I ordered some cards and some of them came back nothing close to the NM I ordered them at.
I ordered some foils from Cardhaus Games, Top Deck Hobbies and Card Monster, and all of them got to me cloudy, scratched and scuffed. I haven't contacted any of the sellers yet, but definitely a disappointment.
I also ordered some cards from Ebtoys, they came in a toploader with no sleeve, and the corners were dinged up like they missed putting it in the toploader and caught the edge of the card.
I ordered some cards and some of them came back nothing close to the NM I ordered them at.
I ordered some foils from Cardhaus Games, Top Deck Hobbies and Card Monster, and all of them got to me cloudy, scratched and scuffed. I haven't contacted any of the sellers yet, but definitely a disappointment.
I also ordered some cards from Ebtoys, they came in a toploader with no sleeve, and the corners were dinged up like they missed putting it in the toploader and caught the edge of the card.
Buyer beware!
I've noticed that as being a bit of a perpetual problem at times at quite a number of sellers on tcgplayer. Their ability to rate the condition of their cards is horrendous. Back when Horizon Canopy was originally on the rise, I grabbed a few single copies from several different sellers. Out of the 10 I purchased, only 3 could be considered NM as advertised, 2 were straight up damaged, I was rather astounded as just how bad that has been getting on there of late. Once again though, that's why it pays to shop from the stores that you KNOW are going to be on the ball with condition, among other aspects. Ebay, thankfully, tends have a much better success rate comparatively speaking. These days I'm often willing to pay a little more (even when speculating or what not) to buy from a store I trust, rather than gamble that the random place I may have never bought from before might actually deliver what I've purchased.
I was worried that something like that would become a problem when they let seemingly anyone set up a store front using their site. It's becoming increasingly difficult (just in the last few months most notably) to find a balance between reliability and fair prices using them. I haven't had problems with amateur level packing jobs, but I agree that I've received some cards in less-than-sparkling conditions. I'd advise anyone buying to check feedback before purchasing, but that could and likely should apply to any seller on any site.
The cards I received today were not even in toploaders. They were in sleeves, tossed into the bubble mailers.
The condition checks are astounding though, and some of the sellers I ordered from were top rated sellers with 4K+ transactions. You'd think things would be different, but it's getting worse.
I say this a lot but why not just buy directly from stores that you trust and use coupons on those sites? A lot of us offer free shipping AND discounts when you buy direct because we don't have to pay the fees to tcgplayer for your order.
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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.
I say this a lot but why not just buy directly from stores that you trust and use coupons on those sites? A lot of us offer free shipping AND discounts when you buy direct because we don't have to pay the fees to tcgplayer for your order.
The price difference can be big. For example, I purchased foil crop rotations for $10. Starcity, channel fireball and yourself have the card listed at $20. At 50% off, that's huge. Were it only a $2-3 dollar difference, sure.
It's like someone selling deathrite shamans for $6, or a tundra for $50.
The price difference can be big. For example, I purchased foil crop rotations for $10. Starcity, channel fireball and yourself have the card listed at $20. At 50% off, that's huge. Were it only a $2-3 dollar difference, sure.
It's like someone selling deathrite shamans for $6, or a tundra for $50.
Also, it can be stock issues.
Yeah I understand but it's likely that ours(including SCG, CFB) actually had NM foils that were actually NM as we know that foil buyers have very high standards.(Ours are listed at $11.95 but we are out of stock)
$10 for an actual NM foil crop rotation is a good deal indeed so I def. can't blame you. Are you able to send the cards back or get a partial refund?
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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.
Yeah I understand but it's likely that ours(including SCG, CFB) actually had NM foils that were actually NM as we know that foil buyers have very high standards.(Ours are listed at $11.95 but we are out of stock)
$10 for an actual NM foil crop rotation is a good deal indeed so I def. can't blame you. Are you able to send the cards back or get a partial refund?
Yeah, I got a partial refund from a few sellers. I guess it really comes down to taking the gamble on certain cards and seeing what happens.
In general, I've noticed this issue cropping up a lot more since they started allowing anyone to sell there. Stick to Gold star (99.5%+) 2K+ sellers, and you should be fine. Such sellers, at minimum, have a vested interest in their feedback rating, and will offer partial refunds when they make mistakes.
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It's definitely gotten worse since they started allowing individuals to sell their cards on TCG, but it's a long-standing issue. A lot of the lowest "NM" prices aren't actually for NM cards at all. Either the seller doesn't care enough to list the grade appropriately, or they are trying to game the search placement rankings.
Agreed that its better to stick to dealers you trust. I have found that CFB in particular is a very tough grader, to the point that their SP cards would be NM almost anywhere else.
@Heath: Jut out of curiosity, how much are you giving back to TCG? I always assumed it was about 15%, but I'd be interested to know for sure.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
It's definitely gotten worse since they started allowing individuals to sell their cards on TCG, but it's a long-standing issue. A lot of the lowest "NM" prices aren't actually for NM cards at all. Either the seller doesn't care enough to list the grade appropriately, or they are trying to game the search placement rankings.
