Matthew Barton | Reporter

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How long have you been collecting Magic: The Gathering cards?

My dad started playing when he was a teenager, so we have a few cards from the 80’s but he stopped collecting when he got older. The majority of the cards that we have are from Khans block, which are the decks from late 2014 up until now.

What got you interested in collecting them?

What really got me interested was just playing the game. I loved playing Magic with friends and with my dad, he taught me how to play when I was very young.

How many cards do you have?
Somewhere around 20,000-25,000 cards if I had to guess.

Do you have a favorite card?

My favorite card is “Dragonlord Silumgar” from Dragons of Tarkir which is from early 2015.

About how much do you think all of your cards are worth?

We have a couple cards that are worth hundreds on their own along with 4 signed tropical islands, a guru forest, mox emerald and opal (beta,) and 8 Force of Wills. Just those totals add up to be around #3,500 so our collection, including every common and all of the expedition lands and masterpieces, are easily over $15,000.

Do you have a main deck that you usually run?

I’ve had a lot of main decks over the years that I’ve run because the game sort of evolves, but I’d have to say my favorite deck that I have ever played was during the Khans, BvZ meta. I played a 5-color dragon deck using Silumgar, Dromaka, and Ojutai. It’s probably the best mid-range deck I’ve ever played and the most fun I’ve ever had in standard.

Any advice for those who would like to collect the cards and play Magic: The Gathering?

My best advice honestly is to try to buy from old players on eBay. Get a few hundred cards for cheap or a premade deck and play with friends. If you like the deck, stick with it. I’m lucky that I had my dad to teach me how to play but there are tons of videos online and comprehensive guides that can teach you how to play but playing is by far the easiest way to understand the game. In Magic, you’ve got to learn by experience.