So I have begun trading online. That is a pretty big step, and it required a lot of thought to figure out if it would be a viable way to increase my collection. If I can figure out a way to keep trades enough, shipping should be cheap. The problem with that is that trading online can't really be done for a profit, so I need to pick and choose deals that allow me to move junk rares and other smaller stuff for big ticket items. This has been a lot easier than I expected. When I tried it briefly a few months ago I just set up my trade list and assumed that people were going to message me about cards I have and give me deals. The few replies I got were pretty much horizontal trades, such as a Huntmaster for an Entreat the Angels. So I figured that I need to be the initiator of the deals. I go through lists, find out what they want I that I have, and then find a bigger ticket items and make a play to get it. Ideally I will be able to get all of my random rares listed, but for now I am sort of playing it by ear.
Here is what I have done so far.
I gave:
2x death’s shadow
2x clifftop retreat
reforge the soul
3x dispel
circle of flame
tainted strike
torpor orb
painful quandary
bojuka bog
kessig wolf run
Moorland Haunt
I got:
Glimpse of Nature
Thoughts: This is a very good deal. I moved clifftop retreats when they were at their high point, along with some junk rares and commons for a Legacy playable card. Great trade.
I gave:
3x Increasing Savagery
3x Revenge of the Hunted
2x Ulvenwald Tracker
I got:
Game Day Killing Wave
Thoughts:My rationale is that it is going to be the black board sweeper after Black Sun's Zenith goes away, and because it is a promo, I should be able to get around $10 in trade for it right now. Beyond that, I gave up a few lower valued cards for something that might go up a lot, and if not, it will have collectable value to it.
I gave:
4 x Nettle Sentinel
4 x Elvish Visionary
1 x Faerie Macabre
2 x Viridian Shaman
1 x Ezuri Renegade Leader
I got:
Goblin Guide
Thoughts: This is the smallest deal that I have made online so far. It is great to move commons and a junk rare to get something I can actually put in a trade binder.
I gave:
Godless Shrine
I got:
1 foil ZEN island
1 foil ZEN mountain
3 manamorphose
Thoughts: This is a deal where I got some value. I wanted to move the shock land since they will be reprinted soon, and I end up getting to foil Zen lands which look great and should go up in value over time. The 3 Manamorphose really sweetened the deal, so I can move them in a trade or keep them to play storm.
I gave:
2x Lotus Petal
1x Trash for Treasure
1 of each Urza Lands
1x Mystic Tutor
1x Vampire Nocturnus
1x Yavimaya Hollow
3x Brittle Effigy
1x Yeva, Nature's Herald
1x Master of the Pearl Trident
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Flayer of the Hatebound
I got:
1x Shared Fate
1x Emrakul, the Aeons Torn (Promo)
3x Restoration Angel (2 Promo)
Thoughts: I can't imagine Emrakul not seeing playing in Legacy. There just aren't any better creatures out there. On top of that, casual people love him. If I am never able to trade him away, I will have him to use. the Restoration Angels are going to be a lot easier to trade than a stack of smaller cards, and should help fuel me in GP Columbus.
I gave:
x2 nefarox, overlord of grixis
x4drowned catacomb
x2 devastationtide
x2 slagstrom
I got:
2 Restoration Angel
Serra Avenger
Thoughts: I was able to move junk cards and some reprinted drowned catacombs for restoration angels, which works out. The Serra Avenger was a throw in if I gave him another slagstorm, which is going to cycle out soon and will be useless after that.
I gave:
1 cavern of souls
1 golgari grave-troll
4 lotus petal
1 dryad arbor
1 tarnished citadel
Foil oblivion ring
1 drowned catacombs
I got:
Mox Diamond
City of Traitors
Thoughts: Being able to move a cavern of souls and a foil Oblivion Ring for a city of traitors is amazing, since I don't think there will be another land printed that gives 2 mana. Moving smaller stuff for thinks I can put towards duals really helps.
So those were my trades so far. I ended up trading 72 cards for 18, which means I have really been trading up. While a lot of the cards are smaller ones or commons/uncommons, being able to put them towards a percentage of a great card is worth it. Every Faerie Macabre or Circle of Flame counts. Just being able to get rid of cards that don't go in my trade binder helps add more items that are binder worthy. Hopefully I am able to manage online trading well and make more successful trades.
In the past 4-6 months I have really been expanding my trading range. While I am not an expert on EDH cards, I have been slowly learning some things. I have gotten a lot better at trading for foil cards, and have been very good with my price estimations. I was able to move a Geist of Saint Traft and a Hinterland Harbor for 3 Unhinged Islands (worth 8 each), a Marit Lage Token (another 8), a Foil Grapeshot (8 more), 3 Ulvenwald Trackers (2 foil) and a pair of Norin the Wary. Little deals like 2 Hinterland Harbor for a Restoration Angel, or a Bonfire of the Damned for 2 Restoration Angel and $10 cash helps. I also sold about $30 in cards for $30, which was great, since that money can be used for buying more collections. In bigger news, a recent PTQ in Ontario got me 3 more duals, including a mint Bayou and an unlimited Taiga the valued $40 lower than actual price. I was able to trade down 5 Snapcasters for significant value and hope to cycle those small cards up. The next month or so is going to be rather significant, because I will be going to a GP, a Star City the week after, and another GP a few weeks later. I am hoping that I will be able to have some great success at the GPs in terms of trading and that I am able to just cycle more cards up to get more "Collection" cards. Right now things have been going rather well in terms of trading, though there haven't really been too many huge hits, which is why I guess posting has dried up a little. If I am able to get more of my collection that isn't in my binders online, that should help in terms of getting people to take those bulk rares at a higher price. Oh, speaking of bulk rares, I was able to trade 4 Marsh Flats for 486 bulk rares in Ontario. In that pile there were many 2-5 dollar cards, and I am thinking that I might start a "4 Marsh Flats to Power" binder, though I am not really a fan of the whole "X to Power" idea. I still need to go through and sort those cards, so perhaps I will work on that in the near future. Having random rares does help in terms of filling out online trades, so getting that up and running will be a good start.
