I got into MTG during 4th and through Urza's Saga (dabbled). Unbenkownst to me my brother sold off the collection 2019/2020 for a considerable sum. Terrible timing when the reserved list moon shotted in mid '20.
I got back in hard in June of this year. The game has evolved into an exciting level of sophistication, and though I don't love Hasbro savagely milking the game for all it's worth...I think it's the best modern game ever created.
The thing MTG has going for it is that it serves so many motivations:
1) the game itself
2) the collectibility / speculation
3) the artwork
4) both a social element (the game) and the personal creativity element of deck building and card breaking combos.
I think that the game could stand to benefit if they were to ban the top 5 or so meta game edh staples. But all in all, it's healthier than ever on a player participation level and MTG Arena and MTG online are only going to ramp those numbers.
MTG Arena is the download you want for those that want to learn the game.
LOTD. Great card.
Started around Revised-4th base set, but for expansions around The Dark / Fallen Empires.
I still remember my 1st rare was a revised birds of paradise. Got it @ the eye opener when it was next to newington theatre.
heavy into ice age / alliances.
homelands and fallen empires were garbage. 2.50 for a FE pack (Only 8 cards, right), but I could maybe still find a dark pack. I might have been able to buy legends/Antiquities. But it was rare and they were expensive. Like 15 if I remember. WH center store had em. I was in middle school so...
mirage/visions/tempest were decent.
Never really got into weatherlight/exodus/stronghold
Re-dabbled like gutter during urza’s block, but high school and Pokémon started and bailed.
I thought the Pokémon foils were cheesy and then mtg introduced. I may have bought one pack and I remember wanting to make a deck I saw in scyre/inquest, but never did. Watched the show, played blue and red on game boy, but just couldn’t make the jump to the ccg
Recently got a couple of boxes of mtg theros. Ahh, to have a job and your own $$$. Played the xbox games, but haven’t dabbled in arena at all.
im going down memory lane here