Name: David P. SalleyDate: June 30th, 2005

Magic: The Gathering; The Database

Part I. Collection description and its information objects

1.1 Location of CollectionThe card collection is located at Dave’s Comics and Cards, a hypothetical store that buys and sells comic books and gaming supplies. The store is located at 10 West Main Street, Fredonia, New York [non-existent location] and has a website at http://www.davescomicsandcards.com [non-existent website] Cataloging information for this database comes from http://www.MagictheGathering.com and http://www.wizards.com/magic on the Internet. Both URLs will take you to the same website. Wizards of the Coast, Inc. is the company that created the card game. They are involved with a variety of games, including; Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, Avalon Hill board games and war-gaming with miniatures. The database will be limited to Magic the Gathering collectable cards.

1.2 Purpose of CollectionThe database has been set-up for cataloging Magic cards for retail sale by a shop owner. The users of the database are the shop owner, employees, and customers who buy Magic cards either as an investment or to create or augment their personal decks in order to play the game.

1.3 Physical and Intellectual Aspects of ObjectsWhile paraphernalia for the game include score sheets, card checklists, and playing manuals, the physical aspect format of this database will be limited to simply the cards themselves. The intellectual aspects of the cards include both playing information printed on the cards, and information not mentioned on the cards, such as current market value and printing edition.

1.4 Extent of Collection and Plans for GrowthThe official website, http://www.MagictheGathering.com, currently lists 7694 different Magic cards. The collection will continue to grow because Wizards of the Coast, Inc. produces at least one new edition or expansion set each year. The hypothetical retail store which operates this database would purchase cards as they come out, or from individuals selling their collections for resale.

Part II. Users of the Collection

2.1 User GroupsThe principal users of the database would be people considering the purchase of Magic cards, either to improve their decks for playing the game, or for their aesthetics, or as a financial investment. Rare cards and first edition cards tend to

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increase in value over time. Both collectors and players need to have an in-depth knowledge of the game in order to choose cards according to their needs.

The secondary users of the database are the owner and employees who have access to the restricted portions of the database. They will use the database for inventory purposes as well as assisting customers.

2.2 DemographicsA brief survey for Magic players was created and posted to several appropriate online discussion boards. All responses to the survey are included in an appendix to this report. Demographically, the typical respondent of the survey is either a teen-aged boy or a well-educated (Associate’s Degree or better), male in his mid-30’s to mid-40’s. (But this may reflect the population of boards where the survey was posted as much as anything.) Nearly every respondent buys Magic cards for their usefulness in the game. Only a small percentage of buyers purchase some cards strictly for their aesthetic value or for financial investment and re-sale. Female collectors of Magic cards appear to be a nearly negligible percentage of card buyers based on observations on the boards.

The owner is a college-educated male in his mid 40’s. The two employees who have access to the database are his wife, a college professor in her late 40’s, and a mutual friend, a divorced mid 40’s male with three kids. He’s also a college professor, but used to own a comic book store. He helps out on weekends.

2.3 Types and Levels of Knowledge

Domain KnowledgeBeginners to “Magic: the Gathering” generally buy cards by the starter deck or booster pack in order to start playing the game quickly. It isn’t until they develop some familiarity with the game that they bother to seek out individual cards for purchase. Therefore, it can be assumed that users of the system have at least a moderate to expert knowledge of “Magic: the Gathering” and the playability and value of individual cards.

System KnowledgeThe demographics indicate that the typical user is either an adult male or a child. Furthermore, the adult males are educated and tend toward ‘geek’ technical skills. Users would therefore be likely to range from experts sophisticated in using search systems to those who would perform only simple single-word searches.

Task KnowledgeAs stated in Domain Knowledge, the user of a database on Magic cards probably has a strong familiarity with the game. They probably have a very well-defined goal when they search for a specific card, either to complement their deck’s playing ability or to purchase as an investment.

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World KnowledgeFemale collectors or players of “Magic: the Gathering” appear to be a rarity. The typical player is male. A world view of the typical Magic player would have a strong male bias. However, the game is played both by children in playgrounds and adults in tournaments. The world knowledge therefore covers quite a range.

2.4 User’s Problems and QuestionsUsers buy Magic cards for one of three reasons; for their usefulness in the game, as financial investments, or for their aesthetic value as collectors’ items. The store database, accessible via an in-store terminal, will most likely be used by buyers looking for cards with certain specific characteristics. Buyers looking to browse will more likely be scanning the card albums themselves.

User Question: I’m looking for a red mana card with flying skill, at least 2 points of power, and 3 points of toughness.Suggested Attribute: Playability, SubjectDesired Precision / Recall: The user is seeking multiple cards with highly specific attributes, high/moderate precision and high recall.

User Question: Are there any cards available in the $50 to $100 range?Suggested Attribute: ValueDesired Precision / Recall: High precision, low recall

User Question: Any cards by the artist, Phil Foglio?Suggested Attribute: CreatorDesired Precision / Recall: High precision, low recall

Part III. System Design

3.1 Entity Level or Unit of Analysis and Why AppropriateEach record in the database represents one individual card. Magic cards are available for commercial purchase in starter decks of 50 common cards, or by booster pack of 10 cards at random. Card stores and E-bay often offer cards on an individual basis. Most collectors purchase their cards either as singles or in packs (and in some case, boxes of packs) hoping to acquire an uncommon or rare card cheaply or to augment their decks with individual cards chosen from the packs.

