The Glimmer | 25 Years of Foil Magic Cards

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  • čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
  • This video traces a 25-year history of the production, development, and evolution of foil Magic cards.
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    📘 Chapters:
    0:00 Card Kingdom
    0:31 BASILISK
    1:03 A Flash of Lightning
    2:38 A Brief History of Holograms
    5:32 Test Prints and Business Partnerships
    9:17 Sheets of Rainbows
    12:16 The 7th Edition Paradox
    20:20 The Question of White Borders
    25:40 Shiny New Technique
    30:26 Playing With Marked Cards
    38:25 Premium to the Premium
    50:26 Project Booster Fun
    57:23 Every Frame a Foil
    1:03:51 The Serialized & Printed 500
    1:12:14 The Eventuality of Plastic Lunchboxes
    1:24:17 25 Years of Foil Magic Cards
    1:28:14 Oddities and Odd Printings
    🖊️ Full Script & Sources:
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  • Hry

Komentáře • 950

  • @holopollock
    @holopollock Před 5 měsíci +1778

    The change in tone from wow to annoyed when explaining 2020 is iconic

    • @MarkAvo
      @MarkAvo Před 5 měsíci +76

      It didn’t feel iconic at the time but we still didn’t know what was coming and I think it’s been a rollercoaster of wow to annoyed ever since.

    • @murlocaggrob2192
      @murlocaggrob2192 Před 5 měsíci +39

      From awe to aww.

    • @fragtore6457
      @fragtore6457 Před 3 měsíci +7

      I'm an ooold player (ca Revised to Invasion) just back in the hobby again since half a year. Having a great time with commander but it's impossible to keep up with the releases and version, and it already doesn't feel sustainable. Both as an investor (but not in Hasbro lol) and magic player, it simply doesn't make sense. I hope Hasbro will listen to the few smarter business people if they don't listen to the community. But I have low hope. Seems like a truly dumb bunch.

  • @Silvermage447
    @Silvermage447 Před 5 měsíci +94

    "The story of middle earth is one of greed. And to communicate that message, Wizards printed serialized sol rings"
    SOOOO good

  • @kevincastner4541
    @kevincastner4541 Před 5 měsíci +566

    "When there is only one Mountain, everyone knows what it means to reach the top."
    You sir, are a Wordsmith.

    • @gpvs2
      @gpvs2 Před 5 měsíci +18

      He just drops it very casuly like its not a big deal, but its such a good line

    • @brianlinden3042
      @brianlinden3042 Před 4 měsíci +11

      Wizards: I cast Blood Moon.

    • @jacobpyeatt5024
      @jacobpyeatt5024 Před 4 měsíci +4

      agreed this dude has a silky smooth way of dropping bomb lines a true wordsmith.

    • @Ryann9
      @Ryann9 Před 3 měsíci +5

      "What was once a single mountain, was an endless range of peaks."
      57:10

  • @armthesharks6904
    @armthesharks6904 Před 5 měsíci +551

    'The metaphor is too poignant and on the nose... After all, it's only a card game.' Hits hard as FUCK immediately after the listing of how many LOTR foils there were. Wow.

    • @Garl_Vinland
      @Garl_Vinland Před 5 měsíci +20

      Yet despite that, LoTR singles are still on average the most expensive singles to buy

    • @brianlinden3042
      @brianlinden3042 Před 4 měsíci +6

      Ironically, the line is even more poignant than the quote would have been.

  • @dcnole
    @dcnole Před 5 měsíci +192

    It's still crazy to me that, 26 years later, you can still obtain a lovely, lightly-played Lightning Dragon promo from that day in 1998 for under $50. It's not only gorgeous, reasonably rare, and reserved-list, but it's history.

    • @kurtilein3
      @kurtilein3 Před 5 měsíci +10

      Yes, i got two rather recently for that reason.

    • @RoninRose541
      @RoninRose541 Před 22 dny +2

      Now it’s over $100 😢

  • @varsoonhks3211
    @varsoonhks3211 Před 5 měsíci +396

    "Long gone are the days of opening Masterpieces in Draft Boosters."
    Long gone are *Draft* Boosters.

    • @diestormlie
      @diestormlie Před 5 měsíci +15

      Oh come now; Draft Boosters are only *shortly* gone.

    • @joe.5103
      @joe.5103 Před 5 měsíci +6

      This makes me sadder than I can express. 🥺

    • @kgoodfarms
      @kgoodfarms Před 5 měsíci +1

      @@diestormlie 100% agree

    • @Dre2Dee2
      @Dre2Dee2 Před 5 měsíci +2

      long gone are anyone playing any Magic, at all

    • @Toasty25000
      @Toasty25000 Před 5 měsíci +3

      @@Dre2Dee2speak for yourself! 😂

  • @nicmastoridis6177
    @nicmastoridis6177 Před 5 měsíci +542

    “Everything is special, but only for a little while” is such an impactful line.
    Thank you so much Sam for all the time, work, and research you dedicate to this magnificent game-no matter how recurrent it has become.

