Foils look a lot snazzier than that plain old cardboard you’re used to tapping, but they aren’t for everyone. I’m here to tell you why they should be for you.

Benefit #1:

Apart from looking a lot nicer, foils hold their value much better than regular versions of cards do in the case of rotation or reprints. For example when Thoughtsieze was reprinted, the originals tanked in value dropping by 50%. The old art foil versions then more than doubled within a few months reaching a price higher than before the reprint.

The price of this version in foil continues to rise while the non-foil old art are still worth considerably less than they were before the reprint in Theros. This can also be seen with all the nice reprints modern masters 2015 has brought, with price drops all round—except for foils.

Benefit #2:

Foils appreciate in value like money in a bank! In fact better in a lot of cases. Everyone loves the shiny and so are prepared to pay through the teeth for it. This, combined with the fixed number of foils in existence, means that the price of the cards gradually climbs year after year and can eventually reach terrifying proportions.

Delver of secrets is a perfect example, a common printed only a few years ago but foil versions can now go for £10 or £15. That’s one pricey common! Eternal playable rares and mythics are even more extreme, often reaching £100+. If you have cards sitting in a deck for several years it’s definitely a bonus for them to triple or more in value.

Benefit #3:

People value foils very weirdly, some people don’t value them at all some value them massively. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve been approached by people asking me to give them 2 non foil copies of a card for their foil copy. At the time this is always a fair deal value wise but I suggest you snap up these trades like they are the last ones you will ever make.

Because foils are rarer, they rack up the big bucks over time and pad your wallet, especially if it’s a foil played in an eternal format. I personally trade for them because I prefer to play foils, but it’s reasonable to try and collect a lot of recently printed eternal playable foils before they appreciate in value.

Benefit #4:

More of a personal one, but playing with a foil deck is awesome. There really is no better feeling than building your favourite deck in foil, the effort it takes to collect, the progress over time and the victories with your foiled out pride and joy. If you are like me and enjoy building something over time and enjoy a challenge then this will give you the satisfaction you are looking for.

Spotlight on foreign language foils

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on eternal format staples in Russian, Korean or Japanese then these are pretty much the equivalent of owning a private jet full of priceless historical artworks in the card world. You will never find these for ‘cheap’ but they are the absolute safest your money can be in cards besides the reserve list (cards they can’t reprint for legal reasons).

That’s all for today, but next time you’re thinking of buying or trading cards and the foil versions are only slightly more expensive, give it a think because you could be looking at the next snapcaster mage or noble hierarch.