Is this a realistic project for a n00b?

[itIsMe]

I've recently gotten a little more serious about programming and want to build some things to show future employers. I have and idea for a site i would like to build but I probably don't have the knowledge needed. First ill explain my idea and then ask you guys to let me know if it is too much for a beginner.

I am really in to MTG. There are sites out there that let you catalog your card collection and tells you the prices of the cards. I want a site that will do both but at the same time alert you when the price of a card has spiked or dropped. This would let anyone that is into the MTG stock buy and sell easier. A good example of how this could be beneficial is the weeks before a new set comes out, you can sell cards before they lose too much value or after the new set comes you can watch for cards that you didn't think would be worth anything go up so you could buy a lot and wait to sell later. This is already possible using several sites but I would like to have it all in one place with mobile alerts.

What do you guys think?

[0pt1musPr1m3]

I think that if you are asking weather you can do this or not, then you are not ready or able. Doesnt hurt to try though, right? you might learn something.

[lolwut]

Database (MongoDB) + some web design  (JavaScript/HTML5)+ REST API + mobile app development (Objective C)+ data scraping/ data mining (Python maybe)

Maybe too much for an absolute beginner but you could easily get there within a year.

Look at some MOOCs like from Coursera and MIT. Maybe google some web design courses from Udemy and database stuff from an online training program like LiveLessons.

i.e. You'd want to look at resources into becoming a full stack developer - plus some Python or Ruby for scraping.

[straycat]

Sounds like it's a lot for your first project but as stated earlier you could start and hammer out some of the design and layout. Then work out functionality later as your skills develop. Have to crawl before you run. Just don't get discouraged if you try and find that such an ambitious project is a little out of reach to start on.

[itIsMe]

Thanks for the reply everyone! I am currently working on full stack dev. at freecodecamp.com and code academy so I hpe to work on this within the year!

[0E 800]

Please keep us posted with your progress; pitfalls / advice for anyone wanting to follow in your steps.
Any direct questions related to your project when ordinary net-searches come up dry.
Godspeed.

[kenjoe41]

Pfffh, i am no web dev, not one experienced with PHP or stuff programmer. But if i had such an idea in mind i would never give it a time lap of more than 2 month. The web development is quite the easy part, even if you are a beginner at it. Comeon, Phage drop websites in one nite but that is because he is experienced, i wiped up Evilshortener in a day and i had only 2 days experience with the Flask framework or web development at that.
I say give your self a deadline, maybe one month for the site, and put up a secure prototype out there. Use push notifications for now as your mobile solution or something. Have an API and in the next month you could dub between rolling a mobile solution(app) and making you site secure and having a better UI.
The only challenge really in this site is developing fool-proof algorithms for predicting when to sale and when to buy. But if you said it is already out there, i am sure it is already documented somewhere, so read up and understand this part. You will be processing info for alot of users so you will need processing power.

So here is my project timeline.
First month, dub between reading and understanding the algorithms in the backend and developing a working acceptable secure site.
Second month, dub between improving the UI, security, fine tuning the algorithms and developing a working version for your mobile solution.
Months through this, get feedback, get disappointed at your site design, rework it from the ground up in less time (2 weeks max), pwn and secure it, network socially and technically, get more resources for you algorithms with the increasing user base, spam Xires and HTH with algorithm questions and get a set of eyes on your code. Pay them a fair lot to route to EZ servers. WIN...

[kurp]

Go for it. I find that when I try to do something I have no clue how to do, I learn more. You learn from your screwups.