again for any of them.
If that's what you want, go for it, but just be 100% sure before you pull the trigger. I know it would get stale after awhile for me.
Definitely one of my main concerns! My thoughts on that have been reasreassuring though:
-I can always extend the 93/94 cube out another year and retool the cube's design...I'm being a bit of a purist only including 93/94, Ice Age, Homelands, Fallen Empires, Mirage, Visions are all dear to me as well and I have no qualms really about adding them in later on
-Expansion of the cube to a higher number or contraction can add variation
-I won't need to spend any money on newer cards, so I could always throw together a legacy deck or modern or something with the money i'm not spending on new cube cards
I'm pretty sure I'm pulling the trigger on this...like...today. I'm about to head to Frank & Son's in CA and do some serious trading.
@Frostdragon4 It boils down to this logic for me: I could easily drop $1000 for the next ultra mythic reprint of some old card that I already have in my cube in some other form, I just don't want to anymore. But if I don't have the latest and greatest, then in my mind my cube is incomplete, and if my cube will forever be incomplete, then I don't want to do it anymore. It's a dumb way to think, but its my weird compulsion. At the outset of building the cube, I made it a point to get the most expensive English version of each card in my cube and I haven't let that go until now, but I can't make a concession on the ideal without it ruining the idea of my cube. I built my cube on a *****ty pretense and it's my fault.
Set it aside for a month or two and then make an objective decision if it feels like "I want out" sell, if it's "I really enjoy this thing" keep it and make a commitment to what defines "finished" to you. Then specifically sell off specific pieces over time when the market is high for specific cards to maximize return on value.
It is the collector inside of you wanting the powerful and prettiest. It's completely normal. Until you call yourself out on your stuff.
I start projects all the time, then go through a culling moment. I've easily culled about 10 aborted projects in the last 2 months and got rid of several cards. The things I "really want" are what I keep. I love the game, but I keep things in moderation. And there is an end goal to what I want for each format I've played. And I expect to be at that point in another 5-7 years.
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Anyone else feeling a little exploited by Wizards? I mean, it sells packs and for the people that can afford the cards, awesome for them. But I can't/won't anymore.
When I discovered Cube design I knew that my dedication to the game would only be for so long. I have gone through several different serious hobbies and struggle to make it past the paradigm shift, every game has them and recently the depowering of current blocks really bothers me. I started during Innistrad Block and was very pleased with the flavor, card quality and atmosphere; As we got towards Theros something seemed off. There is nothing valuable in the past 3 blocks other than reprints and the occasional mythic bomb. There are no more Vampire Nighthawks everything to me seems hit or miss.
As someone who enjoys pimpage and drafting more than I do the actual game, I am in a weird place. I have almost entirely excluded myself from Reddit because there are very few people who enjoy magic in the same way that I do. As for the crazy expensive reprints, I am a fan more than anything. Judge FOW, Phyrexian Elesh Norn, Promo Mana Drain will all eventually find there way into my cube. Currently I am working on getting every reserve list foil that I am missing before it doesn't make any sense. At this point I would imagine that you have to the conclusion of me being incredibly materialistic, which is a criticism I accept. My joy of cubing is more related to the experience of the draft rather than the actual gameplay. The expression of my friends faces when they open the pack and see Power Nine, OG Duals and other foils is enough for me to justify my cube. Having that experience reminds me of my beginnings in magic opening up a pack, reading every single card in awe while gazing at the art.
I imagine you have been sleeping on this for quite sometime. If there is one piece of advice I could give, it would be to make sure that you are 100% on this plan.
Turns out I didn't blow my wad this past weekend and dump the cube, which isn't to say I'm not going to, I just haven't yet.
The more I think about this situation and the more I look at the numbers, the more I'm leaning towards going whole hog on the vintage cube. The endless pursuit of newer and more ridiculously overpriced ultra mythics is less enticing than the satisfying nostalgia of a yesteryear cube. But I'm still wrestling with what you said, merfolk....getting a pack with Mana Drain, expedition fetches, foil goyf, etc is an incredible feeling that I can't get over.
It's all give and takes. There isn't any reason you can't have both and still transition into your vintage cube.
Maybe you can get the same appeal out of power or all beta.
Your basic land base could be unique.
Trading up to fun crazy things can still happen in that format, the number are just larger.
Something along those lines would be very cool. Just my thoughts.
Once it feels like a chore you should sell it. I did and felt great about it. With cards at stupid value you'll cash in nicely and can fund a whole wack of other projects (like a 93/94 cube).
If you and your playgroup still enjoy playing with it, then why sell it?
