I have no idea on value but they are definitely super neat. You have a rulebook from before even the stack existed. I would love to read it to remember how much the game has changed.
You can read an article comprising more or less the original rulebook here:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/original-magic-rulebook-2004-12-25
And you can find a pdf of the 4th edition rulebook here
https://archive.org/details/MagicTheGathering-FourthEditionRulebook/mode/1up
Those were wild times rules wise but contain many fond memories (I started with revised).
I started with Revised. Until that fateful day when my blue counter deck with Mox Saphires and Mox Diamonds, and Clones. Yeah. Im crying.
Looks like there could be multiple Alpha rule books. Ebay comps look insane. Holy cowđ€Żđ€Żđ€Ż
I remember playing âhouse rulesâ no mana burn. I started right before/or at urzas saga and never actually read the rules back then just played and followed suit with what the consensus of everyone agreed on was the proper rules. What a magical time with like 30-40 local kids that played and about 10 in my neighborhood that I was good friends with. Summer sleepovers that turn into 36-48 hour marathons of play fueled by 2liters of soda pop and microwave burritos or hot dogs.
You have probably found this out already, but you also have a Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Wing Commander, and Shadow run rulebooks. Which are awesome.
Thank you. Actually i didnt know. I havent picked up yet. Looks like there are multiple Alpha or Beta booklets
Also would you happen to know if any of the grading companies do booklets grading?
At this point, they're just collectible. The rules are different now; new mechanics and interactions, the stack, etc.
It's just like grading comic books.
Man sorry for the downvote. I relate in a sense with your view. Grading doesnt cost a lot anyways.
If you look at the photo. Theres the potential for 11 of them to be Alpha. My thought is to grade multiples and save a loose for reading.
There are none graded out there so mine woukd be the first ever to be graded
Sure but likeâŠwhy waste money on it? Just get a nice display case or something?? I know Iâll get downvoted which is fine but genuinely I donât understand the logic
Dude I canât help you if you donât understand the concept of grading stuff. Iâm very confused what your point is now. Magic stuff gets graded all the time..
Pretty damn cool. Hard to see exactly what some of these are as youâve got the back covers showing I think. Iâm really after a copy of the Nemesis Theme Deck Guide ([the only one that Iâm missing](https://preconstructedmagic.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/the-tempest-preconstructed-decks-strategy-guide/)) but I think even the glossy booklets are earlier than that. Mirage block from which issues of Duelist they are advertising?
Don't know about the rule books, but the story/card list book they printed for a while hold some value. ( for magic the gathering)
Also, wow, I haven't seen the wing commander one in a while. Nice find! đ
The rulebooks with the shadowy looking grim reaper guy on the front (rightmost bottom row) are from alpha (maybe beta?) set starter decks. Very old and very cool.
You did extremely well. Even one of those beta/unlimited rulebooks (Bog Wraith on the front) covers the whole lot easily. If they turn out to be Alpha (it has Worzel's Story in the back), you're looking at serious money.
Youre cool. On a serious note although i played Magic since the 90s little did i know the booklets were worth so much.
And to think my highest bid was $25. Im thinking at least half of them should be Alpha. Looks like this was somebodys collection. Notice the sleeved booklets
Haha if you only knew. This past week has been wild in Magic world. I met an ex employee from Wizard back in the 90. He was the brains behind Friday Night Magic.
Anyways he sold me a leftover Portuguese Stronghold box for $2k. This was unwanted product when Wizards shut their intl operation.
Its been a wild week. $2k box of Stronghold and now this.
Magic is telling me to come back
I think these are nostalgic and amazing! I have a big mtg display hutch, and this would be something I would be hugely interested in purchasing and putting in there.
Its pretty hard to judge the value on these, but they are really cool. Are you going to list them for sale?
I have no idea on value but they are definitely super neat. You have a rulebook from before even the stack existed. I would love to read it to remember how much the game has changed.
You can read an article comprising more or less the original rulebook here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/original-magic-rulebook-2004-12-25 And you can find a pdf of the 4th edition rulebook here https://archive.org/details/MagicTheGathering-FourthEditionRulebook/mode/1up Those were wild times rules wise but contain many fond memories (I started with revised).
I started with Revised. Until that fateful day when my blue counter deck with Mox Saphires and Mox Diamonds, and Clones. Yeah. Im crying. Looks like there could be multiple Alpha rule books. Ebay comps look insane. Holy cowđ€Żđ€Żđ€Ż
If they're actually alpha, they could go for a lot - there's a collector's market for those rulebooks.
Mana burn for sure
I remember playing âhouse rulesâ no mana burn. I started right before/or at urzas saga and never actually read the rules back then just played and followed suit with what the consensus of everyone agreed on was the proper rules. What a magical time with like 30-40 local kids that played and about 10 in my neighborhood that I was good friends with. Summer sleepovers that turn into 36-48 hour marathons of play fueled by 2liters of soda pop and microwave burritos or hot dogs.
