Best/Cheapest way to get Power!?

[Chaos Blade]

Well actually I dont think the lowering of power prices will make WOTC go out of bussiness. First of all theyre owned by Hasbro plus Type 1 isnt one of  there biggest money makers YET. Temporarily lowering prices for anywhere aorund 200-1000 players would actually benefit WOTC. Plus their main money maker right now is Limited if I recall right.

[RoadTrippin]

Let's try giving my post another read. What I'm saying is I'm sure players would be glad to allow whatever it is that ends up making power cards cost less, as long as it isn't WotC going out of business. I did not even intimate that Vintage was the primary money maker for WotC or even that allowing proxies/reprints would lose any money for WotC. Sorry if it was unclear, but it seemed alright to me.

[Smash]

Well actually I dont think the lowering of power prices will make WOTC go out of bussiness. First of all theyre owned by Hasbro plus Type 1 isnt one of  there biggest money makers YET. Temporarily lowering prices for anywhere aorund 200-1000 players would actually benefit WOTC.
Plus their main money maker right now is Limited if I recall right.

WOTC doesnt make money off the selling of a lotus for $600 on the secondary market, players and dealers do. WOTC would prefer we all played limited and t2 and bought a lot of packs.

They already promised for the good of the game not to reprint the power cards. If they broke this, the entire foundation of the CCG would crumble.

[TimeBeing]

I know alot of people are going to disagree with me or flame me for saying this but I think power needs to go down drastically with some other cards. Also it will let more people get into type 1 and stop from what I am seeing one group of people hoarding the power. Yes I know most of you will disagree with me becuase you have power but look at it from the point of view from players in there teen age from 13-17. ALOT of these future players will end up quiting becuase they will never assume the amount of money to buy power and many will have other goals to use there money on like cars and gfs.

 If we really want Type 1 to grow then something has to be done about this to get these teenage players in the game since we are the future of the game, and many people who already have the power are the ones to usually win it and thus stoppping a stream line of players. That could be one goal of getting power or a "theory"

thanks, a very informitive thread gets hijaked into reprinting/lowering Power Prices, which has been argued over and over, some where else.

[Chaos Blade]

Ok well sorry then but I hope we all do agree something has to be done about these prices. I mean how do we want to get our forum growing while a piece of power ccost aorund 200? Alot of kids parents wont let them spend there money on that to.


As a reponse to Smashs post If We dont reprint them in the future of a few years to even ten years if the game last what will happen to type 1? Will it become a small group of people with Power? If we want it to survive and to get more players we need to take action.

 I dont see this as hijacking, I see this as an answer to get way of power

And I hope this to be my last reply to this thread as I stated my opinion. You people can either agree with me or disagree I do not care since this is a free world.

[Smash]

Ok well sorry then but I hope we all do agree something has to be done about these prices. I mean how do we want to get our forum growing while a piece of power ccost aorund 200? Alot of kids parents wont let them spend there money on that to.


As a reponse to Smashs post If We dont reprint them in the future of a few years to even ten years if the game last what will happen to type 1? Will it become a small group of people with Power? If we want it to survive and to get more players we need to take action.

 I dont see this as hijacking, I see this as an answer to get way of power

Take it to another craptastic thread. Kids can play sligh if they are too lazy to work for power.

[M.Solymossy]

sligh is easily shut down.

sui is easily shut down

all budget decks i know of are easily shut down.


My solution would be to Legalize the 5 or even 10 proxy standard in ALL type 1 tournaments besides the top vintage tournaments (gencon for example).

the power would drop in price because all the new players would be proxying it.  but still, as everyone knows, PIMPING your deck out so it looks good is always a plus for like, 70% of the players... so those players would still get full power.    power would still be around 100 bucks, which still will symbolize true "Power"

[johnstown713]

Man, I am so damn tired about hearing people whine about prices.  That didn't stop me I got a stupid job so I could play this sweet format.  And this 13-17 people don't have money is a load of garbage.  I know tons of people that are that age and own power.  Besides it is good to have high prices because it shows the game is thriving.  And if the people with power win tournies then so be it because they spent their time and money aquiring those cards.  They deserve to win.  I have power but even when I didn't I didn't go whine about prices and stuff.  I am not even wealthy.  Hell I am in debt but it is called a budget so if you don't want to invest it is called a proxy.