3.2 Attributes Chosen and Their Appropriateness to the CollectionThe attributes chosen for the collection were based on the design of the actual Magic cards and by the responses to the survey. Anything that physically distinguishes one card from another was included as an attribute. One of the questions on the survey was “What should a database of Magic cards be searchable by?” The answers the respondents supplied were also included in the database as attributes. Interestingly, this included information not available on the card itself such as tournament legality and printing. Legality refers to the types of tournaments the

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card may be played in. Different kinds of tournaments bar particular cards from play in an attempt to control the length of the game played each round.

Subject – The main focus of the artwork on the cardCreator – The artist who did the original artworkIdentifier – These attributes distinguish one card from anotherPlayability – These attributes determine how useful a particular card is in playing a game of Magic.Value – These attributes identify the extrinsic worth of a cardAesthetics – These attributes identify the reasons collectors, as opposed to players, acquire a card

3.3 Field Names and Indexing Decisions

GENERAL ATTRIBUTE FIELD NAME SEARCHABLE? Identifier Card Name YesIdentifier Card Type YesCreator Artist Credit YesIdentifier Expansion Set YesIdentifier Series Number YesIdentifier Copyright Year NoIdentifier Catalog Number Yes

Playability Mana Color YesPlayability Mana Cost YesPlayability Power YesPlayability Toughness YesPlayability Legality YesPlayability Rules Text Yes

Value Rarity YesValue Printing YesValue Condition YesValue Purchase Price NoValue Sale Price Yes

Subject Theme YesAesthetics Flavor Text NoAesthetics Artwork No

The fields that are indexed were chosen primarily by respondents’ answers to the survey. With a few minor exceptions, nearly all the fields are searchable.

Nearly all of the identifier attributes are searchable to assist buyers who wish to purchase specific cards. The copyright year field is not indexed, because buyers are

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more likely to be interested in acquiring all of the cards of a specific expansion set produced in a particular year rather than simply all cards produced in a specific year. The copyright year however, does help establish what the printing of a card is.

On current cards, the number of times the expansion set symbol is printed designates the printing. If the symbol is printed three times, it’s the third printing of the card. Establishing the specific printing of an early card is difficult. Wizards of the Coast, Inc. did not include the printing on the card itself in early cards. For over 99% of all Magic cards, the printing is irrelevant: the card is cheap regardless of the printing, and the card’s purpose is to be used in a game. However, for the rare cards purchased as an investment, the printing is possibly a difference of hundreds of dollars. Establishing the printing of early cards involves examining the copyright year, the artwork, the exact cut of the corners of the card, the width of the black edge around the artwork and a host of other small details. There are entire books written on how to establish the printing of a rare Magic card.

All playability attributes are searchable. Players want to find cards with specific abilities to improve their game deck.

Value attributes are searchable for the collector who buys Magic cards as an investment, hoping that the card’s value will increase over time. The purchase price of a card is not indexed because the owner of the card store would designate it as a restricted field and not permit the buying public to have that information.

The artwork attribute is a graphic image which can be included in the record, but not indexed or cataloged, much the same way Amazon includes a picture of the book cover in its record. Users who want to purchase cards based on the artwork would be searching the database by Artist Credit or Theme. The Flavor Text contains nothing that cannot be more efficiently searched for by using either the Rules Text or Theme attribute.

The Theme attribute is one of only two attributes that allow multiple values. (Legality is the other attribute; a card may be playable in more than one type of tournament.) It may also be the hardest to categorize, as it is user defined. One of the survey respondents summed up the problem quite nicely in correspondence:

“The user who requests to search by theme is incredibly vague, but what he/she probably wants is:All Elf related cards, orAll Goblin related cards, orAll Dragon related cards, et cetera.

This is easy for the creature cards. They have all had their official wordings changed to "Summon X". So if there is an established theme it might say "Summon Goblin". If there is no established theme it will say "Summon Beast" or "Summon Human".

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The hard part is finding out what non-creature cards fit the theme, and that is where a database should shine. Once you know that there are about 5 breeds of elf, or goblin, you should be able to search for 5 or 6 terms and bring up all related cards.

For example: Goblin(s), Mogg, Akki (and whatever goblin tribes are eluding my memory right now, will select among many others:

Patron of the Akki (legendary spirit)Goblin Cannon (an artifact)Granulate (a sorcery which mentions Goblins in the flavor text)Krark-Clan EngineersArmed Response (a White instant that mentions Goblins in the flavor text and which would be effective against goblins.)Juggernaut (an Artifact Creature made by Goblins)Great Furnace (an Artifact Land).

If I were you, I would -not- try to anticipate what themes users want to pick up. Instead, just give them an easy and/or keyword search that will find any card with 1 or more of the terms on it.

Ideally, as a user, I want to be able to ask (e.g.) what Knight and/or Cleric cards are in the sets 8th Edition, Betrayers of Kamigawa, and Champions of Kamigawa (Which comprise the legal sets for one kind of play).

The reason I suggest working off user keywords rather than preset keywords is because new themes are constantly emerging, and what one person considers a theme is not what everyone else considers a theme.”