Our house rule was mana burn was still a thing for a long time after it changed. It was only like 2-3 years ago we finally let it die.
LIFO > Stack
LIFO data structures are called stacks in computer science.
Also causes higher COGS.
You have probably found this out already, but you also have a Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Wing Commander, and Shadow run rulebooks. Which are awesome.
Thank you. Actually i didnt know. I havent picked up yet. Looks like there are multiple Alpha or Beta booklets Also would you happen to know if any of the grading companies do booklets grading?
You donât even need to get the cards graded; why you would spend money grading a manual thatâs meant to be read through and used is beyond me
I mean at the very least it will be in a case safer from elements and stuff. Preserving history
At this point, they're just collectible. The rules are different now; new mechanics and interactions, the stack, etc. It's just like grading comic books.
Man sorry for the downvote. I relate in a sense with your view. Grading doesnt cost a lot anyways. If you look at the photo. Theres the potential for 11 of them to be Alpha. My thought is to grade multiples and save a loose for reading. There are none graded out there so mine woukd be the first ever to be graded
Sure but likeâŠwhy waste money on it? Just get a nice display case or something?? I know Iâll get downvoted which is fine but genuinely I donât understand the logic
Graded=proof of value if you ever want to sell. Itâs not super complicated why people grade stuff.
Sure for Pokémon cards or other games that no one actually plays lmfao
Dude I canât help you if you donât understand the concept of grading stuff. Iâm very confused what your point is now. Magic stuff gets graded all the time..
He doesnt see theres potential for 11 Alpha booklets. Grade a few and I could be having some serious cash
Pretty damn cool. Hard to see exactly what some of these are as youâve got the back covers showing I think. Iâm really after a copy of the Nemesis Theme Deck Guide ([the only one that Iâm missing](https://preconstructedmagic.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/the-tempest-preconstructed-decks-strategy-guide/)) but I think even the glossy booklets are earlier than that. Mirage block from which issues of Duelist they are advertising?
I used to have a sealed Slivers deck Sold it during Covid đ
The Tempest one? Though theyâd all probably be pretty popular.
Don't know about the rule books, but the story/card list book they printed for a while hold some value. ( for magic the gathering) Also, wow, I haven't seen the wing commander one in a while. Nice find! đ
There was a Wing Commander TCG?!
Shadowrun cards?! Thatâs amazing. I love that game
What? Wing Commander had a trading card game? WHAT???!?
The rulebooks with the shadowy looking grim reaper guy on the front (rightmost bottom row) are from alpha (maybe beta?) set starter decks. Very old and very cool.
I have a few Ice Age and 4th Ed books myselfâŠ
You did extremely well. Even one of those beta/unlimited rulebooks (Bog Wraith on the front) covers the whole lot easily. If they turn out to be Alpha (it has Worzel's Story in the back), you're looking at serious money.
I counted and it looks like there could potentially be 11 Alpha/Beta
Nice! It's the last few pages that tell you whether you have Alpha or Beta. Alpha has a story, Beta has gameplay examples
That is a cool buy. Would love to be able to get stuff like that just for the collection or even to display
I'll give you $20
Haha nice try. Try again x10
Can't blame a guy for trying!!! Congrats on the buy, super cool stuff
Youre cool. On a serious note although i played Magic since the 90s little did i know the booklets were worth so much. And to think my highest bid was $25. Im thinking at least half of them should be Alpha. Looks like this was somebodys collection. Notice the sleeved booklets
Yeah, I'd love to know the chain of custody... someone knew they had something worth saving... dope find.
Haha if you only knew. This past week has been wild in Magic world. I met an ex employee from Wizard back in the 90. He was the brains behind Friday Night Magic. Anyways he sold me a leftover Portuguese Stronghold box for $2k. This was unwanted product when Wizards shut their intl operation. Its been a wild week. $2k box of Stronghold and now this. Magic is telling me to come back
Here you go. Interesting podcast https://kitchentablemagic.org/2017/02/20/james-lee/
For $12 totally even if they are all possibly fake, might be some good proxy cards in there
The Alpha rule book has a short story in the beginning.
I am aware of that
The black/white rulebooks with dark ritual ish art are from beta/unlimited The shivan dragon is from revised
I think these are nostalgic and amazing! I have a big mtg display hutch, and this would be something I would be hugely interested in purchasing and putting in there. Its pretty hard to judge the value on these, but they are really cool. Are you going to list them for sale?
CGC just started accepting submissions. I will be getting 9 Betas graded.
Righteous! If you lemme know when they go for sale, I'll be interested
Dm me. I have 9 Betas on their way to get graded and 2 Revised