I am wondering, what is the most effective way to sell cards for right price beside selling them in ebay?
I looked around this website's sale subforum and notice most people have a hard time moving their cards with their fair price. They would sell if they got lowballed offers or something like that.
Isn't there other source that sells better than this website beside ebay? I know about www.magictraders.com, but it is simliar to this website.
Isn't ther an online magic store offering better price than the sale forums?
I'm guessing you feel the "right price" is more then Ebay sales offer? I find a surprising amount of cards that actually sell for the same on Ebay (or more) as the cheaper dealers online sell their cards for.
You want to sell your cards for the same price as online retailers but without any of the guarantees or security they offer and no overhead? I don't see the issue with selling cards for less than retailers but a little more than a retailer would pay, otherwise just seems greedy.
You want to sell your cards for the same price as online retailers but without any of the guarantees or security they offer and no overhead? I don't see the issue with selling cards for less than retailers but a little more than a retailer would pay, otherwise just seems greedy.
This hit the nail on the head. People over-value their own cards. On top of that, if I can get a card from you for $18 and I can get the same card from SCG for $20, I'm going to SCG for the sake of convenience and having a company I can hold responsible if something goes wrong. When I order from a retailer like them I know exactly who I am dealing with and what I can expect and that is worth a premium to me. That card would probably have to be around $15 or under before I would even start to consider you. Besides, I'm not in a rush. I can buy any given card from a hundred retailers for the going rate. I am willing to wait for a deal to come along.
That being said, seconding Cardshark if you are willing to provide good service and reasonable prices. I've gotten great service from people over there. One guy sent me a second Ali from Cairo for free without me saying a word because he felt that they were in slightly worse condition than stated. The most important thing is building a reputation for yourself.
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The Collection:
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
The "fair price" is what the cards have been sold from ebay. Also, the fair price is according from the price guide at magictraders.com. I looked at the MTGSalvation sale subforum, and I notice these people still have hard time moving cards with the "fair price." For instance, there is a Chrome Mox for $9 and it hasn't moved for more than a month.
The "fair price" is what the cards have been sold from ebay. Also, the fair price is according from the price guide at magictraders.com. I looked at the MTGSalvation sale subforum, and I notice these people still have hard time moving cards with the "fair price." For instance, there is a Chrome Mox for $9 and it hasn't moved for more than a month.
Well then, if it hasn't moved at $9 for a month then $9 is not a fair price given demand in this context.
If they sell on ebay at $9 (at auction), then $9 is a fair price for that context given demand.
These cards have neglible real value. The value is almost entirely driven by supply and demand.
Probably also stupidity in many cases (note: this is not a comment directed at you)
This is what is bothering me about people. No matter how much 'normal' people will try to do their best to be fair towards you, give you all the possible information and act the best way they can, some people will still prefer to buy the cards for a much higher price from a shop, because the shop is reputable and you aren't.
So how are you supposed to built up this reputation then?
You have to be willing to make concessions in the beginning and be persistent. Pretty much every "normal people" dealer site has a feedback system. People with high positive feedback and little or no negative is as good as a shop to me. Until your feedback is worked up you have to be extremely aggressive in your pricing and uncompromising in customer service.
For example, when I order on Cardshark, the stuff I am buying is usually 20%-30% below the going price for cards. They really value feedback so orders usually come quickly and often have free cards in them. When the seller makes an error, they take the hit by sending me the correct items on their dime and, if they sent me the wrong thing, letting me keep it. Not everyone has these policies but the people with very high feedback tend to and they're the ones I usually do business with (unless someone tempts me away with an even better deal).
It may seem like a catch-22, that you have to do business to get a good reputation and you have to have a good reputation to do business. But if you have the stock and give the best service it happens faster than you think. Cards move quick. The guy who sent me the free Ali from Cairo, how much repeat business do you think that bought him? The big guys started with 0 feedback too.
Also, to be fair, it works the same way with shops. I don't trust a new shop until they have proved themselves to me. It's not the fact of owning a store that enchants me. Jerks and swindlers can own stores. It's the fact that I've been shopping SCG, ABU, CF, &C.&C.&C. since forever and have amicable relationships built up with them.
