Magic: The Gathering- Reserved List and Reprint Policy

[Lhurgyof]

Hey all, I'm writing a paper about the Reserved List and Reprint Policy that Wizards has for Magic: The Gathering. I feel like this should be separate from the main MtG thread for several reasons (I need to be able to easily access answers, I don't want to clog up people's conversation, and I don't want to buried under other peoples' posts and be ignored).

So, here are a few questions with regards to the reserved list that I would like you to answer if you have the time:

1. For what purpose do you believe the Reserved List was created? What purpose do you feel it serves today?
2. Do you feel the Reserved List and Reprint Policy solve whatever problems they were created to solve?
3. Do you feel the Reserved List and Reprint Policy are necessary? How do you feel about Wizard's recent strengthening of the Reprint Policy?
4. If you could, would you change the Reserved List, Abolish it, or keep it the same? If you would change it, how and why would you?
5. How long have you been playing Magic: The Gathering?
6. How much money on average per month do you spend on Magic? Would you describe yourself as a casual player, a competitive player, or neither (please explain)?

If you don't want your answers to factor into my paper and just want to talk about the reserved list, please make sure to say so in your post. I would like to be able to use direct quotes, so if you want you can PM me some basic information (name, general area of where you live or play at, etc.) so I can quote you in my paper without having to use your Username.

If anybody is willing to be interviewed, please PM me and I can see what I can do.

Thanks in advanced, I appreciate any and all help.

[arguskos]

Hey all, I'm writing a paper about the Reserved List and Reprint Policy that Wizards has for Magic: The Gathering. I feel like this should be separate from the main MtG thread for several reasons (I need to be able to easily access answers, I don't want to clog up people's conversation, and I don't want to buried under other peoples' posts and be ignored).

So, here are a few questions with regards to the reserved list that I would like you to answer if you have the time:

1. For what purpose do you believe the Reserved List was created? What purpose do you feel it serves today?
2. Do you feel the Reserved List and Reprint Policy solve whatever problems they were created to solve?
3. Do you feel the Reserved List and Reprint Policy are necessary? How do you feel about Wizard's recent strengthening of the Reprint Policy?
4. If you could, would you change the Reserved List, Abolish it, or keep it the same? If you would change it, how and why would you?
5. How long have you been playing Magic: The Gathering?
6. How much money on average per month do you spend on Magic? Would you describe yourself as a casual player, a competitive player, or neither (please explain)?

If you don't want your answers to factor into my paper and just want to talk about the reserved list, please make sure to say so in your post. I would like to be able to use direct quotes, so if you want you can PM me some basic information (name, general area of where you live or play at, etc.) so I can quote you in my paper without having to use your Username.

If anybody is willing to be interviewed, please PM me and I can see what I can do.

Thanks in advanced, I appreciate any and all help.

Fun fact: Here is the entire Reserve List.

In answer to your questions:

1. I believe it was made in order to give Wizards of the Coast some say in the secondary card market without forcing them to actually step into that market directly. Personally, I feel it is an outmoded concept that we no longer need.

2. I think that if you feel the Reserve List was intended to lock in card value and prevent devaluation of certain cards, then yes, it does its job. However, please explain to me why this is on the Reserve List. Just because it does something now obviated by Equipment? That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, since that's not a valuable card. It can't have fulfilled its entire purpose if things like Aboroth and Zelyon Sword are on it, since they have no value and no real reason to be locked out of reprints.

3. They are absolutely not necessary and the recent strengthening makes little to no sense. As it was, it was a tolerable evil when they could still print special reprints (I mean seriously, who fears Tuknir Dethlock?)

4. Abolish it, reprint everything on it as relevant, let people get access to the cards. Some collectors will complain, but original's of the cards on the Reserve List that currently have value will keep their value (Beta Black Lotus, anyone?), or at least close to it. I think it'd better the game overall to be able to reprint interesting stuff like Aeolipile and Tithe, and would let WotC lower the bar for entry into the eternal formats, Vintage and Legacy.

5. Since 1994 or so. I took a 1 year break in 2010 when I sold my collection (had to eat), but I'm back into it these days.

6. I spent about $50-80 a month, and mostly play competitive Magic. I borrow a lot of stuff, win a lot of cards, and leverage my wins into more material for decks and cards.

EDIT: Oh, and feel free to PM me if you want my information or want an interview. I'd be happy to oblige.

[The Extinguisher]

1. The reserve list was created in response to Chronicles. It's a collection of all the rares before masques block (with some exceptions) that are not to be reprinted, so as to appease the demands of collectors.

2. Not really. The vast majority of cards on there that their values would be affected would not be reprinted even if they could, and even things like the dual lands would not decrease the value of the originals.

3. I don't feel it's nessecary, and in fact most people at Wizards don't either. However, the strengthening was from the legal team in response to them pushing the limits of it. It's more of a "because we promised" kind of deal now.

4. Do away with it. It's unnessecary and kinda dumb. But we're not going to see it gone for a while.

5. Since about Shadowmoor. I don't know what year that is.

6. I spend about 60 to 100 a month, mostly in drafts. I'd call myself semi competitive.

[Binks]

1. As best I can tell (having not been playing at the time) it was created in order to guarantee to collectors that Wizards wouldn't be flooding the market with reprints of their cards, that their value would stay high over time. Today it's basically just a 'we stick to our promises' thing for Wizards for the most part, though it does increase the cost of some of the cards (many of which would never be reprinted due to power level anyway).