  • @HeyApples
    @HeyApples Před 5 měsíci +413

    I respect that Sam was able to strike the balance of dispassionately narrating this topic while simultaneously finding room to highlight its absurdities and excess. Reading the full list of LOTR treatments. The collage of Elesh Norn variants. The subtle highlight on a random foil which just happened to be Increasing Ambition. I see you there. I see you.

  • @Bronythepony
    @Bronythepony Před 4 měsíci +56

    I don’t play magic. I have no desire to play magic. I don’t play ANY trading card games and yet, not for the first time, I find myself over on this channel watching a 90 minute documentary about foil card printing. Well done, my friend.

    • @johngavin2570
      @johngavin2570 Před 4 měsíci +6

      One mustn't purchase and sell art to appreciate the process it took to create, the message it represents, or the beauty it is.

  • @theomninerd
    @theomninerd Před 5 měsíci +421

    The restraint it took to just say "zero-six-nine" and "four-two-zero" in that section is admirable

  • @thomaslepage5941
    @thomaslepage5941 Před 5 měsíci +923

    This Pringles documentary goes really hard!

    • @mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299
      @mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299 Před 5 měsíci +28

      Crunch your way through the extensively researched history of luxury cardboard rectangular foils that only an exhaustive Rhystic Study investigation could uncover and after its over I bet you can't just watch one Rhystic Study video? ;p

    • @captain6915
      @captain6915 Před 5 měsíci +5

      These were some expensive Pringles to be honest

  • @HighTechRedneck9
    @HighTechRedneck9 Před 5 měsíci +44

    "New foils could manufacture new demand" as a foil Increasing Ambition graces the screen... Wonderful imagery!

  • @theonlymegumegu
    @theonlymegumegu Před 5 měsíci +50

    1:27:00 "but never before have i felt such distance between the nodes"
    dang, that hit

  • @maellelamour8216
    @maellelamour8216 Před 5 měsíci +81

    I started Magic with the first Mirrodin bloc in middle school, and the first foil I oppenend was a foil Platinum Angel. To me, it was the most powerful card ever (you cannot lose the game, how could any card be better ?!) and I still have that card 20 years later. It's heavily played after years of playing it unsleeved on the concrete floor of my school's playground and I now know it'w not as powerful as 11 years old me thought, but it still holds a very special place in my collection.
    Thanks for this amazing video !

    • @agapitoliria
      @agapitoliria Před 5 měsíci +3

      I had almost the same experience! Got a shield of kaldra in my first booster(indestructible? The best card in the game!) and the angel some boosters later. They also got damaged, but I've come to love used cards from when I was young over brand new cards, it's like they have a personal history.

    • @riotThomy
      @riotThomy Před 5 měsíci

      Love these old Storys 😊

  • @DrunkenPilotVideos
    @DrunkenPilotVideos Před 5 měsíci +43

    I remember going to the pre-release for Lost caverns of Ixalan with my brother. We were joking and I remember saying "what if we opened a cavern of souls". As we opened the cards I saw it, as my brother was looking at a card on his right hand, he hadn't noticed that in his left he had it, Cavern of Souls, full art AND foil. Then seeing the shock in his face as he looked over as I told him he was holding something of great value.
    It might not be the most expensive version of the card, but for my brother and I it will be the one we will always remember. The one we found as we had a fun afternoon together.

    • @laytonfoster5057
      @laytonfoster5057 Před 5 měsíci +4

      similar thing happened to me with Amonkhet draft! my friend and I were joking about opening one of the masterpieces, and sure enough I opened a Cryptic Command that day

  • @TavisKingsChannel
    @TavisKingsChannel Před 5 měsíci +247

    Thanks for the shout out at the end! 😃
    I've been involved with the prototype / test print premium cards, and have been slowly working towards creating a video for each type.
    You saw the Beta holograms, and the holographic Dragon Whelp. The first MTG foil was a Tempest Horned Turtle, which I'll eventually put into a video.
    I've started a more in depth video for Exodus foils, but got interrupted by other more urgent projects. White border foils were tested with Exodus cards.
    I handled and documented the Lightning Dragon test print sheets, and was heavily involved with authenticating the prototype Blastoise, which I took to CGC in 2020.
    Modern card frame test prints were done in foil, and you mentioned the 5th Dawn holofoil test prints. WotC used plain foil for MTG and holofoil for Pokemon, but after losing Pokemon, the tried holofoil with MTG.
    There were several series of test prints involved with creating the holofoil oval security stamp introduced in 2014.
    Someone sent me test print inventions for a video, and there's also textless foil test print Eldrazi.
    More recently there's been Swarovski crystal encrusted Magic card test prints.
    Lots of cool stuff!

    • @shoopy44
      @shoopy44 Před 5 měsíci +6

      You mentioned holofoil, and also it's use around the time WotC lost Pokemon. Does this have anything to do with the super shiny Junior Championship Series foils from around that era? Thanks for sharing all this info with us btw

    • @TavisKingsChannel
      @TavisKingsChannel Před 5 měsíci +7

      @@shoopy44 Yes, WotC tested that holofoil with the existing 5th Dawn printing plates.
      When they were happy with the results, they created the Junior Super Series promo cards, and I think another similar promo.
      Very few of the 5th Dawn test prints exist. Off the top of my head, it was something like two sheets, which would be 4 of each rare in the set. I have the number written down here somewhere.

