SCP-2658

Description

SCP-2658 is a ruled index card trimmed to dimensions of approximately 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches (63 x 88 mm) with cut corners, roughly the size of a standard poker playing card. The words “Mox Ruby”, “0”, and "Tap: Red" are written on the reverse side of the object in blue ink. These correspond, in part, to the text on the card Mox Ruby from Magic: the Gathering (hereafter referred to as Magic), a popular trading card game. SCP-2658 otherwise has the physical characteristics expected of such a card.

SCP-2658's anomalous effect is triggered when anyone who considers themselves a collector of or investor in Magic cards views it.¹ Those who meet this condition perceive SCP-2658 as a mint condition Mox Ruby from Limited Edition Alpha, an extremely rare and valuable card. They will also perceive genuine Magic cards with a market value under $0.25 USD as other rare and valuable cards, while perceiving cards worth over $5.00 USD as worthless cards.²

These perceptions are consistent amongst affected individuals, each seeing a given card as the same incorrect card. Images of cards which have themselves been seen by at least one exposed individual are also affected, but not images of cards that have not been seen. For instance, should one affected individual see a genuine Mox Ruby, all images of that copy of Mox Ruby will be seen incorrectly by all affected individuals. Images of any other copy of Mox Ruby will be seen correctly. It is speculated that this effect is present in order to make it more difficult to prove to affected individuals that their cards are not what they see them as.

After approximately one week, those affected by SCP-2658 will give away the bulk of their valuable cards which they now perceive as worthless, usually to new or young players at local game stores. These gifts will continue even if others attempt to inform affected individuals about the true nature of the cards involved; these attempts are always dismissed as an attempt at a prank. Following these gifts, subjects will cease collecting, investing in, and playing Magic, stating that it is a "waste of money" and that they "have enough cool cards already."

Those who are not collectors of Magic are entirely unaffected. The distinction between a collector of Magic and one who is only a player of Magic is dependent on what an individual believes themselves to be, as those who have a large number of Magic cards but do not consider themselves to be a collector are unaffected. It is unknown why this distinction is made. SEE Addendum 11/05/18.

Former collectors of or investors in Magic will perceive SCP-2658 as a Mox Ruby from Limited Edition Alpha, but will not perceive other Magic cards differently. However, those who have begun collecting something else will in ██% of cases begin giving away the most valuable parts of their collection(s) approximately one week after exposure, citing them as a "waste of money" and saying that they "have enough cool cards already." The latter phrase is said even when the things being collected are in no way card-related. These gifts will also typically take place at a local game store, regardless of the appropriateness of such a location.³

+ Addendum 11/05/18

- Access Granted

An automated information security alert led Foundation investigators to a thread on the enthusiast Internet forum ███ █████████, titled "How can we fix Magic's cost issue?" After many unremarkable replies, a user named WondertainmentDDS posted the following in response to the thread, their only post on the forum (all errors [sic]):

i got an idea. i'm a product of the public school system so i don't have the best grasp of economics, but. if all the fukken collectors and speculators leave and give away their shit, things will get cheaper, right? less demand, more supply. just gotta get em to do that. so i've been trading these things out up and down the west coast 8D

Image SCP-2658-003.

Attached was Image SCP-2658-003. The words on this card correspond to Mox Sapphire, another rare and expensive Magic card.

The user's icon on the website was an image of an instance of SCP-248, and the user's forum signature claimed allegiance to Gamers Against Weed.

The thread and WondertainmentDDS' account have since been deleted, under cooperation with the ███ █████████ staff. Amnestics were distributed to users confirmed to have seen the thread.

Given the description contained in the post and the similarity in handwriting between the images, this individual is almost certainly the creator of SCP-2658, and the pictured object likely has similar if not identical properties.

Attempts to trace the location of this user resolved to the IP address 4.2.0.69. The owners of the computer using this address were interviewed and determined not to be WondertainmentDDS, as they had never heard of Magic: the Gathering and appeared to possess neither anomalous objects nor the ability to create such. This spoofed IP address was likely an attempt at humor.

Efforts to locate this individual, as well as any other anomalous objects they may have created, are ongoing.