[Free Article] One Man's Quest for Power

[GrandpaBelcher]

http://manadeprived.com/one-mans-quest-power/

I've been playing Vintage for almost a decade now but never bought into the format until a couple of years ago. This is my story.

[xouman]

Nice read Nat! Congratz on your full power adquisitions

I have also been playing without power for 5 years or so. The difference is that I'm playing in a non-proxy environment, happy to play unpowered decks (and sometimes playing powered, when my mate Joaquin lent me the cards or even the full deck). Several months ago I purchased most of the cards in just 1 transaction, but now I'm finding myself willing to play unpowered decks :p So, I don't have the motivation to buy cards like mws or bazaar, but good luck in your remaining quest

[wiley]

As someone who started their vintage collection with bazzars, workshops and a mox ruby, I highly suggest starting from the top (lotus) down.  I only recently acquired my lotus, sapphire and twister after years of having everything else.  The more prices rose the less I wanted to finish my set, but I am very glad that I did.

[DubDub]

Good read.

I too left Lotus (and Jet) for last, and there was at least a year in between my 7th piece of power and those final two.  Feels really good to be done (since Mishra's/Bazaars don't interest me).

[Prospero]

I really enjoyed the read, Nat.  Thanks.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Thanks for all the kind words. I had a good time writing this, and it really does feel great to have made it to this point. I'm always excited for people when they buy or trade for Power, whether it's one piece or to a complete set. It's just a good way to recognize someone's love for and dedication to the game--not just Vintage but Magic as a whole. (Not saying that people who don't own Power can't be dedicated.)

And that Buying from the Top Down thing is so good. I could have had Power much sooner if I'd started putting money towards that goal rather than buying every other random card used in the format first. I mean, I still got all those other random cards and have done well in that regard, but I probably could have saved at least a grand on Power and then had MORE money for cards later!

[KrauserKrauser]

I finished my set at the last NYSE Open.  Was a good feeling.

Now you need some art!

[Hrishi]

Your advice of starting from the top down is excellent. It's become infinitely easier to acquire power after having gotten the lotus already.

[SickDuck]

This is a good read and very true that today it is better to get them from the top down, plus as long as MTG remains popular, these cards are only going to get exponentially more expensive.  Thanks for sharing!

I was lucky in that I got my big cards between 1999-2003, during the heydey of Standard...the living death decks, replenish, mono blue treachery, fires of yavimaya...Type 1 was rather unpopular at the time and it was quite easy to trade stacks of Absorbs, Birds, Scroll Racks etc for P9, whether via the local card shop or through MOTL.
I just wish I had predicted how expensive FoW, goyf, duals, fetches and Bob would get.  Speculating on those would have been some easy money.  The next article on this type of topic should be about how to crack the code on mid-range cards like these. 

PS - did anyone think Tabernacle or Karakas would shoot up as much as they have?

[GrandpaBelcher]

There is probably an article to write about figuring out those long-term staples.

I'd really like to write about other people's first Power pickups or most memorable pickups. If you have a good tale to tell about winning your first Mox or opening a Timetwister or trading 12000 junk rares for a Black Lotus, send me a PM. I'd love to put those in an upcoming article.

[Demagoguery]

Great read, I really enjoyed the tale. The only thing I'd really point out is the top down thing only works if you don't plan to play sanctioned or if Lotus is your best card. For example, I intended to play sanctioned vintage to some extent, such as the Scholar's events, so something like Ancestral Recall is a bit more important and easier to acquire. Additionally, I don't think power would drop even if the Reserved list went away, it's really a piece of history at this point and holding a card that is twenty years of age has its own significance to collectors and players alike.

As for myself, I'm happy to now own three mana drains, a Pearl, Emerald, Ruby, and Recall. I do regret selling my original Ruby and Emerald though, but I look forward to getting a complete set in the future.

[rilegard]

Thanks for sharing your experience!
In my case, I wanted to get P9 in the best possible condition, so if I had followed the top down advice, I guess I would still be looking to complete it. Getting all the pieces took me 2 years, and mox pearl was, unexpectedly, the hardest card to find (in near mint-mint condition).

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

Great read Nat. It's always exciting picking up new cards no matter how old we get haha

[mr.grim]

Great read.  Thanks!

[ramrodjon]

Thank you for sharing your story, Nat!

[Twaun007]

Quite the adventure Nat... and it seems like it was only yesterday when you were unleashing your P3K power nine proxies.

I can't wait for part 2 of this article to get published
 

[Montolio]

Definately a good read. Thanks.
I have been toiling with buying P9 for quite sometime.
I am solely a modo player over the last 10 years (Classic) and am frothing at the mouth to play some Vintage.
I have actually gone into my LGS and looked a P9 a few times, and have flirted with buying in.
The problem is it is so hard to justify spending so much money to get there.
Your story helps soften the blow. May go in heads first and buy that Lotus I am been dreaming of. (Not Lotus Petal either:)

[dangerlinto]

Definately a good read. Thanks.
I have been toiling with buying P9 for quite sometime.
I am solely a modo player over the last 10 years (Classic) and am frothing at the mouth to play some Vintage.
I have actually gone into my LGS and looked a P9 a few times, and have flirted with buying in.
The problem is it is so hard to justify spending so much money to get there.
Your story helps soften the blow. May go in heads first and buy that Lotus I am been dreaming of. (Not Lotus Petal either:)

You go Montolio.  If you get a set, I'll have to swing by to take a look

[Hrishi]

Getting that lotus first makes the entire thing feel incredibly easier. I just started trying to buy into power and the first thing I got was the lotus. The rest of the cards don't feel too difficult anymore (even if it actually is!).

[Winterstar]

A happy read.


In march,  itook the plunge and traded heavily into the power nine. I vaguely miss my bazaars, but I'm mostly over it. I'd rather the flexibility the power provides, even if it does mean having to re-acquire duals and few other cards down the road. Being able to play a non-proxied deck of your own isone of the greatest feelings.

[bodine1231]

Any other articles like this? I love reading stories of people on how they acquired their stuff,especially since that is the goal I have set for myself for 2015.