Am I a Bad Person?
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on March 1, 2016, 10:39 p.m. by amazingdan
I'm a freshman in high school that has a good amount of MTG players. Most of them are mediocre at best(one in particular actually tried to contest me fetching a Sunken Hollow with Flooded Strand), which I find surprising as most of them are upperclassmen. What I really don't understand is the almost unanimous belief of "playability over price".
Allow me to explain you a thing. Today, I traded a Lavinia of the Tenth, a Detention Sphere, and a Mirror-Sigil Sergeant for a Flooded Strand and a Watery Grave. I could hardly keep a straight face sealing the deal with a handshake. I have one other friend that is an experienced player, and trades by price. He literally yelled "You f*cking dick!" and laughed in amazement, and no one questioned it. I have also managed to get a crap ton of nonbasics from my playgroup, including a Scalding Tarn and an expedition Fire-Lit Thicket.
Now, these guys are really nice, and I hate to take advantage of them. However, they know the prices of most of their cards, and the belief stated above is within reason. I'm trading for long term value, they're trading for short term casual playability, and both sides are more than happy to make the trade. I just feel dirty trading away junk and bulk for value.
What do you guys think? Am I a total douche for taking advantage of their mindset, or is it justified if they're willing? Should I continue, or should I stop?
Note: I do warn people by reminding them of the prices if I'm hardcore ripping them off, such as the Scalding Tarn trade, or the trade where I got a Keranos and a Demonic Tutor.
Tl;dr: I'm ripping my playgroup off in long term value, should I stop?
Tl;dr, tl;dr: You lazy bastard, scroll back up and read!
I thank you all in advance for your input!
CharlesMandore says... #3
I agree that it feels a bit shady, but if both parties consent to all available data, then I personally see no problem. It is extremely peculiar that they make such a trade, but maybe they are rolling in money, where it doesn't matter.
March 1, 2016 10:59 p.m.
If you're letting them know about the price of all the cards being traded and they are happy to consent to the trade, then good for you. You're not doing anything wrong. Basically put, if people are happy to knowingly get ripped off then that's on them.
March 1, 2016 10:59 p.m.
I'd recommend that you stop going forward if you feel guilty. You can't do anything about the past trades, but maybe you can stop any more bad ones from happening.
If you find yourself feeling guilty about a trade, then stop doing them. That's your conscience telling you to stop, so you should.
March 1, 2016 11 p.m.
if they know and are willing to be ripped off there's no issue, but it's also correct to feel guilty about it, if anything a good way to loosen the guilt while still getting the trade value you want while they get their casual fun would be to do something I do when trading cards that shouldn't be in binders. Explain that you will be trading on equal price range, but rares worth below $1 you will up the value to $1 and then also build large packs/boxes of other "junk" you're offloading, seal them, and give them a value of like $.50 per pack of 20 non rare cards and a box (around booster box sized) at around $10. If they insist it's enough just force a handful of more casual stuff onto them at that point.
This way not only do they get their casual stuff and you get your value, but you also get to offload excess. heh made me realize only about 20% of my collection is stuff I'd keep.
March 1, 2016 11:06 p.m.
I'd at least have offered more...even if it weren't for the complete value of the cards you want - offer to buy them a reasonably priced card they've been trying to get, throw more decent cards into the trade, something. Something tells me even though they hear what you're saying in warning, they still don't quite understand the possibilities of what they could be trading for with such a card. At the very very very least, I'd be willing to lend them back cards if needed or if the situation is ever reversed, be willing to do the same. That's just me though, not to sound "holier-than-thou".
Granted I'm one that hates the stupidity of "staple" prices in most formats (Standard is at least somewhat understandable). Good on you though for having such a spirited and supportive playgroup.
March 1, 2016 11:15 p.m.
Dalektable says... #9
I have a friend just like you, and I am the friend with him that yells "You f*cking dick!" and laugh hysterically. My mindset is this: If both parties are fully aware of the prices of all cards involved and both have consented, I don't see a problem with it. Personally, I will try to somewhat even up the deal by giving them more bulk cards or random cheaper stuff they need but taking advantage of a situation like that is only smart.
