Card prices
General forum
Posted on Feb. 23, 2012, 11:28 p.m. by Cyber Locc
so i dnt if im allowed to post this here seeing how it has nothing to do with tapped out at all but here it is so its kinda a gripe but i heard about tcg and there "lower prices" the other day as i was selling them a huntmaster that at the time was 18 on starcity and appartenly was 14 on tcg so they gave me the store credit for 70% of tcg prices and turned around and put the card in there case for 18 starcitys price now i dont realy feel this at all right and iv noticed lots of shops do this so im not selling cards to shops anymore until they knock that crap off cuh thats riduclus you want to buy my card at the lower stores rate and then make me use my store credit at the higher shops rate which in reality i found today when you add in tcg payers 3.50 in shipping and the taxes its the same price if not more than you can get the same card form starcity as they dont charge taxes and theyr shipping is like .50-1.00 but the point of this gripe is i think that we should all petition wizards to make a site by them that has the price cards should be in there eyes and make all shops follow those guidelines instead of buy at tcg and sell at starcity cuh that riduclus there might already be such a site if there is the should enforce shops to follow it anyone agree with my little gripe
Oh god was there even a sentence in that thing?
But either way, are you really getting angry at a shop for trying to turn a profit? Do you know anything about running a business?
As for petitioning WotC, as someone else said supply and demand dictates price. Not an arbitrary decision from a Wizards employee.
How old are you?
February 23, 2012 11:52 p.m.
As they both said, a shop is a business. They need to make money for the shops to be open for fnm and such. If you want instant access to cards the shops are there, if you wanna save a couple bucks buy online but be prepared to wait a week or so.
Petitioning is pointless. People will buy the cards no matter the price. It's a hobby, hobbies cost money. Magic is expensive, either deal with it or go into collecting stamps.
February 24, 2012 12:43 a.m.
Same thing as Gamestop/EB Games.
You bring in a game, say Modern Warfare 3. We will give you $27 for it. It's selling for $49.99 right now so you're getting just over 50% credit, which is what probably any company would do. They are there to make money, and give you credit towards buying something else. Welcome to big business.
Magic cards have 1 major difference though. Prices flux based on mostly how cards do in big tournys. If Huntsmaster did fantastic in a deck that day for example, the price goes up. It's quite normal, and 70% credit is pretty good actually.
You don't really have anything to complain about.
February 24, 2012 2:48 a.m.
LMAO you know how much my friend was offered to give a Sorin, Lord of Innistrad? The store offered $18 STORE CREDIT. LMAOOO
February 24, 2012 3 a.m.
I sold a bunch of cards to starcity and was very happy really i got store credit and built my elemental EDH deck. The reason i was happy cuz even though some of the cards were valuable they were all quite EDH flavoured so were not easy to trade with guys like yourselves on Tappedout so I made a slight loss rather than sit there taking pictures and Ebaying them etc etc so it can be a very good idea for the right reasons. get rid of unused not overly expensive cards and in exchange get an awesome 5 colour EDH deck. no draw back here :-)
February 24, 2012 3:39 a.m.
swamp_water says... #9
I always find that the expensive stuff is a rip off to sell to stores (unless you need the cash then just suck it up.) but I do sell my unused uncommons and commons to my local store who is obviously hurting for them because he gives me a ridiculous price for them and who cares about a bunch of cards I don't use anymore. Then I trade them for the rares I need. Anyway you look at it, selling to a shop will hurt ya.
February 24, 2012 11:55 a.m.
My card shop is a rip off.. The owner is a snob too. I sold off a , and like 60 junk foils for store credit.
I wanted 4x Primeval Titans in return, at the time. Which would be about $85-90.
I ended up getting like a buck and change for the foils, and after the trade credit they charged me a total of $55 for the Titans. How fair is that? I understand they are there to make a profit, but damn.. I should've just traded on here like I usually do, but I was in need of them fast.
February 24, 2012 12:10 p.m.
swamp_water says... #11
Unless I'm playing FNM I always use proxies I print off of www.magiccards.info and buy them from the store when all options are exhausted. Every time I trade with players I win! Most people don't mind playing against a deck with proxies if they are printed and look good.
February 24, 2012 12:25 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #12
Wizards is not in the business of secondary market sales, so even bothering to create a price index would be a loss of money and resources, and it gets even worse if the list is going to be maintained in any meaningful way. Also, getting 70% on the lower of the two prices was still a fantastic deal for a shop trade-in. There's nothing wrong with this situation.
