The Worse, The Better

by Crazy Ivan
It's funny how knowledge changes your perception.  I had a really interesting experience about an hour ago that perfectly demonstrates this fact as it pertains to Myachi.

Had a couple of maniacs come into HQ with one of their moms.  They wanted to play a little Myachi Golf and learn some new tricks, but mostly they were here because they wanted to make some trades.  Unfortunately for them, I didn't bring many tradables with me today so I kind of disappointed them.

So, as is typical in those situations, they started making offers on the sacks I did have... the ones I just told them weren't up for trades.  Among the four I had with me today were the Yellow Jacket and Oaxaca that I've got up as prizes for the You-Tube contest.

I turned down a couple of trade offers for my Yellow Jacket and before long I had one dude offering me four Myachis for it.  I told him that I appreciated the offer, but since I'd already promised to give that Myachi to the prize winner it wouldn't be fair for me to trade it away now.

And then mom spoke up.

"Why would you want such a ratty old Myachi anyway?" she asked.

And her son laughed.  I was polite enough to hold back the chuckle that tried to escape.  When she saw my Yellow Jacket and Oaxaca, she just saw two really beat up Myachis:

Pictured (left to right): Really Yummy and Really, Really Yummy.

Now, if you're not a Myachi Maniac, you would probably look at those two sacks and say "who would want those beat up old things?" but if you're a fan of the game, you're more likely saying "I want them, I want them, I want them!"

To the layperson, something that is beat up and worn in is less valuable than something that is brand new and pristine.  Mom looked at them in the same way one might examine a collectable comic book or a piece of antique furniture.  The closer it is to mint condition, the more valuable it is to a collector.

This is occasionally true of a Myachi.  A mint Black Belt is super hard to find and many people would value that higher than a broken in Black Belt.  The same would be true for a number of paper tags and older sacks.  But in Myachi, this is hardly a universal truth.  The vast majority of Myachis are worth a lot more if they're not in good condition.

You already know why, of course.  The more broken in a Myachi is, the easier it is to jam with.  The absolute best Myachis are always the most ratty looking ones.  Monk's favorite jammers all look like they're about to fall apart (don't worry, they're not), but any fan of Myachi knows they are the best of the best.  The very fact that they're so beat up is what makes them the best.

I explained that to the dude's mom, but she didn't get it.  She couldn't understand why her son would want to trade a pristine and unused Bedrock Red for my beat up and dirty Yellow Jacket.  I even went as far as showing her exactly how yummy they were and why yumminess was so important to a Myachi player.

Still, she was unconvinced.  I kind of got the vibe that she thought I was trying to rip her son off, though that was odd considering that I was telling him I wouldn't make that trade.  Odd way of ripping someone off... by refusing the trade he offered.

Anyway, thought it was kind of funny.  I told the maniac in question that I would let his mom come in one day with his collection and we could make a few trades.  He laughed but he looked nervous enough that he might have thought I was serious.  I'm sure mom would make the worst trades imaginable.  She would happily trade his yummified Blue Beard for my unopened Vette.  She would trade his SUMPOY Sammy for my mint condition Dribbl.  She might trade away his wideboarded Reuben's for my brand-new Zoot Suit...

The moral of the story is to never let your mom broker your trades.