Bazaar Volume 0: Breakout Proves Great MtG Proxies Don’t Have to Break the Bank

gamepur.com:

Magic: the Gathering has a proxy problem. It’s not that the manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast, is actively fighting against those making them or even forcing players only to use proxies from official packs. It’s an issue of value for money and playability, of a niche within the MtG community that’s almost exclusive due to the cost of cards. Fortunately, one creator is setting a precedent that goes against this grain.

The Bazaar series of custom MtG cards and proxies from creator Ben Makes Stuff — and a series of guest artists — launched this month to resounding success. Ben Makes Stuff set out to work with some of the artists and friends he loves on an MtG project that makes custom cards and proxies for fans of the game, from fans of the game. I was lucky enough to grab a pack of Volume 0: Breakout for $19.99 before it sold out. It’s been confirmed more packs will be released in the future, creating a lovely little set of cards that can be played as proxies in MtG, but also form their own version of an expansion.

Bazaar Volume 0: Breakout packs in 11 pieces of card, because you can’t technically ‘sell’ MtG proxies as cards. Among the 11 pieces of card are eight foil cards, including four designed by guest artists, with two slots for randomized cards from Ben Makes Stuff’s own backlog. Importantly, everyone involved in the project gets paid for their work without it costing the end user too much. To put this into perspective, you can buy a single custom MtG proxy from some creators for the same price as this entire pack.

Related: The 10 best Precon Commander decks in Magic the Gathering

Of course, artists deserve to be paid. That’s why I think it’s fine for each one to charge what they feel