Ye Olde Secondary Market - Results
Here we present results relating to our previous post.
At the time of our recording we had received a total of 64 survey responses represented in the figures below. Many thanks to all those who took the time to share their thoughts with us!
Results
We kicked things off by asking folks whether they considered themselves to be competitive KeyForge players. This was really to satisfy our own curiosity and provide some context for the questions that followed. Two thirds of respondents identified as competitive players.
For additional context, we asked players for a ballpark size of their aggregate collection. Again, two thirds fell in the 50-500 range, and roughly a quarter claimed to have had between 500 and 2,500 with the rest having more still.
We worded this question specifically to count decks that had been sold/traded/etc. and to account for the lean-forgers out there.
Most respondents claim to have made at least one secondary market purchase for use in competitive play. Interestingly, even more had picked up a deck for casual play.
We found it interesting (though not necessarily surprising) that roughly as many players had bought a deck for competitive play as considered themselves competitive.
Even more of you responded that you had made a secondary market purchase for casual play.
The above might be explained by the price point for "casual" decks relative to "competitive" ones. Our responses indicate that players felt $30-$50 was a reasonable price tag for a casual deck - i.e. a namesake, niche collector item, etc.
In contrast, estimated prices for competitive decks are show in the figure below. For this question, we asked folks to consider decks they would not be surprised to see piloted to a first place finish at a Vault Tour.
We also asked folks to consider prices for a decks featuring an Alliance pod of the same competitive caliber.
These answers were even more varied with a number of respondents commenting that Alliance is still very new and uncertain in its details (restricted list, support, etc.) to justify large price tags.
Thanks again to all those who sent in replies to our survey. You can hear us discuss these results, as well as other thoughts on the secondary market on our podcast along with special guest community experts x073d and SecondAct.
Let us know if you'd like to see us publish different cuts of the data gathered by this survey.
Editor's Note
In closing, I'd like to leave you with some parting advice on your secondary market adventures - particularly if you're worried about regretting a purchase (a common theme in our survey responses).
- Be intentional - it's easy to scroll through DoK and see deck after highly rated deck. Going in with a plan - e.g. "I'm looking for a deck that does X to complete this triad lineup" or "I want artifact removal and a board wipe in two houses" - will help you focus your search.
- Avoid settling on decks you feel no connection to aside from them being a vehicle to win games. If you enjoy playing a deck you'll have that even if it loses its edge in the competitive scene.
Appendix 1
Watch Bottom of the Beaker live every Tuesday at 9:30 Eastern on twitch.tv/SloppyLabwork. Past recordings can be found on YouTube and audiophiles may enjoy consuming our delicious content in podcast format.