The pandemic saw a huge surge in interest in trading card investments with Pokemon cards particularly growing in value and being seen as a smart investment as well as sports cards and Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
This spike in interest has managed to maintain its momentum and has sparked interest in other franchises which have included the classic trading card game Magic: The Gathering. But as other cards seem to be generating a lot of interest, is it time to invest in Magic: The Gathering?
After all, the popularity and interest of trading card games have even expanded to the digital world in the form of NFTs (Non-Fungible Token) as various projects such as NBA Topshot has seen trading cards released and sold digitally at high prices. Although NFTs are not physical, they also helped to generate further interest in the physical cards.
When it comes to investment, it’s always best to be thinking ahead which is why Pokemon and sports cards may not seem like a smart investment nowadays, especially if you can only get your hands on modern cards.
Therefore, it’s essential to think about what could be a great investment in the future and with the interest of trading card games only growing, it is only a matter of time before the general interest turns to Magic: The Gathering.
In this article, we’ll be delving into everything you need to know about Magic: The Gathering from what the game consists of, what to expect when you start collecting, and what you need to look out for when making your investment so you can begin to invest in these cards with confidence.
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Before making any investment, it’s important to know what it is you are wanting to invest in. The more you understand about the investment, the better you can understand the market and have more success when it comes to selling it.
The first thing to learn about Magic: The Gathering is that it is a tabletop trading card game. The first set of cards were released in 1993 as a result of the hugely popular role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. Magic: The Gathering has seen a lot of success and popularity because it has more complex rules that cater to adults rather than children which expands the target market even further.
Magic: The Gathering works by collecting and building a strong deck of cards that contains a variety of different rarities and powers which can be used in battles. The popularity of Magic: The Gathering grew so much that there are events such as a Grand Prix and the Pro Tour that allow all players to show off their skills. These events tend to have thousands of fans turn up which hasn’t faltered, proving how popular Magic: The Gathering remains to this day.
So what is on the cards?
Magic: The Gathering cards feature a variety of different fantasy creatures and settings which have their own instructions and skill set. The top half of the card will show the image alongside a life total and the bottom half consists of instructions, statistics, and other details that are important for the player to know. The overall aim of the game is to eliminate your opponent’s cards’ life down to zero until they cannot play anymore.
The game has even expanded to incorporate a digital presence as there is even a digital collectible game so it can close in on that niche and various video games have been released over the years. These digital options have helped Magic: The Gathering maintain its popularity throughout the pandemic when physical card-playing was not allowed.
Are Magic: The Gathering cards increasing in value?
Due to the predominantly adult fanbase of Magic: The Gathering, players have spent hundreds, and in some cases even thousands, building decks that will help them win as many games as possible. The majority of players were spending lots of money in a bid to help them build the strongest deck rather than seeing them as an investment.
However, recent years have seen interest in investing in Magic: The Gathering cards in the hopes of selling them in the future for a profit. The main question is: are these cards actually increasing in value over time?
Magic: The Gathering cards never really increased in value over the years since their release due to the emphasis on playability compared to more collectible cards such as sports cards and Pokemon. When the pandemic hit and the interest in trading cards rose exponentially, investors are constantly shining a light on different franchises to ensure that the market is constantly fresh and exciting.
Therefore, as Pokemon cards are seeing a slight dip in value as the interest in collecting has grown again, Magic: The Gathering has been receiving a lot of attention from prospective investors. It’s important to note that Magic: The Gathering has never dropped in popularity due to the various competitions and strong community that makes it such a lucrative market, however, the game had its best year in 2020 alongside Dungeons and Dragons.
Combining the physical cards with the digital gaming community and the digital collectibles, Magic: The Gathering has managed to increase more interest from an investment standpoint because people are prepared to spend more money on cards that can help them build the strongest decks.
The idea of Magic: The Gathering as the next big trading card game to invest in isn’t a bad one. After all, their Grand Prix events host around 7,000 players on average meaning that there is plenty of money to be made from this market, and with more people paying attention, this only shows signs of growing even more post-pandemic.
Determining the market value
Now that you know the background of Magic: The Gathering and why the interest has begun to surge, even more, it’s important to know what to look out for when investing in a card. This will mean that you can invest in cards that are guaranteed to sell at a higher price. Here are the main factors that you need to consider when looking to make an investment:
Condition
The first thing you will always need to look out for when investing in any card is the condition of the card. This is because pristine cards will maintain their value and even increase over time. This can be done by keeping them in sleeves and protectors to ensure that they are not scratched or creased over time.
Demand
Once you have looked into the condition of the card, think about the demand for the card. When it comes to Magic: The Gathering, the playability of the card is important so the cards that are most in-demand are the ones that give them a huge advantage over their opponents such as the Black Lotus which is the most valuable Magic: The Gathering card or foil cards. The higher the demand for the card, the higher the selling price will be.
Scarcity
Lastly, always think about the scarcity and rarity of the card. It probably comes as no surprise that older editions and first editions are among the most valuable because they are more difficult to come by. You’ll find that original cards from the 1990s are more valuable than the more modern cards because of the sentimental value they hold and their rarity.
Buying and selling Magic: The Gathering cards
Once you’ve decided what card you would like to invest in, you may be wondering where you can buy and sell your Magic: The Gathering cards. Modern cards can often be found at comic book shops but for those looking for an older or specific card, then it is best to check secondhand market websites such as Amazon or eBay.
Bear in mind that it is important to make sure that you inspect the specific factors listed above before making your purchase to avoid any disappointment.
Conclusion
Overall, Magic: The Gathering seems to be the next big thing when it comes to trading card game investments and it’s best to start making your purchases before the market sees a huge spike so you can make a bigger profit.
What makes Magic: The Gathering different from other trading cards is that they cater more to adults meaning that you are more likely to find a target market that is willing to spend more money on a card as well as ensuring that the condition of the card is more likely to be pristine or near mint.
Hi, my name is Matt Roberts, and I have been a financial analyst and advisor for the past 7 years.
While my job is based within the money industry, in my spare time I enjoy looking into potential new investment opportunities. From cryptocurrencies, to purchasing vintage cars, everything has the potential to gain you money if you are wise and make the correct investment decisions.
Through this site, I hope to educate others on investing in general, and hope to provide others with useful information that can benefit them and the opportunities they have. If you are not confident with finances, investing money can be a daunting step, however, it is a lot easier than many people are led to believe.
