10/21/2025
PROXY MTG CARDS SUCK
Financial Impact
1. Lost Revenue on Singles – Shops rely on selling and buying singles to stay afloat. Proxies undercut that market, making it harder for them to move inventory.
2. Reduced Sealed Product Sales – If players can proxy the cards they want, they may buy fewer booster boxes/packs, hurting the shop’s primary revenue source.
3. Event Sustainability – Many LGS events are subsidized by the revenue from product sales. If proxy-heavy communities don’t buy real product, stores may cut back events.
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⚖️ Legality & Trust Issues
4. IP & Legality Risks – Proxies are unauthorized reproductions of copyrighted/trademarked material. Hosting them in-store could expose shops to legal trouble with the publishers.
5. Counterfeit Confusion – Some proxies (especially high-quality ones) can look real, leading to scams, trade disputes, and trust issues in the community.
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🎲 Community & Gameplay
6. Undermines Fair Play – Players with full proxy decks can instantly build the most expensive tier decks, reducing the incentive to collect and trade, and potentially discouraging players who invest legitimately.
7. Erodes the Collecting Hobby – TCGs aren’t just games; they’re collectibles. Proxies diminish the sense of rarity and accomplishment tied to owning real cards.
8. Hurts Secondary Market Ecosystem – The buying, selling, and trading culture that thrives at LGSs weakens when proxies are common.
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🏪 Business Viability
9. Thin Margins Already – Most local shops operate on razor-thin margins. Even a small loss in product movement can make the difference between survival and closure.
10. Publisher Support Risk – Companies like Wizards of the Coast, Konami, or Bandai may revoke official tournament status from stores that encourage or allow proxies, which kills foot traffic.
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✅ Bottom line: Proxies may feel player-friendly in the short term (cheaper access, experimentation), but widespread use in an LGS setting erodes the business model that keeps the shop alive, ultimately hurting the community’s play space.
