As open as I am to trying different things, there was one genre of games that I refused to try. And as much as my boyfriend tried to get me to at least try, I kept telling him that I will not play Magic the Gathering with him and his friends. My reason simply being that “trading card games are not for me.”
“But Kat, you’re a child of the 90’s. What about Pokemon cards?”
Better get some ice for this hot take… Pokemon cards were the worst of trading card games – for me personally. Let me explain my reasoning before you start throwing tomatoes at me. I loved Pokemon as a kid. I watched the TV show, I saw the movie, I played the game, I played Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Snap (the Lickitung sushi game was simply *chef’s kiss*). And yes, I even collected Pokemon cards.
Here is the issue… I just collected, I never played with my Pokemon cards. Why? Because at the time, I did not know how to actually play Pokemon cards nor was I really interested in learning. I just wanted to “Catch em all” so-to-speak. It was the core part of the theme song and I was sold on the dream.
And these weren’t just cards with unfamiliar characters and creatures on them. The original 151 (1st generation) Pokemon were beloved characters. And I think it was because I had this attachment to these Pokemon that I needed all of them.
The main reason why I refused to play trading card games
You may wonder why I was so adamant about this. It’s a harmless trading card game after all. So many people enjoy playing it for decades.
But the main reason for my aversion to trading card games like Magic: The Gathering stems from a period of my life that I am not proud of. The time I… collected Beanie Babies.
Yeah, that’s right. I was part of Beanie Baby mania – I even have the Beanie Babies official club lanyard to prove it. Patti, Chocolate, Legs and the gang were all I was about. Heck I even had the Princess Diana Beanie Baby complete with a tag protector (essential) and display case.
Now you may ask why floppy animals partially filled with beans has anything to do with creatures printed on trading cards. It all comes down to the one word that they both have in common “collectible”.
Beanie Babies were collectible just for funzies, whereas Magic: The Gathering requires you to collect cards to build your own deck using cards from random packs where you don’t know what you are going to get. (Yes, I understand that there are pre-made decks.)
Beanie Babies
Medium sized item for a nominal cost
Had special release events for new Beanie Baby releases (yes I attended these)
Collectible for “funzies”
Value plummeted over time (to every Beanie Baby collector’s dismay)
Trading Card Games
A handful of small items for a nominal cost
Have special pre-release/promo packs and events for new decks/expansions
Collectible out of necessity for gameplay
Value of cards vary – most are worth pennies and some (though incredibly rare) can be worth thousands of dollars
I know this may sound harsh and extremely odd. But it’s because I know myself well enough to know that I have a very compulsive personality. Once I get sucked into something I want everything, I want the best, I live off of the high of getting my hands on a rare and amazing item. And also because I’m trying to save for my future and would like to own a home one day, I try to steer clear of things that could awaken the crazy in me again.
Trust me, I am very much aware that this is an incredibly outlandish comparison and a bizarre reason to not try a new activity. I have absolutely nothing against MTG or its fans (heck I’m dating a man who has routine Magic the Gathering gatherings with his friends). And I enjoy helping scan and sort his MTG cards.
It’s just not something for me to get heavily into, even if my reasoning is a bit… unusual.
Update
Well, I caved in and asked my boyfriend for a 101 intro to Magic The Gathering. On the condition that I will not be buying any cards for myself nor will I be curating any decks. Pre-made decks that he had already owned only. It’s a win/win.
And you know what? I really enjoyed it. I still don’t plan on collecting cards and curating decks – remember, I have a crazy “gotta have them all” demon inside that I’m trying to contain. But nonetheless, I enjoyed playing. Perhaps I’ll write a blog post on it. Join our How To Player 2 community for the latest updates and sneak peeks for future posts!