Magic: The Gathering

[Achilles]

I've been at this for a while now, and I have some friends who are heavy Magic players - I always keep my eye out for sealed product on clearance for them, but I never come across any. Is this a function of the card business, are they not allowed to clear/discount or do they just never bother?

Anyone have any insights on M:TG clearance?

 

[firos]

I've never found good discounts on MtG product. Generally the prices are marked up on retail stores - the better prices can be found in the LGS's (local gaming stores), specially if you know the owner. Even then the differences arent that great. The best way to get good discounts by product is going big: buy a sealed case of boosters boxes and the price per boxes would be the best. But a case goes for +500$..

Other way is buying the sealed product during the oversaturated market time for an expansion. For example, now is that time for Battle of Zendikar expansion (released October).

Buying sealed boxes of MtG is similar to getting long term LEGO sets: choose a winner, buy several, store them, wait a few years, profit on ebay.

[Darth_Raichu]

I do not pay close attention to MtG, but I noticed TRU had some Bogo promotion on TCG a couple of times in December

[Robb]

As far as I know, the major retailers have their card sections merched and priced by a third party. They will pull the product and sell it some other way rather than discount it at the retailers. Sometimes the box sets go discount however.

[Achilles]

Thanks all. I suspected these sorts of things, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. 

[ZULU]

17 minutes ago, Achilles said:

Thanks all. I suspected these sorts of things, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. 

Not sure the MTG market is deep enough for reselling actively. 

[Achilles]

Yea, this wasn't for reselling purposes - Just to get cards at discounts for my friends purposes.

 

[longshot]

The best place to get MTG is either massdrop OR miniature market.com Usually you can get new release boxes for around 84-89 with no tax and free shipping. I just picked up a case on mass drop for 84 a box and 15 shipping. MTG boxes almost always go up over time but you need to buy in at less then 100. Some boxes like modern masters or worldwake are ridiculous now. I play as well so we crack most of what we buy but I always put aside a cpl boxes to hold.

[zak001]

Massdrop is a good source for sealed boxes, true (and occasionally other bits of reseller gold, but you have to be extremely selective). If you live in CA the deals are unfortunately not as good because they have to add tax. You will also wait a LONG time for your product - not as big a deal if you're buying to hold, but not great if you're looking to crack packs.

You can sometimes get good prices on boxes from the MTG retailers during seasonal sales - ChannelFireball, StarCityGames and CoolStuffInc often have good rates on boxes that are nearing rotation from Standard.

[donbee]

I used to pick up discount m:tg packs at video game places like GameStop. That was more than 5 years ago, but that was the only place I was ever able to find them. Any local shop would steadily increase the price as the set got older. 

[NicoR123]

As a somewhat expert to this matter, its very hard to find tcg products (pokemon, yugioh,mtg, etc...) at reduced prices.
thats because a how older the set becomes, it isnt printed anymore and closed boosters, displays etc become more valuable.... boosterfresh cards are always valued the most.
Its a bit of study how to get money out of this, because the tcg world is devided into 2 large groups; competitive players and collectors.
for example:

a mtg competitive player will never buy older cards because they play in blocks (3 sets and some other that are tourney legal) so older cards dont have any value to them anymore. since these cards are played with, bend etc they also have no value or a lot less to collectors since they are not in the mint/near mint status anymore
to collectors older, not printed sealed boosters etc have a hugh value because of the mint condition etc.

i could write pages full over this subject but u need to do alot of research if u want to make money outta this

[MagicShop]

If u want some help on MTG I can say a thing or two as playing/trading for the last 20years or so

[Achilles]

By all means, if anyone ever DOES stumble on something, feel free to post it here. Like I said, this isn't for flipping purposes, just something I observed while trying to help out some friends who still play.

 

[justapilgrim]

What is best way to sell box of cards from 2000 or so. I think they were ice age? There abouts. Maybe 1000 cards total no clue what's in there. Played a bit back in the day. Figure worth something but don't know how to even make a listing for them

[Brian Briggs]

19 hours ago, NicoR123 said:

a mtg competitive player will never buy older cards because they play in blocks (3 sets and some other that are tourney legal) so older cards dont have any value to them anymore. since these cards are played with, bend etc they also have no value or a lot less to collectors since they are not in the mint/near mint status anymore
to collectors older, not printed sealed boosters etc have a hugh value because of the mint condition etc.

Two things:

1. There are older formats like Modern and Legacy that are enjoyed by competitive players, too.

2. Nowadays most players use sleeves to protect (the value of) their cards. Some people double-sleeve cards for even more protection. This way most of the value can be preserved.

[NicoR123]

5 hours ago, Brian Briggs said:

Two things:

1. There are older formats like Modern and Legacy that are enjoyed by competitive players, too.

2. Nowadays most players use sleeves to protect (the value of) their cards. Some people double-sleeve cards for even more protection. This way most of the value can be preserved.

well... all depends on your local players, meta etc... i was talking global lines
even with double sleeving cards can still bend etc

[firos]

1 hour ago, NicoR123 said:

well... all depends on your local players, meta etc... i was talking global lines
even with double sleeving cards can still bend etc

If you're shipping high value cards (MtG or others) use toploaders like this, it will prevent bending:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310985966727?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=610283127164&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT 

[donbee]

I don't know if you checked it out, but B&N had mtg in their April clearance. I picked up 17 M15 packs and a few Introdecks at 50% off

[tacsniper]

Is Eldritch Moon worth holding for a bit?

[zak001]

Is Eldritch Moon worth holding for a bit?

Sealed product or singles? Recent sets have been extremely slow to appreciate after going out of print, so you're looking at a while. And with the Pro Tour this weekend, singles prices will be at their peak in the next week or so.

I would expect eternal-playable singles from the set to hold value well, being a small set with its release sandwiched between Eternal Masters and Conspiracy. But unless a BUNCH of cards break out in Modern (Elder Deep-Fiend? Eldritch Evolution? Some of the Spirits?) the long-term isn't great - no rare land cycle, no strictly-better mythics. If I had potential use for any cards from the set right now, I'd be inclined to crack packs immediately and sell/trade what I didn't need.