[Jacob Orlove]

Stop it with the off-topic posts. This thread is about strategies for buying or trading for power. It's not about how the world should be. Start another thread if you want to talk about that.

-Jacob

[defector]

I own 4 power cards, Mox jet, Pearl Recall, Timetwister.  I bought them al on E-bay, I imagin I overpayed for the Recall and the Timetwister and Underpaid for the Moxen.  E-bay was better before the dollar fell.  You can still score if you buy from people that don't ship oversea, it's a small, but american market.  Most card retailers will sell for Scrye, which is tough, some will trade, buy a few boxes of whatever's new and maybe you can trade for quality.  That works with some sets(Urza's) better than others(Scourge).  Don't buy from anyone on e-bay that is less than the best.  I saw oen guy sell bacmk to back CE Moxen as real ones for 200+ each and fucked some people bad.  A negative feedback is not worth 200+ dollars.  Also, if they are in the low(50 or so) feedback range, look at their other auctions.  If they have sold power to other people and gotten positive responses, they are probably safe.  Also, I belive Paypal protects you up to 200 bucks or so, so anything beyond that is you're own risk.  Also, watch who is bidding against you.  If the guy is a 0-50 or so on the feedback, he is more willing to overpay than a guy that's on a 50-100.  Don't get caught up in a bidding war with someone that just got their tax return, it has cost me more money than I care to think about.  You can make e-bay work, just be patient and let 10 fish go for every one that you catch.
good luck, we're in this together
defector
P.S. the feedback based psychology is mainly arbitrary, just saying that experience and repuation make a difference, quantify that as you feel comfortable, just be cautious first rather than aggressive.

[Smash]

I own 4 power cards, Mox jet, Pearl Recall, Timetwister.  I bought them al on E-bay, I imagin I overpayed for the Recall and the Timetwister and Underpaid for the Moxen.  E-bay was better before the dollar fell.  You can still score if you buy from people that don't ship oversea, it's a small, but american market.  Most card retailers will sell for Scrye, which is tough, some will trade, buy a few boxes of whatever's new and maybe you can trade for quality.  That works with some sets(Urza's) better than others(Scourge).  Don't buy from anyone on e-bay that is less than the best.  I saw oen guy sell bacmk to back CE Moxen as real ones for 200+ each and fucked some people bad.  A negative feedback is not worth 200+ dollars.  Also, if they are in the low(50 or so) feedback range, look at their other auctions.  If they have sold power to other people and gotten positive responses, they are probably safe.  Also, I belive Paypal protects you up to 200 bucks or so, so anything beyond that is you're own risk.  Also, watch who is bidding against you.  If the guy is a 0-50 or so on the feedback, he is more willing to overpay than a guy that's on a 50-100.  Don't get caught up in a bidding war with someone that just got their tax return, it has cost me more money than I care to think about.  You can make e-bay work, just be patient and let 10 fish go for every one that you catch.
good luck, we're in this together
defector
P.S. the feedback based psychology is mainly arbitrary, just saying that experience and repuation make a difference, quantify that as you feel comfortable, just be cautious first rather than aggressive.

Paypal protection is worthless, refer to paypalsucks.com. As I said before, your only protection on ebay is the credit card you paid with.

[defector]

After reviewing payaplsucks.com, i am inclined to agree with smash.  Be careful.
defector

[Ric_Flair]

@ChaosBlade:

Ok well sorry then but I hope we all do agree something has to be done about these prices. I mean how do we want to get our forum growing while a piece of power ccost aorund 200? Alot of kids parents wont let them spend there money on that to.

First, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I wish you would edit your posts for content, grammar, and spelling.  If there is an infrequent error that is one thing, but your posts are damn near unintelligible.  Please use the edit feature.

Second, I think that i you go back and read my initial post in this thread you would see just how out of place your complaining is.  The price of Power is high, there is no disputing this, but getting Power for less is not that hard.  Again, if you spent the time complaining about the price of Power trying to get Power, you would have some already.  

Here is some proof--the way I got Power.  