You don't have to update it with the latest cards.. perhaps update it once a year or even less.
Some things I do to keep myself sane in building my cube:
- Sell/Trade cards. I have built my cube practically free because of this.
- I buy cards rotating out. This way they are cheapest.
- When you have a missing modern staple, wait for it to be reprinted.
- Duals: do not buy them if it seems too expensive. There are many dual color lands that are still playable.
- Foils: I put only a few foils in my cube. The cheap ones mostly.
- In my 450 cube I buy only 360 staples.. that way I wont be buying cards that will be pushed out soon. (except for cheap ones of course)
My group and I decided a long time ago to just print color proxies on high quality card stock. A couple times a year I'll order 20+ of the cheap cards online (for $20-$50), but I've had a couple paper proxies in there for years and we are totally cool with it. I feel like that would horrify a lot of people around here, but seriously, severing our cube enjoyment from my wallet has been lead to big increases in fun.
It's been a hell of a ride acquiring all I have so far, but it just isn't fun anymore...in fact, it's kind of taxing. Every time some old card is reprinted in a new extra mythic super spectacular foil, I start to sweat. I want it, I can scheme to get it, but in the end, I just end up emptying out my wallet for a piece of foil-covered cardboard.
A few years back I decided to make what I call a "94 and Before" cube as a nostalgic lookback on my childhood, learning to play MtG with my big bro in the early 90's when I started. I'm thinking of selling off my regular cube to fund that project and just calling it a day with new Magic cards altogether.
Anyone else feeling a little exploited by Wizards? I mean, it sells packs and for the people that can afford the cards, awesome for them. But I can't/won't anymore.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
The bottom line is that the entire point of a cube is for your entertainment, so if it's not fun, find something else. Your 94 cube sounds cool (and I was so glad to be able to support that in the secret santa) and if that's where your heart is right now, go for it.
I'll be the first to tell you that I absolutely despise the secondary market and how easy it is to manipulate. I hate that WotC can put out an item with a suggested MSRP and shops will immediately start it at three times that amount just because it's a limited printing and there's value to be had within the contents. I can't wrap my mind around Daze, a freaking common, being a 100 dollar foil while there are mythic foils in the quarter bin. The alternate art foil Tahngarth, Talruum Hero is over 60 bucks. Why? What demand is there for that specific version of that specific card? I get that it's a bit more rare than the other artwork, but 60 bucks more rare? Really?
The bottom line is that while, yes, the secondary market can suck and it can be a pain in your wallet if you let it, it doesn't have to be. The most expensive versions of cards aren't necessarily the most pimp versions or the only options available to for pimp. You can often pick up Modern Masters or Conspiracy foils for less than the original printing. Certain promos are less than pack foils. Nonfoil alters can be less than some foils. Just budget what you can comfortably spend on your hobby and it can still be fun.
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I feel like if anything, cube has largely taken me out of the rat race of MTG. Because I'm focused on cube instead of constructed formats, I only need one of any particular card. Snapcaster and LoTV could spike to $200 and I wouldn't care because I already have the one copy I need. Singleton rules.
I'll second DSF's suggestion to proxy to plug the gaps that are hard to live without. There's no way I was ever going to drop $2-3k+ to buy ABU duals, so I'm running some nice looking proxies which play exactly the same and no one cares that they're not the real thing. World Championship Editions also look pretty cool, IMHO, and I've saved a pretty nice chunk of change by running those versions of Force of Will, Wasteland, and Rishadan Port. There are also plenty of budget swaps that can still make for great cube cards. Jace, Architect of Thought costs less than $3 in Duel Deck foil, and did a lot of work before I got my (proxied) version of JtMS. It's just not worth driving yourself nuts over cardboard you can't afford. Set a budget for what you're willing to spend on MTG/cube cards for the month, stick to it, and have fun with the cards you have in the meantime.
I'd think long and hard before selling off your cube, though. It'll be hard to get back what you spent on it, and if you change your mind and decide you want your cube back you'll be starting all over from scratch. Take a break, maybe focus on your nostalgia cube for a bit, and see how you feel about it in a few months.
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A cube is only fun for me if I can play it with people. I don't want to wince whenever someone riffle shuffles their deck. Despite efforts to keep down the value of the cube, Magic in general has just exploded in the last few years and card prices have gone crazy.
It sounds like pimping the cube isn't that fun for you anymore. It also sounds like you want some boundaries on your spending and doing the 1994 cube sounds like a good way to control that.