March 2, 2016 12:04 a.m. Edited.
aeonstoremyliver says... #10
I'm with DrFunk27 lol. If folks will knowingly trade away high value cards for a casual gem, then that's totally on them. Caveat being knowingly.
In retrospect, I've totally done this, but traded for equal value. Many Blood Moons ago there was a kid who didn't want his Arid Mesa (when it was Standard legal at around $10-11 or so), and I made sure to trade equal value, if not a bit more, for it. There was also a time I traded a Phantasmal Image, worth a bit at the time, for a Sensei's Divining Top.
I'm always transparent about value, and will even add a bit if I'm really after a card. Then again, I may have been the Freshman duped out of a dual land with a Craw Wurm. Don't be that dick. Be like Dark Confidant.
March 2, 2016 12:09 a.m.
My personal rules for this are pretty clean cut.
Were you happy with the trade? Check.
Were they happy with the trade? Check.
Did both parties understand the value of each card, monetarily - regardless of future prospects that a card may or may not hold? That'd be a check, my friend.
That's it. Nothing less, nothing more. I've made my share of economically poor trades. I regret them now. But I learned through those mistakes. And furthermore, I liked the trade when i made it.
It's important to realize that short-term/present happiness and enjoyment of the game is what keeps it fun. Treating every waking moment of MTG like a stock market can lead to more in your pocket in 5 years, but less enjoyment running up to it.
In short, you shouldn't feel bad. And if the above "rules" remain check-marked, you should keep going for it.
March 2, 2016 3:09 a.m.
Everyone had informed consent. The deal's a go. Nothing to feel bad about.
Unless you're about to say that the other guy was 7 years old or had learning difficulties then I don't see the problem.
One of the most fundamental aspects of law and philosophy is that people are free to make bad decisions.
March 2, 2016 5:19 a.m.
My friend had a Wooded Foothills, and I traded him pretty much every 
uncommon I had from my box of uncommons, and a Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Gnarlroot Trapper and a Immortal Servitude, + odds and ends I had, but he said he'll never use it (the fetch), and he really needed what I had. I warned him about the value, and he just accepted it anyway. (Due to the stack of cards I had out)
We both were happy, with me now building a 
commander deck (which can be found here), the Wooded Foothills, a Temple of Abandon, a Stomping Ground, a Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, that mythic cyclops of the same color combo, and a Cinder Glade I pulled, and him using his 2 Sorins, to build something in the aera.
March 2, 2016 7:20 a.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #14
If you and your trade partner are BOTH aware of the financial value of the cards, then you're doing nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with coming out ahead in a trade as long as you aren't withholding information for personal gain.
Technically there's nothing "wrong" with withholding the information, purely from an economical standpoint, but doing it makes you a dink.
March 2, 2016 8:04 a.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #15
I don't think you're a bad person if they know the value.
March 2, 2016 2:26 p.m.
amazingdan says... #16
Thank you all for your input! I will definitely be taking some advice I've seen here. Cheers!
March 2, 2016 7:14 p.m.
If you're posting here I think you already know the answer. There's not really much we can do to change it. You have to rely on your conscience either way.
For what it's worth I do not believe that casual players would be happy throwing away $50 or $100 in cards just for the sake of a trade. That's A LOT of cards, probably all the cards they need for deckbuilding for years, if they're just buying random stuff.
Since you asked us I'm going to give you benefit of the doubt and I would advise you that you should be at pains to keep them informed about the relative values of what's being traded. Make sure they know how easy it is to aquire bulk rando rare cards that are worth less than $1.
It's just a question of how much you value them as friends, and your own integrity. If they found out later just how much their cards were worth, would they be happy with you? Would you care? These questions will guide your behaviour.
Personally I do not believe that it is worth making such quick gains in the long term. It might not ever cause problems for you in this case, but if you make a habit of it over your lifetime it will hold you back.
scopesightzx says... #2
I've had a similar situation in which one of my friends traded a Chromatic Lantern for a Tundra. Granted, the guy with the tundra was happy with the trade. But we told him later that it was worth something, so my friend gave him a little more (not enough to match the value of tundra, but he got more).
I guess it all comes down to both sides being happy and agreeing to the trade
March 1, 2016 10:57 p.m.