When Suddenly...
Economics forum
Posted on May 11, 2016, 1:54 p.m. by TMBRLZ
Nahiri, the Harbinger was $28. Now the most expensive Planeswalker in SOI.
Thanks Tokyo.
I prefer SCG prices, hence SCG link. And she used to be the cheapest.
May 11, 2016 2:20 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #4
SCG prices aren't real prices. Never judge a card's worth by what they call it.
May 11, 2016 4:09 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #5
There are still 28 copies for under $22 on tcgplayer. Star City isn't a very good judge of market price since they raise card prices and then hype the fuck out of those cards to make a quick buck. I would expect no less than four articles in the next week telling us how great Nahiri is. That is if they haven't already started. I can't be arsed to actually look at their site.
May 11, 2016 4:39 p.m.
They are when you work for an LGS.
Small businesses can't reliably use TCG as a basis for buying and selling.
May 11, 2016 4:39 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #7
You see that doesn't make sense. I would figure you would want to use a representative market price instead of what one store decides to call it. I actually clicked the link btw, just to see how high it had gone over there. They are still $28 on SCG so i'm a bit confused about "used to".
May 11, 2016 4:43 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #8
I mean, I work for an LGS that uses TCGMid without a problem...
@Gidgetimer
The prerelease versions (the first ones on the page, not obviousl if you glance at it), are $40, which could be what buddy guy here is referring to.
May 11, 2016 4:45 p.m. Edited.
Gidgetimer says... #9
Pre Release versions are always about halfway between regular and foil price. If we are talking about a printing that isn't the normal one it needs to be specified. Especially since SCG doesn't give price history. Because how would you buy into their hype if you saw that the price spiked the day before 20 of their employees played it at a GP and then they wrote 5 articles about how out of nowhere this card they are pushing started showing up at GPs.
May 11, 2016 4:56 p.m.
"When Suddenly... Nahiri Was $28." Sorry for the confusion.
TCG is unreliable because it's representative market price can be so far skewed based on somebody under or overpricing a card in question that it could potentially cost the store.
A small business wants reliability. Considering SCG is the largest independent retailer of MTG product, they offer the most reliable and relatable set prices for MtG cards.
We take their prices, and then reduce accordingly based on a number of factors, and that's our sale price. We use their buylist, and based on a number of factors, adjust our actual offer as needed. It has worked reliably for us over the years.
May 11, 2016 4:56 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #11
I don't mean to be an ass, but do you know what median means? It is distinctly not an average. It is the number separating the higher half of a data sample from the lower half. They specifically use the median so that statistical outlier don't have as big of an effect. Whereas if a single store on SCG over or under prices a card the SCG price is off by 100% of that error. This is because they are a single store, but saying you prefer SCG TCG is inaccurate market value is flawed logic. I'm not really trying to change what source you use. I'm just saying not to use an argument that is flawed to justify it.
May 11, 2016 5:11 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #12
You use tcg player so you can set your prices competitively without jumping through a bunch of additional hoops. You need to know your buylist in a general sense, and if there's some anomaly then that's when you change your sources up, or adjust however you need to, but to move real product you should be doing as little extra work as possible. I don't know why you would put a bunch of extra work on yourself for little to no actual extra benefit
May 11, 2016 5:18 p.m.
I don't understand where the extra work is being involved by relying on a single stable and successful retailer as a basis of pricing. The extra work involved would be from using TCG.
You're telling me that if there's an anomaly then I should change my sources, but that there shouldn't be extra work involved.
There isn't additional hoops.
We have a set system of price reduction based on the SCG price. If the card is between price X and Y then reduce to nearest quarter of a dollar and take Z off that price. We don't bother pricing all our singles out daily. We just price them as they're sold since prices fluctuate and we have a lot of singles on display.
We buy whatever people want to hand us. If it doesn't show up on SCG buylist and is a rare, we offer 10 cents. We just take commons and uncommons (that aren't the valuable ones obviously) as donations, or buy them by the thousands at bulk prices of a couple dollars per thousand.
If the card shows up on SCG buylist we generally will offer what is stated, based on the condition of the card. The only time we really alter it beyond that is if we have too many copies of a card or we don't trust pre-release buylist hype. But we do and can afford to buy and/or take whatever people want to sell us. They just may not like the offer. If they don't like it, then they don't have to sell it.