February 24, 2012 1:15 p.m.
Cyber Locc says... #13
@ funkalunk the insults were completely unnecessary and how old am I obvisouly alot older than you sitting here insulting someone you dont even know GROW UP. and i know alot about running a bussiness seeing how i own one and BTW im 25 and have a bachelors degree in computer sciences (not english) nor do i care if i right in complete sentences in forum
an i understand some of you say thats good bussiness but the true definition of good bussiness is too make money and make your customers happy the latter being the most imporant because that extra 2 dollars u made and make me dissatified and therefore lose money from me in the future now to keep me happy and net an annual amount of more as i am a repeat customer you will make more in the long run so obviously you guys dont understand business
@maden77 ya ive traded cards with starcity as well and was realy happy and i would have no problem trading to stores if they had the same ethics unfortunately they dont because to buy at the lowest listed price and give 70% percent of that and then in store credit charge me the higher price is riduclus i dont do that when i buy and sell computer parts and they shouldnt with cards
@ leafssuck gamestop does do that but there prices are based on 1 universal pricing they tell you theyll give you X% of the games worth and then sell the game for the X as in situation there buying for X% and giveng you trade value for Y
this equation yall are saying is alright is like me telling you ill give you my phantasmal image 10.00 (both tcg and Starcity) for your Havengul Lich (11 dollars on tcg 15 on starcity) and saying that is a fair trade and your gunna do that i dont think so
and if what you are saying buy that is good bussiness then walmarts add macth is bad bussiness but yet there the #1 deptment store in america how many years in a row gimme a break
and i know magic is expensive i spend a good 100 - 200 dollars a month on cards with no issue there but dont tell me your gunna give me 70% for my card and then realy if you take into account that that is based on a different price scale you aint giving me 70% more like 40 or 50% depending all im saying is the prices should macth sell at starcity price then buy at starcity price otherwise your 70% quate is a flat out lie and that is false advertising and illegal
February 25, 2012 2:21 a.m.
Cyber Locc says... #14
and @ Rhadamanthus if you think selling a card that is worth 19 dollars if sold on ebay or traded for 7 dollars in credit is fair your crazy it aint and i wouldnt of done it if i didnt need the card i was trading for right that moment for a tournament that was in an hour and i had to pay 3 more dollars for a phantasmal image so i traded a huntmaster and 3 dollars for an image in no way is that fair
February 25, 2012 2:26 a.m.
Cyber Locc says... #16
oh and just for the record i was just on starcity and they buy huntmasters for 15 + there 25% trade bonus = 18.75 while tcg player wants 22 so that would be 15 at that store with there 70% and starcitys 50% is actually more so how is that a good deal
February 25, 2012 2:39 a.m.
Cyber Locc says... #17
@ swamp water lol your telling me and your right selling to shops is a rip and i just aint gunna do it no more although i found a shop that does trade fairly but the dont have that big of selection and thats prolly why cuh everytime i go in there they different cards because people see there fair and buy them so im just gunna trade to them, ppl, and starcity for now on lol
February 25, 2012 2:44 a.m.
Cyber Locc says... #18
@ swamp water and ya i thinkim gunna start print proxies and use em to playtest cuh that part of my problem i buy a card then turn out not needing it and selling a losing a ton not doing that anymore
February 25, 2012 2:47 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #19
I said it was a good deal because I've been trading with stores for over a decade as I've gotten in and out of the competitive scene, so I know from experience that 70% book value on a trade to a store is a good deal. Most places I dealt with, I was lucky to get half.
February 25, 2012 9:17 a.m.
Well you're wrong again OP. The best businesses make money. Why do you think Walmart is still open but small Mom & Pop stores people love close down?
And you may be 25, but you have the naivete of someone at 13.
February 25, 2012 12:42 p.m.
Cyber Locc says... #21
@ funkalunk says the one thats insulting someone they dont even know grow up
February 25, 2012 2:09 p.m.
Cyber Locc says... #22
@ rhad i understand what your saying but 50% trade at starity would of been more than what they gave me thats wat im saying and if they would base theyre prices on the same site i wouldnt have an issue and @funkalunk i agree but buying something for 7 and selling it for 30 is ripping ppl off pawn shops dont even rip ppl off that badly and the place im talking about is a mom pop shop so go figure better yet the place is called manawerx they got a website look it up
February 25, 2012 2:14 p.m.