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Card Name Mana Cost

Rules Text

Flavor Text

Power / Toughness

Artist Credit

Copyright Information SeriesNumber

Expansion Set, Rarity& Printing

Card Type

Artwork

Mana(border color)

Text Box

The Parts of a Magic Card

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Part IV. Semantics, Syntax and Input Rules

4.1 Field Names and Semantics

FIELD NAME SEMANTICS

Card Name The official title of the cardCard Type The classification of the cardArtist Credit The official creator of the cardExpansion Set Which producer collection the card belongs toSeries Number The card’s ranking in the Expansion SetCopyright Year The date of the card’s creationCatalog Number A unique index number for this databaseMana Color The type of magic the card usesMana Cost The amount of magic required to bring the card into

playPower The number of hit points the card can inflictToughness The number of hit points the card can sustainLegality The types of tournaments the card can be used inRules Text The card’s ability in a gameRarity The scarcity of the cardPrinting The number of times the card has been produced.Condition The physical appearance of the cardPurchase Price The amount the dealer acquired the card forSale Price The amount the dealer hopes to get for the cardTheme The subject of the artworkFlavor Text Text designed to add to the aesthetics of the cardArtwork The graphic depiction on the card

4.2 Record Content and Input Rules

Field Name: Card NameSemantics: The official title of the cardChief Source of Information: The Card Name is on the upper left corner of the card itselfInput Rules:

Card Names are standardized by the manufacturer Transcribe it exactly as written on the card including spaces, capitalization and

punctuation.Examples: Devouring Greed; Quiet Purity

Field Name: Card TypeSemantics: The classification of the card

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Chief Source of Information: The Card Type is on the left side of the card itself between the artwork and the text box.Input Rules:

The six major categories are: “Artifact”, “Creature”, “Enchantment”, “Land”, “Instant”, or “Sorcery”

Transcribe it exactly as written on the card including spaces, capitalization and punctuation.

Examples: Artifact; Creature – Cleric; Land

Field Name: Artist CreditSemantics: The official creator of the cardChief Source of Information: The Artist Credit is on the lower left corner of the card itself, between the text box and the copyright information.Input Rules:

The Artist Credit field will be keyword searched by surname Enter the artist’s surname followed by a comma, a space and the artist’s first

name. If the artist has a middle initial, add a space, the initial and a period. The only cards with more than one artist are the ones created by the Brothers

Hildebrandt, their entry is “Hildebrandt, Greg and Tim” If only one Hildebrandt created the card, enter the name in the normal manner.

Examples: Foglio, Phil; Hildebrandt, Greg and Tim

Field Name: Expansion SetSemantics: Which producer collection the card belongs toChief Source of Information: http://www.davescomicsandcards.com/Magic/expansionsets.html [non-existent website] which is reproduced in the table in Appendix I, http://gatherer.wizards.com (The search engine for http://www.MagictheGathering.com ) and the Expansion Set symbol which is on the right side of the card itself between the artwork and the text box.Input Rules:

Find the symbol in the table in Appendix I Enter the text to the right of the symbol exactly as it is listed, including spaces,

capitalization and punctuation. The shape of the symbol determines the expansion set. The color of the symbol determines the rarity of the card. The number of times the symbol is printed determines the printing of the card. If no Expansion Set symbol is listed, look up the Card Name on the search engine

website and compare the artwork depicted with the card. When you find the match, enter the Expansion Set listed for that card.

Examples: Arabian Knights; Ice Age; Invasion

Field Name: Series NumberSemantics: The card’s ranking in the Expansion SetChief Source of Information: The Series Number is on the bottom of the card itself, between the copyright information and the Power/Toughness rankingInput Rules:

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The number to the right of the divider is the number of cards in that Expansion Set

The number to the left of the divider is that card’s rank within the Expansion Set Transcribe it as a three digit number, a slash, a three digit number. Use leading zeros if necessary.

Examples: 039/306; 051/165Additional Information: This can be verified by logging onto http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/products/cardsets and clicking on the proper Expansion Set to bring up the complete checklist for the expansion set. Additional information such as Copyright year is also included.

Field Name: Copyright YearSemantics: The date of the card’s creationChief Source of Information: The Copyright Year is on the bottom of the card itself, between the copyright holder (Wizards of the Coast, Inc for all cards) and the Series Number.Input Rules: Transcribe the year as a four digit numberExamples: 1994; 2005Additional Information: This can be verified by logging onto http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/products/cardsets and clicking on the proper Expansion Set to bring up the complete checklist for the expansion set. Additional information such as Copyright year is also included.

Field Name: Catalog NumberSemantics: A unique index number for this databaseChief Source of Information: http://www.davescomicsandcards.com/Magic/expansionsets.html [non-existent website] which is reproduced in the table in Appendix I, and the card itself. The Catalog Number is uniquely created for each card. This is a faceted index scheme.Input Rules:

Find the symbol in the table in Appendix I Note the Expansion Set Number of the card which is to the left of the symbol. Note the Series Number of the card. Note how many copies of this card the owner has previously purchased.

[Available by searching the online catalog for cards with same Card Name.] Increment this number by one. This is the Card Number.

Transcribe Expansion Set Number, dash, Series Number, dash, Card Number.Example: 011-059/306-12 (Expansion Set: Champions of Kamigawa, Card Name: Quiet Purity, 12th such card the shop owner has purchased)Additional Information: This is the indexing system for the database. Each entry will have a unique catalog number. Duplicate cards will have the same Expansion Set Number and Series Number but will have different card numbers because they may have a different Condition, Purchase Price or Sale Price.

Field Name: Mana Color

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Semantics: The type of magic the card usesChief Source of Information: The border color of the card itself.Input Rules:

The only allowable terms are: “black”, “blue”, “green”, “red”, or “white” Transcribe them exactly as listed above, no punctuation, spaces or capitals. Land cards are always listed under the mana they generate; mountains are

always “red”, plains are always “white”, swamps are always “black”, islands are always “blue”, and forests are always “green”.

Examples: black, red

Field Name: Mana CostSemantics: The amount of magic required to bring the card into playChief Source of Information: The Mana Cost is on the upper right corner of the card itself.Input Rules:

Each mana color has a specific symbol to represent it; a skull for black, a snowflake for white, a tree for green, a flame for red and a raindrop for blue.