Agreed that its better to stick to dealers you trust. I have found that CFB in particular is a very tough grader, to the point that their SP cards would be NM almost anywhere else.
@Heath: Jut out of curiosity, how much are you giving back to TCG? I always assumed it was about 15%, but I'd be interested to know for sure.
I'm not 100% sure I'm allowed to disclose it but it's on par with what ebay/amazon charge.
Don't get me wrong I like tcgplayer a ton better than amazon/ebay but I just think people should realize that all of these shops are paying fees and they should see if the shops offer a discount for buying directly from them as that saves us on the fees and allows us to offer a discount.
Have you ever ordered from us and do you have any feedback for our grading? It's improved a lot in the past few years and I would love any feedback you have about it. Always looking to improve.
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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.
Ordered a textless Lightning Bolt from Top Tyr Games and MaelstromNexus, one had a dent on it and the other had some wear on the top edge. Wish I had seen this thread before ordering.
I agree on the condition issue - when the site was only larger vendors, there were almost no issues; now, almost all of my orders from TCGPlayer are nowhere near the condition listed. Very disappointing - if there is a better choice for cheap singles, let me know.
Don't get me wrong I like tcgplayer a ton better than amazon/ebay but I just think people should realize that all of these shops are paying fees and they should see if the shops offer a discount for buying directly from them as that saves us on the fees and allows us to offer a discount.
My local game store also sells through TCG. They offer no discount for in store sales even though they don't have to pay shipping or TCG fees. And, because they charge me sales tax because of the in state purchase, I am almost always better off buying from a different store online. (Yes, of course, I am supposed to pay the sales tax when I file my state income tax, but I seldom remember all of my online purchases.)
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
I agree on the condition issue - when the site was only larger vendors, there were almost no issues; now, almost all of my orders from TCGPlayer are nowhere near the condition listed. Very disappointing - if there is a better choice for cheap singles, let me know.
Well I think the reason why it's cheaper in the first place is there are a lot of people selling there which creates competition and the people that are new sellers are going to have to be very competitive to encourage people to give them a try. I do not think you will find something as cheap as tcgplayer low but with better grading. There is a reason that sites like SCG's get more for cards and it's because they have earned their good reputation with grading and fixing any mistakes that do happen. This allows their cards to fetch more just like kidi does on ebay.
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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.
I have sold a few cards on TCG (about 40 transactions). I do list for less than the first big seller (usually a seller who is listing double digit copies of a card). Otherwise, nothing would ever sell. I generally only sell standard cards so they are always in good supply.
I once sent someone a non-foil when they ordered a foil. I sent the correct card out the day they notified me and told them to keep the non-foil. So, little guys are certainly capable of fixing mistakes and providing good customer service. I'm sure it is more hit or miss than with the big guys though.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
I'm not 100% sure I'm allowed to disclose it but it's on par with what ebay/amazon charge.
Don't get me wrong I like tcgplayer a ton better than amazon/ebay but I just think people should realize that all of these shops are paying fees and they should see if the shops offer a discount for buying directly from them as that saves us on the fees and allows us to offer a discount.
Have you ever ordered from us and do you have any feedback for our grading? It's improved a lot in the past few years and I would love any feedback you have about it. Always looking to improve.
I actually never have, but I'll be sure to let you know if/when I do.
The reason I asked is because I work for an ecommerce company that sells stuff (although not magic cards) through Amazon, eBay, etc. So the challenges of retail partner programs are just something that's been in the front of my mind lately.
@CorruptDictator: Thanks, I was aware of that link due to having some friends that sell on TCG, but I wasn't sure if the rates were any different based on being affiliated with a B&M store.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
Just had two negative experiences with card conditions from TCGplayer vendors. One is hopefully going to rectify the issue but sending me another card with the "correct" condition and a return envelope. The other is in being resolved, but advertising a NM card and receiving a played one is certainly unacceptable. I hope these vendors were not trying to do a bait and switch where they send a lower grade card and were hoping to do partial refunds to reflect their true condition.
frustrating as can be! almost every order i do on tcgplayer i find something wrong. seriously there is no such thing is consistency amongst many of the sellers that i purchased things in the past from. a few of the top stores especially those with solid quantities that look like they are breaking from cases and sets send top quality stuff. packfresh, cfb, ideal808, are a few that i've had no problems with. how do people send 20 cards and among them there are creased cards, worn edges that look like i gnawed on them, and dings that even my grandma can see!!!!???
i can understand when i site claims that they sell NM player cards, so you can expect some kind of minor wear but when i'm buying a bunch of shock lands and they NM how the heck do you get copies with wear and tear that i wouldn't even grade a 6 on a scale of 1-10?!
sorry for the venting but it really is frustrating and a waste of time!