I don't know how you equate being rude to being young, but ok guy. Sorry I enjoy supporting small businesses.
February 25, 2012 8:11 p.m.
rckclimber777 says... #24
I've personally never sold to a store, but they typically don't offer much. If you want to get what the cards are worth, then I'd suggest selling on ebay, or trading away cards rather than sell them. just fyi Ebay's lowest price on Huntmaster is $20.
February 25, 2012 9:59 p.m.
chrislohan1 says... #26
i agree with smokeylocc its crazy how a store could buy something for a dollar and sell it for 20.im all for making money but what there doing is taking advantage of either ppl that dont want the cards or that dont know about the prices because they found them and dont play mtg.same thing with wedding flowers they charge you 600% on price just cause its wedding themed when you could go out and buy them for cheap at a flower store.but back to mtg your telling me that making 19 dollars on a card is fair.when ur just buying it then reselling it. it should be a crime.not only that the card prices alone should be a crime 50$ for a card that not even that good just because ppl play with it in tournaments.just paid 5$ for a card a week ago didnt really like it and tried to sell it to a card shop they tried to give me .50 cents it all this bs trying to devalue it saying its losing its value cause ppl are playing with it to much anymore lol really dude i just bought it Tempered Steel by the way and i said everyone i play got it lol,then he says well it wont be in standard to much longer. then why are they still selling them for 5$ then dude and why are u going turn around and sell it for 5$ is bs great post smoke
April 25, 2012 12:37 a.m.
I think the obvious thing to do is refrain from selling your cards to shops. They aren't forcing you.
April 25, 2012 8:27 a.m.
GoblinsInc says... #28
Most shops I've gone to will price your cards out and tell you the total before you complete a sale with them. If they took all your cards, gave you a buck credit for each, and then was demanding 50 bucks for the titans, just tell them they are offering too little for your cards and refuse to sell them. If you need the other card on short enough notice that you'll take their low offer, I'm afraid that is your fault/problem for taking a poor trade.
On that note, I don't normally expect to get anything over 50% of the value of the card if I trade it in. They need to make money, and I understand that. I trade in when I can't find the cards I want elsewhere, and otherwise will trade or buy from other players.
From what I gather from OP's post it does sound like he got screwed over (which is not a good thing, and understand some stores can be jerks), but at the same time I wonder why he didn't just say "no".
April 25, 2012 8:48 a.m.
Stores are there to make a profit, but sometimes they can really suck.
I was offered $30 for my mint Volcanic Island once. I just turned around and walked away.
April 25, 2012 9:22 a.m.
And by the way: Wizards doesn't give two shits about the secondary market. As long as people buy pack and decks from them, they could care less what an Iona, Shield of Emeria is worth. Unless of course they release a duel deck with one in it for $30 that they know people will buy.
April 25, 2012 9:49 a.m.
@funkeylocc Like a lot of other people have said...it all depends on who buys what from a store. If one store and there meta game at there store uses a lot of primeval titans...titans are going to be needed more so they will be willing to pay more for that specific card while at another where the metagame plays more casual decks and don't play tournament top ten decks like wolf run ramp they wont be needed as much because people aren't using them as much which means they are not sure if they will be able to sell them so they will pay whatever the normal trade in rate is. Some stores, like the one by me, won't even keep more than one or 2 of a certain card if its not in demand. Just like others have have been saying they have to make a profit. If you don't like their trade in prices simply don't sell to them. They aren't forcing you to give them your cards for a crappy price. Maybe try ebay and offer free shipping or craigslist or something. You are never going to get your money back selling...keep that in mind because if someone wants to buy your used cards but you are making them pay shop price they would probably go to the shop and get a mint condition card. And one more note. Some stores, if they are out of a card will lower their price of that card so they can buy it for less. Just saying. Shop around and get the best deal you can. No one is forcing you to do anything. Sorry everyone for the long winded rant about this.
April 25, 2012 10:28 a.m.
i have noticed that heinm1989 card kingdom have some foil cards for like $10 when they retail at $50 lol they had Vesuva on for ages $10 out of stock etc, good idea to be mindful of that!
April 25, 2012 10:49 a.m.
Yeah there iss a shop that I used to go to before I moved and they were really bad about that too.
Nobilior says... #2
Never sell to shops. Bottom line. And cards are determined by supply and demand. A ton of the legends stuff is crap but it costs major $$$ just cuz there isn't much of it.
February 23, 2012 11:36 p.m.