I don't have any hard numbers on this, but I'm targeted more often than a black guy driving a beat-up sedan with a broken tail-light and no license plate, and Cy's well aware of that.
Well, let me open the thread by saying that ABU are my go-to guys for card orders. Their prices aren't always the greatest, sure. But the important thing to me is that they have almost everything. Since I'm an avid EDH player, I'm always on the look out for foils and hard-to-find promos, and I can generally rely on ABU to have them for me. Furthermore, I have never had any problems with them in terms of misleading stock or delays, and they always ship in an actual box for big orders, which is important when you live overseas and don't want to open your parcel and find half your cards bent. And they do a very good line in supplies as well, which is again important for me because stores here just don't stock high-quality stuff like Dragon Shields or Rook boxes.
If you only play T2 and just want the absolute best prices, then there are probably better sites. But for stocks of the tricky stuff, these guys are hard to beat.
(My one criticism: occasionally, the listed price of a card, seemingly always a judge foil in my experience, will be way, way above where it should be. This is usually corrected fairly quickly though)
Well, let me open the thread by saying that ABU are my go-to guys for card orders. Their prices aren't always the greatest, sure. But the important thing to me is that they have almost everything. Since I'm an avid EDH player, I'm always on the look out for foils and hard-to-find promos, and I can generally rely on ABU to have them for me. Furthermore, I have never had any problems with them in terms of misleading stock or delays, and they always ship in an actual box for big orders, which is important when you live overseas and don't want to open your parcel and find half your cards bent. And they do a very good line in supplies as well, which is again important for me because stores here just don't stock high-quality stuff like Dragon Shields or Rook boxes.
I agree with everything you just said viperesque.
This is the shop that I've started purchasing all my cards from. They have everything just as viperesque stated.
SHIPPING = VERY FAST
From the time I got the email that my order was processed, it got to me in 2-3 days TOPS.
COMMUNICATION = GOOD
I've never had a problem with an order, but when I email them questions, they typically respond within 24-48 hours.
ACCURACY IN RATING CARDS = ON POINT
DAMN NEAR ALL of the cards I've purchased from them have been in the condition described. I would say, in the 100+ cards I've bought, only 1 was not as described (or maybe I'm just being really picky).
PRICE = FAIR
They don't have the cheapest prices, but hey, you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend these guys to pure collectors. NM-M cards are sent to you in NM-M condition, no gimmicks, no excuses.
I want to share my experience with abugames.com. I have probably used them 15 times and have had no bad experiences at all. 14 out of the 15 orders came in exactly 3 days. One order came in 5 days. I use them for Standard commons and uncommons that I need. Occasionally I use them for Standard rares...
I would give them a 5 out of 5 on all categories.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
They're a little overpriced, but the stuff always gets here in reasonable amounts of time and well packaged. I've gotten everything from overpriced Standard commons to extremely underpriced FBB duals from them.
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Hey all... I'm retired, not dead. Check out what I'm doing these days (and beg me to come back if you want):
Literally the only site I buy from. I've never had an issue from them and I've had orders get to me faster from ABU than from Amazon.com (note that I'm in the UK). I've ordered things on regular from Amazon that took over a fortnight to come, where ABU's worst was a week to get the cards shipped over the Atlantic.
It's good to see that ABU does well for those overseas.
Once again, they did my order very quickly and sent it out. I will probably receive it by Friday.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Got 2 Survivals for 20$ each, were advertised as played but arrived in what i'd call "good" condition.
4 Days from payment to delivery and all this while living in germany
ABU has a broad range of what they consider "played", but their visual grading guide makes that very clear. Anything from relatively minor wear to just short of worn-out falls within the played category there; in other words, any card that is legally playable in a sleeve, and doesn't have actual damage to it (warping, tears, water-damage, writing, etc).
The plus side to that is that they buy cards in the same condition and state that "played" buy price up front. While their buy prices aren't the highest, you know the price you'll get for a pretty worn card, as opposed to getting cards sent back for being too low of a grade (Strikezone, MTGFanatic) or marked down to a very low grade and get paid only a small percentage (Card Kingdom, for example).
I have ordered NM cards from them and they came as just that...NM. So you get what you pay for. And, as you mentioned, shipping was VERY fast (and I'm across the country from them).
Sold them (approximately) $2K in cards a couple of weeks ago. They are prompt and professional. Got back to me and mailed checks with in a week. Easy to reconcile any issues with my sales order.
Pleasure to to business with and highly recommend.
Wow I never knew this thread existed. Umm I've used them twice in the past for orders and they are my top notch group for online purchasing. They are overpriced on most of their inventory (bad), but their customer service and support is stellar (good). I remember even calling them and the guy was able to confirm card qualities and any questions over the phone. They are awesome with promo cards and foils being mint/no wear. If you're spending cash on magic cards -- especially in the hundreds of dollar department -- and extra 10 or 20 bucks overall is worth having everything be spectacular. A+ vendor for those on the fence
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That which nourishes me, destroys me
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
One small thing against them that I was just reminded of, it must be said, is that errors when assembling an order have occurred (for me, at least), on a fairly regular basis. This year alone, I have received Summoning Station instead of Summoner's Egg, a red deck box when I ordered a silver one, and four Scrying Sheets instead of one (although I'm not going to complain about that last one :sneaky:). Obviously these were fairly small errors, and it possible that less attention was being paid precisely because the items involved did not have a high value, but there is potential for real problems if, say, you ordered Savannah and got Savannah Lions.
