After having read most of the recent articles on the subject of Wizards' reprint policy, I came up with an idea: Although it might not solve the matter, it would certainly help them - and serve as a sort of compromise between the two sides.

The answer was so simple it was sitting under the noses of everyone for years, in the form of a block mechanic: Buyback.

I got the idea because of my experience with collecting other sports cards: There are always the base cards in each set... And then there are inserts. An insert can be any card, usually with a special design that is rarer than any of the other cards in the pack. There are odds stated on each pack that give the chance of finding each type of insert in it. Occasionally, there will be a type of insert where older cards are bought off the market, autographed by the player on them to increase the value, and then resold in packs.

If you don't see where I'm going yet, let me explain: The regular cards in the pack will remain how Magic cards are now. There are no inserts per se in the Magic packs - but if people won't stop fighting over the reprint policy, maybe there should be. What I am proposing is that Wizards buy back older cards on the reserved list off the market, then randomly insert them into packs in place of rares. This policy would be excellent for Wizards, in my opinion, because if anything there would be more demand for their newer products because a Vintage player might buy a pack or two, hoping to get a Mox. The Vintage players and collectors would also most likely benefit because there would be Wizards buying many of the cards, increasing the demand and value as well as.

Of course, not all cards would have the same odds on them. The back of each pack of Magic cards would now have many stated odds to go with the odds already on them for premium cards (whatever those are). I would suggest having the odds of two cards off the reserved list for every box, so one in every eighteen packs. The odds for the what each of those two cards might be would depend on the value and rarity of the cards: The Power Nine, for example, would have odds like one in every case and a half (not boxes), while cards like Abeyance would be one per box. I'm sure if Wizards ever used this policy, they would hire some mathematicians (or have Garfield) to do the job to perfection.

This set up would also create one of the most interesting legal cardsets of all time - because while the cards could not, should not, and would not be used in the current Standard Constructed, they would be used in Limited. Sure,. this could create broken decks - but where I play, there is sometimes a redraft afterwards to ensure no one leaves empty-handed. You need to be able to use your broken card in order to ensure that you still have that card when you leave. Just imagine some situations today:

You, on turn 3: I sac Black Lotus for Green and cast Silvos.
Them: Swords to Plowshares.
You: I concede. Dammit.

This move wouldn't put wouldn't put people right into the vintage spotlight even if they pulled a lotus, but by making the cards available they have a chance. And if a kid with no type one cards got a Lotus, I would recommend that it they wish to play Type One, they sell it and buy cheaper complete Type One decks (like Suicide Black or Parfait). They would learn to play these decks and eventually maybe even get good enough to go to a tournament and win some power to start making Keeper or something.

The main drawback to this idea, in my opinion, is that if a kid just getting into Magic pulls a major card in the shop, chances are he'll have traded for a Leviathan before he leaves. That's the kind of thing that I might do to a kid for a Lotus... But I would also hate to see someone else do it, and I'd think they were terrible. It's been done to me.

(Also, how in heck are you going to explain to someone that they can't use this card, which they got from a Standard-legal pack, in a Standard-legal deck? Answer: You can't - The Ferrett)

An additional benefit of having buybacks would be a major increase in interest of just collecting the cards in a person that might later change to playing. I have a friend who would always ridicule me, saying,"Why do you even collect basketball cards? You can't even do anything with them!" Well, I always knew the answer but I couldn't explain.

When you open a pack of Magic cards, you are excited about possibly getting a valuable card or one that you need... But it isn't the same. With sports cards in general, it's the rush times ten - because you can get a card worth thousands every time.

(Which, of course, leads to hatred for a person who pulls one. My younger brother pulled a card with the American flag logo of Kerry Wood from his jersey that he wore after September Eleventh, serial #1/1, and is worth about two fully-powered Keeper decks. I couldn't look at the lucky bastard for days).

With the buyback of valuable Magic cards, I could satisfy some of that craving with Magic. So I hope this idea finds a middle ground between the two sides and is at least thought about by Wizards.

Finally, I will try to summarize my paper in a sentence using as many names of buyback cards as possible:

The Vintage community has had a Brush with Death and is beginning to Capsize. Many people have Seething Anger over the fact that Wizards would Forbid the reprinting of cards for such a Worthy Cause. Is seems some people would like to Slaughter and release their Elvish Fury on Wizards who are showing their Invulnerability and simply sitting back and Reaping the Rewards. Hopefully, in this paper I Allayed the disagreements rather than Fanning the Flames and will cause a Change of Heart at Wizards. I leave you all with an Imp's Taunt and a Corpse Dance.