why are cards so expensive?
Economics forum
Posted on March 1, 2014, 7:49 p.m. by OrzhovExtort
I'm a very young magic player but understand the game almost better than every player ive ever met that has played longer than i have ( at least that's what they say) and I don't have a job and cant spend 15 bucks for a card and nobody wants to trade with some kid so why are cards so pricey? and don't tell me uggh duh for profit. thanks
OrzhovExtort says... #3
lol what is wrong with society? overwhelmed with power :) we all just want to play the game just give me my cards and let me build a kick ass deck
March 1, 2014 8:02 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
Wait until you get to start paying for your own bills.
But seriously, the cards are expensive because this is a collectible hobby, and the secondary market is a capitalist system. If supply is lower than demand, price will be high enough to sustain those that hold the supply.
This is part of the reason I play EDH; EDH decks don't require expensive cards to be playable. Casual in general is nice in this respect.
March 1, 2014 8:19 p.m.
Honestly, it is a matter of basic economics, and the theory of "Supply and Demand". The "demand" and desirability of a card goes up, and everyone wants one, hence the supply gets low, which then causes a shortage, which causes price to go up...you see where this goes.
Now if the "demand" for a card goes down, then there are more in the marketplace, and then the price goes down, and people sell before they lose more money, which creates a surplus, and even more in the marketplace...
A good example is Ajani, Caller of the Pride . I bought 3 of him at 4.50 a piece. With white weenie and other deck archetypes that are featuring him on the rise, in the last 2-3 months his price has nearly doubled to a median price of about 10.25. It is an example of card mechanics, and supply and demand.
March 1, 2014 8:20 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #6
I know how you feel. It is frustrating not being able to buy some of the more expensive cards, i.e. original duals or fetches, but I am planning to start saving for the ones I need. I am in high school, and I don't have a "real" job. Not sure how old you are, but mowing lawns on the weekend for me is a great way to fund Magic. I make a lot more than my friends with "real" jobs do, except for one, and I am able to save, spend on Magic and my car. Perhaps try coming up with a way to make some money. Once I quit standard and started playing EDH, I noticed that I stopped spending as much money on cards.
March 1, 2014 8:56 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #7
I'm not sure how you can say that you understand the game better than every other player you've met while simultaneously not understanding the basic economics of the game. Not meaning to give any offense, but saying that society is overwhelmed with power just because no one will give you Magic cards for free is a bit conceited to say. Again, don't take this the wrong way. It might be a wise idea to be a bit careful with your wording there though. You're kind of demonizing an entire subculture.
March 1, 2014 10:17 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
CrazyLittleGuy makes good points. I kind of glossed over that bit. Being decent at playing the game is quite different from understanding the game (and from being a good player, for that matter).
March 2, 2014 2:19 a.m.
McSleuthburger says... #9
At the end of the day every card shop and even Wizards of the Coast is a business. They need to make the income other wise they cant stay around. So if some people are gong to be willing to pay 15 bucks for a card that is what it will be because of the potential revenue that will bring in. There is no point in selling it cheaper (as long as it doesn't sit for a huge amount of time)
I graduated college and have a full time job.....I still dont throw too much into this game, trading is an awesome way to get what you need without breaking the bank
March 2, 2014 9:25 a.m.
Learn how to make proxies. Find other people in your same situation who accept proxies and play with them.
In time you will hopefully grow up and have a job and all that jazz and then you can replace your proxies with the real thing.
March 2, 2014 9:32 a.m.
in the end supply and demand is the thing , but buy from good websites, using more damaged cards, which cost dramatically less. and if you really want a card , stop buying boosters, save up , and buy. seriously, jace the mind sculptor is less than 25 boosters.
March 2, 2014 10:46 a.m.
Didgeridooda says... #12
It can seem very frustrating for a kid for a game like this to be out of reach. As you get older you will buy more. It has nothing to do with society, and power. With out the collectible aspect of this game it would have died before you were old enough to understand it.
March 2, 2014 11:34 a.m.