If a card can use any color of mana, the amount will be listed as a number within a white circle.

If no mana is listed, enter “none”. Represent each symbol with the name of the proper color. Use ‘any’ for mana of

any color. If a card uses more than one type of mana, list them in the order they appear on

the card, separated by a comma and a space. Each mana type is preceded by the Arabic numeral of that type needed.

Example: noneExample: 2 white, 3 blackExample: 3 any

Field Name: PowerSemantics: The number of hit points the card can inflictChief Source of Information: The Power of the card is on the lower right corner of the card itself.Input Rules:

Transcribe the number to the left of the divider. Ignore any symbol that isn’t a number. If no power or toughness is listed, enter “0”.

Examples: 0; 1; 2; 3; 4

Field Name: ToughnessSemantics: The number of hit points the card can sustainChief Source of Information: The Toughness of the card is on the lower right corner of the card itselfInput Rules:

Transcribe the number to the right of the divider. Ignore any symbol that isn’t a number.

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If no power or toughness is listed, enter “0”.Examples: 0; 1; 2; 3; 4

Field Name: LegalitySemantics: The types of tournaments the card can be used inChief Source of Information: http://gatherer.wizards.com (The search engine for http://www.MagictheGathering.com ) and the card itself.Input Rules:

Go to the website noted above in Chief Source of Information Enter the Card Name into the text box and press “Go” Click on the Card Name again Note the “Format Legality” field. Do not copy the phrase “Legal In:”. Transcribe the rest of the field exactly as written. The initial of each word is capitalized; there is a comma and a space between

each Legality phrase. The legality field is keyword searchable. If no Format Legality is listed, enter “Standard, Extended”.

Example: Standard, Extended, LegacyExample: Legacy, Vintage, Mirage Block

Field Name: Rules TextSemantics: The card’s ability in a gameChief Source of Information: The text box of the card itself.Input Rules:

Transcribe the contents of the text box that is not in italics exactly as it is listed, including spaces, capitalization and punctuation. Do not include any mana symbols or the colon that follows them.

The rules text are playing rules for the card and will very likely be sentence fragments rather than complete sentences.

Ignore any mana symbols in the text box. If no Rules Text is listed, enter “none”.

Example: Destroy Target Enchantment

Field Name: RaritySemantics: The scarcity of the cardChief Source of Information: http://gatherer.wizards.com (The search engine for http://www.MagictheGathering.com ) and the Expansion Set symbol on the right side of the card itself between the artwork and the text box.Input Rules:

The shape of the Expansion Set symbol determines the expansion set. The color of the Expansion Set symbol determines the rarity of the card. The number of times the Expansion Set symbol is printed determines the printing

of the card. If the Expansion Set symbol is black, enter “common” If the Expansion Set symbol is silver, enter “uncommon”

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If the Expansion Set symbol is gold, enter “rare” If no Expansion Set symbol is listed, look up the Card Name on the search engine

website and compare the artwork depicted with the card. When you find the match, enter the Rarity listed for that card.

All entries are entirely in lowercase lettering, no spaces or punctuation.Examples: common; uncommon; rare

Field Name: PrintingSemantics: The number of times the card has been produced.Chief Source of Information: The store owner’s manual on determining the printing of early Magic cards and the card itself.Input Rules:

If the card has an Expansion Set symbol, the number of times the Expansion Set symbol is printed is the number of printings of the card.

Early cards have had Expansion Set symbols created for them so that later printings of early cards can be easily identified.

If the card does not have an Expansion Set symbol, it is an early card which must be appraised by an expert.

Acquire printing information from the seller or an expert. The store owner can establish the printing of early cards from the manual.

Transcribe the ordinal followed by the word “Printing”Examples: 1st Printing; 2nd Printing

Field Name: ConditionSemantics: The physical appearance of the cardChief Source of Information: The card itselfInput Rules:

Compare the card to the images at http://www.magic-shack.com/grading.htm and enter the appropriate grading.

The only allowable terms are: “M” (mint), “NM” (near mint), “EX” (excellent), “VG” (very good), “G” (good), and “P” (poor).

Each entry can only have one Condition attribute. If you are not sure of the entry’s condition, the store owner can appraise the card.

Examples: M; NM; EX; VG; G; P

Field Name: Purchase PriceSemantics: The amount the dealer acquired the card for.Chief Source of Information: The itemized receiptInput Rules:

Input the purchase price in a dollar and cents format ($X.XX) Minimum price is $0.01 Maximum price is $1,000,000.00

Examples: $0.01; $1.00; $22.35

Field Name: Sale PriceSemantics: The amount the dealer hopes to get for the card.

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Chief Source of Information: Any number of online Price Guides (e.g. http://www.abugames.com, http://prices.blackborder.com, etc.)Input Rules:

Note the Condition of the card Compare it to the price guide Input the purchase price in a dollar and cents format ($X.XX) Minimum price is $0.01 Maximum price is $1,000,000.00 If you are not sure of the entry’s sale price, the store owner can appraise the

card.Examples: $0.01; $1.00; $22.35

Field Name: ThemeSemantics: The subject of the Artwork.Chief Source of Information: The inverted index available online at http://www.davescomicsandcards.com/Magic/theme.html . [non-existent website]Input Rules:

Log onto the website indicated in the Chief Source of Information. Enter the Card Name in the search box. Transcribe the results of the search, exactly as it appears on the webpage,

including spelling, capitalization, spacing and punctuation. If no theme is listed, enter “none”. This webpage is updated by the store owner approximately once a week and

whenever a new expansion set is published.Examples: Goblins; Elves

Field Name: Flavor TextSemantics: Text designed to add to the aesthetics of the card.Chief Source of Information: The text box of the card itself.Input Rules:

Transcribe the contents of the text box that is in italics exactly as it is listed, including spaces, capitalization and punctuation.