Around October of last year I decided that I was going to stop playing my Sui Black deck.  It was pretty boring and while it could keep up, it was just not good enough.  The high priced deck's main source of explosive energy is their capacity to geometrical abuse Power.  That is, while Ancestral, Time Walk, and Lotus are great individually, the real thing that makes these cards busted is using them in conjunction with each other and with other cards like Demonic Tutor and Yawgmoth's Will.  So I hatched a plan to get Power, duals, and Mana Drains.  

I picked up 5 duals at a PTQ in Woonsocket for $5 each.  I then traded an Exalted Angel, a BOP, and a Wrath for 3 more.  I had 8 duals, 4 Volcanics, 1 Tropical Island, and 3 Taigas.  I then traded them at a Pre-release for 4 Tundras and 3 Trops.  I then built a T1 Super Gro deck, proxying the Power.  I got 4 Italian Drains on ebay for $55 each for my birthday and I got a beta Ancestral from a dealer for cheap, $180.  It was not in mint, but it was still a beta Ancestral.  I traded the Beta Ancestral to Jacob for an unlimited one and a beat, but not too beat Library.  I then sold a bunch of stuff on ebay--a CD player, an old Palm Pilot, some video games....bunches of stuff.  I made about $400 from the auctions.  I then found a Time Walk with a Buy it Now for $180, one Saturday morning at around 7:30am.  It had been on line for about 17 minutes when I bought it.  I then talked to the same dealer that sold me the beta Ancestral and he hooked me up with a cheap, slightly used Emerald for $200.  I paid the various shipping costs with the $20 left.  I received 4 Underground Seas for Christmas.  So for a grand total of $205 ($180 for the Ancestral plus $25 for 5 dual lands) out of my own pocket and 1 birthday gift and 1 Christmas gift I got : 1 Ancestral, 1 Library, 1 Time Walk, 1 Mox Emerald, 12 blue duals, 4 Mana Drains.  I also picked up a playset of Forces for $20 around the same time, giving me more than enough cards to make a good deck, GAT, using only 3 proxies (Lotus, Jet, and Sapphire).  

I am a student and unlike high school kids or college kids I am paying all of my own bills, rent, law school tuition, insurance, gas...I have a small part time job, which pays less than $150 a week and yet I managed to get Power.  And I am not even a good trader.  Jeff and Jacob are both far better than I am.  If I can do it, anyone can.  Just put your mind to the task and devote some resources to it.

[Petey4335]

What I advocate may not be the quickest way to get power, but it has been has aquired my a Lotus, Library and (hopefully in the next month or two) my Time Walk.  Sell Cards. Search through your brinders and your boxes, for things you haven't looked at in months and sell them.  If there is one thing my wife has brow beaten into me, it is to evaluate what I have, and if i'm not using it, get rid of it/make it into something useful.  Use Ebay, use Cardshark, whatever, but make something useful for the stuf that is sitting in the corner collecting dust.  

You would be amazed what what people will buy and for what price. For example, my last cardshark sale was  2x Sould Warden, a Browbeat, Reiver Demon, 2x Extract and a Serenity for ~$6.50.  I've made probably another 75 little transactions like this and another 50 or so for cards of higher value (forces, duals etc).  Heck, I thought priceing duels for $12 a piece was a bit high but people snatched them up quickly (less than two weeks). The money goes to sit in paypal untill I find a decent price on power on Ebay, etc.

And yes, Paypal does suck, but then again, I haven't had a problem with a transaction online yet <cross fingers>

OTOH, I am going to advocate getting power in the next year or less if you can.  I am making the prediction when Extended rotates again this year, there is going to be even more of an interest in T1/ 1.5.  As it is right now, extended encompasses 20 of the 32 sets that have been printed(not including reprints!).  Once extended rotates, it will encompass 13 out of 34(5th dawn and Earth have yet to be printed).  That is alot of cards and decks people will already have and want to use and won't be able to use in many tournaments.  I don't see WOTC doing all that much more to promote T1 since the masses complain about Power.  I can see WOTC trying to prote 1.5 since there seems to be less complaints about that format.[/b]

[FireFall26]

Yes selling some cards is always good.  I just sold a bunch of mine, to get an ancestral for 290 off ebay.  Decent price considering I saw some ending for 340.  Bidding in the last 5 minutes is key

[Ric_Flair]

Following up on the last post:

www.esnipe.com

It really works.  And they have free samples.  I am not advertising for them, but they helped me out so I thought I would pass on another helpful hint.

