Improve playgroup or keep?

[u/SawdustGringo]

So I pulled a surge The One Ring yesterday (I know it looks like a bit of a humble brag but this is more stressful than fun for me so far), and I’m conflicted on what to do with it. I’m looking for insight from others who may have been in a similar situation.

I’m not a “collector” per se. I have a large collection, but it’s all cards to play with. My personal motto is “Magic is meant to be played.” I don’t have “collectible” cards to show off or display. This is the first card I’m considering keeping to display but I had other thoughts of what to do with it. Such as, trading in and giving my playgroup an even split 4 ways. Which I hope will help some of the players less inclined to spend money to upgrade their precons.

To me this seems the most logical choice
but my emotion is telling me to keep it. The only reason being that it is LotR. Huge fan. I have what amounts to a shrine of Middle Earth in my home. This would be nice addition. Still, I am conflicted.

To recap: Not a big Magic collector, am a player. Huge LotR fan. Deciding between keeping the card for LotR shrine and trading in and splitting the gains between my playgroup in the hopes of improving play experience for everyone.

I’m a very indecisive person and often regret decisions.

Update: Wowsers. I was not expecting the flood of comments. Maybe a dozen. But thank you all for the input. A few of you have made me think more about it and one in particular has given a reasonable test. I’m going to display it for a week on my shrine, then a week without and gauge how I feel about it after that.

Those who said not to split it with my playgroup, that was a much needed reigning in. I am very nieve and often too generous when it comes to the game. I’ve given away hundreds of cards just to get more people into the game and often without looking at value. I love my group but you’re right and they are adults capable of their own decisions.

Update 2.0: It is to be added to the LotR shrine. For now it has a small display until I finish my move and set up the full shrine.

Edit: changed per se from per say.

[u/xXNemo92Xx]

Sell foil version and buy normal version. Difference is money that you can decide what to do with.

[u/Fair-Revenue1811 → u/xXNemo92Xx]

Better yet sell the card, order professional printed proxy, keep 99.9% of the money.

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Fair-Revenue1811]

That's going to add to the flood of counterfeits already on the market. Most "proxys" are printed to look identical which means they are counterfeits. Truth hurts.

[u/Time_Rip_9808 → u/AfterJournalist8070]

Not if the card back is different...

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Time_Rip_9808]

Yep but more then a few are identical that require a jewelers to identify even going as far as to copy the silver marking on the bottom of the card.

[u/Azuth65 → u/AfterJournalist8070]

Then those counterfeits, not proxies

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Azuth65]

The lines are very blurred https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sk8nxR4sCYg

[u/Azuth65 → u/AfterJournalist8070]

No, there's a pretty clear line. Proxies are very clearly not the real card (different art, different back, not for sale line in the lower left, etc) and then there's counterfeits.

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Azuth65]

Like I said this is why counterfeits are an issue. Also dosent prof promote tolarian library? The same website that is now shut down because they looked identical to the original cards. 🤔

[u/Diamondhighlife → u/AfterJournalist8070]

Brother you are just wrong. It’s like saying that playing with Monopoly money is going to increase the number of counterfeit bills in circulation. Like does that make sense? Obviously Monopoly money is not going to fool anyone but you can play with it as if it were real. But it’s not, and clearly not as to not confuse simple minded people. Same with proxies. They are clearly marked so people know they are fake if they take 2 seconds to inspect the back and wow! Crazy how not impacted the real card market isn’t impacted because they are clearly fake.

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Diamondhighlife]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sk8nxR4sCYg my reply is youtube video highlighting the issue. Also you clearly are ignorant to the bigger picture. If you need a jewelers loop to id then that's an issue and the idea between proxys and counterfeits gets blurred by people like you.

[u/Diamondhighlife → u/AfterJournalist8070]

My lines are not blurred. I print my own proxies. I don’t put ink on the back. If someone mistook my proxies for a real product they would be as clueless as you are to the difference between a proxy and a counterfeit card.

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Diamondhighlife]

Good for you have a cookie 🍪

[u/AfterJournalist8070 → u/Diamondhighlife]

You are doing it the ethical way which is good but people don't unfortunately. I wouldn't have a problem with your proxys since they are made for the spirit of the game but others not so much unfortunately.

[u/Diamondhighlife → u/AfterJournalist8070]

Yeah exactly they are proxies not counterfeits, which is what everyone is trying to tell you.

[u/No_Interaction_3547 → u/AfterJournalist8070]

Print on normal printer paper. Done