"So who is a smacker?"

"So who is a smacker?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

     Anyone who has played any serious amount of magic has heard the term "smacker" before but what exactly is a smacker? People may define it as someone who takes advantage of magic players by buying cards for a low , low  price and then selling the same said cards for a much higher price. I think everyone knows what a business man is like and the last sentence actually describes one. Smacker = businessman.It is expected that businessmen want to have maximum profits from the endeavor that they partake in otherwise what was the point of it all right? In magic there are two kinds of businessmen. The active player who sells cards on the side and the more committed businessmen who knows magic and sells as a means of livelihood. what is the same about them is that even when you are enjoying the game you still need to eat and clothe yourself afterwards.

     I guess the only difference is our attitude about the whole business side of magic. Yes people can live on magic or it can be a side job. It is risky and it does take a lot of your time if you are seriously looking at it as a means to feed yourself and your family. I respect those who have made the game as their means of livelihood but I could look for a better price elsewhere if we don't agree on prices and that too is to expected. 

     Yes magic is a game but it is important to realize and remember that it is also a business and a very serious business at that. Like any other business it is affected by the Laws of Supply and Demand and locally some have taken it upon themselves to be the determinants of the prices of cards. Watching certain cards is like watching the stock exchange. For example a new expansion comes out and  there are two kinds of people who watch the spoilers. The player who is thinking of strategies for the game and thinking how much the new desired card would cost and the businessman who is looking at that same card and deciding how much it would cost to the right buyer. How scarce it would be and how he can readily supply it to a steady stream of customers. Of course there are shop owners and the people at Starcitygames.com that determine the prices as well but on the local scene there are major players who shape our prices more realistically.

     There are shops that have made a living off magic for decades and those are the more established means of getting your magic product. They set the price and there is nothing to be done about it but to just pay up. The people who sell magic cards in tournaments or hang around shops are the people you can haggle with , have deals with , negotiate better prices with , coerce into giving up a free card or two as package. Im not knocking down the shops because truth be told they are matching the prices as they see it but a human interaction where rapport and familiarity comes into play is an experience all on its own. For example certain sellers buy cards at a higher rate when they know you or give you a discount as well because they have dealt with you before. 

     In my play group it is a sort of badge of honor to find the best deals when acquiring cards. There is a great thrill when you can get cards at low prices. There is no such thing as smacking , mainly it is a term that is misunderstood. The seller dictates the price and if he or she does want to give you the said cards then there is nothing wrong with it. So who are smackers? Just people always looking out for a deal and ready to strike when this door opens. It's both personal and non-personal. Personal because cards are for your personal use , non personal because at the end of the day it is still a business and that is just how business works.