It works. It's low maintenance. The worst thing that can happen is SCG goes down. Then we just use ChannelFireball, which is rare, until SCG goes back up. We don't trust TCG for pricing. It's a simple as that.
TCG is for people doing trades. SCG is for a business trying to make a successful profit. We're the most successful store in our area, an Advanced Plus store, and we are buying out other stores and major collections left and right with no issue or concern for our finances. We specialize in only MtG and Sports cards/memorabilia. We're doing fine.
You can disagree with what we use to price, as is your right. I can understand your arguments and where you might see the fault, but it works, and if you lived here, you'd be buying from our store too.
That's all I have to say left on it.
May 11, 2016 5:52 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #14
"and if you lived here, you'd be buying from our store too."
I'm assuming you work at the venue listed on your profile. I actually travel for work and routinely stay in that general area for a month or more at a time. Because of this statement, I'll be sure not to ever stop by. I'm sure your shop won't miss my custom, but maybe I can keep a store afloat that appreciates their customers.
May 11, 2016 7:04 p.m.
"... and if you lived here, you'd be buying from our store too."
God; I would never give you my money.
May 11, 2016 8:02 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #16
It should be noted that CFB sells on TCG for mid price usually so a hearty lol was had there.
May 11, 2016 8:34 p.m.
Just putting my 2 cents in,
TCG
Most people I know use tcg mid for pricing and trading, including me. I also see people buy at 10% off tcg low.
I also trust tcg for yugio cards. I used them to check the prices of some old cards I have, and it was very helpful.
One place I don't trust tcg in is old foils, because, as multiple threads in Economics suggest; some could hit $200+ for no legitimate reason. But I don't think that's TCG's fault. Recently, I tried to sell an unboxed cyco cycle with amazon prices, and found it to be $470-$500! I believed the price was high due to there only being 3 sellers of the product, which is what i believe to be the same reason behind some spikes of old foils.
SCG
However, for foreign cards, I tend to use SCG because it is easier to find prices for them, (ex. Secure the Wastes
) and others use the same.
I do agree with the above-that SCG hypes card prices. I get their newsletters and the cards there are usually standard staples that will be rotating real soon.
I also feel that SCG uses their power in MtG to convince WoTC tO dO cretain things. A few weeks before the banning of Splinter Twin, SCG's newsletter talked about it being a prime target for banning. (Made a thread about this coincidence a while back, I can't find it now).
Business standpoint
From a business standpoint, I would also use tcg. Tcg I'd comprised of small sellers and their individual prices, and I think it would be most trustworthy for a small business to use.
So, that's my stance.
May 12, 2016 7:24 a.m.
Okay:
This post was intended to discuss Nahiri's price jump
It turned into unwarranted disapproval of SCG
Which then turned into unwarranted criticism of how the business I work for runs their business
Naturally I'm going to defend it
We are the cheapest place in town to buy MtG product. That isn't bias. It's a fact. And I can comfortably tell people that when I tell them about the shop. So that statement isn't some kind of vain assertion of "YOU SHOULD ONLY BUY FROM US!" If you wanted to get the most out of your money from an LGS, and you lived here, you would want to go to my LGS. You're not required to believe me, but there was no intended spiteful tone in what I said. Honestly, often when I see other people on here mention prices of something at their LGS or how their LGS does this or that, I'm surprised at the low personal value people are being presented with, compared to what I'm used to.
I'm not here to be an asshole and I'm not here to pick a fight or bicker over which engine is better or why. I was here to talk about a price jump, just like most everybody else on the Economics forum. Can we back off the bitterness please?
I'm one of the internet goers who doesn't enjoy pages long wars of text.
May 12, 2016 10:11 a.m.
Lastdaysgunslinger says... #19
Wow super derail sorry OP.Her price is going up because shes being played in other formats now also, she fetches emrakul for moderners and any big gun for standard. Hope that answers your question.
Atony1400 says... #2
She still is:
Nahari ($22)
Sorin ($19.41)
Arlinn Kord ($17.19)
Jace ($9.99)
May 11, 2016 2:02 p.m.