A buddy of mine once called Magic: The Gathering “cardboard crack.” It’s true. There’s an addictive, Golemesque allure to the game. It’s the most popular trading card game in the world for a reason. As Magic has grown globally, so have the prices of its cards. Reserve list pieces like Mox Diamond, which the Red Wizard once pulled from a two-dollar pack back when we first played in the mid-90s, now sells for no less than $500 on Ebay.

In that way, Magic is unlike any other game on the planet. The collectibles themselves—especially in eternal formats like Vintage and Commander—have become essential to playing the game. “Staples,” as they’re referred to in the Magic community. No blue Commander deck, for example, would be complete without Rhystic Study, a once-upon-a-time common enchantment whose price has ballooned to $30 a pop.

Enter proxies—homemade substitutes for any Magic card. For many players, especially those on tight budgets, proxies are the closest they’ll ever get to reserve list gems like Gaea’s Cradle. As a Commander player, this concept has always made a lot of sense to me. I own a copy of Cradle—but I certainly don’t own more.

If I want to slot a pricey into more than one deck—let’s be honest, of course I do—I turn to proxies. If I don’t want to risk damaging a future retirement gift, I turn to proxies. If I want a more flavorful version of the card’s art, I turn to proxies. Here’s where it helps to have the Red Wizard as a brother from another mother. My newly constructed Queen Marchesa Commander deck requires 1/1 Assassin tokens, which currently cost $1.50 on CardKingdom.com.

The tokens aren’t horrible, but coming from someone who values cool-looking accessories, they also aren’t great. The result? The proxy you saw at the top of this page. Now I own something completely unique. Something no one else can claim. A collector’s item all of its own. The nerdy, Golem-like quest marches on.