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The Collection:
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
The "fair price" is what the cards have been sold from ebay. Also, the fair price is according from the price guide at magictraders.com. I looked at the MTGSalvation sale subforum, and I notice these people still have hard time moving cards with the "fair price." For instance, there is a Chrome Mox for $9 and it hasn't moved for more than a month.
This is what is bothering me about people. No matter how much 'normal' people will try to do their best to be fair towards you, give you all the possible information and act the best way they can, some people will still prefer to buy the cards for a much higher price from a shop, because the shop is reputable and you aren't.
So how are you supposed to built up this reputation then?
Your thinking wrong, think of it this way. What do I have to offer?
What are you offering that is an incentive for the buyer to buy off of you? The store lets you play there, Ebay has great buyers protection, what are you offering that you can get the same prices without incurring any of the overhead? If your quoting Ebay prices why aren`t you also quoting the 13% the seller pays in fees, for in person trades.
Building a reputation takes a lot of time, its not something you get in one month. Spend a few years and invest a lot of money in inventory and you can build up a good reputation. Be the guy all the new players in your area know has all the hot cards in stock. Or the guy always buying and selling collections on the various MTG websites.
Honestly, who wants to waste time dealing with the guy wanting top dollar for his cards and barely has anything in stock? Most of the time the people wasting time with you will be the guys without a lot of disposable income. Remember, time has value to a lot of people, the more disposable income the higher they probably value their time.
Yeah, I almost forgot about building the reputation. I am thinking to buy a Vintage deck, and keeping it for a long time. I will sell if I need money, but only if I need it ASAP. That is why ebay is so good to get money on time.
I've heard mixed reviews about eBay. It's a good site and well-known (obviously), but their tendency in disputes is to favor the buyer. If you get a dishonest buyer and they file a bogus claim, there's a very real chance you'll lose on it.
CardShark seems like a decent site but I'd like to know more about their protection policies. Can anyone who uses this service offer any feedback on it?
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Epochalyptik from http://tappedout.net/ EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
This is what is bothering me about people. No matter how much 'normal' people will try to do their best to be fair towards you, give you all the possible information and act the best way they can, some people will still prefer to buy the cards for a much higher price from a shop, because the shop is reputable and you aren't.
So how are you supposed to built up this reputation then?
I don't know about other people, but for me it was the hard way. I sold stuff for much less than it was worth, and bought a lot of cards I didn't really need when I first got to market street. Once I got up to 15 unique refs, the rest was easy. Just made 100 unique a few days ago.
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BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
I don't know about other people, but for me it was the hard way. I sold stuff for much less than it was worth, and bought a lot of cards I didn't really need when I first got to market street. Once I got up to 15 unique refs, the rest was easy. Just made 100 unique a few days ago.
It's still hard. Nowadays I mostly just sell to dealers for roughly the same prices I have on my sales thread (I haven't updated in awhile) and they take a lot of the stuff that no one is looking for.
CardShark seems like a decent site but I'd like to know more about their protection policies. Can anyone who uses this service offer any feedback on it?
What do you want to know? Basically it favors the seller hardcore, except the fact that if the buyer doesn't recieve they get to leave feedback that can crush a new sellers potential of ever selling cards on there. You can get good feedback as well and people somewhat read the feedback of other people. The only part that sucks about their feedback is when someone leaves a 4/5 for no ****ing reason and ruins a perfect rating otherwise. As their feedback is in tenths 4.8 4.9 5.0 and they auto round down.
What do you want to know? Basically it favors the seller hardcore, except the fact that if the buyer doesn't recieve they get to leave feedback that can crush a new sellers potential of ever selling cards on there. You can get good feedback as well and people somewhat read the feedback of other people. The only part that sucks about their feedback is when someone leaves a 4/5 for no ****ing reason and ruins a perfect rating otherwise. As their feedback is in tenths 4.8 4.9 5.0 and they auto round down.
That's essentially what I was looking for. I want a site that favors the seller so I know it's safer; the reason I haven't yet sold on eBay is that it's the exact opposite - buyer protection over seller protection. I've spent a long time building a reputation as a trader on TappedOut.net and have done some selling there. I'm really looking for a way to sell to a larger market without sacrificing the peace of mind I'm used to enjoying.