I don't think it's a bad idea to cash out at this point, from a markets perspective. The prices have gotten pretty frothy in my opinion, and there's probably a lot more downside than upside when it comes to card prices. If the money made from selling your Cube would significantly improve your life, go with the 94 Cube and sell your current one.
So I never regret selling them. That money paid a bill, kept a roof on my head, bought some hot dogs and ramen or whatever boring adult thing I spent the money on. When I eventually came back to Magic, it was different. I discovered drafting. Creatures were actually good. I played in my first tournament. Magic has something new to offer me now.
I just noticed you're located in SF. Do you go to Versus at all?
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My Cube on CubeTutor
My Cube has gone through a lot of iterations, and I think the only cards that have survived all the cutting and the upgrades since the first iteration are my set of Revised duals. 8 of them I pulled myself from a box of Revised that I bought as a teenager, and I remember being more way more excited about the Vesuvan Doppelganger from that box. I picked up a couple of Taigas for something like $9 bucks each during that same era because I wanted to build a deck with Ernham Djinn, Orcish Lumberjacks, and Tinder Wall. I was going to buy regular ones for $8 but the vendor talked me into upgrading to autographed ones for that extra dollar. One of those signed Taigas is the only non-stock card in my Cube. My Badlands is one that I bought off of eBay to complete my cycle of duals when I first put together my Cube...what is it, 7 years ago now?
I look at my Cube these days and I'm proud of what I've put together. The thing is sleek, balanced, and shiny, an improvement over my original Cube in almost every way. Still though, like many of us here, my Cube group doesn't get together as much as it used to. While the new cards are generally better than what we had when we started off MTG, I completely understand the urge to say "Screw this new crap, I want to play with the Schuler art Serra Angels and creepy bald guy Sengir Vampires that I used to." The way that prices have grown in the past few years hasn't helped either, when I stop sometimes and think about how much I'm paying for a piece of shiny cardboard it's a bit embarrassing.
Sorry, that was a bit of a ramble. Back to the original topic, I think that if you've lost your emotional connection to your Cube, trying to keep it up is probably just going to lead to regret down the line. It's probably best to move on and refocus on what matters most to you.
I feel what you might want to do is to just look at building a "Modern Cube" and then build for specific ideas and first get a good card base and over time pick up very specific cards you want to buy to "pimp" and really, really take your time. I would say you set your goals too high with an income too low. The time to start having such an Eternal Cube was 2010 really as the last time to have an affordable Eternal Cube. With that said, you do have other options to have an excellent Cube. There is also building a secondary Cube as well based on a theme.
When I started to Cube I knew that I had older cards, but many would remain on my Commander pile like my Duels. So instead of fretting around, I set limits to those expectations based on price and likelihood to see reprints. It has done me well to complete most of my sets and so forth. I feel that going forwards that most people prefer the capacity to see better cards come out over time as well that knock the socks off of older cards as well.
Once you have the skeleton, you put the mean on the bones, pimping is just the skin and make up on the skin. I feel the thing is, play with your Cube as is for now. If you want to "downgrade" and use the more expensive pieces to sell off to finish off a version that is most cost effective you while keeping your favorite pieces around that you want to show off as a collector.
I would say take sometime, really think about your goals and ideas. Realign your expectations to meet your budget and your needs. Moving from "I want everything" to "I want this specific thing" is a lot easier.
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<a href="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-lists/588020-unpowered-themed-enchantment-an-enchanted-evening">An Enchanted Evening Cube </a>
@Frostdragon4 It boils down to this logic for me: I could easily drop $1000 for the next ultra mythic reprint of some old card that I already have in my cube in some other form, I just don't want to anymore. But if I don't have the latest and greatest, then in my mind my cube is incomplete, and if my cube will forever be incomplete, then I don't want to do it anymore. It's a dumb way to think, but its my weird compulsion. At the outset of building the cube, I made it a point to get the most expensive English version of each card in my cube and I haven't let that go until now, but I can't make a concession on the ideal without it ruining the idea of my cube. I built my cube on a *****ty pretense and it's my fault.
I still like to have some of those but recently sold a big chunk of that Modern stuff leaving me with one unccompetitive but favourite deck (Faeries). Haven't regretted it one iota and while everyone loses their mind over bans and eldrazi it feels nice sitting back with my arms behind my head "not my problem".
You have to make Magic work on your terms not Wizards. I was a bit snobby about proxies until I tried them. Now it's not just that they saved me money, it is also more relaxing when other people handle my cards. Which is what happens in the actual part of the game that matters, the playing!
I wouldn't even add the new Wasteland or Force of Will if I open them into my cube over my current proxy versions.
