Does Vintage Have Pros?

[WildWillieWonderboy]

One thing that was always pointed to as a reason for slow format growth and innovation is an alleged lack of professionals to drive such phenomena. With the dough SCG is shelling out for writers and their contribution to the tournament scene, is vintage on the verge of gentrification?

If so, is it likely to grow to the point that power will become an outrageous constriction? (in other words, will the basic rules of supply and demand adversely affect the format?)

[VonDouche]

I feel that since many of those who win these large card prizes at the big tournaments immediately sell them, this can easily be considered being a professional in the basic sense of the word.  They are making a considerable abount of money from the prizes, and even more from writing their articles.  Although this is unlikely to be enough to actually forge some kind of living off, I think it can be considered being a professonal.

Another angle to look at this is, do these people take the game seriously?  I know they respect it beyond measure, but do they treat it as a job and a duty?  If this is the case, I feel that anyone fitting these requirements can consider themselves to have an aura of professionalism about them.  This is undoubtedly the first step towards having professional Vintage players.

As for your question of prices of classic staple cards (power, drains, MWS, etc.), these prices will probably contiue to climb with the interest levels of the players, but as long as proxies are allowed as they are now, it will keep the prices in check from inflation too much.  While this is a moot point for many, because spending over $100 on a piece of cardboard may as well be a million, proxies are the only thing keeping prices at the level they are at.  If you remove the allowance of proxies in tournaments, prices would most likely increase without bounds at first, and probably plumit to nothingness once most people can no longer afford to play in the tournies.

Just my immediate thoughts...

[Jacob Orlove]

If you look at the origin of the word "amateur", it's formed by the combination (roughly) of "love" and "game". An amateur is someone who plays because he loves the game. Note that this does not have any inherent connotations relating to the skill of the player in question. He could be among the very best in the game (or sport), but, if he is in it to have fun, he is an amateur. The contrasting term, "professional", refers to one who plays the game to make a living, or at least to earn income.

Frankly, I see almost all magic players as true amateurs--we play because we love the game. There are a few people who play other formats professionally, but I don't believe that you could accurately call any Vintage players "pros". We may be good, or even great, but we're not in it for the money.

And I think we're better off for it.

[Zherbus]

Frankly, I see almost all magic players as true amateurs--we play because we love the game. There are a few people who play other formats professionally, but I don't believe that you could accurately call any Vintage players "pros". We may be good, or even great, but we're not in it for the money.

And I think we're better off for it.

That was my thought as well.

[Godder]

Even if you were good enough to win power every week, and were a SCG featured writer, it would still hardly add up to much of a living, particularly after taking into consideration travel costs etc.

Semi-professional, perhaps, but I think the literal definition of amateur fits better.

[WildWillieWonderboy]

I guess this sort of begs the question as to whether or not any of the magic "pros" are professional in the true sense of the word. As such my question could be better re-rephrased as "does vintage have something analagous to the pros that constructed formats have?" Of course, that's a bit long for a thread title.

In terms of the publicity and attention that certain players get, they do parallel the "pros". Then again, the effect their opinions have on the metagame are nowhere near the complete reversals Kai's publications effected. Part of this is due to the inherent difference between formats. Someone could come into type 2 more or less cold and just pick up whatever Kai was touting (say UG Madness) and play it in a tourney for under $100. When Smmenen says that Oath with eight power and drains is really good, people are more likely to play to beat it, but most won't take out a loan for it. Of course, here on the Drain, Steve is lowered from emminence by engaging in more interactive discussion, which "pros" would not participate in.

As far as whether or not we are better off not having pros, I don't know that that is necessarily true. We are certainly different and unique.

[FORCE-OF-WILL]

For me  the question is "Are you sure you want to be a magic pro?"

I have a few friends who are in fact magic "pro's" They spend 50+ hours a weeks testing, constantly travel (which costs money). They are all on the train and have not needed to PTQ it in a long time.

I like playing magic, quite a bit in fact. But It seems like they dont have as much fun as they used to. I still PTQ it now and then, and I've played at 2 PT's and Nats. But as much as I love this game, but there are many other things I love to do that I dont want to give up so that I can have zero free time and optimistically only make maybe 10-15k a year.

50 hours/week + constant travel + 15k a year = Crappy Job IMHO

Dont get me wrong, there is the alure of "I play magic for a living."
This Alure will end as soon as you exit college and you get your first real check from your first real job. It did for me.