Thursday, September 17, 2015

MtG in My Neighborhood

In need of some cards to finish out your deck? Want to sleeve that 50 cent rare? (not really- but it never hurts) Where to go?

The MtG club gets a slew of bulk commons and uncommons donated from The Groton Hobby Shop as well as some cool swag for prizes and is my go to place for most of my MtG needs. What follows here is a primer for where to go in the area and what to expect when you get there.

Word to the wise...

Decide upfront if you are a casual "kitchen table" player or plan on playing in local FNMs. Keep in mind there are 2 main formats most MtG players get into for FNMs (Standard and Modern) and it is a good idea to decide which camp you fall into before you go out and start building decks. Card prices for Standard change often. A $5 dollar card today can be a 50 cent card tomorrow (I'm looking at you Butcher of the Hoard). Some cards are hugely popular and are considered staples for Standard and run a hefty price now but will go down in price when the format rotates as newer sets come out.

Modern, on the other hand, is a very stable format but cards that are considered staples (i.e. several different decks run them) can be some of the priciest cards around. Building good decks can be done but will take time and effort on your part. Check out PUCA's Building on a Budget Series for ideas.

If you need a card for a casual deck, WAIT for it to rotate out BEFORE buying it as it can be the difference between $35 and $5 dollars. Trade fair with newer players but keep in mind that there are those who know the value of the cards you hold and will sometimes offer trades that benefit them while giving you junk that might look cool but is not a fair trade.

On to the shops...

~ The Card Shop ~ (Cortland) 

Good place to buy needed MtG products- located across from Tops. While he does have singles, they tend to be cost a little more than other stores. If you see a rare you'd like to get your hands on, check the price online before going to know how much it is selling for. The owner doesn't check the prices beyond the first time he boxes his singles, so it pays to have him check the current price as it is often lower.

~ Heroes and Villains ~ (Cortland) 

New store that just opened in the Corset Factory in Cortland. The owners are very interested in growing their stock of MtG items and Role Playing books. They have a great collection of comics and are starting to offer casual events. A good place to get together and practice MtG in a casual setting.

~ Groton Hobby Shop ~ (Groton) 

9.5 miles from RT 222 sits my home for MtG events and the official sponsor of our MtG club. They have a great selection of singles in the case upfront as well as in the back separated by set. Two binders rest there filled with bulk rares and uncommons to help finish out your decks. The staff is super friendly and during FNMs and Events the players are welcoming and open to new players of all ages. FNMs rotate between Modern and Standard every other week ($10 for four rounds of play) with prizes offered for the top players of the night. They also hold prerelease events ($25) for new sets that are a blast to attend.

~ Enchanted Badger ~ (Ithaca) 

20 miles from Cortland past Tops in Ithaca is the Badger. They also have a great selection of singles with a friendly staff. Bulk singles are sorted by color not set in huge 5,000+ card boxes, so it might take a decade to find the card you're looking for. Their other singles are sorted by binder depending on their price and in the display case for the really rare rares. Come to drool. FNMs are always Modern ($5); Saturdays at 4 pm they hold Draft events ($15 gets you 3 packs to build your deck with); while Sundays are reserved for Standard ($5) with prizes offered for the top players of each event.

~ Comics for Collectors ~ (Ithaca)

Good place to buy needed MtG products it is located off the Commons. While he does have some singles in binders, his collection does not include many recent cards and his rares tend to be priced at the height of the value. A card which might currently sell for $5 might be posted at $10. The price is the price. The shop also offers newer sets and duel decks + booster packs but specializes in games and comics.

~ Play the Game, Read the Story ~ (Syracuse)

Next to the Spaghetti Warehouse sits the main store while a satellite store can be found at Destiny. They hold 3 FNM events ($5) starting a 6 pm and staggered every half hour and range from: Standard, Modern, and Commander League ($5 for 1 month) with prizes to the top players in each event. Saturday they also hold an 11 am Standard Event ($5)


Store
Singles
Merchendise
Events

The Card Shop
(Cortland)

Commons: 10-15¢
Uncommons: 25-40¢
Bulk Rares: $1


Good selection of most MtG products

None

Heroes and Villains
(Cortland)


None

booster packs; duel decks

Casual Events

Groton Hobby Shop
(Groton)


Commons: 10¢
Uncommons: 15¢
Bulk Rares: 25¢


Good selection of most MtG products

FNMs
(Standard & Modern)
Prereleases


Enchanted Badger
(Ithaca)


Commons: 10¢
Uncommons: 20¢
Bulk Rares: 20¢


Excellent selection of all MtG products

FNMs
Prereleases
Sunday Magic

Comics for Collectors
(Ithaca)


Rares: doesn’t check prices so tends to be higher than other locations


Selection of some MtG products

None

Play the Game
(Syracuse)


Cards are priced individually from commons on up


Excellent selection of all MtG products

FNMs
Prereleases
Saturday Magic
Sunday Drafts

Target / Walmart


None

booster packs; duel decks

None