I just got back from the ABU store. This was my second time being at the store, first trip was outstanding.
This time it was appalling. I put in a order for 60 cards give or take a couple. The first batch arrived and I found 3 that weren't up to snuff for NM foils. So off to the side they went, as they said they were going to wait until I looked at all the cards as to not make multiple trips to the stock room. After looking at the second batch, 1 card was the wrong card, it happens we are human. 2 cards had creases/bends in them (guess that is a fair valuation of "played") off to the side they went.
While I was looking at all the cards they were taking care of the other customers, no problems there it is a store after all. Then I got... forgotten I guess would be an appropriate term. I asked someone that was at a register for some assistance and was curtly told "I'm on lunch ATM", and went back to his cellphone texting.
I eventually got someone to come and help me. As I was explaining the "defects" of the cards, and asking to see some replacements in better condition, the guy on "lunch" decided to add his 2c and said, "You get the cards in the condition that you pay for". If you are going to charge me out of the pack NM prices, I want a out of the pack NM card.
So back up they go with the cards to get replaced, and after about 15 minutes, they come back down with the exact same cards that they went up with. Then have the audacity to tell me that they are the only copies they have. Now I could be wrong but the odds of 5 foil cards having the exact same scratches and defects in the exact same place are astronomical. I double checked, and there were at least 3+ copies of each card that I was looking for.
I almost walked out of the store and left 60+ cards on the counter. I set aside each card that I had felt wasn't up to their grade standards that they set and bought the others.
Short and skinny. Check on the customer regularly. Don't try to pawn garbage off on me when I am obviously going to make you go get another one. Don't tell me it's the only copy when I can take 2 steps over and check the website and see that you are lying.
Such a terrible experience, I can only hope that it was just a fluke.
I would make sure the owner is aware of how his employee's are acting. I do not know the owner personally but I deal with one of his employee's a lot and I know he speaks well of his employer. I would see how the owner handles the situation and then base your view of them on that. I'm assuming the owner would be very concerned if he knew his employee's were acting this way as would I. I know I always like to know what is going on at my shop when I'm not there and I love e-mails from people like you so that I can get feedback on who is not holding their weight and representing my business properly. Make sure to give him descriptions of the employee's that were treating you poorly so that he can talk to the ones involved. Good luck!
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PureMTGO MTGOTraders - Coupon mtgsallypaypal for 8% off orders paid for with paypal. MTGO Hotlist! - Pays more than bots for singles. CapeFearGames - Coupon mtgsally for 5% off entire order. Orders ship same day if order placed before 3pm EST M-F. Do not stack with other coupons please.
Paying extra 20% on paper cards for MTGOTraders credits.
Buying from NZ I like ABU games since their shipping is much lower than other stores I have checked (about 2.50USD). I like buying a little bit every 2 weeks or so (say about $30) so shipping costs are very important since I don't spend enough to qualify for free shipping.
I bought 2 Eldrazi Monument at SP-PLD @ 11.50 a piece. When I received them they look mint to me. No white marks, period. I have noticed overall though that their prices are much higher.
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Modern:
Affinity
EDH:
Rhys (Tokens)
Karrthus (Dragons)
Bruna (Auras OP)
Buying from NZ I like ABU games since their shipping is much lower than other stores I have checked (about 2.50USD).
lol, I can buy 4 cards and get charged the same. I'm only about 50 miles from their store!
Once thing I can say, pending on who you deal with, you can get some AWESOME service or just some mediocre. I have watched a few of them grade cards and analyze the cards up close are various angles, and some that just take a glance and call it a day.
I made my first order from this site last Thursday, and it was at my house the following Monday. Keep in mind that this was over Christmas Weekend, which makes it quite impressive. I also made an order on Troll&Toad and SCG on the same day, both of which arrived later (T&T on Wednesday and SCG not until today, 8 days). The order was only 2 cards (one was a foil Arcum for an Xmas present), but I still think it was very excellent response time. I'll definitely be looking into them in the future, possibly next Friday (payday :)).
Placed many orders with them before, I had one problem, I ordered a foil Rend Flesh from them, and they sent me a foil [CARD]Rend Spirit[CARD]. I called them up and they sent me a new one quickly, so the customer service was sweet. Their "played" cards border on heavy play though, just letting you guys know
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Want to Cube but don't have one? Check the map if anyone is in your area and get cubing!
They only have FedEx shipping options available right now, what gives? (I'm in the US by the way, and talking singles.) I was considering selling them a bunch of cards but if the shipping is going to cost $10 that's not going to happen.
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Negative experiences should be backed with verifiable information; failure to do so will result subject your post to a warning and or infraction.