OrzhovExtort says... #13
THank you guys I see what ALL of you are saying I understand supply and demand I actually might look up how much it costs to make a single card that is what im trying to figure out. I really think it is amzing though how Wizards gives back money through tournaments. I am only 14 and yep no job :) just trying to keep up with older people who play the game and wish I could play more competitively through standard. thanks for the feedback. Im also looking for tips on how to get some of the more expensive cards and I got some!!! Where do most of you get your cards and what site do you think is the best to get good standard cards??
March 2, 2014 2:12 p.m.
Didgeridooda says... #14
I would say starting out drafting is the best. You learn about the rules, play on an even playing field regardless of investment in to the game, and you get some cards while you do.
March 2, 2014 2:19 p.m.
OrzhovExtort says... #15
thanks!!! if you buy your cards online where do you buy them from and what site do you think sells cheaper? if at all.
March 2, 2014 2:23 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #16
I'll break down the actuality for you, since it's sometimes easy to miss at the basic level.
WOTC produces cards for dirt cheap. Remember, cards are just pieces of printed cardboard. The expense comes in at the intellectual level; you have to pay design teams to come up with all this stuff.
WOTC sells its product to distributors, who then sell the product to individual stores. The stores sell product to players. This creates a secondary market: a network of players and stores that buy from, sell to, and trade with one another. Cards get individual prices in the secondary market, and those prices reflect the demand of the card. Values on the primary market are much different from these secondary market values, and singles don't even exist on the primary market. Everything in the primary market is about sealed product.
Also, WOTC doesn't host all of the Magic tournaments. Many are sponsored by stores. And the tournament entry fees almost always cover the prize pool. Tournaments are a way of making money. That's why registration fees tend to be something on the order of $30-40, and why vendors push product at events.
As far as getting expensive cards, you're in a tight spot. The easiest and cheapest way to get a card is to simply buy it as a single. Don't crack packs for specific wants; you'll end up spending quite a lot, and you probably won't get much. Opening packs is, for all intents and purposes, gambling.
It sounds like you should be worried more about expanding your collection and getting into the trading community. Drafting is a decent way to stock your binder, as it's usually economical, and it gives you gameplay experience at the same time. Try doing some drafts, then trading the winnings into the cards you really need. Often, Standard players will keep a decent stock of important Standard cards, so trading with other Standard players is a pretty reliable means of getting those cards.
When I buy singles, I tend to shop from StarCityGames. Many people claim that SCG is comparatively expensive, and, to a certain extent, that's true. But their service and their selection make up for the extra cost. I also usually shop for harder-to-find cards like foils, foreign printings, and older cards. SCG's inventory is large enough to support almost any of those desires.
TCGplayer is a decent site for those with less extravagant shopping lists. It's a collation of many, many online stores, and it gives you average prices for all the cards you need. TCGplayer also gives you an interface that facilitates purchases from all of those stores in one transaction.
March 2, 2014 2:26 p.m.
Didgeridooda says... #17
Cheaper is not the only thing to consider. Shipping, and availability are just as important. Starcitygames, and card kingdom would have I think the best availability. I use troll and toad, and mainly amazingmtg. Amazingmtg is my local store, and I just have them do the order for pickup, so I don't know how much their shipping is. They have good prices, and pretty good availability which is nice.
March 2, 2014 2:26 p.m.
OrzhovExtort says... #18
I always add the shipping and when / how soon or if they have any of the cards I want Thank you for giving me some suggestions
March 2, 2014 2:29 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #19
When you buy cards online, try to make fewer bigger orders than many smaller orders, it will save you on shipping. The cheapest shipping options usually are only a few dollars a few more days to wait. When you use a resource like StarCityGames this is simple, but with something like TCGplayer you will have to pay attention that you buy from one vendor to get this effect. Avoid shopping on eBay, it's a mixed bag with unpredictable results.
When possible though you should buy the cards locally, particularly if they offer a decent price; just try not to be that guy that brings a sheet of online prices and throws it in their face if the local shop's can't price match. You can just politely turn them down.
And I want to point out; just because you get a real job, doesn't mean you get to spend all of your money on cards. In my case, actually only a small part of my budget can go to cards, as I have loans and personal career-building projects that need funding more than I need a $20 copy of Demonic Tutor (neat though it is, I make do with Diabolic Tutor ). I very rarely spend more than $5 on a single card, but it helps that I play EDH and Sealed exclusively, so I avoid the whole Standard/Modern thing.
