So, today on eBay I found a listing titled <snip> I was curious and checked it out. I read the description and was set back by what it said:
Well lets start with what we have and what we know. We have 28 packs of Magic The Gathering ALPHA! Thats right, ALPHA! These are packs of urban legend, meaning you hear about a guy who bought some cards, tried the game but never took. So put them in their closet and forgot about them. Then one day this person finds them, barely even remembers what they are, and just goes to sell them to see if he can get anything for them. Some lucky store (that would be us) gets a whack at these packs. Having gotten these packs, we decide to sell them. Take a look at the pictures of these packs, look close and look hard. We have not tampered with them in any way and hope that who ever buys them leaves feedback on what they find!!! However with these things being so rare, most people wont even open them (I would!), they will just put them in some sort of protective case and whip them out at magic events to make other players drool (hopefully not on the case)
We have gotten some emails with questions about packs getting searched, this is not something we have done nor will we ever do. The we have been asked what about the person that sold these to us, and we can promise without a doubt that this person did not search these packs for one simple reason The amount we paid for them. No one is going to sell these for what we got them for searched or unsearched. If you have any questions or want us to do something to help in your choice of trusting our 100% feedback!! let us know ASAP!!!! Anyway I am off to more Zendikar Fun on the pre-release!! WooT!
So, out of curiosity I emailed the the person who is selling these and asked them how much they purchased these alpha booster packs for. Now, let me tell you, when I found out how much the store bought these uber rare booster packs for I was speechless to put it lightly.
The store bought these alpha booster packs for $15 dollars. Yes, you heard that right, $15! The owner said if nobody purchases these boosters then they will just open them, considering they paid close to nothing for them.
I really don't know what to say. I'll be honest, I was pissed when I found out. Did the owner rip this guy off like no other or did the owner rightfully purchase these cards from an unknowing person?
Moved to Magic General. Don't use bold red again please.
More than likely, I'd guess this is another one of those Ebay scams. Those packs have most likely been searched and there probably isn't really a $15 Alpha guy. The seller only made the story up so he could explain how he mysteriously got so many boosters of Alpha. Even if there was, the way the seller presents his story does not make him seem trustworthy.
EDIT: To strengthen my point, how many people go to stores to try to sell them their old booster packs? How many people think that Best Buy would like to buy back their iPod Mini (unopened)? If the boosters were really that old, most people would either presume the packs were worthless or worth a lot. If they weren't old, well there wouldn't be a reason to go to a store to try to sell to them what they likely already have is there? Furthermore, few people would go to the trouble to find a store that sells a product they possess if they believe its worthless. I mean, $15 dollars... a lot of people would just rather leave the boosters in the basement for another 20 years. Also, it'd be very difficult to find a store to sell packs to without using the internet; and using it, the person with the boosters would likely have researched its value or risk wasting time driving. All this compels me to cry fake.
I love it when dealers scream unsearched. They're wasting their time with this auction.
You would be stupid to not search the packs and open the power in them.Call me a skeptic - but I'll bet $500 no one opens anything worth more than a Birds of Paradise out of these.
Whats wrong? The person went to the store and sold something... no one coerced that person to sell it.
What if the store owner played dumb and just offered the person $15. This just boils down to morals and how wrong this truly is. You have to admit this is just wrong. These are alpha booster packs we're talking about here.
I saw this the other day, they're trying to sell them for $500/pack and I thought when I clicked that it was 28 packs for $500 :mad:. They say the packs are unsearched but I really don't believe that, the listing seems fishy to me. And why would they open the packs and decrease their value by so much? I don't believe that, if they don't sell then they'll just lower the price, and if they're lying about that then who knows what else they're lying about (hmmmm). I never spent more than $2 for a pack, lol.
More than likely, I'd guess this is another one of those Ebay scams. Those packs have most likely been searched and there probably isn't really a $15 Alpha guy. The seller only made the story up so it could explain how it mysteriously got so many boosters of Alpha. Even if there was, the way the seller presents his story does not make him seem trustworthy.
Good point. I guess I never realized this. If it's true, then this person got ripped off big time.
I love it when dealers scream unsearched. They're wasting their time with this auction.
You would be stupid to not search the packs and open the power in them.Call me a skeptic - but I'll bet $500 no one opens anything worth more than a Birds of Paradise out of these.
Searching packs is just deceptive, and I hear it takes quite a bit of effort and can damage the cards. I wonder how many unopened, unsearched alpha boosters are left though.... 1 in 13 should have a p9 too. I wonder how often alpha is drafted...........
