This video goes to show that Magic is like an old friend. No matter how long it's been, the next time you see each other it's always the same.
paladinmetalus
Revealing the mat screaming "BUY SINGLES" at the end was chef's-kiss juxtaposition. ❤
togeiin
Here's a piece of worthless trivia for your collection...
That starter deck was received by Hastings store 9693 in Helena, MT in July 1995.
I was a receiving manager at that time at another store. I can still discern the codes on the labels printed in the backroom.
55 was the code for trade paperbacks. Probably not correct but collectibles weren't a thing yet. I think they became 59 eventually... maybe? not certain.
vliam
I grew up on a hobby farm, with 15 miles of dirt road separating me from a town of 1200 people. When a card/comic store took over what had been a leather repair shop in that town, (1993 or maybe 4) it opened a whole new world to me and my elder brother. We would scrimp and save our $2/week allowance money, throw square bales for local farmers, paint fences, and mow lawns to scrounge up enough for a few packs. I had forgotten how it felt, biking those 15 miles into town, the screech hinges as I pulled open the screen door, and striding into my version of Willy Wonka’s (rough wood and all).
Thank you Prof, for bringing back the smell of cedar paneling, the creak of floorboards, and the elation I felt at pulling a Leviathan. 10/10 holy smokes!
I stopped playing shortly after Zendikar block due to frustration over power creep, and market manipulation. On and off, I’ve checked in to see how mutated and degraded the game has become relative to what I held so dear. However, this video has changed my perspective. Nostalgia has its place, but is worth only its whimsy.
So thank you doubly: as the game evolves and expands, only the shortsighted and stuck are left without a library.
Ratsnack
Every time the prof talks about magic with so much nostalgia, i don't know why, it makes me want to cry, I really love his content a lot
Windaar
Me: I'll see what the funny magic man is up to this time!
*20 minutes later*
Me: STOP MAKING ME FEEL THINGS!
bookerplayer
You wasn't just rebuilding your collection...you were rebuilding your soul...Congratulations on everything you have accomplished Professor Brian
caseywilliams
I absolutely love this episode. Seeing the profs genuine enthusiasm about seeing his nostalgia made manifest in card form. Not value. Just opening cards for the sake of opening cards. Pure enjoyment. The stories of his classic cards. Fantastic. It was great getting to see a revised opening, and even better with profs flair
Flyboy
It’s 100% not only nostalgia, there’s a theme or style to the older cards that’s very unique and endearing.
When I came back to Magic a few years ago I rebuilt a vintage zombie deck with only cards from around 1994-2001 all the best cards I wanted when I was a kid no budget, and I look at that deck every other day out of enjoyment of the vibe of the cards.
Wes
I like watching prof open up packs. He doesn’t skip past the cards like most people do. He appreciates the nostalgia and the artwork. He’s genuine and doesn’t care about any single card but loves all of them equally
jamesepperson
As someone who only got in to Magic during Bloomburrow I hope I can look back fondly on my time with MTG the way you have in this video. <3
ceekenna
Love the story about your friend's dad. It would be funny to see such an interaction today with all the modern keywords.
Wiktorion
I would argue that appreciating the old art isn't because of nostalgia but because it has charm. I remember watching Cardcaptor Sakura a few years ago, a show I had never seen before, and just fell in love with the art style and animation, the opening, even the dubbing.
Boyzby
this was my experiencing opening darksteel packs again when i got back into magic recently. heartwarming stuff 😭
jarvis
Im sitting here with tears in my eyes, writing this comment and remembering the old good days. You had nothing to worry about, went home with the boys from school at 12 am. Wev been 10 years old and went directly to the stationary shop to buy a booster pack of Darksteel or Innistrad from our pocket money. Whoever had the biggest creature on the board was most likely to win the match. Greetings from Germany
TapeRecorderDiaries
As someone who started at the same time, I think I know what you mean when you say there’s something special about this set. For me, it’s that the set is mostly generic (Giant Growth, Lightning Bolt, Shatter, Disenchant, Gray Ogre, Wall of … and so on) with hints of special people or locations (Serra Angel, Sengir Vampire, Shivan Dragon). Nowadays, the vast majority of spells and creatures are tied to the plane-of-the-month, or a Planeswalker, or they feel more like “events” than spells (“Annie Joins Up” is an event, not a spell, and there’s thousands of these). This takes away the imagination, as you tried to fill in the blanks of the world. Magic 2010 recaptured this somewhat (Divination is the perfect representative spell for what I mean), but we haven’t seen anything like that since.
ThePhilosocopter
It’s always beautiful to see someone reliving their childhood through things like this, especially someone who’s helped so many people make memories they’ll look back on the same way someday.
nitro
This video made me emotional, and made me appreciate Magic and how it impacted my life over the years even more. Love ya, Prof!
pedrobortoli
Your story matches mine so closely. Got into revised, sold my cards in high school. Except I never rebuilt my collection. I'm just getting back into magic now (brought in by the FF collab), but watching this video brought back so many memories, especially the reaction to the Serra Angel!
oneofmoo
Professor, this made me so happy. Inner child work is so healthy for us as adults, My 13-14 year old inner child was right there with yours watching open these and talking about how special those memories were to you. I saw how happy this made you, I see you :).
This took me back to the days of saving pennies and looking through singles at my LGS, thank you for inviting me to open these with you. Shivan Dragon, White Knight, Craw Worm and Lightening Bolt were my favorite :).
