Not wanting to trade/sell a single from a playset
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Posted on March 19, 2018, 2:42 p.m. by Panda213
Just had a trade fall through due to someone not wanting to break up a play set. The trade was almost dead even and very fair for both sides. It is what it is and I'll be able to get the cards elsewhere so no hard feeling but it's not the first, second or third time I've seen this...
So, my question is, what's the rationale behind not breaking up playsets if you're already willing to sell or trade the cards?
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #3
It's a thing i hate to do as well. For me, it's the following:
As long as i have the playset, i'd be able to play it in a deck without having to worry if three copies is enough. But as soon as the playset is broken, i'd have to buy another if i wanted to play it. If i trade away the whole set, my propability of being frustrated because i traded any single is smaller.
An example: i once traded away one copy of my playset of Kor Spiritdancer. It still annoys the crap out of me as i really wanted to play four of it in my zur deck. Shitty feeling.
March 19, 2018 3:24 p.m.
It is easier for a seller to move a playset of certain cards than to move individuals of the same card. Purchasers want the convenience of buying all items in one go, as it means less hassle in negotiating and decreased shipping costs. Correlated to that fact, if a seller does not have a playset, buyers will be more inclined to look elsewhere for their purchases.
I'm a bit curious as to the timing--at what point did the seller break off the trade? Had there already been an agreement to the trade, and they decided after-the-fact?
March 19, 2018 3:30 p.m. Edited.
For the most part, it means nothing to me as I play EDH. I'm more concerned about my last copy of a card. Still, I can understand it. Just because the stars might align and I might get the chance to play modern makes me hesitant to give up my hallowed fountains. It's just that I might need them in the future even though I need 1 atm.
March 19, 2018 4:08 p.m.
Ok, I can understand the convenience thing. That's not something I had considered. Just seems weird to me that "hey, we cant do this because I've got 3 other copies of one of the cards that you want"
cdkime it wasn't far enough along to be upset about it. Its just something that I've ran into before and never really understood why so i figured that I would ask. Was a solid enough deal that they are trying to find a 5th copy of the card so as to be able to trade me one.
March 19, 2018 4:45 p.m.
Ah, gotcha. Good luck with your deal then!
I've seen far too many comments on this site where one party to a trade "changes their mind" after an offer and acceptance has been made. This both amuses and horrifies me--I cannot help but wonder how many individuals have unknowingly opened themselves to contracts liability over Magic trades.
March 19, 2018 5:06 p.m.
DeathByDesign says... #8
As one of the players who won't trade away pieces of a playset...
I don't deal with the finance side of MTG, so my inclination is to only have four of any given card. Both goal and hard limit. Despite being a good trade on paper, I'm not going to trade for the fifth copy of a card to same degree I'm not going to trade away my fourth. I will favorably trade incomplete playsets to complete playsets. In that way, trading cards for me is like being an atom trying to fill my electron orbitals... I don't want to be short or over on any play set of a card, so the only acceptable values are zero or four of a playset. Strange? Probably, but at the same time, I would have told you that up front if you're going through my binder.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Traditionally, having a full playset makes it easier to build something if you come to need the cards yourself, and some traders ascribe extra value to being able to acquire all four of a card in a single transaction (convenience value), especially if they're from the same set and in the same condition (aesthetic value).
I think the idea has lost currency as time has gone on; it's pretty easy now to source a playset from a few different vendors through TCGplayer, for example.
March 19, 2018 3:22 p.m. Edited.