No, I can actually believe this story. When I was 13, I had just started to play Magic in 1998. There was a kiosk at an old, dying mall in my area of New Hampshire run by a Indian man. He sold every kind of trinket and knick-knack including Magic cards. I didn't realize it until years later, but among the items he had for sale were packs of Arabian Nights, sealed, at their original price. He barely spoke any English and had no idea of their worth on the collector's market. He must have had a box and a half's worth. I wish I had recognized them at the time... the mall went out of business soon after and I never saw him again.
What if the store owner played dumb and just offered the person $15. This just boils down to morals and how wrong this truly is. You have to admit this is just wrong. These are alpha booster packs we're talking about here.
If the person being offered 15 bucks for an unopened pack of Alpha purchased them for say...3 bucks in '93, they'd be money ahead if they sold them for 15.
It's not "wrong" if a store offers a price that's lower than what they are actually worth, it's business. No one is forcing them to sell the pack, and they're more than capable of going online and checking the prices before going to a local shop and see what they would offer him/her. If they don't do their research about the value of a pack of Alpha, or anything that could be valuable for that matter, that's their problem, not the store.
tl;dr: Stores aren't legally obligated to offer what things are really worth, if someone is willing to sell it. There's nothing morally wrong on someone buying a pack of Alpha from a random person off the street for 15. Now, if someone asked how much it was worth and the shop lied, then you might be right on it being morally wrong. But even if it is, it's still not illegal to buy it for less than it's actual value.
I remember kids having what I guess must have been alpha/beta way back when and thinking they were douchebags
I guess I should have been more open-minded....
1998 was only 5 years after magic debuted though, try to find something like that today. I know boxes must still be sitting in attics/basements but this guy just seems fishy.
The seller has a loophole in the fact that he can't possibly know if the packs were searched or not. That being said, if they have been searched, the blame can't go back to him. This does also assume that any part of this sale is legitimate in the first place.
I know him personally, and if it is true, I couldn't be happier for him (I am likely his best customer, and he has given me some great deals over the past 5 years). He has overcome great adversity on EBay, and has re-established himself as a trustworthy EBayer who sells quality goods.
I know him personally, and if it is true, I couldn't be happier for him (I am likely his best customer, and he has given me some great deals over the past 5 years). He has overcome great adversity on EBay, and has re-established himself as a trustworthy EBayer who sells quality goods.
The store can't even tell Unlimited from Revised apart. Sold UL duals off ebay to a friend, friend received Revised ones and the store just said: "Oh UL and Revised are similar enough that I did'nt notice the difference." I don't call that being trustworthy.
I really don't feel bad for the seller, he/she should have checked around before selling to the first person he spoke to. and as far as buying an Alpha booster for $500 you'd be a fool. I've bought Alpha boosters before and you can very easily see whats in them....
The store can't even tell Unlimited from Revised apart. Sold UL duals off ebay to a friend, friend received Revised ones and the store just said: "Oh UL and Revised are similar enough that I did'nt notice the difference." I don't call that being trustworthy.
Unlimited and Revised are as different as night and day. Pretty hard to mistake the word tap for the T in the circle...
This auction is undoubtedly suspicious and I would advise that you avoid it at all costs. As was stated previously:
I used to use "unsorted" in my bulk common auctions because 99% of the time, especially if it's new product they are. Commons need to be at least 10 yrs old before they are even worth cherry picking.
I learned very quickly that the second some buyer didn't get the distribution he was expecting he crys foul.
The unfortunate fact is that there is so much skepticism that even if he didn't search he's not going to get a fair shake. $500 a booster seems a bit much tho.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I love it when dealers scream unsearched. They're wasting their time with this auction.
You would be stupid to not search the packs and open the power in them.Call me a skeptic - but I'll bet $500 no one opens anything worth more than a Birds of Paradise out of these.
Well, if we're talking an Alpha Birds, it's worth about as much as an Unlimited Mox.
Unlimited and Revised are as different as night and day. Pretty hard to mistake the word tap for the T in the circle...
Exactly. How can they be reliable when they can't even tell these 2 sets apart when selling their items on ebay? That happened about 6 months back and my friend did'nt keep their emails. Basically they told him a lot of bs when he received cards from the wrong sets, and that is coming from a store.
Well, if we're talking an Alpha Birds, it's worth about as much as an Unlimited Mox.
