Bay Harbour: May 25, 2022

Bay Harbour News Wednesday May 25 2022
8
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Kiwi fantasy card game takes world by storm
Christchurch trading
card businesses have
seen an upsurge as a
popular Kiwi-developed
fantasy card game
continues to attract
thousands of new
players around the
world, both to progaming
and to lucrative
online card trading.
John Cosgrove reports
IN HIS right hand, card trader
Sam Smith holds a Flesh and
Blood ‘Heart of Fyendal’ card
worth approximately $300; in his
left hand is another worth over
$30,000.
The difference is when the
cards were made, what they’re
made of or printed on, and
how rare or desirable they are
among a growing number
of enthusiastic gamers and
professional trading card
collectors.
“It’s always a lottery when you
buy a packet of cards from the
shop,” Smith said from his recently
opened FAB Armory shop
in Sydenham.
“Last Friday a dad brought
in his two young boys to buy a
packet each so that they could
learn the game, and in one of
the packs was an unlimited
run, rainbow foiled ‘Heart of
Fyendal’. I immediately offered
to swap him 30 packets of cards
for it, so he was real pleased his
son now has heaps of cards to
play with.”
On the other hand, if you
wanted a cold foiled, alpha print,
first edition ‘Heart of Fyendal’,
like one of the two Smith recently
sold for $35,000 each, then he
said he will talk terms.
Trading cards have been
around for generations, with US
baseball cards being the first,
packaged with cigarettes and
sweets to stiffen the packaging in
the 1860s.
As colour printing technologies
developed, the popularity
of the cards grew and so too did
the value of trading, reaching
TRADING:
In his right
hand Sam
Smith holds
a Flesh and
Blood ‘Heart
of Fyendal’
card worth
approximately
$300; in his
left hand is
another worth
over $30,000.
PHOTO: JOHN
COSGROVE
million-dollar status, courtesy
of keen-eyed investors and card
sleuths scouring garage sales
for an elusive-but-pristine ‘52
Mickey Mantle or LeBron James
rookie year card – currently
worth over $8.3 million
each.
In the 1990s, the advent of the
trading card game Magic – a
game involving a combination
of luck and skill, with two or
more players battling it out
as powerful wizards, using
collections of cards (spells) in
their decks – started to make a
toe-hold in the gaming industry.
Then along came Pokémon
cards, KeyForge, Yu-Gi-Oh!,
Game of Thrones, Sorcerer and
the latest world hit – Flesh and
Blood, a Kiwi-developed card
game popular with all ages.
Fast forward to the pandemic
and thousands of bored people
sitting around home and its
popularity only increased, with
many playing online or looking
to capitalise on their collections
by trading their cards.
“The game and the trading of
cards is booming,” said Smith.
“Last weekend there were 1100
professional players gathered
in New York, competing for
USD$100,000 in prize money,
with over 15,000 others watching
online.
“The game’s lead developer,
Chris Gehring from Legend
Story Studios in Auckland,
travelled to the tournament and
it was great to see him speaking
there.”
Smith said the fundamental
thing about the game is it’s very
social, and it just helps people
gain confidence and learn skills.
“Everyone can be as confident
as they want behind a computer
screen, but you develop a lot
more confidence interacting
with people on a physical and
social level.
“Basically, people are using the
card games to teach their kids
maths and stuff like that because
of the different attack and block
values.”
He believes it’s the modern
generation’s variation of society
card games like Poker, Euchre,
Bridge, Go Fish and others.
“You’ve got to make decisions
on the fly or just work out if
you’re basically going to have the
right resources to keep yourself
alive.”
Smith has been playing games
since he was young and after
learning the trading business
in Auckland, he returned to
Christchurch to train as a
plumber while still trading cards
online from his bedroom in
Wigram.
But a broken hand meant he
looked to his rapidly expanding
online sales for income and soon
FAB Armory grew into the retail
store it is today.
“There are often 10-20 players
coming here twice a week to play
in the shop in Sydenham and
we are still working hard online
to cater to the huge demand for
single cards.”
He said people of all ages,
lifestyles and incomes want
specific cards to make up a set or
collection – and are prepared to
pay for them.
“I sold a F&B Fyendal’s ‘Spring
Tunic’ to a famous client recently
for $35,000.
“It’s all about looking at the
market, understanding the
attraction of first editions cards,
finding them and gauging the
market to get the best price for
them,” he said.
CHRISTCHURCH
CHATHAM ISLANDS –
Incorporating “Festival of Science Week”
https://chathamislands.co.nz/2021/07/08/festival-of-science/
Experience 8 days in one of New Zealand’s most remote and unique places.
The Chatham Islands are the closest most New Zealanders
can get to international travel without packing their passport.
Due to ever increasing popularity and in conjunction with Air Chathams
and Hotel Chathams, we have decided to run a tour out to the Chatham
Islands for Christchurch folk from Christchurch during August 2022
We will be using a 50 passenger ATR aircraft, where we will have up to 8
fully guided days to explore our most eastern island before
returning home to Christchurch.
Pitt Island is an option as is fishing.
Tour # 43 is for 8 days & 7 nights on Chatham X Christchurch
Tues 16th August 2022, depart Christchurch 2:00pm arrive Chatham 4.30 pm am (CI)
Tues 23th August 2022, depart Chatham Islands 9.30am — Arrive Christchurch 11.00am
All Inclusive Costing
per person X Christchurch
SINGLE shared facilities ..............................................................$4,373
TWIN / DOUBLE with ensuite ......................................................$4,473
SUPERIOR SUITES ....................................................................$4,573
Make up your party now and take advantage of your
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www.chathamislandtours.nz/contact/booking_enquiry