March 3, 2014 10:41 a.m.
SharuumNyan says... #20
Magic is expensive, but then so are most other hobbies. I know people who will blow $50 a week on video games and then complain about how expensive Magic cards are.
If you have $10 per week to put aside you could build a solid budget deck (like RW) in a couple of months. Then you can slowly expand your collection to get more cards.
March 3, 2014 10:58 a.m.
jpgcoleman says... #21
There are a lot of options for budget players. The commander and pauper formats are good. Standard is really not a good place to start since competitive decks are expensive and don't maintain there value well once the sets rotate. I would suggest drafting as opposed to constructed play. It will help you build up your collection while also remain competitive.
March 3, 2014 1:47 p.m.
i would say play modern, since usually when cards rotate out, they cost much less.
March 3, 2014 8:30 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #23
@h20: That's not true at all.
First, most cards experience a gradual decline after Standard rotation. They don't just instantly fall to a fraction of their initial costs.
Second, cards that are playable in Modern tend not to experience sharp or severe declines. They hover close to their pre-rotation prices.
Third, most of the good Modern cards are still comparatively expensive. To someone who considers $15 to be a lot to spend on a card, the barrier to entry for Modern must seem extremely high.
March 3, 2014 8:33 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #24
The cost of Modern is spiraling out of control. I built my Modern deck two months ago, and today it would cost $200 more to build.
Wizards wants the format to be affordable, but pretty soon it's going to be as expensive as Legacy!
March 3, 2014 8:40 p.m.
yeah, the best thing to do is to be active in the game=when some one said tamiyo fell in price i bought it, the same with jace architect of thoughtjust be patient, while not all cards fall, some do, and when they do , pounce like a fleecemane lion
March 3, 2014 8:42 p.m.
RaiJinnski says... #26
to be honest, i myself am a newbie on MTG and just started playing for almost 2weeks and the only thing i hate about card games is their pricetag (yes, i play other card games aswell). Most card games are really expensive take Mutavault and shocklands for example (yes, shocklands are expensive in my eyes) and i cant even afford for "relatively cheap" cards like Path to Exile and Mizzium Mortars but... what im trying to say is, save up, try EDH/Commander (cheapest way imo) or Modern (on a budget of course, i just made my slivers deck for ideally $50). Standard is not the really way to go because of the rotation that happens everytime. U could also try drafting (which i might actually try, after i learn its mechanics) and...yeah...in my opinion, at first, i thought it wasnt supply and demand that drives these prices up but it was based on how many they printed out( at least that how it works on other card games) and realized that these people were right, anyways im also a "kid" that tries to enjoy/learn magic in different ways which probably it would be modern on the budget
April 4, 2014 4:56 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #27
Well, print runs do factor into price. However, they fall under the broader umbrella that is supply and demand. It's not even like the number of X to Y within a set is different; cards of the same rarity are printed in the same numbers (within a set). The difference is in competitive viability.
The most important thing to remember about Magic is that WOTC doesn't set single prices. Singles are priced by the collective secondary market (the players and stores) based on how viable they are in competitive events.
One of the reasons I like EDH is that you can build a strong deck without buying tons of staples. While it's possible to do the same in other formats, it's much harder to end up with a usable product.
You might consider looking into cubing if someone you know has a cube. It's a good way to get experience with Limited, and it's just fun in general.
April 4, 2014 5:20 a.m.
RaiJinnski says... #28
Cubin and limited? New terms I've never heard of
PS:interested to know how them formats work
April 4, 2014 6:09 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #29
Limited encompasses many things: cube, draft, sealed, release, prerelease, etc. Any event that's "limited" to a set or block.
Cubes are player-built drafting sets. You design a "set" of some number of cards of your choosing (you can pick anything: the best cards of the game, decent Modern-legal cards, random jank, even commons). When you want to draft from it, you shuffle it all up, count out 15-card "packs," and mock up a regular draft.
showda says... #2
Supply and demand. The more of a demand for a card, the more sellers can get away with pricing it.
March 1, 2014 7:54 p.m.