The Reserved List for Magic: The Gathering, which lists cards that Wizards of the Coast has committed never to reprint, will not be abolished any time soon, Head Designer Mark Rosewater confirmed in response to questions posed to him on his Tumblr. The confimration comes in the wake of continued escalation of auction prices for cards on the list.
“I spent years trying,” Rosewater wrote in response to a question about efforts to abolish the List. “I don’t think it’s going away.” Later a fan asked if there was anything players could do to help with the efforts. “I can’t go into details, but I think you all will be mentally happier if you accept that it’s not going to change,” he answered.
The Reserved List (RL) has been a source of controversy for decades between players, collectors, and WotC. WotC originally created the RL to protect the collectability of the game, because cards placed on this list could never be reprinted. Players have generally been against the existence of the RL since the advent of the Commander format because it limits the supply of cards which may be useful in decks (such as dual lands). Collectors and singles sellers have traditionally been on the opposite side, as RL cards are generally profitable to sell and keep increasing in value as supply dwindles (see “Reserved List Singles Card Prices Surge into 2021“).
Rosewater’s response could have something to do with how the trajectory of the RL argument has changed as auctions for RL cards continue to realize more significant dollar amounts (see “Black Lotus Goes for $511.1K“). As more and more RL cards fetch thousands of dollars in high-end vintage collectibles auctions, it becomes more difficult for WotC to pull the plug on the R without damaging this robust collector’s market. Like other rare collectibles such as comic books and art, high-grade RL Magic cards are slowly but surely being viewed as a rarity that can be used as store of wealth or an investment, as opposed a card to be added to a Commander deck.
Source: ICv2