I don't have a Jace flip walker in my cube yet, not stressed. Cube and Magic existed before he did. I will add him eventually but on my terms not in the retail cycle Wizards want you to follow. They get my money every week for retail draft as long as they are doing a good job.
Relax, if the chase isn't fun then don't take part. I am sure your cube is already fun to play with.
If that's what you want, go for it, but just be 100% sure before you pull the trigger. I know it would get stale after awhile for me.
-I can always extend the 93/94 cube out another year and retool the cube's design...I'm being a bit of a purist only including 93/94, Ice Age, Homelands, Fallen Empires, Mirage, Visions are all dear to me as well and I have no qualms really about adding them in later on
-Expansion of the cube to a higher number or contraction can add variation
-I won't need to spend any money on newer cards, so I could always throw together a legacy deck or modern or something with the money i'm not spending on new cube cards
I'm pretty sure I'm pulling the trigger on this...like...today. I'm about to head to Frank & Son's in CA and do some serious trading.
Set it aside for a month or two and then make an objective decision if it feels like "I want out" sell, if it's "I really enjoy this thing" keep it and make a commitment to what defines "finished" to you. Then specifically sell off specific pieces over time when the market is high for specific cards to maximize return on value.
It is the collector inside of you wanting the powerful and prettiest. It's completely normal. Until you call yourself out on your stuff.
I start projects all the time, then go through a culling moment. I've easily culled about 10 aborted projects in the last 2 months and got rid of several cards. The things I "really want" are what I keep. I love the game, but I keep things in moderation. And there is an end goal to what I want for each format I've played. And I expect to be at that point in another 5-7 years.
Modern
Commander
Cube
<a href="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-lists/588020-unpowered-themed-enchantment-an-enchanted-evening">An Enchanted Evening Cube </a>
When I discovered Cube design I knew that my dedication to the game would only be for so long. I have gone through several different serious hobbies and struggle to make it past the paradigm shift, every game has them and recently the depowering of current blocks really bothers me. I started during Innistrad Block and was very pleased with the flavor, card quality and atmosphere; As we got towards Theros something seemed off. There is nothing valuable in the past 3 blocks other than reprints and the occasional mythic bomb. There are no more Vampire Nighthawks everything to me seems hit or miss.
As someone who enjoys pimpage and drafting more than I do the actual game, I am in a weird place. I have almost entirely excluded myself from Reddit because there are very few people who enjoy magic in the same way that I do. As for the crazy expensive reprints, I am a fan more than anything. Judge FOW, Phyrexian Elesh Norn, Promo Mana Drain will all eventually find there way into my cube. Currently I am working on getting every reserve list foil that I am missing before it doesn't make any sense. At this point I would imagine that you have to the conclusion of me being incredibly materialistic, which is a criticism I accept. My joy of cubing is more related to the experience of the draft rather than the actual gameplay. The expression of my friends faces when they open the pack and see Power Nine, OG Duals and other foils is enough for me to justify my cube. Having that experience reminds me of my beginnings in magic opening up a pack, reading every single card in awe while gazing at the art.
I imagine you have been sleeping on this for quite sometime. If there is one piece of advice I could give, it would be to make sure that you are 100% on this plan.
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The more I think about this situation and the more I look at the numbers, the more I'm leaning towards going whole hog on the vintage cube. The endless pursuit of newer and more ridiculously overpriced ultra mythics is less enticing than the satisfying nostalgia of a yesteryear cube. But I'm still wrestling with what you said, merfolk....getting a pack with Mana Drain, expedition fetches, foil goyf, etc is an incredible feeling that I can't get over.
Maybe you can get the same appeal out of power or all beta.
Your basic land base could be unique.
Trading up to fun crazy things can still happen in that format, the number are just larger.
Something along those lines would be very cool. Just my thoughts.
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In Progress
GBIshkanah, Grafwidow ~ BWGRTymna the Weaver & Tana, the Bloodsower ~ UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ~ RGAtarka, World Render
You don't have to update it with the latest cards.. perhaps update it once a year or even less.
Some things I do to keep myself sane in building my cube:
- Sell/Trade cards. I have built my cube practically free because of this.
- I buy cards rotating out. This way they are cheapest.
- When you have a missing modern staple, wait for it to be reprinted.
- Duals: do not buy them if it seems too expensive. There are many dual color lands that are still playable.
- Foils: I put only a few foils in my cube. The cheap ones mostly.
- In my 450 cube I buy only 360 staples.. that way I wont be buying cards that will be pushed out soon. (except for cheap ones of course)
Good luck!