2. I feel it probably solved the problem it was intended to at the time of its creation. It's a shortsighted solution that's causing more problems now than it's fixing IMHO but it was a solution at the time as best I can tell.

3. No, in an ideal universe they're not necessary. I kind of see where the strengthening comes from though, as the loophole they closed was kind of silly. 'We definitely won't reprint these cards...unless they're premium versions in special products' isn't really what the policy was supposed to be.

4. If I could I would get rid of it. It's pointless now that Magic has been proven to be a lasting product. It's already been shown that cards can be collectible without being on the reserved list, but at the time it was written that wasn't as guaranteed. I see where they were coming from, but with hindsight the solution was shortsighted and unnecessary IMHO.

5. About 2 years now, started a few weeks before RoE pre-releases.

6. Casual player, I don't even go to FNM's anymore. I spend probably somewhere in the ballpark of $50 a month on cards, mostly singles.

Hope that helps your paper. Good Luck.

[Lord Seth]

Hey all, I'm writing a paper about the Reserved List and Reprint Policy that Wizards has for Magic: The Gathering. I feel like this should be separate from the main MtG thread for several reasons (I need to be able to easily access answers, I don't want to clog up people's conversation, and I don't want to buried under other peoples' posts and be ignored).

So, here are a few questions with regards to the reserved list that I would like you to answer if you have the time:

[LIST=1][*]For what purpose do you believe the Reserved List was created? What purpose do you feel it serves today?

This seems like an odd question. Wizards themselves (or at least particular members of Wizards) have stated what the purpose of the list was and what they think about it currently. Why not just look at those comments rather than what might amount to simple speculations on the parts of players?

Heck, Mark Rosewater answers questions on his Tumblr account, you could just go there and ask him this question. The reason I advocate this is because this question is fairly objective whereas the other ones are more subjective.

[*]Do you feel the Reserved List and Reprint Policy are necessary? How do you feel about Wizard's recent strengthening of the Reprint Policy?

What recent strengthening? You should really be more specific about these things because not everyone knows this, even the people who know what the Reserved List is.

2. Not really. The vast majority of cards on there that their values would be affected would not be reprinted even if they could, and even things like the dual lands would not decrease the value of the originals.

What, what? Of course a reprinting of the dual lands would affect their value! You see, the people who buy those lands generally fall into one of two categories:
1) Collectors who want that particular card (say, a Tundra).
2) Players who just want a Tundra and don't care what set it's from as long as it's legal.

I'd assume most people fall into the latter category. As those people would all be wanting the new Tundras (because they'd be presumably cheaper), then demand for the original Tundras would drop and the price would drop. I have trouble seeing how reprinting the dual lands would not decrease the value of the originals. Look at what happened to the price of, say, the original Chain Lightning when they reprinted it.

[The Extinguisher]

You mean how it's still a 14 dollar card? Yes, okay, the prices would drop, but nothing extreme. And then the prices would go back again, because now the originals are a premium compared to the new ones. It looks cooler to have the originals, so people (especially people who like to play legacy) will want them more.

Reprinting doesn't hurt the value of the original as much as people think. Compare m12 birds of paradise with an unlimited birds. And there isn't a whole lot of people who play birds of paradise in legacy.

[Lord Seth]

You mean how it's still a 14 dollar card?

If you're paying $14 for a Legends Chain Lightning, then you're getting ripped off. You can get them pretty easily for around $10 each if you want.

Also, a 14 dollar card is still lower than what it used to be. Take a look. That drop from nearly $17 to less than $8.50? That was when it was reprinted. That means the price dropped by about 50% as a result of the reprint. Granted, it later went up a bit, but still not to its original heights.

Yes, okay, the prices would drop, but nothing extreme. And then the prices would go back again, because now the originals are a premium compared to the new ones. It looks cooler to have the originals, so people (especially people who like to play legacy) will want them more.

I really doubt they'd increase back to their original prices. Again, see the Chain Lightning. It went back up, but was still lower than it was before.

One thing is worth pointing out though: Stability actually is a price drop in a way. The dual lands prices are continually going up, and even if it doesn't drop it, a reprint could at least stabilize it.

Of course, a lot depends on the way it's reprinted. If they were to put the dual lands in a new expansion, that would increase demand by so much (Standard and Modern players would be clamoring for them) that it might make the pricing even worse. Assuming it's a Rare, of course, but I doubt they'd reprint them at Uncommon or Common (actually, reprinting them at Common would be hilarious...it'd annoy the heck out of a lot of people, but it'd be hilarious).

Reprinting doesn't hurt the value of the original as much as people think. Compare m12 birds of paradise with an unlimited birds.

The thing is, every core set has had Birds of Paradise except for 9th Edition (which might as well have, considering Ravnica had Birds and was printed at the same time). The effects of people who just want a Birds to play with going for the cheapest ones has been so constant over the years that of course it hasn't dropped the price of the originals, because there was no price to drop in the first place, as that factor (people who just want any Birds of Paradise going for the cheapest ones) has been in place for almost its entire existence.

And there isn't a whole lot of people who play birds of paradise in legacy.

Eh? Plenty of people play Birds of Paradise in Legacy. Plenty of Maverick builds use it, and Maverick is one of the most popular decks in the format.

[Lhurgyof]

Thanks everyone for your input, my paper is looking beautiful!

Also, I tried to pick up a signed and rated revised BoP for $15 the other day, but someone had bought it the day before.