I like the idea of trading away packs, however at my local game store nobody will trade for them at $3 a pop. I have been trading them at $2-$2.50 and still have been enjoying the rewards. I like it when somebody rips open a mythic in front of me, they get what they want (excitement) and I get what I want (certainty).

Cons: I would like a solid piece of information that I can take away from each article. Here, I was already in the know. I understand that there is no way you can predict what your readers do/do not have a grasp on, but I believe that this topic has been approached by many financial writers around the web.

Future Article Idea: Transitioning from sitting at the PTQ by yourself to getting your friends to come along, or, how to prepare your trade binder/card stock for the next upcoming PTQ. Ending articles with a quick, solid idea about a card that is about to heat up and why / what actions to take would also be a boon to any article you write.

Example: Abyssal Persecutor is going to heat up. Why? MBS spoiler card "Go For The Throat" has caused a lot of hype. The first time you see this card in a top 8 at a major event you should dump your copies and reap the rewards of this questionable card.

This is perfect. Comments like this make me wish I could pick a repeat winner 2 weeks in a row haha

After reading some articles on this topic, I've settled into breaking up my binder into categories, organized by color. They are, in order: Standard, Extended, Commander, Fancy (Foils, Foreign, Promos, Signed, etc…), and the <$1 section. I like having the junk in the binder because sometimes you are able to trade away that Seer's Sundial. The bulk also helps to even out trades or offer throw-ins from that section. Keeping them segregated at the back doesn't force anyone to look at them if they don't want to. I also keep a small binder stocked with things I am less inclined to trade away (Fetches, Jaces, Baneslayers, etc…).

Something that Medina (I think) proposed a while back that is AMAZING: Keep a one of each card in your binder. Keep any extras in penny sleeves in a box that you bring with you when trading. You'll have to sort them so you can find the extras quickly when need be but that isn't hard. You have to let people know that you have more than one copy of most things in your binder, but it's great because:
-It maximizes your binder space and keeps your binder from getting bulgy
-It doesn't stretch your pages
-People don't know how many valuable cards you have (makes you less of a target)
-Minimizes losses if your binder gets stolen
-Allows you to control how many of a card you want to trade to someone
-Some people get intimidated when they see you have multiple playsets of cards
This technique has worked very well for me and I would recommend it to anyone!

This article is a bit better than your last one. However more examples are much appreciated. I don't always want to know every detail, but a few more details would be appreciated.

Two things I'd like to see in the future:
1) how to balance an awkward trade
2) exit strategies and when to use them.

(for the QS admins, why can i not login with my insider login? Twitter is blocked at my job & I don't have accounts with the others)

one constructive criticism: Other than hey, have some basic morals when trading, the article did not really have any specific advice. There were a few things not to do but not really a lot of content. I thought the article must be really short because there didn't seem to be much meat to it. Obviously looking back, it is decently long, but it didn't feel like there was much to it. That may not be as negative as I am making it seem because it was such an easy read that it just seemed short.

one future article topic: One thing that i have not seen anyone write on that would be interesting is the value and tradability of cards from other formats. I am not talking about even the recently popularized edh, I mean things like pauper, vintage (the nonlegacy cards), and things like that.

I like your point on “Treat others as you would want to be treated”. This needs to be the golden rule in trading. Do right by someone in a trade and they’ll be eager to crack their binder open when they see you again. Develop the relationships and the opportunity for cards will come! I wish more people understood this.

Somehow I never considered the value of trading packs to other players. I’ve always been a pack buster. If I win any packs they get opened as soon as I get home. Now maybe I’ll reconsider my stance thanks to your article! Do you think it could be worth it to buy a box simply to trade the packs? You would have to make sure you get no less than $3 value on each pack of course, but I wonder if it could be good leverage in trading to someone who doesn’t have the funds to buy new packs (especially when a new set is out and demand for that set is still high).

I agree with the first commenter. More anecdotes are something I would like to read about. Reading about personal experience sticks with me more. It would have been interesting to hear about some of your specific missteps in trading with friends. What was the trade? How much was the value skewed in your favor? Once you realized you were getting the better end of the deal, what did you do to even up with your friend? Did you go back to him afterwards and make it right?

Like last week’s comment, I still want to hear your methods of preparation for a larger event like a PTQ, or even a GP or SCG Open. In addition, I think it would be of value to read about how you prepare for a new set. Prereleases are a different beast altogether than any other event because of the hype and speculation on the new cards. Some tips on how to prepare and how to approach trading at a prerelease would be well received.

Keep up the good work!

I'm not a trading master these days, but there area few ways i'd suggest approaching those questions.

I tend to organize my binders by color for ease of use, but that can back fire. I think the best mix is to have a smaller binder with the cards people drool over which is very organized, shows you are a pro. And then a general binder which is somewhat in disarray. When trading smaller cards it's not always a good idea to appear to know what you're doing since there are lots of times that you are perfectly happy tossing away lots of small stuff for bigger stuff. in that scenario i would only bring out the binder of bigger cards if i saw things that i was willing to trade them away to receive.

I have found that the best way to work out value differences like that is to always ask the other guy what they value their, and my, cards at. that way I can either get things that i value higher for cheap, or it gives me the framework to "add my opinion" to what I think they are worth without calling them a liar.

if someone has cards that aren't for trade in their binder i usually just trade a bit harder. "well that's the only card i want." if they don't relent, move on.

cash deals are done on the side a lot, sometimes in the parking lot or sometimes just under the table. use your own moral judgement on these kins of things, or just play with them a bit. tell that you only accept double or triple value in cash because your home town is short on cards etc.

Negative – I need more info on how I should organize my binder. Do I put dollar rares in there? Hot non-rares (mana leak, bolt, wall of omens, etc)?

Future Article – Specific advice on how to handle difficult situations, like when the person you're trading with insists that Tendrils of Agony is a $5 card. Or what you say to people with binders half-full of cards 'not for trade'. Or when the person wants to offer you cash somewhere you are not supposed to sell cards (local shops, dealer halls).

More specifics and less generalities. Talking about winning and selling packs is great, for example. It's a specific event, and you tell the story of when you overcharged your friends. The next paragraph talks in more general terms about the same idea (don't overcharge your friends) but it is less punchy because you have not tied that idea to one of your real world experiences.
I would like to see more stories and anecdotes about trading, whether it's good trades, bad trades, or even other people's reactions to trades (like somebody stepping in to disrupt a trade where someone was getting ripped off). I would also be interested in hearing about some MOTL stories if you have any good ones. Maybe people who haggle down to the cent, or other annoyances.

Thanks for the article!