[Smash]

Following up on the last post:

www.esnipe.com

It really works.  And they have free samples.  I am not advertising for them, but they helped me out so I thought I would pass on another helpful hint.

Here's the problem. You are giving a 3rd party yoru ebay ID and pass. NOT a good idea. If they use it to proxy bid and it wins, guess who is legally liable?


On the other hand, I am the king of hand based snipes

[Addolorisi]

Hey, I'm sorry if this is off-topic, but I found a Bazaar selling at $120. I just got a paycheck for $175, and I don't want to spend any more than that (trying to pay my way through school and all).

The problem is that I talked to a dealer a few weeks ago and he said he could find me some power for about $180, but I'd have to buy it while I was home for Spring Break (this week).

If it's an incredibly insane deal, I'll probably buy the Bazaar, but if it's only mediocre, I'd rather pad my checking account a little more first.

So how good of a deal is it?
Again, I'm sorry if this is off-topic at all; I didn't know of any other place to ask.

[Petko]

Other than working eight hours a day every day in a factory during the summer (like I did), I would suggest building a competitive budget deck (I would highly recommend Gay/r) and play in Power tournaments.

[jazzykat]

You can also win smaller tournaments and build up your winnings to trade for power or just dump what you won on ebay, or to someone to get the loot for a piece.

Anyone who can get any piece of power except twister for 180 should buy it as long as it is in decent condition. If it is crummy then it depends: ancestral, lotus, and saphire are still good at 180 beat!!!

[Addolorisi]

Anyone who can get any piece of power except twister for 180 should buy it as long as it is in decent condition. If it is crummy then it depends: ancestral, lotus, and saphire are still good at 180 beat!!!

I know the $180 deal is good, it's the Bazaar purchase I'm contemplating.

[RoadTrippin]

120 for a Bazaar isn't too hot nowadays. If it's like.. pack fresh then it's a mediocre deal at best- nothing absurd.

[Petko]

Anyone who can get any piece of power except twister for 180 should buy it as long as it is in decent condition. If it is crummy then it depends: ancestral, lotus, and saphire are still good at 180 beat!!!

I know the $180 deal is good, it's the Bazaar purchase I'm contemplating.

You can definately get Bazaars for a cheaper price than that. I'm sure people would sell Bazaars at around $100-110 US a pop. Of course, they may not necessarily be NM, but I'm quite certain you can find EX ones around that price.

[Jacob Orlove]

Yeah, bazaar averages like 100 on ebay. Some are in the 90s, while an occasional one can go up to 130, but the average is definitely below 120.

[Ric_Flair]

Here's the problem. You are giving a 3rd party yoru ebay ID and pass. NOT a good idea. If they use it to proxy bid and it wins, guess who is legally liable?

I don't think you understand what they are doing.  Based on how it works this is not possible.  Even if it was, and they bid on something you did not ask for or mistakenly bid (because of offer price or item) in a proxy bid, yes, you would have to pay for it, but then they would be liable to you for breaching their contract to you.  Either way, if esnipe or any other party acting on your behalf with your authority does something they are not empowered to do, they are liable to your for their actions.  This is a BASIC premise of legal liability called agency.  

And yes you are biased.

[stu55]

To get back on topic...

I am off to a PTQ this weekend..what is the best way to get power while trying trade there...let me know..thanks

[twn_domn]

If you don't own any power or close to power (bazaar, workshop...etc), then the 1st choice should be lotus/ancestral.  

Depending on what kind of player are you, if you are just generic, want to keep your options open, save all the money and get that lotus/ancestral.  If you are Oscar-tan-ish, more of a control player to begin w/, then you can start on mana drain.  They'll give you a better shot in the later tourn. to get your potential ancestral/lotus.

[xzero]

The cheapest way to get power is to steal it.

However, theft is illegal, and is hated upon by everyone, including the Type One community.

As someone else said, the PTQ scene is one of the best places to purchase power, because if someome at a PTQ owns power, they are probably the average Limited/Extended player, and really don't care about power.

[trotch]

I know a guy who said he would sell me an English Mana Drain for 50 dollars... is this a good price?  I would imagine so, should I buy it?

[FORCE-OF-WILL]

Generally as long as its in decent shape-yes.