    • @shoopy44
      @shoopy44 Před 5 měsíci +2

      @@TavisKingsChannel interesting, thanks for the reply!

    • @Donovarkhallum
      @Donovarkhallum Před 5 měsíci

      I don't think crystal magic cards are cool stuff. Just a way to milk more money.

    • @TavisKingsChannel
      @TavisKingsChannel Před 5 měsíci +5

      @@Donovarkhallum
      That's ok. With only about 14 cards like that in the world, they can go to the people who appreciate them the most.
      I enjoyed seeing them, but the crystals wouldn't fit into my binder, so I declined to purchase any.

  • @shoeless1137
    @shoeless1137 Před 5 měsíci +111

    My only experience with MTG was in college when i dated a girl for a couple years who loved it, and I often played with her and her friends. But after we broke up I moved back towards my own hobbies
    I haven’t thought about magic in at least 5-6 years.
    So when I say your videos are fantastic and profoundly entertaining, even for people who don’t keep up with MTG, I mean it.
    Excellent work

    • @RollingCalf
      @RollingCalf Před 2 měsíci +1

      Wtf. A girl introduced you to magic?

    • @solsystem1342
      @solsystem1342 Před 2 měsíci +1

      ​​@@RollingCalf
      Gasp! Women! In magic!😂
      I can tell why your group doesn't have any /s

    • @RollingCalf
      @RollingCalf Před 2 měsíci

      @@solsystem1342 I haven't played paper magic in 20 years..back then if a girl played magic, it's because her bf brought. Just surprised how much times have changed.
      This is perfect timing too.
      Went on a date 2 days ago and I was shocked when she whipped out her phone to show me she played mtga. I was like "I..I love you." ☺️☺️

    • @RollingCalf
      @RollingCalf Před 2 měsíci

      @@solsystem1342 I haven't played paper magic in 20 years so I don't know what the base looks like anymore. Back then, if a girl played, it's because her guy turned her on to it. Things have come a long way

    • @RollingCalf
      @RollingCalf Před 2 měsíci

      Great timing too
      Was on a date 2 days ago. At some point she whipped out her phone to show me she played mtga. Immediately professed my love.

  • @TheIronRegalia
    @TheIronRegalia Před 5 měsíci +35

    One of my favorite parts of any Rhystic Study video is when the video ends and I am left with that fire in me, a mix of reverent awe for the work that went into the video and an inspiration to change the way I interact with Magic: the Gathering. Bravo, a masterpiece as always.

  • @MarkAvo
    @MarkAvo Před 5 měsíci +96

    I still have the foil lightning dragon I got in ‘98 and, to this day, it’s still one of the jewels of my collection.

    • @kobisjeruk
      @kobisjeruk Před 5 měsíci +2

      Hell yeah. My first ever prerelease and first set. Special delivery was my first precons.

  • @Skios
    @Skios Před 5 měsíci +111

    Even back in the late nineties, foils were the one card I never traded. I still have all of them, including my first (Primeval Shambler, Mercadian Masques), my first rare (Keldon Necropolis, Invasion) and my personal favourite, the Judgement printing of Sylvan Safekeeper, signed by the artist. I got the copy of Super Secret Tech I pulled when the local store was dumping Unhinged boosters for €1 signed at the same event.

    • @warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165
      @warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165 Před 5 měsíci +1

      I still have my old foils, too. I couldn't part with them. My first ever foil rare that I pulled was Hidden Gibbons. It's an utterly useless card, but it feels special. I completed the full foil UL set back in 2009 when it was still remotely affordable. Every time I see the gibbons, though, I remember cracking them in that card shop (that's now a flower shop) in early 2000. It's a shiny little time machine.

    • @Melissanoma
      @Melissanoma Před 5 měsíci +3

      Going into this video, I was expecting him to mention Super Secret Tech somewhere. It's a significant card because it was only printed in foil......but then I realized that's not even unique any more. There are plenty of cards that only exist in foil.

  • @anarchond
    @anarchond Před 5 měsíci +39

    After this entire video, im still trippin out about that first clip of the guy cutting the holographic image and the little cut piece still having the whole image on it when he moves it around. Like WTF?!

    • @AbsolXGuardian
      @AbsolXGuardian Před 5 měsíci

      Same. Like was the hologram being projected by the machine behind it? Because I know something similar happens if you remove the film from an LCD screen. The screen appears white but is actually projecting the image in a way any piece of the film can filter it to be what it's supposed to. Its kind of confusing to start with a method of projection + filtering for a video about a method of coating objects to reflect light in fun ways

    • @sportyeight7769
      @sportyeight7769 Před 5 měsíci +13

      @@AbsolXGuardian A hologram recreates the wavefront incident at each point. it's like looking in mirror, if you change the angle you have more information. It's so trippy tho.