UUU Azami, Lady of Scrolls
RRR Diaochan, Artful Beauty
UR(U/R) Tibor, Lumia, & Melek (WIP)
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If you only play T2 and just want the absolute best prices, then there are probably better sites. But for stocks of the tricky stuff, these guys are hard to beat.
(My one criticism: occasionally, the listed price of a card, seemingly always a judge foil in my experience, will be way, way above where it should be. This is usually corrected fairly quickly though)
I agree with everything you just said viperesque.
This is the shop that I've started purchasing all my cards from. They have everything just as viperesque stated.
SHIPPING = VERY FAST
From the time I got the email that my order was processed, it got to me in 2-3 days TOPS.
COMMUNICATION = GOOD
I've never had a problem with an order, but when I email them questions, they typically respond within 24-48 hours.
ACCURACY IN RATING CARDS = ON POINT
DAMN NEAR ALL of the cards I've purchased from them have been in the condition described. I would say, in the 100+ cards I've bought, only 1 was not as described (or maybe I'm just being really picky).
PRICE = FAIR
They don't have the cheapest prices, but hey, you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend these guys to pure collectors. NM-M cards are sent to you in NM-M condition, no gimmicks, no excuses.
Sig provided by SGT_Chubbz of Damnation Studios
"Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
I would give them a 5 out of 5 on all categories.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)https://twitch.tv/annorax10 (classic retro speedruns & occasional MTGO/MTGA screwaround streams)
https://twitch.tv/SwiftorCasino (yes, my team and I run live dealer games for the baldman using his channel points as chips)
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica
It's good to see that ABU does well for those overseas.
Once again, they did my order very quickly and sent it out. I will probably receive it by Friday.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)ABU has a broad range of what they consider "played", but their visual grading guide makes that very clear. Anything from relatively minor wear to just short of worn-out falls within the played category there; in other words, any card that is legally playable in a sleeve, and doesn't have actual damage to it (warping, tears, water-damage, writing, etc).
The plus side to that is that they buy cards in the same condition and state that "played" buy price up front. While their buy prices aren't the highest, you know the price you'll get for a pretty worn card, as opposed to getting cards sent back for being too low of a grade (Strikezone, MTGFanatic) or marked down to a very low grade and get paid only a small percentage (Card Kingdom, for example).
I have ordered NM cards from them and they came as just that...NM. So you get what you pay for. And, as you mentioned, shipping was VERY fast (and I'm across the country from them).
Pleasure to to business with and highly recommend.
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
This time it was appalling. I put in a order for 60 cards give or take a couple. The first batch arrived and I found 3 that weren't up to snuff for NM foils. So off to the side they went, as they said they were going to wait until I looked at all the cards as to not make multiple trips to the stock room. After looking at the second batch, 1 card was the wrong card, it happens we are human. 2 cards had creases/bends in them (guess that is a fair valuation of "played") off to the side they went.
While I was looking at all the cards they were taking care of the other customers, no problems there it is a store after all. Then I got... forgotten I guess would be an appropriate term. I asked someone that was at a register for some assistance and was curtly told "I'm on lunch ATM", and went back to his cellphone texting.
I eventually got someone to come and help me. As I was explaining the "defects" of the cards, and asking to see some replacements in better condition, the guy on "lunch" decided to add his 2c and said, "You get the cards in the condition that you pay for". If you are going to charge me out of the pack NM prices, I want a out of the pack NM card.
So back up they go with the cards to get replaced, and after about 15 minutes, they come back down with the exact same cards that they went up with. Then have the audacity to tell me that they are the only copies they have. Now I could be wrong but the odds of 5 foil cards having the exact same scratches and defects in the exact same place are astronomical. I double checked, and there were at least 3+ copies of each card that I was looking for.
I almost walked out of the store and left 60+ cards on the counter. I set aside each card that I had felt wasn't up to their grade standards that they set and bought the others.
Short and skinny. Check on the customer regularly. Don't try to pawn garbage off on me when I am obviously going to make you go get another one. Don't tell me it's the only copy when I can take 2 steps over and check the website and see that you are lying.
Such a terrible experience, I can only hope that it was just a fluke.
MTGOTraders - Coupon mtgsallypaypal for 8% off orders paid for with paypal.
MTGO Hotlist! - Pays more than bots for singles.
CapeFearGames - Coupon mtgsally for 5% off entire order. Orders ship same day if order placed before 3pm EST M-F. Do not stack with other coupons please.
Paying extra 20% on paper cards for MTGOTraders credits.
That's the first (and last) time I do business with them.
I'm considering doing a decently sized sale with them (120+) and I'm wondering what I can expect.
Legacy Decks:
Legendary Maverick GW
I've sold to them 2-3 times and they're some of the best I've dealt with.
Modern:
Affinity
EDH:
Rhys (Tokens)
Karrthus (Dragons)
Bruna (Auras OP)
lol, I can buy 4 cards and get charged the same. I'm only about 50 miles from their store!
Once thing I can say, pending on who you deal with, you can get some AWESOME service or just some mediocre. I have watched a few of them grade cards and analyze the cards up close are various angles, and some that just take a glance and call it a day.
I was hoping for any and all information anyone might have.
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Anyhow, that's my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.
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