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I ordered some cards and some of them came back nothing close to the NM I ordered them at.
I ordered some foils from Cardhaus Games, Top Deck Hobbies and Card Monster, and all of them got to me cloudy, scratched and scuffed. I haven't contacted any of the sellers yet, but definitely a disappointment.
I also ordered some cards from Ebtoys, they came in a toploader with no sleeve, and the corners were dinged up like they missed putting it in the toploader and caught the edge of the card.
Buyer beware!
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
I've noticed that as being a bit of a perpetual problem at times at quite a number of sellers on tcgplayer. Their ability to rate the condition of their cards is horrendous. Back when Horizon Canopy was originally on the rise, I grabbed a few single copies from several different sellers. Out of the 10 I purchased, only 3 could be considered NM as advertised, 2 were straight up damaged, I was rather astounded as just how bad that has been getting on there of late. Once again though, that's why it pays to shop from the stores that you KNOW are going to be on the ball with condition, among other aspects. Ebay, thankfully, tends have a much better success rate comparatively speaking. These days I'm often willing to pay a little more (even when speculating or what not) to buy from a store I trust, rather than gamble that the random place I may have never bought from before might actually deliver what I've purchased.
The condition checks are astounding though, and some of the sellers I ordered from were top rated sellers with 4K+ transactions. You'd think things would be different, but it's getting worse.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
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.
The price difference can be big. For example, I purchased foil crop rotations for $10. Starcity, channel fireball and yourself have the card listed at $20. At 50% off, that's huge. Were it only a $2-3 dollar difference, sure.
It's like someone selling deathrite shamans for $6, or a tundra for $50.
Also, it can be stock issues.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
Yeah I understand but it's likely that ours(including SCG, CFB) actually had NM foils that were actually NM as we know that foil buyers have very high standards.(Ours are listed at $11.95 but we are out of stock)
$10 for an actual NM foil crop rotation is a good deal indeed so I def. can't blame you. Are you able to send the cards back or get a partial refund?
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.
Yeah, I got a partial refund from a few sellers. I guess it really comes down to taking the gamble on certain cards and seeing what happens.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
Those who hesitate in the face of greatness have already lost.
I write for EoV. Feel free to check out my articles:
Agreed that its better to stick to dealers you trust. I have found that CFB in particular is a very tough grader, to the point that their SP cards would be NM almost anywhere else.
@Heath: Jut out of curiosity, how much are you giving back to TCG? I always assumed it was about 15%, but I'd be interested to know for sure.
I'm not 100% sure I'm allowed to disclose it but it's on par with what ebay/amazon charge.
Don't get me wrong I like tcgplayer a ton better than amazon/ebay but I just think people should realize that all of these shops are paying fees and they should see if the shops offer a discount for buying directly from them as that saves us on the fees and allows us to offer a discount.
Have you ever ordered from us and do you have any feedback for our grading? It's improved a lot in the past few years and I would love any feedback you have about it. Always looking to improve.
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.
http://store.tcgplayer.com/help/fees
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential
I will always firmly stand by the belief that Magic is a game first and a collectable second.
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential
I will always firmly stand by the belief that Magic is a game first and a collectable second.
My local game store also sells through TCG. They offer no discount for in store sales even though they don't have to pay shipping or TCG fees. And, because they charge me sales tax because of the in state purchase, I am almost always better off buying from a different store online. (Yes, of course, I am supposed to pay the sales tax when I file my state income tax, but I seldom remember all of my online purchases.)
Well I think the reason why it's cheaper in the first place is there are a lot of people selling there which creates competition and the people that are new sellers are going to have to be very competitive to encourage people to give them a try. I do not think you will find something as cheap as tcgplayer low but with better grading. There is a reason that sites like SCG's get more for cards and it's because they have earned their good reputation with grading and fixing any mistakes that do happen. This allows their cards to fetch more just like kidi does on ebay.
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.
I once sent someone a non-foil when they ordered a foil. I sent the correct card out the day they notified me and told them to keep the non-foil. So, little guys are certainly capable of fixing mistakes and providing good customer service. I'm sure it is more hit or miss than with the big guys though.
I actually never have, but I'll be sure to let you know if/when I do.
The reason I asked is because I work for an ecommerce company that sells stuff (although not magic cards) through Amazon, eBay, etc. So the challenges of retail partner programs are just something that's been in the front of my mind lately.
@CorruptDictator: Thanks, I was aware of that link due to having some friends that sell on TCG, but I wasn't sure if the rates were any different based on being affiliated with a B&M store.
i can understand when i site claims that they sell NM player cards, so you can expect some kind of minor wear but when i'm buying a bunch of shock lands and they NM how the heck do you get copies with wear and tear that i wouldn't even grade a 6 on a scale of 1-10?!
sorry for the venting but it really is frustrating and a waste of time!