  • @techpriest8965
    @techpriest8965 Před 5 měsíci +22

    To me - foiling in the From the Vault products looks beautiful.
    My friend has that Jitte and it just pops over those blue hues featured on the art and grey card. Very nice.

    • @Q-Bits8
      @Q-Bits8 Před 5 měsíci +3

      i think they are some of the worst. have the from the vault angels and all of them in normal foil. Normal foil looks so much better, the VtV cards look like dull plastic

    • @ich3730
      @ich3730 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Imo they are both fugly xD MTG has some of the greatest Art ever, why disgrace it with glitter and shiny lines?

  • @krauseandreas2565
    @krauseandreas2565 Před 5 měsíci +76

    When everything is special, nothing is special.
    That perfectly encapsulates the development.
    Thank you for your lovely video

    • @DimT670
      @DimT670 Před 5 měsíci +2

      That saying never made much sense to me.
      Its like saying "if everyone is able to fly, no one is". Like if there's some inherent quality that renders something special or possessing of any quality, more of it having that quality can't somehow mean less of it has it.
      Plus everything being special doesn't imply uniformity. Things can be special in different ways thus remaining both special and different

    • @TeamSprocket
      @TeamSprocket Před 5 měsíci +9

      @@DimT670 Specialness is relative and infrequent. If everything is special, then it becomes equal and commonplace, and thus no longer special. Simple stuff for most people.

    • @PhoenicopterusR
      @PhoenicopterusR Před 5 měsíci +6

      ​@@DimT670 If all fish could fly then there wouldn't be flying fish, they'd all just be fish. I think you're just looking at it the wrong way, which might be why your example misses the mark entirely.

    • @ich3730
      @ich3730 Před 4 měsíci +2

      @@DimT670 "special" and "being able to fly" are two different traits with different definitions...

  • @inkyo7538
    @inkyo7538 Před 5 měsíci +52

    I think this is by far my favorite Study: going for a history which spreads beyond our familiar black borders, it's fascinating to see the effects of foiling all across the industry, and how a simple glimmer cascaded into an effervescent pool of poorly conceived ideas and concepts.
    I am glad to support your endeavors and am eager for whatever you bring to us next. Keep up the great work:)

  • @wizkida981015
    @wizkida981015 Před 5 měsíci +14

    Not even trying to be funny, thank you for having the bravery to delve into all of this. I remember watching the card frame video and thinking how much THAT was to track (not to mention how, similar to foils, that video would be even more ridiculous to make today) and this part of the game has been notoriously difficult to understand (as you literally mention in the video lol) Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate you so much for all the work you put into your research and your ability ro present it in a manner that is full yet approachable. Thanks for everything, seriously.

  • @paulinof2
    @paulinof2 Před 5 měsíci +9

    Bravo! 🎉 This 90 minute had physics, magic history, Pokémon history, corporate greed, and how to uncurl foils lmao
    The amount of work it took for you to do this, is worth your weight in near mint grim monolith foils. Cheers!

  • @VictorLuisAngelical
    @VictorLuisAngelical Před 5 měsíci +5

    Another Banger from this channel
    The Caverv of souls segment was *chef kiss*
    and the way you pointed the "Manifacturers can make luxury but they cannot create memories"
    and the subtle change of tones representing us the player

  • @netanelaker4437
    @netanelaker4437 Před 5 měsíci +78

    Sadly no mention of the fact that a lot of Unhinged foils had hidden jokes that do not appear in the regular cards. Reminds me of the Hidden Ink in MKM.
    Anyways, a staller video as always. I'm happy that more tastes are catered to, and each set has something that I adore, but we also must not forget the past. Everything must be balanced.

    • @NoahRodriguezShow
      @NoahRodriguezShow Před 5 měsíci +3

      That sounds cool as hell

    • @ashdog9235
      @ashdog9235 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Also the fact that super secret tech also only appears in foil and its interaction with those same foils

    • @Gureiseion
      @Gureiseion Před 5 měsíci +3

      My fav of the batch was Goblin Mime, with a foil that actually showed the otherwise invisible box it was trapped inside.

  • @Dizzy0422
    @Dizzy0422 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Words don't properly express how much you bring to this community. It is just a game, but the consistently high quality videos detailing the history and legacy of Magic the Gathering are to be cherished. Thank you, Sam.

  • @FofoStats
    @FofoStats Před 5 měsíci +8

    Insane level up, 90 minutes that flew by. Thanks for the video and the opportunity to remember all those years.

  • @demolisherman1763
    @demolisherman1763 Před 5 měsíci +285

    All that glimmers may not be gold, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an integral part to the history of our favorite card game.

    • @Atmatan_Kabbaher
      @Atmatan_Kabbaher Před 5 měsíci +11

      Popularizing the history of niche cultures is the coolest reason we made the internet.

  • @semi-decent1844
    @semi-decent1844 Před 5 měsíci +10

    I don't really care much about magic anymore but your videos are refreshing and beautiful and amazing to watch.

