The Magic is Back

Tucked away in the back of the closet in my home office is a yellowed cardboard 500 card box, the edges round and tattered.

Honestly, I nearly forgot about it because it has been there for such a long time.

This box has moved four times, been in attics, basements and eventually in the darkest corner of a closet that rarely gets opened. 

Change is in the Air

Recently, however, I’ve been in my once-a-decade-home-office-remodeling kicks, and thus have literally dismantled the entire room — rearranging, reorganizing and flat-out pitching stuff from this sacred space tucked in the far corner of the house. 

So, last week, I stumbled upon that yellowed box. 

The moment I saw it, I remembered what it held, and a lot of memories came back to me quickly.

You see, back in the day, nearly 25 years ago when my brother and I were setting up at regional card shows, we took a chance on a concept that we both agreed was just cool. 

We were one of the first to delve into the Wizards of the Coast waters back then, and one of the rare dealers who had both sports cards and Magic The Gathering cards in the same space. 

That old yellowed box was loaded with nearly 500 MTG singles from decades ago.

I leaded through each one that evening, recalling the countless games I had played with folks from every walk of life and every skill level.

I remember ripping boxes back then, looking not only for the rare cards, but also those that would fit into my deck for play.

The artwork is amazing.

The pace of the game is perfect. 

The strategy is complex yet simple.

The community of players and collectors is extraordinary.

The Return of an Old Love

Sifting through that box, I found myself getting nostalgic and motivated at the same time. 

Now, I still remember most of the sought-after cards from that era, and there weren’t too many scattered amongst what remained of my collection, and the condition would certainly not warrant too many PSA 10s, that’s for sure.

But, more importantly, it rekindled my love affair with the cards and the game.

Later that night, I signed up for the online play, and waged battle after battle with players from all over the world.

I sat down the next morning and began mapping out a deck, researching the new sets for hours, compiling a list of which cards I wanted to add to my deck for play.

For the few of you who are entrenched in MTG that read this newsletter, you already know this, but for the majority of others — I have to tell you, this game, and the hobby that goes along with it, is second-to-none.

I’ve already got loads of MTG cards in the watchlist, and even spent a few dollars on some already. 

Am I going to start collecting these again from a dealer perspective?

Absolutely. 

But more than that, I’m going to play that game.

Its the beauty of this niche of the hobby — it’s 100% immersive and engaging because the cards are both collectable and functional. 

I love sports cards, but I’ll tell you, MTG is a very close second and gaining traction in my heart each day.