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The Red Arrow's Point Archives
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Ever since Iron Crown Enterprise
(ICE) ceased producing and selling MECCG and other Middle Earth related
products in the latter part of 1999, webpages focusing on MECCG have slowed
down or ceased to exist. On-line card shops who used to sell boxes, boosters
and singles have trickled down as well. Even some veteran players who were
there from the beginning have moved on to other CCGs. But there are still
sites on the web dedicated to MECCG. Some are still updated frequently
while others offer timeless information about the game that they are still
found useful even after years have passed. Think of them as ruins and lairs
with tomes of knowledge written from days past yet still valuable. As for
the sites that remain current with the times, they are beacons if not strongholds
of this complex game we love to play. Read on friends!
Red Arrow's Point presents:Chris
Cable's Trading Site
URL: http://www.mdi.net/~chscable/
The Best MECCG Trading Point
I need cards!
As a fan or player of MECCG you probably have had a need for a certain
card or cards which you have difficulty getting a hold of. It could be
a rare site or a much needed item that will make your deck come full circle.
Maybe a character card which you need for that deck theme you've been trying
to make. Or a resource, maybe a hazard card that will transform your deck
from good to awesome. All these reasons you have but lady luck is not on
your side every time you open that booster. Your pockets don't go that
deep either to buy the already hard to find cards. You think of trading
as an option but only a limited number of people play the game in your
area. Why, why do they mostly play magic or pokemon? Sigh... What's a player
to do? Trade the cow for some magic beans? Hmmm.
Enter the internet (or searching for a needle
in a haystack)
The internet has given us the chance of finding other players who do
not reside around our immediate areas with whom we can trade with. But
with so many sites on the web about MECCG which may or may not have a trade
page, where do you go? Chris Cable's Trading Site!
One of the earlier web sites to focus on MECCG, Chris Cable's Trading
Site is still going strong. It is considered the premiere site for
trading and a godsend for players. This folks, is the site to visit if
you want to buy, sell or trade MECCG cards. Maintained by Chris Cable,
the site is frequently updated to help players who want to complete
their play deck or collection. No other site is out there which can compare
to the vast number of trade pages from players around the world.
It has players posting their needed cards and the cards that they have
which they are willing to part with, provided you have the cards they need
of course.
Search the site
With so many individual trade pages on this site it will take you a
while before you can find the card you need. But if Chris Cable can think
of building a site to ease the search for trade pages on the web he also
thought of making it easier to search for a specific card on his site.
Probably the best feature this site has is the card search. Choose a set,
let's say METW or MELE. Then choose the card that you are looking for from
that set. You will soon be shown a list of players who have trade pages
on the site which has the card you are looking for. Choose a trader (hope
you don't get a traitor). And voila! His trade page will then show up.
This saves you time. You don't have to go through each trade page on
the site. Instead you just go straight to the person who has it,
send him an e-mail that you would like to trade and see what happens.
The Rules
There are rules to trading of course. We need rules or chaos
will reign.
There is the God rule. This means you send your cards first.
After he receives your card, you then wait for the person to send the cards
you agreed to trade for. Does this sound fair to you? Not very fair is
it? That's why they call it the God rule. He is God, you are mere
mortal!
Then there is the Trust rule. Once you have agreed on the card/s
you want to trade you then agree, with trust as your basis or witness,
to send those cards at the same time. Do you feel safe doing it? As the
rule states you have to trust the other person to do it. In the end Trust
rule rules. At least for most players it works.
Why will somebody ever trade using God rule if there is a Trust
rule? God rules are usually used by someone if the person they want
to trade with has few or zilch references. And where do you get references?
Whenever you make a successful trade over the net you have that person
as a reference. Its similar in a way/fashion to what they have at eBay
or other on-line auction houses with their feedback feature. Always ask
for a reference or feedback! The point here is, the more people you trade
with the more trustworthy you become to the trading community. And do check
the rules before trading.
In sheep's clothing
What if you get ripped off? The world's not perfect. Beware, though
we could probably describe this website as a freehold ( I'm trying
to make an analogy here) or borderhold just like in the game, be
aware of thieves and traitors and assains. Whaah?
The site can not assure or protect you from unscrupulous people. That's
where the references come in. It at least gives you something to base your
decision with if you decide to trade with somebody. This does not mean
that people who have few or no references are not worthy to trade with.
But most of the time the system work. Chris has a list of people whom you
should avoid trading with. It is a good idea to first check a player's
reference
or the list of bad traders before making a trade. One recent
event of a rip off is a guy who was offering to trade on God rules
when he doesn't even have any references for himself. Be wary when they
offer a card you never heard of (gold meccg cards). Hey its true. The point
here is to do your homework! There are traders and there are traitors of
our trust.
Etc. etc. etc.
Aside from the trade pages and the card search feature. Chris Cable's
site also has a page for people who would rather sell than trade their
cards. Most of the guys on this page have good track records or are known
and trusted among the MECCG community. A list of players through out the
world is also kept in this site. And don't forget to check his page about
promo cards from other countries or card variations of common cards. Last
but not least he features the MECCG project by Jim Montanus... a PC based
MECCG. Check it out its cool.
So, are you still looking for that Lidless Eye card or the much prized
the One Ring? What are you waiting for? Go look for it and trade for it
at Chris Cable's Trading site!
Happy trading!
Aiming for the Mark,
The Red Arrow |