How does the shipping process usually go? Is there some method that is preferred over others? Are there any requirements? Are there any unreliable methods that have led to problems?
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Epochalyptik from http://tappedout.net/ EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
In a nutshell you can ship however you want as long as condition is fine and it gets there. However do something stupid you get low rating noone buys from you etc. Personally PWE + toploaders+ penny sleeves Larger orders (30+ cards) hard plastic case. You get $2.25 for up to 25 cards to ship and more on more cards so that's fine. Major thing though the buyers aren't protected, but like I said you get a 1 rating and unless you're already established you're pretty much done there. I've always refunded or reshipped on missing orders because like I said it's not expected for you to, so I generally believe them if they say something is lost/missing. It's been like hey this $30 order is missing a day of judgment NBD just letting you know. And I ship it out they're happy etc. I've been selling there for a little under 6 months and am in the 2nd highest tier of sellers.
The inevitable problem is, that the sites that are going to get the most traffic from buyers are going to be those that have the most protection for those buyers. A site like ebay for example got to be as big as it is, because it has protected the buyer or tries to as much as is possible. Buyers want to go buy from a site that not only offers a good selection so they can get what they want, but which near-guarantees there wont be any issues for them as a buyer. A site with little protection for the buyer simply will never garner the same base of customers as one that provides solid protection for the buyers. When I buy cards online I buy from sites that have a solid reputation and have protection for the buyer.
I've heard mixed reviews about eBay. It's a good site and well-known (obviously), but their tendency in disputes is to favor the buyer. If you get a dishonest buyer and they file a bogus claim, there's a very real chance you'll lose on it.
CardShark seems like a decent site but I'd like to know more about their protection policies. Can anyone who uses this service offer any feedback on it?
usually this only happens over high end stuff. i rarely got burned on cheaper stuff less than 10. just insure all packages over a threshold amount and its not a problem. the issue is that most sellers dont insure, and that you would probably try tacking the insurance on to the shipping, and your shipping would show up as a 1.23 higher and thus people will just buy from someone else.
iirc if you can show you sent the package (delivery confirmation), you dont have to offer a refund if buyer claims unreceived.
many will refund anyhow just to avoid negative feedback.
That's a good point. Sometimes I consider just selling to online dealers for their buylist prices, the problem is I've seen a lot of complaint threads where the dealers don't send payment, or have hang ups with paypal. It feels like paypal sides with the buyers all the time from what I've read. That kind of turns me off towards selling to dealers.
You just need to find the right dealers. Most of the larger dealers (SCG, Trollandtoad, etc) care enough about their reputation and customer's selling experience that things like non-payment are not a problem.
You just need to find the right dealers. Most of the larger dealers (SCG, Trollandtoad, etc) care enough about their reputation and customer's selling experience that things like non-payment are not a problem.
Well the point is that we're not not in the habit of selling to the stores you named because their buy prices are generally pretty bad. Smaller (and sometimes blatantly less reputable) stores have to offer better buy prices to compete, and they are the ones that will sometimes mess with you. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Well the point is that we're not not in the habit of selling to the stores you named because their buy prices are generally pretty bad. Smaller (and sometimes blatantly less reputable) stores have to offer better buy prices to compete, and they are the ones that will sometimes mess with you. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
If you go to local events most stores will buy more cards than they have listed online and often offer more money since the people know offhand the general stock count. I have found that Star City Games buys very close to or at eBay values on everything above $3 typically. I mean I still got offered $.50 for my brainstorms which is slightly less than the going eBay rate but it's not they don't see a ton of that kind of stuff. They are also very knowledgeable about pimp and rare stuff. I was offered $80 on my Russian Green Sun's ZenithFoil.
I pretty much don't sell to stores online anymore because going through their lists, organizing my cards and shipping them out only to get PayPal'd a week later isn't nearly as easy as sitting down at a booth and entertaining offers on what's in front of you. It's a great way to move the casual and valuable but not liquid type cards as they reach those players regularly.
Troll and Toad is not one of these stores I speak of. I have had many good buying and selling experiences on their website in the past but in person the vendors are always borderline unfriendly and not open to buying anything not on their printed out list. I have heard from my east coast friends that they are having management issues which explains a lot coming from their recent poor quality service.