If no Flavor Text is listed, enter “none”. The flavor text is part of the aesthetics for the card and will very likely be

sentence fragments rather than complete sentences.Example: It suddenly dawned on Jorin that farming was quite a noble profession.

Field Name: ArtworkSemantics: The graphic depiction on the cardChief Source of Information: The card itselfInput Rules:

Scan in the card on the owner’s scanner. Save only the Artwork, not the entire card. Save as “256-Color (optimized pallet)”. Save as “high resolution” Save as a .jpg file.

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Save as width=200, height=160.Examples:

(Frog Tongue by Phil Foglio) (Pool of Goo by Phil Foglio)

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5 Records for the Objects

Card Name: MountainCard Type: Basic Land – Mountain Artist Credit: Avon, JohnExpansion Set: Eighth EditionSeries Number: 346/350Copyright Year: 2003Catalog Number 008-346/350-206Mana Color: redMana Cost: nonePower: 0Toughness: 0Legality: Standard, Extended, Legacy, Vintage, Online Extended, Prismatic,

Tribal Wars, Singleton, Kamigawa Block, Mirrodin Block, Onslaught Block, Odyssey Block, Invasion Block, Masques Block, Urza Block, Tempest Block, Mirage Block, Ice Age Block, Un- SetsRules Text: noneRarity: commonPrinting: 1st printingCondition: VGPurchase Price: $0.10Sale Price: $0.35Theme: noneFlavor Text: none

Artwork:

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Card Name: Cloud PiratesCard Type: Summon CreatureArtist Credit: Foglio, PhilExpansion Set: PortalSeries Number: 034/222Copyright Year: 1997Catalog Number: 048-034/222-17Mana Color: blueMana Cost: 1 bluePower: 1Toughness: 1

Legality: Standard, ExtendedRules Text: Flying Cloud Pirates can intercept only creatures with flying.Rarity: commonPrinting: 1st printingCondition: NMPurchase Price: $0.35Sale Price: $0.75Theme: Flying, Pirates, Arabian NightsFlavor Text: none

Artwork:

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Card Name: Quiet PurityCard Type: Instant – Arcane Artist Credit: ShishizaruExpansion Set: Champions of KamigawaSeries Number: 039/306Copyright Year: 2004Catalog Number: 11-039/306-43Mana Color: whiteMana Cost: 1 whitePower: 0Toughness: 0Legality: Standard, Extended, Legacy, Vintage, Online Extended, Prismatic,

Artwork:

Tribal Wars, Singleton, Kamigawa BlockRules Text: Destroy target enchantmentRarity: commonPrinting: 1st printingCondition: PPurchase Price: $0.01Sale Price: $0.05Theme: noneFlavor Text: “When the Kami of Utter Silence passes, walls lose their secrets. Scrolls lose their lessons. Tapestries lose their beauty. Where there was meaning, there is only stillness.” – Sensei Hisoka

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Card Name: MetamorphosisCard Type: SorceryArtist Credit: Rush, ChristopherExpansion Set: Arabian NightsSeries Number: 055/092Copyright Year: 1993Catalog Number: 043-055/092-005Mana Color: greenMana Cost: 1 greenPower: 0Toughness: 0Legality: Legacy, Vintage

Rules Text: Sacrifice a creature of yours in play for an amount of mana equal to its casting cost plus 1. This mana can be of any one color, and can only be used to summon creatures.Rarity: commonPrinting: 1st printingCondition: NMPurchase Price: $0.45Sale Price: $0.75Theme: Were-creatures, Arabian NightsFlavor Text: none

Artwork:

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Card Name: DeathgripCard Type: EnchantmentArtist Credit: Maddocks, AnsonExpansion Set: Fifth EditionSeries Number: 016/449Copyright Year: 1997Catalog Number: 05-016/449-21Mana Color: blackMana Cost: 2 blackPower: 0Toughness: 0Legality: Legacy, Vintage

Rules Text: Counter target green spell. Play this ability as an interrupt.Rarity: uncommonPrinting: 2nd printingCondition: MPurchase Price: $0.50Sale Price: $1.00Theme: DeathFlavor Text: “Every forest is carpeted with the corpses of a thousand trees.” -- Baron Sengir to Autumn Willow

Artwork:

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6 Project Summary

I am a casual Magic player at best. I have been in one Magic tournament at a gaming con, and I fared miserably. My primary interest is strategy games, such as chess. When I realized that becoming a superior Magic player required an investment of money (to acquire powerful cards) as well as time, I lost interest in mastering the game. To my mind it was like having the chess pieces change abilities depending on how expensive a material they were made out of. However, I still have approximately 200 or so Magic cards, and I wanted to categorize something other than books for this project, so I chose Magic cards as something I was familiar with.

The survey was surprising. I had only considered classifying the various parts of a Magic card; power, toughness, mana cost, etc. Tracking data that was not specifically on the card, such as legality, printing and theme was not something that had occurred to me until I got several survey responses back. Legality was fairly trivial, as the parent company, Wizards of the Coast, Inc displays that information for each card on their website.

