So far I’ve been to32 M:TG sources for cards and such: Target, Champion Sports and Game Kastle.
Today I’ve discovered the motherlode!
I bought my first cards as a boxed set from Target (2015 Core Set Deck Builder Toolkit). But, Target is Target, and so they really don’t cater to gamers. I think it was absolutely brilliant for Wizards to get them signed on as a distributor. They have just enough to whet your appetite.
Then by accident I came across Champion Sports at Tracy mall. They had moved from Stockton, and have a decent amount of single cards). I’d guesstimate around 2000.
I found Gaming Kastle here in Fremont from an internet search. They have some booster boxes and accoutrement, but a measly amount of single cards (maybe 300).
Today I found out that there is another local game store at Fremont mall. My jaw dropped when I walked in! Thousands of single cards, scads of boosters, and lots of Legacy stuff!
I wasn’t prepared to buy, and was actually quite intimidated by the sheer enormity of their selection. What made matters worse is the staff, who were really quite helpful, asked what I was looking for. D’oh!
Fortunately I had started a Need/Want list using on of the M:TG iphone apps and asked for a couple Kamigawa commons and uncommons. Then the staffer pointed me towards the higher quality cards!
316 uses current trading prices for their Collectibles, and fortunately I had an app that had tallied the low, average and high prices for cards. I found a Garruk Wildspeaker for $10, and though a tad over average, I was more excited to add my first Planeswalker to my collection! I also picked out a few cool CHK cards (Kamigawa), and rounded out my purchase with a couple more Dragon’s Maze boosters.
I fear this game could quickly become a hobby!
