My (M28) birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. Last year, I told my friend group I wanted to have a Halo Lan Party for my birthday, as I was barely able to attend my Best Friends Halo Lan Party for his birthday the previous year, despite me paying over $200 to get enough copies of the game and controllers and organizing the affair when he said he wanted one, because I had to work that night. I didn’t mind it at the time, because he’s my best friend and I wanted him to have a good birthday, but I figured since we had all the equipment still, it would be an easy effort to get it organized for MY birthday, when I would have the night off, so I could enjoy some sweet Halo Action. But my birthday came and went with no Party.
This year, I figured it was up to me to plan my own party if I wanted something to happen. I love playing Magic the Gathering. One of my favorite formats is Draft, but most of my friends stick to Commander these days. I thought, for my Birthday, it would be cool to host a Draft Day! I figured I’d charge a $20 entry fee to cover the cost of food and buying the booster boxes needed for the draft.
My intent had been that I would keep all the cards from the draft, and tell people not to worry about buying me gifts, but rather coming and paying to play, eat, and hangout WOULD be their gifts to me. However, one of my friends has raised a concern that it seems like I’m just trying to get friends to pool money together for me so I can buy Magic cards for myself, while another friend says he sees no problem with the plan.
What do yall think? WIBTA if I made people pay to play magic at my birthday and didnt let them keep the cards?
Yes. It needs no further explanation.
YTA.
I think most of what you’re doing here is fine, but you can’t both charge players for their draft packs and then expect them to give you the cards. As someone who plays about 50/50 Commander and limited formats, I would not play at an event where someone charged me and didn’t let me keep the cards.
I understand your perspective as far as not asking for gifts, but 1) you shouldn’t be doing that anyway, a gift is something you shouldn’t be expecting to get and 2) the reason you pay an entry fee to a booster draft is because you are paying for the packs you are drafting, not just for being there.
um? “just trying to get friends to buy magic cards for you” yea….? it’s your BIRTHDAY? if all you want for your birthday is some playing cards and a fun hangout with your friends wtf is wrong with that? tell your friend trying to start shit to chill out
Slight YTA. A fee for the draft makes sense, you keeping all the cards from the draft feels weird.
NTA if you make it clear that the $20 contribution is optional in lieu of a gift, not a requirement to attend the party. “All I want for my birthday this year is some new Magic cards and to spend time with my friends. If you were thinking of bringing a gift to the party, I’d love if you chipped in $20 or whatever works for your budget towards the cost of MTG booster packs instead. We’ll use them for the draft, and keeping the new cards afterwards will be my gift from everyone!”
I…..don’t really know?
Like, if this was a normal event, that would make sense. They help out with food/packs so you aren’t having to do all the heavy lifting. But you need to run it by them first.
But this is on your birthday, and if you don’t coordinate with them first, then it could end badly. I could definitely see people not showing up because they don’t want to have to pay to attend someone’s birthday if they don’t have the money to attend.
in my opinion, I’d just eat the cost during the birthday. They could try it and see if they liked it. If they want to keep doing it, then I’d suggest charging them so they can help out.
YTA
Not for wanting to play draft (seems like they know the game and are cool with it) but for charging an “entrance fee”. No birthday party I have ever attended required an “entrance fee” lmao. The host pays for the food, you don’t charge your guests for it.
What THEY want to gift you is up to THEM, not for you to decide. You can ask or give advice for what you would like, but it isn’t your choice if they follow through or not. That’s how gifts work. And yeah if they want to keep their cards, they should be able to keep them. A forced gift is NOT a gift, it’s taking advantage of your birthday to make them pay for getting cards. If THEY want to leave you the cards as a gift that would be awesome, but it shouldn’t ultimately be up to them.
And your title is misleading. They aren’t upset you want to play the game, they’re upset you charge an entrance fee and than want to keep all the cards.
YTA. Making people pay you for a draft where they don’t get to keep the cards is cheapo behavior.
YTA – you do not charge an admission fee for a birthday party. That is tacky AF because they’re your **guests**. As the host, getting all the supplies together is your responsibility.
YTA. You don’t ask people to pay for a party YOU are hosting. Period.
YWBTA you don’t throw a party where you’re the guest of honor then make everyone else pay for it. Just no.
YTA. I don’t really understand much about Magic and the details you mentioned, but in general, when you host a party, you provide all the necessary entertainment, food, decorations, etc without asking your guests to chip in. That’s what hosting means. It can be expensive.
WBTA, you want to charge people to come to your birthday? Be lucky if anyone comes! I can’t remember the last time I had a party or presents, tried a couple of years ago but nobody wanted to come. So count your stars you at least have people who still want to be your friend, cause I guarantee you if you do this they’ll freeze you out.
IDK about the different formats of MtG but the cards at times have financial value based on rarity and such, right?
So your friend that doesn’t like the idea, are they seeing this as you maximizing your ability to get rare cards at their expense?
Because it is tacky to invite people to a party and charge them an entry fee. Hosts are responsible for food and drink. If that’s frozen pizzas and pretzels and water, so be it.
And …. some of your friends weren’t going to give you a gift. Thats ok, they aren’t obligated to. By your plan, they have to to celebrate with you.
YTA