MTG Deals is my newest favorite vendor. They recently started selling on eBay too as I'm sure some of you have seen their stuff. All the guys wear bright yellow shirts and know their product and it's value. I'm not entirely positive if they travel much further east than the west coast (I think they are in San Gabriel, CA) but I wouldn't be surprised if they do.
I have to say Trollandtoad used to be one of my favorite places to sell cards, both in person and online. They've gone downhill a lot in the last year.
Cheers
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I looked around this website's sale subforum and notice most people have a hard time moving their cards with their fair price. They would sell if they got lowballed offers or something like that.
Isn't there other source that sells better than this website beside ebay? I know about www.magictraders.com, but it is simliar to this website.
Isn't ther an online magic store offering better price than the sale forums?
I've had most success here and on eBay, but also on Craigslist and Card Shark.
TESTING DECKS
WG A Toast to Life GW ~~ WU Favorable Virtue UW
This hit the nail on the head. People over-value their own cards. On top of that, if I can get a card from you for $18 and I can get the same card from SCG for $20, I'm going to SCG for the sake of convenience and having a company I can hold responsible if something goes wrong. When I order from a retailer like them I know exactly who I am dealing with and what I can expect and that is worth a premium to me. That card would probably have to be around $15 or under before I would even start to consider you. Besides, I'm not in a rush. I can buy any given card from a hundred retailers for the going rate. I am willing to wait for a deal to come along.
That being said, seconding Cardshark if you are willing to provide good service and reasonable prices. I've gotten great service from people over there. One guy sent me a second Ali from Cairo for free without me saying a word because he felt that they were in slightly worse condition than stated. The most important thing is building a reputation for yourself.
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
Well then, if it hasn't moved at $9 for a month then $9 is not a fair price given demand in this context.
If they sell on ebay at $9 (at auction), then $9 is a fair price for that context given demand.
These cards have neglible real value. The value is almost entirely driven by supply and demand.
WRGBCombo MillWRGB
???
Modern:
UUWWErayo AffinityWWUU
WWGUEnchantress ControlUGWW
EDH:
GGBBGlissa MultiplayerBBGG
RRRRKazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs Land DestructionRRRR
You have to be willing to make concessions in the beginning and be persistent. Pretty much every "normal people" dealer site has a feedback system. People with high positive feedback and little or no negative is as good as a shop to me. Until your feedback is worked up you have to be extremely aggressive in your pricing and uncompromising in customer service.
For example, when I order on Cardshark, the stuff I am buying is usually 20%-30% below the going price for cards. They really value feedback so orders usually come quickly and often have free cards in them. When the seller makes an error, they take the hit by sending me the correct items on their dime and, if they sent me the wrong thing, letting me keep it. Not everyone has these policies but the people with very high feedback tend to and they're the ones I usually do business with (unless someone tempts me away with an even better deal).
It may seem like a catch-22, that you have to do business to get a good reputation and you have to have a good reputation to do business. But if you have the stock and give the best service it happens faster than you think. Cards move quick. The guy who sent me the free Ali from Cairo, how much repeat business do you think that bought him? The big guys started with 0 feedback too.
Also, to be fair, it works the same way with shops. I don't trust a new shop until they have proved themselves to me. It's not the fact of owning a store that enchants me. Jerks and swindlers can own stores. It's the fact that I've been shopping SCG, ABU, CF, &C.&C.&C. since forever and have amicable relationships built up with them.
Every English card ever printed: 99.02%
Arabian Nights through Lorwyn: Complete
Alpha: 94.2% Beta: 95.0%
Unlimited through M10: Complete
Things sure have changed over the years.
Seriously. Where did all these players with attitudes of entitlement come from?
Your thinking wrong, think of it this way. What do I have to offer?
What are you offering that is an incentive for the buyer to buy off of you? The store lets you play there, Ebay has great buyers protection, what are you offering that you can get the same prices without incurring any of the overhead? If your quoting Ebay prices why aren`t you also quoting the 13% the seller pays in fees, for in person trades.
Building a reputation takes a lot of time, its not something you get in one month. Spend a few years and invest a lot of money in inventory and you can build up a good reputation. Be the guy all the new players in your area know has all the hot cards in stock. Or the guy always buying and selling collections on the various MTG websites.
