The lure of the sorcerer: Consumers' consumption meanings in the context of trading card games

This article examines the consumption experiences of consumers of trading card games. Fourteen depth interviews illuminate the emic and etic meanings that exist for two key groups of trading card game players - hobby players and expert tournament players of the trading card game, Magic. An etic framework is then derived that analyzes these perceptions in the context of issues related to collective dramatizations of leisure consumption and the social self. Findings show marketers how consumers use their imaginations especially for mythic consumption.