(Or: Magic: The Gathering: The Return: The Expensive)
I really wish I knew how I got into playing Magic: The Gathering. I mean, it's not like there was really an internet back then, right? Maybe I learned from the BBSes I frequented. Maybe I walked into a book store and saw the package, and thought it looked neat.
But it's lost to the sands of time. All I know is that I was 14. I bought a starter deck of Revised and pulled a Savannah and a Righteousness for rares. That was back when A) they sold starter decks and B) starter decks had only two rares instead of three.
The Righteousness I still own. It's worth about $0.75.
The Savannah I traded some time ago to somebody I can't recall for something I can't remember. It's now worth about $75.
So I'm pisssssssed. But that's the economics of Magic! No matter how much they're worth, you know that in five years they're going to be worth more.
Which is exactly why now is as good a time as any to start playing again. Now I have disposable income to try things out without agonizing over them, and I never need to sell another card again.
This site could easily be dedicated to nothing but drinking, travelling, M:TG, or combining the three. For now, though, I'll be contented enough to talk about the crap I've learned while continuing to lose at competitive magic.