  • @lucasenraraujo
    @lucasenraraujo Před 5 měsíci +51

    What a nightmarish vision was that "You are disqualified" curling/melting screen with ominous sound effect.
    Still not done with the video essay, but the video already warranted a like for the sheer amount of research. Shouldn't be a surprise coming from you at this point, but warrants a round of applause nevertheless. Thank you for being an inspiration yourself with the dedication and rigor you put in your videos and for always striving to bring enlightenment to others.

  • @MosbergSwerve
    @MosbergSwerve Před 5 měsíci +5

    This takes me back. I remember playing back in Urza's Saga, lightning dragon being my favorite dragon card. When I learned there was a foil I lost my mind and had to have it!

  • @connorbell5340
    @connorbell5340 Před 3 měsíci +2

    I didn't expect so many profound prose in a video about foils but I suppose from you I should expect no less! Incredibly well done. As someone who likes to foil my favorite decks I find it hard to be enthusiastic about the constant deluge of product, even if it makes my process easier. The chase is no longer there, the hunt that leads to a story about your cards has withered away.

  • @AUZZYNAPALM
    @AUZZYNAPALM Před 5 měsíci +9

    few alternate treatments have appealed too me more than just a regular foil version of a card. great video, and well tied together with a beautiful point at the end.

  • @theboobiemonstro
    @theboobiemonstro Před 5 měsíci +5

    The willpower needed to list all the lotr treatments is the kind of strength I need in my life.

  • @jerbear8601
    @jerbear8601 Před 5 měsíci +3

    This is a lot of work! Thank you! I've shared this with a few other old school Magic players who I've played with since 1994.

  • @jakemosley2822
    @jakemosley2822 Před 5 měsíci +3

    I had a playset of foil 7E BoPs in high school. I'll never forget opening my first one in a pack I randomly bought at WalMart. Sadly a string of bad choices saw my entire collection stolen and sold by a close friend battling drug addiction after graduation and I lost passion for the game until a few years ago. This video brought me so much nostalgic joy!

  • @U.Inferno
    @U.Inferno Před 5 měsíci +5

    As I've finally been building my first EDH deck after playing since Amonkhet, I've decided that whatever cards in the deck prove themselves most impactful not just power wise, but on an emotional level, that I-as an artist-would design and proxy my own variants

    • @sirwobble265
      @sirwobble265 Před 5 měsíci +2

      Yeah, I would definitely make a special variant of Roving Keep, the card that won me a game of Magic for the first time if I was any good at art.

  • @TinyWarriorAnimations
    @TinyWarriorAnimations Před 5 měsíci +8

    Foils may change and be trimmed up, but so does your content. I am loving these premieres, they give me a sense of community and as if im witnessing; something.

  • @LizaPlz
    @LizaPlz Před 5 měsíci +51

    this is gonna start off great and go bad very fast

  • @jamesevans6332
    @jamesevans6332 Před 3 měsíci +2

    The New Capenna foils are gorgeous, easily one of the most innovative twists on foil treaments to date

  • @ThePolarbearLord
    @ThePolarbearLord Před 5 měsíci +2

    Sam, my man, you could give a lecture on any mtg topic and you'd fill the house. I love your approach to these topics and I always look forward to finding the right moment to zone into some much needed collection maintenance and listen to an unknown aspect of this beloved hobby. Carry on, intrepid wandering wordsmith.

  • @jarrettdiperna8370
    @jarrettdiperna8370 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Hey!! I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt a particular fondness for the Masterpiece series!! Though, for myself, as someone who has always had a fondness for artifacts, it was the Kaladesh ones that caught my eye.
    I started my collection of those by getting a Sol Ring from a booster pack at an LGS that doesn't exist anymore and ended it with a cataclysmic gearhulk sent to me as a Christmas present from a very close friend of mine. Since then, I still buy ones that I think are undercosted, as I still love the beauty and quality that was put into them to this day.
    I feel like collecting the Amonkhet ones would be a bit easier, since I remember them being cheaper due to the community's overall disdain of them, but that may have changed by now, and I hope you're able to complete your collection soon enough. ^^;
    This video made me realize the "Different Strokes for Different Folks" idea behind so many variations that I never really considered until now, and it does make a lot of sense, though I still disagree with a lot of these "Wider net" philosophies that WotC seems to abide by these days, it is easy to understand looking at it that way.
    Finally, this will be a cheesy way to end it, but one of the cards in my "special but not expensive" collection is still a card signed by you, nonetheless. ^^;
    Excellent work as always, and thank you for the background for my work today.

  • @G.Snackwell
    @G.Snackwell Před 5 měsíci +3

    The comprehensiveness and precision in this video is truly impressive. Thanks for putting it all together and presenting it in such a compelling way. Keep up the great work!

  • @mikki429
    @mikki429 Před 5 měsíci +2

    I really liked the look into the printing process! It's something I've always been vaguely curious about but not enough to look into myself. Thank you for another incredible video essay!

