Trading 101
by Jacqui-Li and Kraken A.P.P.A.

We have noticed that there are a lot of people out there that do not think it is possible to get all the cards you want without spending a lot of money... I am here to tell them that they are wrong. All you need is maybe a booster box or two, and a whole lot of time... but eventually, it can be done.

It is technically possible to do it with just the cards you get at registration, however it is very difficult and highly unlikly, and you have to make sure you register a character with 4 really good rares.

How, you say? Well, following is a list of rules I have put together that will serve as a guideline you can follow. It may not get you the cards you need, but it will get you a lot closer to achieving your goal.

Top Ten Ways to improve your collection:
  1. DON'T trade any rare card until you have spent at least 40 hours online playing the game (skill tests or otherwise). If you know nothing about the game, you can't possibly make a good trade if you don't know the value of the cards you are trading for or trading away.
  2. DON'T use any price-list as a guide to tell you if you are making a "good" trade. None of them are completely accurate, and it is never right to trade solely by a list.
  3. DO use price lists as a comparison to see how different people value different cards. Use as many resources you can find and to research on what people "want", and what they "don't want" before you start doing any trading.
  4. ALWAYS be willing to trade every card you own for the correct price. Even if it took you forever to get the card, if someone pays you enough for it, you can easily get it back with less than they give you, and thus you improve your collection.
  5. NEVER get a card you need through an auction. If you are patient, someone will be willing to trade it to you for less than the high bid.
  6. NEVER trade away a really good rare or VR for a whole bunch of shitty cards, (rares, uncommons, or otherwise). For the most part it is almost NEVER worth it. The majority of people are always willing to "throw in" those cards in another trade. You generally don't have to give away a whole lot to get the "lesser" cards that you need.
  7. ALWAYS try to trade for cards that everyone wants, even if you don't need them. You never know who you are trading with and wether they are willing to give you a good deal or not. It never hurts to try.
  8. KNOW that cards have very different values to different people. There are a lot of cards that some people think aren't worth much, but that are in high demand for others. Try to trade for these cards any chance you get. (Taikun Cleaner is a good example). These are the cards that you can get for next to nothing, and trade away for a whole lot. Even if you don't need them, there will be someone who does and will be willing to pay for them.
  9. NEVER make a trade that is "too much" in your opinion just because you are "desperate" for the cards. It is NEVER worth it, and eventually you will get a better deal if you just wait a bit.
  10. KNOW who you are trading with. If you are trading with a "trader", chances are you will not get a good deal, and the trades are generally very long and never get anywhere. Always trade with people who are "desparate", because they are generally willing to pay a lot for the cards they need.
And always remember, Be Patient. Trading up your collection takes a lot of time, it is not something that you can just do in an evening.

It IS possible to get what you need without spending a lot of $$, if you follow these guidelines and use some common sense.

Good luck to you, and happy trading!
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