Star Wars: Destiny has been officially out for less than two months, and the community can be grouped into two categories: those who have access to available product and those that do not. Scarcity of both starters and boosters in Star Wars: Destiny has made trading even more important, however, trading has always been an integral part of any collectible card game (CCG). Players may trade to complete their playset of cards, acquire duplicates of cards that they need for multiple decks, or even trade simply for the social experience. Social media websites have revolutionized the CCG trading market over the past several years meaning that many people have taken to Destiny Shapers Marketplace in hopes of getting another Sith Holocron (AW16) or perhaps that hard to get Legendary Force Choke (AW13).
However, not all cards are created equal, and trades are often a complex science based on rarity, need, and monetary value. Different players place different emphasis on each of these elements, however, and the purpose of this article is to present a few differing views on what qualifies as a “good trade.” Please note that this article is not intended to promote any one view as the “best” approach, but rather to discuss different, somewhat contrasting viewpoints and provide a frame of reference for each.
- With whom do you commonly trade or are willing to trade?
Matt: I trade exclusively with members of my local community so far. If I think too much about a trade, I start to second guess myself, so I’m much more likely to make impromptu trades in person or to arrange local trades online. We have a large active community in San Antonio, so I haven’t yet felt the need to search for trades online too much.
Ruben: I have traded with quite a few people on Destiny Shapers Marketplace and countless trades locally. The online community has been fantastic and I’ve had no issues whatsoever trading. The locals I would love to help out more but product is scarce. I feel once Destiny is more rampant more trades will happen.
- How do you advertise trade offers or search for trade offers from others?
Matt: I use my local area’s Facebook page to arrange most of my trades, and I do a lot of impromptu trading with people at meetups. Since I haven’t completed any Destiny trades online yet, I have not used any of the marketplaces or national/international Facebook groups (although I do peruse them for fun).
Ruben: I have done more than ten trades within the Marketplace with each being successful. I listed my Haves/Wants list on a thread, or viewed another’s Haves/Wants thread, and then we messaged. I stated that I used Miniature Market for valuation, and we both agreed on that site. Then the process continued.
- How do you determine the value of a card that you are trading away or trading for?
Matt: I embrace what many would consider a naïve approach to trading – I trade based roughly on rarity but largely on whether or not I and the person with whom I am trading are both satisfied. While I like having extra duplicates of often included cards (especially uncommons), I would just as soon trade away a 3rd copy of a legendary card than keep it. The rationale is that it’s not that difficult to swap a legendary in and out of multiple decks, and the relatively high trade value promises the potential to add missing cards to my collection. So, when a friend needed a Poe Dameron – Ace Pilot (AW29), and I had an extra, I was happy to trade with him for a legendary that I didn’t already have. I tend to place cards of similar rarity on essentially the same level of valuation (deliberately ignoring monetary values). Of course, I understand that not all cards are created equal, and Black One (AW32) is not a legitimate trade offer for Darth Vader (AW10). But I prefer to not attach dollar signs to the trade value and then number crunch my way to a “fair” trade.
Ruben: As stated above, I have been using Miniature Market values for my trades so I base valuations on that site. There are some exceptions to the rule for me:
- Trading in the U.S is a priority due to costs of shipping.
- Commons I value as throw-ins unless they were starter deck commons which I tend to value as uncommons.
- Uncommons can be as hard to get as rares. Most of them I value as $1.00 but some uncommons are over $2.00 like Underworld Connections (AW101)
- The trade must be at least $10.00 in value because it costs me about $3.00 to ship in the states.
- Locally I gave some non-dice cards away. Dice cards I traded for below value most times just so the locals could get their hands on cards. That is most important to me.
- What outside resources, if any, do you use to determine the value of a card?
Matt: As I don’t necessarily fret over the monetary value of cards, I tend to base its value almost solely on rarity and usefulness to me. However, on the off chance that I was willing to sell a card or consider monetary value for a trade, then I would be most likely to reference Miniature Market or the “Sold” listings on EBay.
Ruben: Currently I use Miniature Market as my trading barometer in regards to the value of each card. I looked at CoolstuffInc but saw that their prices were higher. Ebay is an option but I am not a big fan of buying cards. Our very own, Amanda Reynolds, has taken it upon herself to track the value the cards based on the median of most of those resources on her weekly updated Card Price Watch.
It was about a week after I joined Destiny Shapers that I learned about the Marketplace and there are others that have taken to BoardGameGeek as another resource for trading. I haven’t needed to do that quite yet since I am almost done with the needs for my collection.
- What is your criterion for a “good” trade?
Matt: As I see it, a trade is fair inasmuch as both parties are satisfied with the exchange. That doesn’t always mean that the trade was “equal,” but I don’t think it needs to. If I have two extra Holdout Blasters and a Black One that someone is eager to trade for a Darth Vader, then the actual monetary values of the cards seem irrelevant.
Of course, I understand that some people are likely to try and take advantage of this model of trading. Every so often, you will hear or read an anecdote about someone trading to someone else’s advantage only to turn around and find the other person selling the traded cards online for a profit. I try not to be too concerned about this. Ultimately, if I was happy with the trade, why should what the other person does with their share of it concern me at all? Still, I obviously would prefer to feel that each of us was trading because we needed the cards, not because we opportunistically sought to profit from someone else’s generosity (or naivety). But to the degree that bothers me, it’s easy enough to not trade with that person in the future.
Ruben: No matter what resource you use, as long as you and the trader agree on the trade value, everything else doesn’t matter.
- Final Thoughts
Matt: One of the key reasons that I shy away from basing my trades solely (or even mostly) on monetary value, is that the secondary market for cards can be quite volatile, making monetary values of cards temporary at best. I have never felt that emphasizing the equitability of the monetary values of traded cards was worthwhile because they are so likely to change that it seems short sighted. While Vader may currently be the most sought after Legendary, other cards may eventually become more valuable because of combos unlocked by future expansions, scarcity in the market, or even unexpected errata. Do past trades somehow become better or worse deals based on these developments? Not necessarily in my opinion.
However, it’s worth noting that there is a key exception to this. I tend to trade almost exclusively with local players. As part of that, I see trading as part of the social experience and as an investment into my community of players. This means that my approach to valuation is more lax since I see each transaction with someone I know as a potential quid-pro-quo scenario – I might be able to trade in your advantage right now, and I’m sure you’ll return the favor later. In the event that I started to trade regularly with folks outside of my local community, I think I would be much more likely to concern myself with the monetary value of the trade.
Ruben: Trading is a double-edged sword in my opinion. On one hand it could favor one side or the other. Since I make it clear which resource I use, I feel that all my dice are on the table if you will. Honestly once the product is more abundant, the prices from Miniature Market and other sources will fluctuate. Vader has dropped in price since the release of the game as have other cards. I have been turned down on trades because some people value their cards more or valued mine higher. In the end it is quite okay; agree to disagree and move on. There is no sense in arguing over it. It’s a business transaction at the end of the day. Overall, I personally exhausted my local trades before I even attempted to trade online. That is what I would do first if you plan to trade – support the local community and then go online for the rest. Just remember to have integrity when you do it and to always think of what is best for both parties.
Support The Chance Cube
Do you enjoy the content provided by The Chance Cube? Would you like to connect even further with The Chance Cube Family? Consider supporting this content by joining our Patreon. We are a team dedicated to media coverage and community building, committed to bringing you the best of this game, sharing the joy and community that comes with it. Our Patreons enjoy membership in The Chance Cube Hangout, our Facebook group for supporters of the channel, and we have additional tiers that include gifts from us to you as a thanks for the generous support. Find out more at patreon.com/thechancecube.