How does your playgroup feel about foils?
Economics forum
Posted on Aug. 23, 2014, 1:06 a.m. by Duct_tape_maniac
So the players at my LGS don't give a damn about it being foil. I care because value and shiny. They don't see any point to them and laugh at me for valuing them the way I do so much so some started calling me "magpie" because I like shiny things so much. The players at my LGS are fairly new so that might be it I had a guy say that foil was a disadvantage quote "Well I have a Genesis Hydra but its foil so it's not worth as much" I really didn't know how to react to that. My question is how does your playgroup feel about foils? also, How should I react to this? Tell them why foils are epic or, let them trade foils at under normal printing value to me?
scopesightzx says... #3
If you look at tcgplayer, usually any foil is worth more than the non-foil version, if a foil is available. They should be worth more because they don't appear as often (I say when two people opened foil Nissa, Worldwaker s in the same night at my local lgs)
August 23, 2014 1:14 a.m.
I hope you realise that bumping does nothing on this website.
Trade for all the foils you can if your LGS doesn't value them.
August 23, 2014 1:14 a.m.
asasinater13 says... #5
I felt the "foil can be worse" when I first started playing, mostly before i sleeved cards, because before sleeves foil cards just get destroyed very quickly.
Now, a few years later, I see the error in my ways. It may be something like that, where they see foil cards as more fragile so less worth having.
August 23, 2014 1:15 a.m.
Tell them to send their foils to my P.O. box.
LOLJK nobody has a P.O. box.
(I still want the foils)
August 23, 2014 1:27 a.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #7
Worst part of the entire thing is that I collected foils for a long time to trade away. Now my All foil binder lays around unloved getting fat.
I should say my LGS doesn't buy singles so that makes life interesting so that might be one of the reasons.
asasinater13 That might be exactly it. I'm one of three players who uses sleeves ATM I preach sleeves to every player I can but noobs just don't understand. Tonight at FNM I saw a player using a unsleeved Goblin Guide and another player with mirridon AEther Vial s unsleeved and begging to be saved. (was able to save the Goblin Guide )
August 23, 2014 1:35 a.m.
Blizzicane says... #8
HORDE ALL THE FOILS! >:D
I would foil all my decks if I could but everyone I know has a knowledge of pricing so I can't afford a deck filled with them but you another hand have a golden opportunity and if no one else uses foils in your LGS then that makes you one of a kind. :3
On the topic of sleeves everyone I know use sleeves religiously unless they just made the deck. :3
August 23, 2014 1:40 a.m.
i didn't start liking foils till i cracked a Sword of Feast and Famine foil during a prerelease, ever since then i have pretty much tried to get foiled out decks...mainly the commons and uncommons my favorite still being my foil Coiling Oracle
August 23, 2014 1:43 a.m.
I tend to look at foils like a way of showing what you like and how much you care. I want my favorite decks to certainly have foils, if I can. My brother foils out what he can afford to without breaking the bank, and I tend to do the same.
August 23, 2014 1:49 a.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #12
I collect almost all the shiny I can for the day that I can wall my room in foils (preferably mythic foils)
scopesightzx It's in Montrose Colorado I'll let you know though I'm snapping up almost every foil I can get. One of the reasons they call me magpie.
August 23, 2014 1:56 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #13
My question is why you bumped your thread after four minutes.
August 23, 2014 2:22 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #14
So, while I despise foils, I also know that they ARE valuable, and that they cost more for a good reason. I don't, however, buy into using foils in a deck.
I don't like foils because they are against my philosophies of "spend as little on magic cards as competitively possible" and "run all cards as the same condition and same set" (the latter being more important since Thoughtseize
is very real card in all competitive environments). That's not to say that I don't use expensive cards, but that I don't like foils simply because they usually cost absurdly more than the regular version and serve the exact same function as that regular version. When I build any deck, I don't want to pay 2x the normal card price just to get a foil, I only want to pay as much as I really need to.
Are foils cool? Yes. Could I understand someone grabbing a foil commander for their EDH? Yes. Will I do any of that? No way, I'd rather just play a less expensive copy. But that's just me.
August 23, 2014 2:30 a.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #16
It's solid logic. I wish I had the same. To me a shiny card is awesome. If I can get a foil version of a card in my deck then I will hunt it down. If I'm unsatisfied with the foil I will get a altered version of the card. Not sure why but that's the way I roll I wonder if it is a hidden desire to impress other players.
August 23, 2014 2:39 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #17
These days I'm only trying to collect specific cards as foil version.
Godsend was a must have foil. Going to pick up a Garruk X foil once the price drops. Picked up an unplayable foil Pharika.
August 23, 2014 2:44 a.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #18
A bit over half my foils are completely unplayable. But I love them anyway.
August 23, 2014 2:48 a.m.
CastleSiege says... #19
I'm pretty much the only person in my play group who has a love for foils. I got my foil Abrupt Decay a few month ago for really cheap from someone who didn't give a damn about it and now it's sitting at $100 value lol. I'm also trying to foil out my EDH deck, have about 1/5 of it done so far.