  • @gabbathehut3235
    @gabbathehut3235 Před 5 měsíci +2

    For the past 20 years i've collected signed cards, most of them signed in person at conventions and big tournaments across the world. Not only as a sign of respect for the artists, but as a knod to what got me into magic in the first place. Each one carries a story and a memory. Some happy, some sad, but all important to me in their own way.
    They're all unique to me, and no amount of foiling or scarcity could ever replace that.

  • @nathanielreichley4640
    @nathanielreichley4640 Před 5 měsíci +7

    You mentioned Upper Deck and I instantly thought of all of those dozens of Patrick Sullivan stories about that great criminal enterprise hahaha

    • @CB-ke7eq
      @CB-ke7eq Před 5 měsíci

      One small nitpick about the UD part - those card-sized hologram team stickers were a one-of bonus in each pack, sort of like how Topps used to put bubble gum in their packs. On the back of each player card however, there was a small hologram logo embossed into the card with the Upper Deck logo as the subject of the hologram. This was the anti-counterfeit mechanism.

  • @ReedoTV
    @ReedoTV Před 5 měsíci +6

    I remember going in to GAME in the UK and buying "Magic: The Gathering 7th Edition Starter Set", not entirely sure what I was even buying.
    That CD tutorial is burned into my mind and I still have the rulebook and that beautiful shiny Thorn Elemental 😊

    • @ClaytonLivsey
      @ClaytonLivsey Před 5 měsíci +2

      i would replay that same game over and over

  • @williamphelps6674
    @williamphelps6674 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Thanks for another delightul dive into MTG's past and present, and the changes to foil products along the way. And lovely choice with the synthwave in the first chunks of the video, that felt apt and compelling

  • @Toasty25000
    @Toasty25000 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I’m glad you added your opinions of each kind of treatment, was fun to see if I shared your point of view on certain treatments (and yes the New Capenna gilded ones were incredible)

  • @trippy1454
    @trippy1454 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Hey Sam, I am always waiting for whenever you upload and when that notification pops up, it brightens my day. Your intellectual take on the game we all love is extremely valuble.

  • @barryswigart1432
    @barryswigart1432 Před 5 měsíci +17

    "It was the company, not the players" basically sums up what MtG is now unfortunately.

    • @marcellosilva9286
      @marcellosilva9286 Před 3 měsíci +1

      As a YGO player interested in getting into MtG someday, it's interesting to see each game's problems, modern YGO has ridiculously long turns and combos that can kill the other player instantly, which scared away players that got into the game before that was possible (myself included), while MtG has corporate greed and some other things, like Mana Drought.

    • @fastpuppy2000
      @fastpuppy2000 Před 11 dny

      @@marcellosilva9286 Unless Magic really has passed me by, I think you mean mana screw. The opposite of which is mana flooding, which does make you think we should call screw drought, but I don't think that's the case. Also, I reject the view that mana screw and flood are game level problems and not deck building problems. Resource issues point towards the need to reevaluate your deck idea. Magic might have a subjective problem in that it is more willing than YGO to let you lose against your own decision before the game has started, but that is subjective. Figuring that stuff out is the first part of playing the game, which is, I figure, comparable to memorizing your combo lines in a YGO deck.

  • @owenbaerg6373
    @owenbaerg6373 Před 5 měsíci +2

    Sam these videos are incredible. I truly appreciate everything you create. You’re an artist and storyteller.

  • @Wipokorp
    @Wipokorp Před 5 měsíci +1

    Well done! Thanks for your time and efforts in creating this video 😊

  • @BoBnfishy
    @BoBnfishy Před 5 měsíci +4

    Out of all foil cards ever yugioh's ultra rare printings with gold foil card names and foil art are my personal favorite

    • @najawin8348
      @najawin8348 Před 5 měsíci +2

      The OCG's Holographic Rare is one of the coolest things ever.

  • @mistertadakichi
    @mistertadakichi Před 5 měsíci +8

    I've purchased/played with my fair share of foils across 14 years of playing magic, including damn near every new treatment released. My favorite is still the Foil Necropotence I opened out of a single Eternal Masters booster purchased at my LGS, because of the memory made in that moment- the pure elation that customers and staff shared in while I was standing there at the register.

  • @defrance2728
    @defrance2728 Před 5 měsíci +1

    You do such a fantastic job making these videos dude! I don’t really have anything to add but good job. I can really tell the time and effort that you put into making each one of your videos.

  • @kyleedwards3168
    @kyleedwards3168 Před 5 měsíci +2

    Wow. Your best video yet. So well spoken and well researched. Fabulous work my friend.

  • @DavidSpira
    @DavidSpira Před 5 měsíci +15

    This is a beautifully damning video.

  • @poenpotzu2865
    @poenpotzu2865 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Always, excellent work!

  • @levisavage6568
    @levisavage6568 Před 5 měsíci +1

    thanks sam. its been a stressful day at work...and ive only been here for an hour. seeing that i had a new Rhystic Studies video...well, it helps alot. i can stop thinking about the drama and what ifs, and try to continue on for today. i appreciate your hard work!!!!

  • @benjaminkamer176
    @benjaminkamer176 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I have to say your narration and quality of your video is awesome. Keep going!