Honestly, who wants to waste time dealing with the guy wanting top dollar for his cards and barely has anything in stock? Most of the time the people wasting time with you will be the guys without a lot of disposable income. Remember, time has value to a lot of people, the more disposable income the higher they probably value their time.
I've heard mixed reviews about eBay. It's a good site and well-known (obviously), but their tendency in disputes is to favor the buyer. If you get a dishonest buyer and they file a bogus claim, there's a very real chance you'll lose on it.
CardShark seems like a decent site but I'd like to know more about their protection policies. Can anyone who uses this service offer any feedback on it?
EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
[EDH]
BUG Combo/Control:
BUG Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition GUB
I don't know about other people, but for me it was the hard way. I sold stuff for much less than it was worth, and bought a lot of cards I didn't really need when I first got to market street. Once I got up to 15 unique refs, the rest was easy. Just made 100 unique a few days ago.
BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
It's still hard. Nowadays I mostly just sell to dealers for roughly the same prices I have on my sales thread (I haven't updated in awhile) and they take a lot of the stuff that no one is looking for.
What do you want to know? Basically it favors the seller hardcore, except the fact that if the buyer doesn't recieve they get to leave feedback that can crush a new sellers potential of ever selling cards on there. You can get good feedback as well and people somewhat read the feedback of other people. The only part that sucks about their feedback is when someone leaves a 4/5 for no ****ing reason and ruins a perfect rating otherwise. As their feedback is in tenths 4.8 4.9 5.0 and they auto round down.
That's essentially what I was looking for. I want a site that favors the seller so I know it's safer; the reason I haven't yet sold on eBay is that it's the exact opposite - buyer protection over seller protection. I've spent a long time building a reputation as a trader on TappedOut.net and have done some selling there. I'm really looking for a way to sell to a larger market without sacrificing the peace of mind I'm used to enjoying.
How does the shipping process usually go? Is there some method that is preferred over others? Are there any requirements? Are there any unreliable methods that have led to problems?
EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
[EDH]
BUG Combo/Control:
BUG Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition GUB
usually this only happens over high end stuff. i rarely got burned on cheaper stuff less than 10. just insure all packages over a threshold amount and its not a problem. the issue is that most sellers dont insure, and that you would probably try tacking the insurance on to the shipping, and your shipping would show up as a 1.23 higher and thus people will just buy from someone else.
iirc if you can show you sent the package (delivery confirmation), you dont have to offer a refund if buyer claims unreceived.
many will refund anyhow just to avoid negative feedback.
You just need to find the right dealers. Most of the larger dealers (SCG, Trollandtoad, etc) care enough about their reputation and customer's selling experience that things like non-payment are not a problem.
The Izzet
Well the point is that we're not not in the habit of selling to the stores you named because their buy prices are generally pretty bad. Smaller (and sometimes blatantly less reputable) stores have to offer better buy prices to compete, and they are the ones that will sometimes mess with you. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
If you go to local events most stores will buy more cards than they have listed online and often offer more money since the people know offhand the general stock count. I have found that Star City Games buys very close to or at eBay values on everything above $3 typically. I mean I still got offered $.50 for my brainstorms which is slightly less than the going eBay rate but it's not they don't see a ton of that kind of stuff. They are also very knowledgeable about pimp and rare stuff. I was offered $80 on my Russian Green Sun's ZenithFoil.
I pretty much don't sell to stores online anymore because going through their lists, organizing my cards and shipping them out only to get PayPal'd a week later isn't nearly as easy as sitting down at a booth and entertaining offers on what's in front of you. It's a great way to move the casual and valuable but not liquid type cards as they reach those players regularly.
Troll and Toad is not one of these stores I speak of. I have had many good buying and selling experiences on their website in the past but in person the vendors are always borderline unfriendly and not open to buying anything not on their printed out list. I have heard from my east coast friends that they are having management issues which explains a lot coming from their recent poor quality service.
MTG Deals is my newest favorite vendor. They recently started selling on eBay too as I'm sure some of you have seen their stuff. All the guys wear bright yellow shirts and know their product and it's value. I'm not entirely positive if they travel much further east than the west coast (I think they are in San Gabriel, CA) but I wouldn't be surprised if they do.
Cheers