I'm also the same way when it comes to having a trade binder full of purdy foils but no one ever gives it any love.
August 23, 2014 3:56 a.m.
ItchiUchiha117 says... #20
I will take as many foils as I can get, but that's because if I don't use them in anything, I can always wipe off the image for awesome tokens. Kinda wish I had the Enchantment that makes 2/2 Reflection tokens, now. Can't remember the name.
August 23, 2014 3:56 a.m.
sonicizslow says... #21
I like foils of cards I like, such as my foil Werebear I also like the fun of slowly foiling EDH decks out. My play group also enjoys freaking some of the kids at our schools Magic club out by ripping up foil cards next to them.
August 23, 2014 8:53 a.m.
Gidgetimer says... #22
I live in a very humid enviroment and foils start to curl after less than a day unsleeved. I don't like them at all.
August 23, 2014 9:19 a.m.
Seraphicate says... #23
Some in my playgroup think of foils as 'if you have them, you have them'. Others (like me) collect as many as remotely possible, because, as TS stated above, shiny :)
If your friends are trying to give you less value in trades for your foils, either they're really stubborn, stingy, or not good friends. A quick look on any site that sells ANY collectible cards will tell you that foils are worth more.
August 23, 2014 9:34 a.m.
I like foil cards I am starting to just get into it but my friends could care less....silly casuals.....foils play better ;)
August 23, 2014 9:50 a.m.
nighthawk101 says... #27
The people at my LGS really like foils. As for me, if I pull a foil version of something or trade for a foil version, I'll run it, but if I have the option to trade for a normal version, I will because it's cheaper.
August 23, 2014 10:48 a.m.
Just sounds like some elitist nerd bullshit. Shinys are cool, anyone that tells you otherwise is a liar. The only reason they could think they were worth less is they are sometimes harder to get rid of because shops have a harder time selling them cause they cost more than the regulars and most people will buy regulars to avoid paying the extra for the foil. But really if you get one of a particular card you like or you want to foil out your deck, what business is it of theres. Especially pulling them in a booster randomly, thats exciting. If your going out and buying a foil the foils because you just can't stand the non-foil ones, then thats a little silly, but otherwise do you and screw everyone else.
August 23, 2014 1:20 p.m.
I don't like foils, I don't like how they bend, I don't like how they look most of the time.
The only thing I like about foil X is that I can trade it for the functionally identical non-foil X -and- other cards. If you want to value a card which has identical competitive function higher to the point of me getting extra cards as well? I will do that every day of the week.
August 23, 2014 5:30 p.m.
I think they're ugly and don't match the rest of my cards. If I can get value on a trade because someone wants a foil I have, I'll ditch it and buy the non-foil version to get net value. The only foils I run are cards I don't have as non-foil or random basic lands. Yes, basic lands. My play group makes a point of playing foil basic lands and sarcastically acting like a win condition was just played.
September 11, 2014 9:35 a.m.
I don't see how anyone can compare a Lightning Strike F with a non-foil version and say the foil is ugly.
Sure it doesn't work on every card, and you have to take extra care of them, but if you get the artwork includes a nice beam of light, a lightning strike, fire, or sparks... The foil really highlights the best parts of the card and you have something special.
September 11, 2014 11:28 a.m.
Did... did you just bump???
Anyway, I typically find that my available money for magic is better allocated to build more complete decks rather than pimping out decks with foils. If foils are available, or not at all significantly more expensive, I'll pick them up. But I'd much rather have 4 regular Liliana of the Veil s than 1 foil (which costs the same approximately). I do however always try to collect the oldest possible version of each card I plan on using, and all full-art Zendikar lands are mandatory for all my decks. Foils, however, aren't really worth the extra money, but they're worth more simply for being more rare.
September 11, 2014 1:14 p.m.
I don't see how it's different. Full art over regular land. Foil over non-foil. Original edition vs reprint. It's all for vanity, and in every case will cost you more if you have to have the "special" edition of whatever card you're using.
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for beautiful foils but they're not at the top of my priority list. I would also rather have a playset of Liliana of the Veil over a foil version. By the same token though, if I'm really in love with a deck or a particular card I would rather pick up a foil version of a particular card over starting a new deck.
September 11, 2014 5:19 p.m.
It's not just for vanity, it's directly related to rarity as well. But you make a good point.
September 11, 2014 8:41 p.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #35
From a collectability standpoint, foils are - by definition - great. From a competitive standpoint, they're kinda meh. In general, I'd rather spend money getting more cards I need, than getting one card that's shiny - additionally, foils are a strategic disadvantage unless all of your copies of that card are foiled.
So yeah, if the prices were the same, I'd take the foil, but generally, I'm much happier to trade a foil for a non-foil playset.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #2
SHAMELESS SELF BUMP!
August 23, 2014 1:10 a.m.