MarketWatch recently published an article about the MTG Reserved List potentially being repealed.
At Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the creators and publishers of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), there has been much speculation and debate among players, collectors, investors, and fans about the possibility of repealing the MTG Reserved List, a policy that has been in place since 1996 and has restricted the reprinting of certain rare and valuable cards. In this article, we will examine the history, reasons, arguments, and potential outcomes of this controversial issue, and offer our informed opinion on the likelihood and implications of a repeal.
The History of the MTG Reserved List
The MTG Reserved List is a list of cards that WotC has promised never to reprint, except for promotional or special purposes, such as the From the Vault series or the Magic Online Vintage Masters set. The list was created in response to the concerns of collectors and players who had invested heavily in these cards and feared that their value would decrease if they were reprinted. The list originally contained 148 cards, mostly from the sets Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, and Arabian Nights, and has since been expanded to include other sets, such as Legends and The Dark.
The MTG Reserved List has been a contentious issue since its inception, with some players and fans supporting it as a way to protect the integrity and history of the game, and others opposing it as a way to limit access and affordability for new players and to favor a small group of collectors and investors. Over the years, WotC has faced pressure and criticism from both sides, and has occasionally made exceptions to the list, such as the reprint of Time Vault in Vintage Masters, or the reprint of some cards in the Masters sets, which are not technically reprints but rather new versions of existing cards.
The Reasons for and Against Repealing the MTG Reserved List
The debate over repealing the MTG Reserved List has intensified in recent years, due to several factors that have changed the context and the arguments of both sides. Some of the reasons for repealing the list are:
- The growing demand for and popularity of MTG, especially in the digital and global markets, which has increased the pressure and opportunity for WotC to reprint rare and valuable cards and to attract new players who cannot afford or access them.
- The changing nature and purpose of collectibles and investments, which have shifted from a traditional model of scarcity and speculation to a more diverse and inclusive model of fandom and participation, in which access and enjoyment matter more than ownership and profit.
- The emergence and success of other collectible and trading card games, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, which have different policies and strategies for reprinting rare and valuable cards, and have attracted a wider and younger audience than MTG.
- The legacy and cultural significance of MTG, which has evolved and diversified since its inception, and has created a complex and dynamic community of players, fans, artists, writers, and scholars, who have different opinions and visions of what the game should be and represent.
The counterarguments against repealing the MTG Reserved List are based on several counterclaims and counterassumptions, which can be summarized as follows:
- Reprinting the rare and valuable cards would undermine the trust and confidence of the collectors and investors who have relied on the scarcity and exclusivity of the cards for their hobby or business, and thus damage the reputation and the sustainability of the market.
- Reprinting the rare and valuable cards would create a flood of supply and a dilution of demand for the cards, and thus decrease the value and the uniqueness of the cards, and also reduce the incentive and the motivation of the players and the collectors to seek and obtain them.
- Reprinting the rare and valuable cards would violate the promises and the contracts that WotC has made to the collectors and the investors who have supported MTG for decades, and thus betray the trust and the loyalty of the most dedicated and influential members of the community.
- Repealing the MTG Reserved List would set a dangerous precedent and create a slippery slope that would lead to more demands and expectations from the community, and thus compromise the creative and commercial freedom of WotC to design and develop the game as they see fit.
In our opinion, the likelihood of repealing the MTG Reserved List is low, given the legal and contractual obligations, the risk of damaging the value and integrity of the rare and valuable cards, and the resistance and the opposition of the most influential and vocal members of the community. However, we also acknowledge that WotC may make some exceptions or compromises in the future, such as creating new versions or variants of the reserved cards, or reprinting some of the less rare and less valuable cards.