Printing was frustrating, as the early cards didn't record that information and that's where it matters most. Current cards note the printing information as part of the Expansion Set. If the symbol is printed three times on the card, it's the third printing of that card. Most modern cards are fairly inexpensive. Early cards can fetch high prices as fewer were printed and many of them were lost or destroyed before the game became very popular. Establishing the printing of an early card is dependent on a number of factors including the copyright year, the artwork (which changed with each printing), the width of the black edge around the artwork and the exact cut of the corners, and a host of other small details. The survey respondent, Will, has actually written a book on Magic cards which includes a chapter on establishing the printing. He gave me far more data than I could actually use in a one-semester project.

Theme was the other tough category. Wizards of the Coast tried to formalize this concept when they created the expansion sets. The Arabian Nights expansion set has cards for Aladdin, Aladdin's Lamp, a flying carpet and a genie among others. The Ice Age expansion set has Neanderthal hunters and Wooly Mammoth cards included in the set. However, tournament players such as the survey respondent, Herb, try to make a name for themselves by mixing and matching cards from various expansion sets to make a 'killer deck' for tournament play which has a unifying motif to it like 'Fire and Ice', all the cards that deal damage involving heat and cold. Two factors made it tough: As a player-created concept, there is no official list anywhere and players develop new theme decks all the time. Secondly, it's possible for a card to be listed in more than one theme deck. Legality is the only other attribute that allows for more than one value, because a card can be playable in more than one type of tournament.

Wizards of the Coast, Inc maintains a Magic database on their website, http://gatherer.wizards.com. Like the Wizards database, my database is searchable by most of the Identifier attributes; Card Name, Artist Credit, Card Type, and Expansion Set. My database is different from theirs because it was designed to serve two different purposes.

Salley/Pg.23

As a result of the user survey, I’ve made it searchable by all of the Playability attributes: Mana Color, Mana Cost, Power, Toughness, Legality and Rules Text. This was intended to make the database useful for 'killer deck' designers by helping them locate cards with specific abilities in order to design a deck where the individual cards complement each other's strength and weaknesses. The Wizards database only briefly touches this aspect by making Mana Cost searchable and Power/Toughness searchable as a bonded pair.

The other function of my database was to serve as an inventory monitor. The Value attributes of Rarity, Printing, Condition, Purchase Price and Sale Price would only be used in the purchase and sale of the Magic cards from the hypothetical store. They are no help in determining game usefulness. Like most hybrid tools, it probably serves both purposes moderately well, but neither excellently.

If I was going to create this database for real, I'd probably reduce the inventory functions and concentrate on making the database a tool for deck designers. As someone who's hoping to get a job designing Artificial Intelligence systems, I'd find this the more fascinating aspect of the two. Value attributes would be reduced to two: Number Available, how many the store has for sale, and Price Range, the cost of the card from Mint to Poor. The latter would also serve the purpose of telling the store owner where in the store it’s located. Expensive cards in the red binder, moderately priced cards in the blue binder and cheap cards in the appropriate boxes on the counter. The database would be available to store customers on a monitor within the brick-and-mortar store and serve to draw players into the store where they would hopefully purchase the cards they needed after designing their personal 'killer deck'. The database would be capable of holding approximately 10,000 records. There are currently 7694 different Magic cards and Wizards of the Coast publishes one new Expansion Set with roughly 200-300 new cards each year. There would no longer be a need to have additional records for duplicate copies of the same card because those inventory functions would no longer apply. The records would be stored in an SQL (Standard Query Language) database format with a program driver written in Php. This would allow for Boolean based inquiries (e.g. Select * where Power > 1 and Mana Color equal 'red') to be run from a webpage through CGI (Common Gateway Interface). This would make the system accessible from multiple sites in the event that I open additional stores.

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Appendix I – Card Set Table

This is the table used to calculate Expansion Set and Catalog Number. The Expansion Set Symbol and Expansion Set Name have been designated by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The Expansion Set Number has been arbitrarily assigned by the owner of Dave’s Comics and Cards.

Expansion SetNumber

Expansion SetSymbol

Expansion SetName

000 Unlimited001 Alpha002 Beta003 Revised004 Fourth Edition005 Fifth Edition006 Sixth Edition007 Seventh Edition008 Eighth Edition009 Saviors of Kamigawa010 Betrayers of Kamigawa011 Champions of Kamigawa012 Fifth Dawn013 Darksteel014 Mirrodin015 Scourge016 Legions017 Onslaught018 Judgment019 Torment020 Odyssey021 Apocalypse022 Planeshift023 Invasion024 Prophecy025 Nemesis026 Mercadian Masques027 Urza's Destiny028 Urza's Legacy029 Urza's Saga

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030 Exodus031 Stronghold032 Tempest033 Weatherlight034 Visions035 Mirage036 Alliances037 Homelands038 Ice Age 039 Fallen Empires040 The Dark041 Legends042 Antiquities043 Arabian Nights044 Beatdown045 Battle Royal046 Starter 1999047 Chronicles048 Portals049 Second Age050 Three Kingdoms051 Unhinged052 Unglued

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Appendix II – User Survey Results

This survey was posted on several appropriate online discussion boards. All responses have been included in this appendix. It should be noted that the apparent demographics of Magic players may reflect the population of the boards where the survey was posted as much as anything else. The responses formed two distinct groups, under 21 years of age (Minor) and over 30 years of age (Adult). Where applicable, averages have been calculated separately.