  • @pytawidmo
    @pytawidmo Před 5 měsíci +4

    I do not envy the person who tracks and analyzes the sales data and improvement points related to the newly introduced variants.
    I'm open for companies trying new variants of "special". But I have no idea how they actually can see if for example the LTR set sold well because it was modern playable, it was LotR, had fancy variants, had the 001/001 The One Ring, powerful commander cards or for any other reason that could then be replicated in a later product.

  • @Arcrobes
    @Arcrobes Před 5 měsíci +13

    Can’t get enough of this guys channel!

  • @AC3handle
    @AC3handle Před 5 měsíci +1

    Man, I may bitch a lot about youtube, but god. DAMN. Content like yours, and how IN DEPTH you go,
    is the reason why this is here. I would NEVER see anything like this on any documentary channel.
    anyone who's interested in, PLAYING MTG, or even any other collectable card game should watch this.
    The amount of information, smooth delivery, and exceptional video clips edited together seamlessly is a master class on video making.
    Kudos sir, Kudos.

  • @jtmoney606
    @jtmoney606 Před 5 měsíci

    your gonna take flight with this one, amazing job sam!! love how you made it over a hr and talked about how foils started and the latest types, I can't tell you enough how your videos have fed my magic nostalgia. 🙏🏻💙

  • @Diana-tx2iz
    @Diana-tx2iz Před 5 měsíci +22

    I'M SO GLAD. This barely comes out before I'm in the hospital for a major surgery,,

    • @isaaclorrain9269
      @isaaclorrain9269 Před 5 měsíci +9

      I hope everything works out!

    • @YuzuAndGin
      @YuzuAndGin Před 5 měsíci +4

      I hope your surgery is uneventful. Wishing you the best!

  • @Loki-
    @Loki- Před 5 měsíci +26

    glittering prizes
    glittering prizes
    glittering prizes

    • @sdfkjgh
      @sdfkjgh Před 5 měsíci +7

      @Loki-: _"But glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusions of integrity, yeah!"_

  • @DTreatz
    @DTreatz Před 13 dny +1

    I like foils. Love a little *bling* to a deck. I like when the _art_ is foiled in a way that makes sense along with the border.

  • @1KamaronConClase
    @1KamaronConClase Před 5 měsíci +1

    As always, what a treat of a video ❤ Superb job at one of the most iconic and divisive MTG features.
    Your channel is one of the best ones in this platform

  • @jasonl3445
    @jasonl3445 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Nice I love my lighting dragon promo the first foil!

  • @Chubles1
    @Chubles1 Před 5 měsíci +18

    My favorite part of every Rhystic Studies video is when Sam pulls out a line so powerfully human I get a little misty eyed in the way only good poetry and childhood memories can. This time it was a whole minute of them around 1:27; my appreciation, as always.

  • @gbjackalope
    @gbjackalope Před 5 měsíci +1

    Great video as always! Really loved the dedication to explain early magic history.

  • @fernandomarquina3508
    @fernandomarquina3508 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Incredible video! Thanks for this, what a treat.

  • @SamSarracino
    @SamSarracino Před 5 měsíci +31

    I haven't played mtg in almost a year. I feel the game has simply lost its... Magic. Yet, RS videos kindle what little love for mtg I still may have.

    • @user-qg5tb6hp3p
      @user-qg5tb6hp3p Před 5 měsíci

      I find myself playing with old cards, re-reading older novels, and watching videos from RS and Spice8rack. I listen less and less to what’s coming out nowadays…

    • @JoKad17
      @JoKad17 Před 2 měsíci

      Literally what I was thinking right now. I haven't owned a card since 2008 and haven't played a game in well over a decade. Every time I see an RS vid I think "I ain't that invested in that", then I watch it anyway and am always captivated.

    • @golasticus
      @golasticus Před měsícem

      Magic is but a husk of its former self nowadays, at least in my opinion. These videos from Rhystic Studies are enjoyable because it's a look back on what made Magic, well, Magic. With how WotC runs the game now, it's honestly lost a lot of that feeling.

  • @SystemsAbsurdum
    @SystemsAbsurdum Před 5 měsíci +8

    As someone who is primarily a collector of Magic these days, thanks for all the time and care you put into this video. Wizards/Hasbro has made it nearly impossible to keep up with their constant stream of new flashy cards. The summary: "when everything is special, nothing is" perfectly encapsulates my, and others', growing sentiment. I truly wish we could return to the days of a single booster box product with a single special treatment (if any).

  • @braedenlamb786
    @braedenlamb786 Před 5 měsíci +1

    This was a phenomenal dive into the pretty pieces of cardboard we all hoard in some way or another. Thank you for this video, it was a great time to watch over the course of two days at work.

  • @saiphen
    @saiphen Před 5 měsíci +1

    Your videos always remind me of my own connection with the game and bring the greatest nostalgia and joy. Thanks.

