I got my first cards around 1996, then started playing more competitively around 2003. Though, I've always gone through on and off phases of playing. Right now I'm kind of going back towards an "on" phase. I like following the Pro Tour, and I've got my fantasy picks made for the one this weekend.
I love the creation and exploration aspect of TCGs, so I usually build my own deck and avoid most of the most expensive cards.
If I want to play casually with friends, we usually play "Stack," which involves a stack of our favorite cards that everyone uses as a common deck. There aren't any lands in the stack, but you can play any card face down as a land that produces any color of mana.