Magic: The Gathering is getting more expensive – Players find creative solution: 'Cards are cards'

The trading card game Magic: The Gathering has been popular for 30 years. However, not all players can keep up with the rising prices. They are resorting to a creative solution.

What is the problem with Magic? The trading card game has never been a particularly cheap hobby, but like many things, the packs have steadily become more expensive since the release in 1993 – too expensive for many players.

On Reddit, a player from Italy compares the current prices to the average income in his country and that in the USA. He says: For a box with 36 boosters, one would pay about the same in both countries, but in Italy, one would only earn about half as much. Non-Americans are therefore being priced out.

Players from the USA doubt the underlying numbers and claim that the actual income is lower, but they seem to agree on one thing: “Hasbro is really trying to squeeze every cent out of us.” (via Reddit)

Players from completely different countries are also speaking out:

In South Africa, one has to buy the cards through European distributors, which means paying significantly more, while at the same time, people earn even less (via Reddit).
In Brazil, the price for a display corresponds to the monthly minimum wage, and players are turning to cheaper alternatives like the Pokémon trading card game (via Reddit).
In Argentina, one has to pay high taxes on purchases from abroad. The economy is struggling, but Wizards of the Coast is making it even harder (via Reddit).

Many attribute the development to the decision to replace the previous draft and set boosters with new play boosters (via Magic).

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Those who cannot afford cards print their own

What is the solution? The solution to the problem is probably nearly as old as Magic itself: proxy cards. These are substitutes for a card that one does not own or that is so valuable that one does not want to damage it while playing. Proxy cards can also be useful if one wants to try out a new or expensive card first or needs a card for multiple decks.

How does it work? The simplest method to create a proxy is to write the essential information of the card one wishes to replace on a piece of paper and insert it into a sleeve with another card. If desired, one can also “decorate” the note with a small drawing.

Others simply print the cards they fancy. Nowadays, one can even have proxy cards printed professionally. During a game with friends, very few seem to mind if one or another card is replaced by a proxy.

Proxys can even be used in tournaments, for instance, when the real card has been accidentally damaged during the tournament (via Magic Judge).

“It will be impossible to play without proxies”

Although proxies are not new, players on Reddit say they are increasingly evolving from a possible alternative to a necessity in order to be able to play at all:

“And Wizards also stopped printing in Portuguese, lmao. Everyone here should just use proxies.” (via Reddit)
“Proxy everything. Commander with friends? Proxy everything, even the lands. Want to draft with friends? Proxy the whole damn cube. Even the basic lands.” (via Reddit)
“Here [in Argentina] we have a beautiful community, but it will be impossible to play without proxies.” (via Reddit)

While there can also be disputes over the use of proxies, and not every playgroup accepts a deck that consists only of notes, for many players, the advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

A player explains that he sold all his cards and now only plays with proxies: “If you are not playing in official tournaments, there is basically no reason to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in cards to play casually. Cardboard is cardboard.” (via Reddit)