Age – Average Age: 28; Average Minor Age: 15.2; Average Adult Age: 32.6Gender – 100% male; 0% femaleEducation – Minor: 100% still in school; Adult: 3 Associate Degrees, 2 Bachelor’s Degree, 1 Masters Degree.Occupation – Minor: 100% Student; Adult: VariousHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? -- Average: 6.25 years; Average Minor: 2.5 years; Average Adult: 9.5 yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? – Average: $41.40; Average Minor: $9.10; Average Adult: $68.33How many Magic cards do you own? – Average: 4295; Average Minor: 670; Average Adult: 8800How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.) -- All respondents answered singles and packs, two answered by the box (50 packs). No respondent buys Collector sets. (A complete Expansion Set with one copy of each card in the set, no duplicates)What's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? – Average: $249.72; Average Minor: $32.00; Average Adult: $430.00How good a player do you consider yourself? – Various responses; the average was, well, average!

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply) (Percent that answered ‘yes’)usefulness in a game? 90%the artist? 9%a theme? 81%the artwork? 27%the subject? 9%investment? 45%collectability? 45%other? 18%

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by (Give as many answers as possible): [Answers converted into attribute names used:] Power, Toughness, Card type, Mana color, Expansion set, Artist, Theme, Legality, Rarity, Mana cost, Rules text, Card name, Printing

Salley/Pg.27

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report.]

Name: John DoeAge: 8Gender: maleEducation: almost through second gradeOccupation: studentHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? 2 yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? $0 - cards aregenerally received as gifts. One $12 purchase in the last 2 years.Average it out if you want to $0.50.How many Magic cards do you own? approx 200How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.) packs or collector setsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $12How good a player do you consider yourself? good. (He isn't as good ashe thinks he is! :-) )

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Xthe artist?a theme?the artwork? Xthe subject?potential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)?:collectability (eg. rarity, etc.)?:other?:

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by (Give as many answers as possible): attack, defense, type(what are they? Plains, Mountains, water etc.), type (I don't know thelingo but creature, mana, special etc.)

Additional comments: Obviously I am filling this out for him but I hope it helps.

Salley/Pg.28

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be included on the final class report.]

Name: William Charles __________ IVAge: 39Gender: maleEducation: Associated Degree in Applied Sciences Mechanical Engineering from SUNY AlfredOccupation: CAD Drafter/Designer (currently for Alcas/Cutco/Kabar)How long have you been collecting Magic cards? 10 years plusHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? Less than $40 currentlyHow many Magic cards do you own? Too many! (8) 900 card boxes sorted by color and type of card plus (3) 900 card boxes with built, playable decks. This does NOT include my wife’s cards and decks.How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.) Mostly booster packs (15 card or 75 card), pre-built decks, and if I am deck building maybe some singles buying locally or on E-bay.What's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? Maybe $125?How good a player do you consider yourself? Average

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yes I play so it is all about usefulness.the artist? Noa theme? Theme decks are fun so this goes hand in hand with usefulnessthe artwork? Nothe subject? again can refer to theme decks and to the usefulness so yes somewhat.potential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? Not at all.collectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? Not at all.other? N/A

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible): Color, Name, Casting cost, Type (i.e. Creature, Instant, Artifact, Land, etc.), Expansion, Power and toughness, Theme (Goblins, Elves, Merfolks, etc.)

Additional comments: There are already some very good searchable databases available aren't there?

Salley/Pg.29

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report.]

Name: DennisAge: 39Gender: maleEducation: (2) Associates degreesOccupation: Electrical salesHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? 15 or so yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? Now, less than a $1.00; 5 years ago $40How many Magic cards do you own? 3000How do you buy your cards? Singles, packsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $35How good a player do you consider yourself? Depends on the class of tourney, fair at least in most cases

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game?: yesthe artist?: noa theme?: yesthe artwork?: nothe subject?: nopotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)?: nocollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)?: noother?: usefulness in a deck is major reason

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)

card type ; .. monster,direct damagemana .. mountain swampseries ..legend, 7 editionspecial effect .. land distroying protection

Additional comments: best of luck on your project

Salley/Pg.30

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report.]

Name: Herb Age: 45Gender: maleEducation: Master's DegreeOccupation: English ProfessorHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? I collected for about 5 years, Then I started selling off valuable cards. Currently I have been playing/trading/collecting Magic cards for 10 years.How much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? Currently, less than my income from selling cards. At the height of my collecting I was spending $25-40 per week for a monthly average of $125How many Magic cards do you own? @12,000How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.): Singles, Booster Packs, Decks, boxes, and bulk buys. Never Collector sets.What's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $80. I bought two whole boxes of 3rd Edition boosters. I recently sold them for $750.How good a player do you consider yourself?

Currently, I would say I am above average. In 1997 when I was playing a lot, my sealed deck rating was high enough to qualify for team play in two pro tour events. In that era I won 14 minor tournaments, 12 of which were sealed deck. I also knocked off the defending US National Champion in a medium sized tournament. It's safe to say I was a contender.

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply) their usefulness in a game? Yes the artist? rarely a theme? very much the artwork? occasionally the subject? I'm not sure what you mean. The artistic subject? The game subject? How is that different than"usefulness in a game"? potential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? occasionally collectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? occasionally other? Yes. A really funny card is a sure buy, and cards with interesting and poetic flavor text are good buys. And of course, a primary reason which is sort-ofcollectability is: to complete a set.

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)

What type of play the card can be used in.Color

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Classification (creature, goblin, elf, instant, artifact, sorcery, etc.)Set of release (Arabian Nights, Mirage, 4th edition, etc.)ArtistPre-constructed theme deck inclusionLimitations or banningsCommonalityMana CostPowerToughnessKeyword

Additional comments: The survey seems slightly odd in not taking into account the variant methods of game play. There is sealed deck, constructed, block constructed (usually limited to the core set and one set of expansions), extended, and unlimited (or Type I). Sealed deck also has several variants, commonly classic sealed deck,booster draft, and Rochester draft; but the nature of sealed deck makes searches irrelevant.

