Soon to come! A simple visual guide of how to ship cards adequately protected!
I just need to get around to taking a few pictures, etc. 
I've seen lately a lot of people getting interested in Magic or were out of the loop for a while and are looking to get back in but don't know where to start. What are these new cards? Can I play with some of my older cards? Are the older cards allowed? Where can I play Magic? These and a ton more questions I'll try to give basic explanations of and provide links.
Okies, Magic the Gathering has new sets which come out in 3's over the course in time and are considered to be called Blocks. You also have a base set which helps bring back older cards for play and is used to help introduce new players to the field. You can play in these formats which have rules/regulations/cards that are allowed in for your decks and each link shows what sets are permitted along with banned cards:
Standard
Extended
Block
Two-Headed Giant
Vintage
Legacy
In addition to these main formats, there are those where you don't come to the tournament with a predetermined 60 card deck and 15 card sideboard. There are Floor Rules which will tell you what will be allowed in for play. There are 3 Limited Formats to play in of which the deck is constructed within a set amount of time and those cards are the only ones you play with. Nothing extra is allowed in with the exception of basic lands and you are not required to play all the cards, but at least fulfill the minimum requirements of the format. Here's a list of which include the basic three along with more Limited formats:
Sealed Deck - Individual and Team
Booster Draft
Rochester Draft
If you have older cards and notice that over time with the same card being reprinted that it's worded differently, you might want to take a look at the Oracle Card Reference to get the most precise and accurate wording of the card.
Magic Set FAQ's will show the expansion symbol of each set, name of the set, and most have an FAQ about each set. Crystal Keep is another great place to determine what cards you have from which set.
When the first sets of foreign black bordered cards came out with symbols, here's a short explanation of them and the setlists in German and French.
To find a store that will sell Magic locally you can just plug in your address. There is a link for European retailers at the bottom of the page.
If you want to play online you can download Apprentice or Magic Workstation or if you want to pay to play and have virtual cards to buy, sell, and trade, you can also use Magic the Gathering Online (also refered to as MODO - Magic Online Digital Objects).
There is also a list of rules for the tournament players here and to find a store that is sanctioned to have tournaments run where prizes can be awarded out can be found here and you just put in what type of format you want to play in and your location.
If you're considering playing competetively you may want to check out the different events that are held throughout the year which are held at various locations, some being locally, while others you actually need an invitation. Here is a listing of what is currently available. You will want to sign up for what is called a DCI number so you can be registered to play against others and be eligible to win prizes, be ranked, and receive tournament organization notices and prizes in the mail. Signing up to get a DCI card is free. To sign up, you can go to any major event or see if there is a certified DCI Judge that has signups available. You will get a registration card with your number so that is how they can identify and log you into their database. DO NOT lose this card! It is a vital way to look up your information and keep track of your games incase you notice an error in the processing of your results, of which you can view online when it is updated.
If you need help identifying what language the cards are from check here or here.
There is a misprint guide site created by MOTL's Mr.C that is useful in identifying card print errors.
There is a site to help identify if you have a fake or doctored Magic card but please consult other people who have been able to identify the authenticity of cards before carrying out any tests yourself. A real simple way is to make a high resolution scan of the card and post a link to the picture of it. There are always people here willing to check for you and you can even ask around to see if you can mail the card to someone who is well trained and can verify it by comparing it to other cards of the same set.
How do you know what kind of card you have from what set? This site made by MOTL's BoltBait can hopefully solve those questions or you can look at this one whichever is easier!
Lastly, if you're looking for a Rulings Thread on MOTL please go here. If you can't find it a new one may have been started so look on the first page of the Magic Discussion Forum.
Trading Tips as wonderfully elaborated by Nderdog!
But, for those who don't want to take the time to read all of that (I highly suggest you do) some cliff notes:
For those who have questions about card values strictly based on a monetary value, MOTL Priceguides is a good place to start. You can also check Cardshark, eBay, and other various Magic sale sites which are quite numerous. To look for other sites, all you need to do is go to Google and type in a key work like "sell Magic cards" or "buy sell Magic cards" and a large listing would come up. One key thing is if you're planning to buy/sell/trade the cards, please stick to one priceguide. Priceguide magazines like InQuest, Scrye, Beckett, or any other printed priceguide, those prices are compiled from retailers from around the world and by the time those price averages are calculated, printed, and are distributed the prices are already out of date. A card not only depends on the rarity of being able to find it based on print run or age, but also the playability of the card. If you are still unsure about the prices, MOTLers can assist you in the Trade & Value Questions Forum.
And Lastly, if and when you are in the process of confirming a trade with someone please make sure of the following:
- You FIRST check their references, see if their e-mail matches the one on their profile, see if they have any open BTAs, etc!!!
- You have all the cards in the agreement before confirming
- You know the name and address of the person sending to you and where you'd be sending to
- You would have adequate shipping materials to protect and send the cards in and have the correct amount of postage
- You keep the details of the trade in e-mail form to prevent any information from getting lost and as a way to organize your trades
- You keep in contact with that person to let them know when you sent and when you received the cards
- You ask to send and and have them send you a refcheck to fill out AFTER the entire trade has concluded successfully
Information gathered from:
http://www.magic-league.com/
http://www.wizards.com
http://www.crystalkeep.com/
http://www.magicworkstation.com/index.php
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.magiclibrary.net/index.html
http://saturn.vfx.com/brett/magic/type.html
http://irpg.galacnode.com/mtg/
http://www.apathyhouse.com/mtg/index.php
http://www.geocities.com/boltbaits/magic/IdentifySet.html
http://www.magictraders.com/
http://www.ebay.com/
http://www.cardshark.com/
http://www.google.com/
sys41o - Thanks for the heads up on that!MeddlingMage - Thanks for getting new people redirected to keep the threads from getting too numerous!
Nderdog - Thanks for getting me Bolty's set identifier link!
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[Edited 18 times, lastly by Valmtg on April 28, 2007]
Magic Online Trading League Bulletin Board
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posted January 09, 2007 03:40 AM
It would probably have to get posted where it says "Magic Discussion" at the top of this forum where the Mods names are but I think that be too much of a hassle.