So, out of curiosity I emailed the the person who is selling these and asked them how much they purchased these alpha booster packs for. Now, let me tell you, when I found out how much the store bought these uber rare booster packs for I was speechless to put it lightly.
The store bought these alpha booster packs for $15 dollars. Yes, you heard that right, $15! The owner said if nobody purchases these boosters then they will just open them, considering they paid close to nothing for them.
I really don't know what to say. I'll be honest, I was pissed when I found out. Did the owner rip this guy off like no other or did the owner rightfully purchase these cards from an unknowing person?
Moved to Magic General. Don't use bold red again please.
Anyway, unfortunately, this is the nature of business today. Some hapless normal person gets taken by the knowledgeable businessman.
EDIT: To strengthen my point, how many people go to stores to try to sell them their old booster packs? How many people think that Best Buy would like to buy back their iPod Mini (unopened)? If the boosters were really that old, most people would either presume the packs were worthless or worth a lot. If they weren't old, well there wouldn't be a reason to go to a store to try to sell to them what they likely already have is there? Furthermore, few people would go to the trouble to find a store that sells a product they possess if they believe its worthless. I mean, $15 dollars... a lot of people would just rather leave the boosters in the basement for another 20 years. Also, it'd be very difficult to find a store to sell packs to without using the internet; and using it, the person with the boosters would likely have researched its value or risk wasting time driving. All this compels me to cry fake.
You would be stupid to not search the packs and open the power in them.Call me a skeptic - but I'll bet $500 no one opens anything worth more than a Birds of Paradise out of these.
What if the store owner played dumb and just offered the person $15. This just boils down to morals and how wrong this truly is. You have to admit this is just wrong. These are alpha booster packs we're talking about here.
From around here? Cheap booster boxes!
BANNED for posting, "mind your own business please" to a mod.
Good point. I guess I never realized this. If it's true, then this person got ripped off big time.
Or it boils down to the auction guy lying, which is infinitely more probable.
It's odd he doesn't mention the seller has never heard of the internet nor ever thought to google "How much is a pack of magic the gathering worth"
Searching packs is just deceptive, and I hear it takes quite a bit of effort and can damage the cards. I wonder how many unopened, unsearched alpha boosters are left though.... 1 in 13 should have a p9 too. I wonder how often alpha is drafted...........
From around here? Cheap booster boxes!
BANNED for posting, "mind your own business please" to a mod.
It's not "wrong" if a store offers a price that's lower than what they are actually worth, it's business. No one is forcing them to sell the pack, and they're more than capable of going online and checking the prices before going to a local shop and see what they would offer him/her. If they don't do their research about the value of a pack of Alpha, or anything that could be valuable for that matter, that's their problem, not the store.
tl;dr: Stores aren't legally obligated to offer what things are really worth, if someone is willing to sell it. There's nothing morally wrong on someone buying a pack of Alpha from a random person off the street for 15. Now, if someone asked how much it was worth and the shop lied, then you might be right on it being morally wrong. But even if it is, it's still not illegal to buy it for less than it's actual value.
I guess I should have been more open-minded....
1998 was only 5 years after magic debuted though, try to find something like that today. I know boxes must still be sitting in attics/basements but this guy just seems fishy.
From around here? Cheap booster boxes!
BANNED for posting, "mind your own business please" to a mod.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
btw agreed all the way this is searched. It's an Alpha/Beta box, they opened 8 packs worth of kablammo, 28 packs left, not hard to figure out
The store can't even tell Unlimited from Revised apart. Sold UL duals off ebay to a friend, friend received Revised ones and the store just said: "Oh UL and Revised are similar enough that I did'nt notice the difference." I don't call that being trustworthy.
Unlimited and Revised are as different as night and day. Pretty hard to mistake the word tap for the T in the circle...
This auction is undoubtedly suspicious and I would advise that you avoid it at all costs. As was stated previously:
I learned very quickly that the second some buyer didn't get the distribution he was expecting he crys foul.
The unfortunate fact is that there is so much skepticism that even if he didn't search he's not going to get a fair shake. $500 a booster seems a bit much tho.
Well, if we're talking an Alpha Birds, it's worth about as much as an Unlimited Mox.
Exactly. How can they be reliable when they can't even tell these 2 sets apart when selling their items on ebay? That happened about 6 months back and my friend did'nt keep their emails. Basically they told him a lot of bs when he received cards from the wrong sets, and that is coming from a store.
Alpha BOP is not even close to a UL Mox.