Also there is the new explosion of Official On-line Magic play.

The first question I want to ask any Magic database is: What cards are legal for the type of game I want to play?

Remember, there are so many cards that the important thing is to -exclude- cards, not include them. Looking for cards you like that might be useful and fit your personality and play-style is a sure way to lose. The way to win is to find cards you -love- and then complement them with strong support.

A typical deck design procedure that might send me to a Magic Card DBase would be:

1) A decision to play block constructed deck (the current Core Set [8th edition] and the current set of expansions [currently the Kamigawa Saga])

2) A preliminary look at the available sets show that there are good cards available for two of my favorite types of decks. One is a landwalk deck. The other is a red creature based deck in which no more than 4 cards should cost more than 2 combined mana. The second kind is more diverse and usually includes some secondary theme such as land destruction, or discard strategies.

3) A search for 2 cost red or artifact creatures shows lots of good ones available. Particularly good offensive creatures (with pre-rating) include:[S= likely sideboard card]S Canyon Wildcat Goblin Glider Goblin Raider+ Mogg Sentry+ Orcish Spy Raging Goblin

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Akki Avalanchers Battle-Mad Ronin+ Akki Blizzard-Herder Frostling- Goblin CohortS Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot

While looking for those creatures I spotted two new cards that may fit in with the theme:

Crack the EarthGenju of the Spires

At that point I want to research artifacts, spells that put cards from my graveyard to my hand, cards that destroy land, cards that damage creatures. Cards that affect goblins, as 6 top-rated creatures are goblins.

The next round of research will bring the deck more into focus.Hope this helps.

Salley/Pg.33

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report.]

Name: Jacob Age: 20Gender: maleEducation: just completed 2nd year of undergraduateOccupation: StudentHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? collected from about age 11 to 16How much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? spent about $20? A month, I thinkHow many Magic cards do you own? maybe a little over a thousandHow do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.) usuallyin booster backs, unless I needed land, then I bought starter decksWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? split a box of 4thedition booster packs with a friend....was $40 or more?How good a player do you consider yourself? I lacked the money to buy thecards to do everything I would have liked, but I could still often squeakgames out from my more wealthy, but less skilled friends, however I have noillusions that I am or was a tournament level player

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? yesthe artist? no

a theme? yes the artwork? no

the subject? no potential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? kind of collectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? kind of other?

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)rarity, color, edition, type(summon, instant, etc.), also summon should bebroken down to creature types (knights, spiders, etc.)

Additional comments:

Salley/Pg.34

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report.]

Name: Robert Age: 33Gender: maleEducation: A.A.S. Mechanical DraftingOccupation: ProductionHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? 5 yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? 5.00How many Magic cards do you own? approximately 4,000How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.) single, packsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? 40.00How good a player do you consider yourself? average

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yesthe artist? noa theme? Yesthe artwork? nothe subject? nopotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? nocollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? noother?

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)All available categories

Additional comments:

Salley/Pg.35

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report]

Name: Will Age: 41Gender: maleEducation: B.A.Occupation: Writer How long have you been collecting Magic cards? Collected from 1994 to 2001How much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? $100 per monthduring heydayHow many Magic cards do you own? around 15,000How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.): Mostly packsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? about $300How good a player do you consider yourself? probably 6-7 on a 10-point scale

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yesthe artist? Noa theme? Yesthe artwork? Nothe subject? Nopotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? Yescollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? Yesother?

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)Card title, power, toughness, card type, casting cost, artist, color, set, rarity

Additional comments:

Salley/Pg.36

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report]

Name: MatthewAge: 16Gender: maleEducation: High SchoolOccupation: noneHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? 2 yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? $0How many Magic cards do you own? 1,000+How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.): Garage sales and packsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $10How good a player do you consider yourself? From 1-10, a 7

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yesthe artist? Noa theme? Yesthe artwork? Possiblethe subject? Nopotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? Yes, when interestedcollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? Noother? No

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)Creature type and color

Additional comments: For different people, they buy cards because they can and others because of their friends.

Salley/Pg.37

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report]

Name: FrancisAge: 19Gender: maleEducation: collegeOccupation: student How long have you been collecting Magic cards? 2 yearsHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? $10 per monthduring heydayHow many Magic cards do you own? 1,005 cardsHow do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.): Packs and singlesWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $60How good a player do you consider yourself? Moderate

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yesthe artist? Noa theme? Yesthe artwork? Nothe subject? Yespotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? Yescollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? Yesother? Yes

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)Series of card

Additional comments: Lots of pictures

Salley/Pg.38

Magic: The Gathering -- User Survey

[This is a gradable project for David Salley's LIS567 -- "Organization of Recorded Information" grad school class. Results will NOT be published, only submitted for a grade. Surnames will not be printed in the final class report]

Name: “Piggy” Age: 13Gender: maleEducation: high schoolOccupation: studentHow long have you been collecting Magic cards? 1 yearHow much money do you spend on Magic cards per month? $10 or $20How many Magic cards do you own? 140How do you buy your cards? (Singles, packs, Collector sets, etc.): All sortsWhat's the most you've spent on Magic at one time? $40How good a player do you consider yourself? average

Do you buy individual cards based on (answer all that apply)their usefulness in a game? Yesthe artist? Noa theme? Nothe artwork? Nothe subject? Nopotential re-sale value (ie. as an investment)? Nocollectability (eg. rarity, etc.)? Noother? No

A database of Magic cards should be searchable by: (Give as many answers as possible)Name

Additional comments: