Why are trading card game playmats becoming essential for collectors?
So the next time you wander into your local gaming store on Friday Night Magic look around at the serious players attending the event. I can bet you that almost every single one of them will have a custom playmat under their decks. I first wrote about playmats for trading card games a decade or so ago when they were an optional afterthought for the heartiest of players, but over the years playmats have become an integral piece of equipment for the serious collector and gamer alike.
The protection paradox that changed everything
In my observation, there are two key reasons for the massive adoption of playmats. The first reason and the most obvious one is the protection of cards. Cards can get scratched all the time. Cards get spilled on all the time. There is nothing worse than having a large amount of money ruined by something so avoidable. Cards that cost a lot of money, like a Black Lotus for example, cost over $500,000 and in many cases cards that cost a lot of money to begin with go down in value greatly when they get scratched. For this reason, people want to avoid scratching their cards. A great playmat will go a long way in preventing scratches and will be a very wise financial decision for anyone who spends a lot of money on cards.
There are a couple of points worth noting here. The most obvious is that cards can get scratched on dirty tables. Then again, many cards are not very expensive, even brand new, which means that it is not as big of a deal as it used to be. However, there are many cards, especially those that are intended for competitive tournaments, that are very expensive. In some cases, a single card can cost hundreds of dollars, even when it is brand new. This is especially true for people who are older and thus have been collecting cards for a longer period of time. Since many of the cards that are used for competitive play are very expensive, it is very important for people to do everything that they can to make sure that they do not get damaged. This is why many people use playmats for their trading card games.
A variety of different types of playmats have been produced for games of cards over the years. Recently however, the rubber-backed playmats that have a surface of cloth have become the most popular. As with any item of this type, there are a number of reasons why these mats have become so widely used by the owners of cards. On the most basic level, the rubber-backed playmats provide a lot of protection to the cards that are used on them. This is especially important for a number of reasons. First of all, many of the cards that are used in games of cards are worth a lot of money. A single Black Lotus, for example, can cost as much as $500,000. As a result, the owners of cards of this type are constantly on the lookout for ways in which they can protect their investments from loss. The rubber-backed playmats are effective at protecting cards from a number of different sources of damage. Scratches to tables and spills of liquids are just two of the many situations in which the cards can be damaged. When the cards are placed on a rubber-backed playmat, they are protected from damage of this type. The mats are also popular because they look good on a table. Many people enjoy using playmats because they allow the cards to look their best. When the cards are placed on a playmat, they appear to be on display. This can be very appealing to many people. In addition to protecting the cards and making them look good on a table, the rubber-backed playmats are also very versatile. They can be used by people of all ages and at all skill levels. As a result, the rubber-backed playmats are a great accessory for any trader or collector of cards. They can add a lot of fun to a game of cards and can make it possible for people to enjoy their cards in new and creative ways.
There are a number of different materials and styles of playmats on the market today and the majority of serious collectors agree that rubber-backed playmats with a smooth surface of material such as cloth are the best for a number of reasons. The first reason for this is because these types of playmats do not cause any type of edge wear to the cards within them. The cards can be slid around on the playmats freely and never get scratched or bent. As more and more people begin to play on playmats regularly they can start to see and feel the difference for themselves that playing on a worn out table with lots of scratches and wear can cause to the cards in your deck of cards as opposed to playing on a high quality rubber-backed playmat with a smooth surface.
When gameplay mechanics meet collector psychology
Professional players use playmats in several ways. Many tables at a tournament are too smooth for playing with cards on top of them and can cause cards to move around. Other tables are far too rough causing a lot of drag on cards. A good quality playmat can solve these inconsistencies in playing surfaces providing a consistent playing surface wherever you play.
A playmat allows for a consistent surface for games to be played on. Since not all tables are created equal, the surface of a playmat can also prevent for cards to slide around when played. In addition, the surface of a playmat can also reduce the amount of drag that a card has when it is placed on the table. This is especially important in competitive games, such as deck-building games, where players need to move cards around in precise ways in order to build game states. Clearing up the lines between the different zones on a playmat can also help to clear up disputes and increase the speed of the game by removing the time spent trying to figure out where the different zones are on the surface of the table.
With the lines between setting up a game and permanent objects greatly blurred by playmats, the physical and visual representation of the cards in a player’s deck is greatly affected. While a deck of cards and playmats represent the physical means by which a player can use the cards in their deck to play the game of magic or pokemon, the playmat on which they are laid out appears to make the cards in greater relief and of greater significance within the confines of the play area defined by the lines on the playmat.
Fandom expression meets functional design
Another factor that playmats fulfill for collectors and fans of anime and manga is that of expression. Many games of anime and manga origin have trading card games. Playmats for these games are designed with characters and scenes from the anime or manga in mind. So, for the fan of anime and manga, playmats can serve as another medium of expression for the fan. The playmat and the collector’s deck of cards would make a great advertisement for the series. The collector would use the playmat and deck of cards to play the game with, and at the same time, be showing off their support for the series.
However, within the Trading Card Games market there is an increasingly large and dedicated fan base of the various anime and manga series including One Piece. These fans also have cards produced featuring the characters from these various series. Additionally, for fans of these series of games there are also One Piece TCG playmats produced, featuring the artwork and scenes from the games. These playmats are ideal as pieces of merchandise or for use as posters, bringing the various scenes to life on the playing surface in a unique and memorable way. The design of the playmats for the One Piece TCG is a perfect example of functional playmats also making great pieces of fandom merchandise.
The secondary market tells the real story
As collectible trading card games have experienced growth in recent years, there has been a proliferation of special edition and tournament exclusive playmats, and a strong secondary market for them. As an example, many limited edition playmats from several years ago are currently for sale on the secondary market for hundreds of dollars, in some cases even more than similar rare cards from the same set.
An item which holds value better than the game cards, can be used to protect said cards, and is also very collectible on its own in the secondary market, is a very unique product in the gaming market today. It holds its own ground against other gaming accessories and in some cases surpasses them in terms of collectibility.
Looking ahead
Of late, more ways are emerging in which playmats can connect to a player’s digital deck. Right now there are playmats featuring a QR code that, when scanned, takes the user straight to their online Magic deck. Other examples include a player’s tournament history for the Trading Card Game or indeed for all the Magic events they have participated in. And there are mats that change color in different light – perhaps reading in normal light, but switching to neon in the dark of a late night game session.
Playmats for TCGs have become an essential item for serious collectors. They are the ultimate accessory that provides so many things to a collector. First and foremost, a playmat protects a player’s valuable cards from all types of wear and tear. Whether a collector regularly plays with their deck or only takes it out occasionally to add to, a playmat will help prevent any damage from occurring to the cards.