  • @itsnotpharris
    @itsnotpharris Před 5 měsíci +5

    Great video! We can hear the disapointment and tiredness on your voice as the video goes on, it's a shame that we have to speak of a game we love so much like that. And thanks for ending the video on a somewhat positive note, i needed that after this journey

  • @i8mrwaffles
    @i8mrwaffles Před 5 měsíci +4

    But Pokemon had something that magic didn’t have…
    Poliwhirl

  • @Chippey12
    @Chippey12 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Amazingly researched and expertly presented as usual! I love the references back to the CZcams era of pack openings and trade confirmations. Still waiting on that foil swamp!

  • @lukastrucka9447
    @lukastrucka9447 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Great video, thank you. must say the change in tone was very notable, and rightfuly so! The sentiment of oversaturaion/consumer fatigue has been the undertone in magic discourse for many years now.

  • @homelessperson5455
    @homelessperson5455 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Noooo! My plans! Foiled!

  • @adamgorsky8422
    @adamgorsky8422 Před 5 měsíci +4

    I do miss the late 90s early 2000s style of getting really excited about pulling a foil common. It felt like an event or somthing and you would try to fit it into your deck (even if it was bad) cause it looked special, obviously we know and even knew it didn't make a card better mechanically but I definitely remember targeting my friends foil as like a sort achievement to destroy it (in the game not in like real life) idk I miss that, I opened a pack the other day and it was half foils half alternate art, doesn't feel the same

    • @sportyeight7769
      @sportyeight7769 Před 5 měsíci

      Worse than that. Now, if the foils aren't rares or valuable uncommon. I just bin them. They will curl in a few moments if i don't seal them and i won't waste sleeves for cards that doesn't worth anything. So many foils commons / uncommon tossed because WOTC can produce something of quality and show some restraint in their treatment distribution.
      it gets so wild, than you can find listings of cards cheaper in foil than normal versions.

  • @jimmydotzel
    @jimmydotzel Před 5 měsíci +1

    I get so excited whenever I see a new Rhystic Studies videos!

  • @mati-uf3gz
    @mati-uf3gz Před 5 měsíci +4

    ​I'm so excited, holy I love Rhystic studies legit been sleepless for days refreshing twitter for news

    • @graffitigospel6247
      @graffitigospel6247 Před 5 měsíci +1

      He’s a pro. He inspires me. He is the definition of less is more!

  • @josephs.4813
    @josephs.4813 Před 5 měsíci +9

    I appreciate you not pulling any punches Sam. Hopefully foil cards can one day return to the status of “premium.”

  • @kylecarson3318
    @kylecarson3318 Před 5 měsíci +1

    What an excellent video. I always get so excited when a new video comes out but, unlike other content, your videos are primary focus only. It’s too good to not carefully watch

  • @sohndesnebels7565
    @sohndesnebels7565 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I thank you deeply for this amazing work of art. Your videos help me disconnect a little from the day to day problems.
    And I guess now I appreciate my foils a little more thanks to your video.
    Thanks for your videos.

  • @Nolsie
    @Nolsie Před 5 měsíci +11

    Fake cards have better foils and it kills me. I want the 7th edition foils back

    • @stevenyukabacera160
      @stevenyukabacera160 Před 5 měsíci +1

      No Magic cards have ever been as beautiful as foils from the last few years of the old border era.

  • @cdadamly
    @cdadamly Před 5 měsíci +10

    As someone who has hated foils since 1999 (worried, even back then, that the game was focusing on collectors more than players), I am still excited to see Rhystic Studies' take on them.

  • @MagusFlorren
    @MagusFlorren Před 5 měsíci

    I couldn't look away while watching this. This was such a delight to sit down and watch. Thank you for all the time you put into this! 10/10
    And Im particularly grateful you took some time to cover how cards are made including the foiling process. Its something ive wondered for years but couldnt find any comprehensible information on it. So again.. Thank you

  • @briangordon7585
    @briangordon7585 Před 5 měsíci +1

    This was incredible! Thank you for doing this.
    As someone that has my own aesthetic taste I am pleased with the vast quantity of card versions. Being able to express yourself through the cards gives us a new way to personalize our decks and collections.
    I love being surprised by different versions of cards I haven't seen yet. Hopefully it gives more artists works too.
    I am also pleased with the cost of non-special cards coming down due to lower demand and high supply. I say keep feeding the whales.

  • @Shaggsteryo
    @Shaggsteryo Před 5 měsíci +3

    I normally ooze over rhytic's videos. But this one just kinda left an odd feeling. Depressing how far mtg has fallen.

  • @haruhisuzumiya6650
    @haruhisuzumiya6650 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Pringles secret lair when?

  • @Razomka
    @Razomka Před 5 měsíci

    Excellent video. Could easily watch more.
    Thank you for making it.

  • @burningpapersun1
    @burningpapersun1 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I have been raised and worked in the printing industry my whole life. I've always enjoyed the Japanese printed cards. Their craft is always top notch and you can tell. I could nerd out on printing techniques and print processes for hours on end.

  • @TheSnarkyBrit
    @TheSnarkyBrit Před 5 měsíci +4

    Foils used to be so cool, now they all look like garbage mildly sparkly Pringles.