I'm very curious to know other people's experiences and opinions.
Is anyone else finding it impossible to buy this product?
I've been patiently waiting for it to be available online for preorder at my LGS (which is literally the top MTG seller in Canada), but apparently after weeks of apparent shipping delays, I realized tonight that only the singles (both regular and foils) are available for purchase at ridiculously inflated prices.
*EDIT: Full box sets are officially now available for preorder to shipped the first week of December. Perhaps I should have waited another week before getting impatient, but I was very concerned when all I initially saw for sales was singles*
For the record, I don't "need" any of these cards and already own multiples of every card included, but wanted the new alternate arts (preferably in foil... who doesn't, right?). Regardless, I'm still upset.
Was it not Wizards' intent to allow their customers (not their retail distributors, but actual players and collectors) to buy this box set in its entirety?
Quite frankly, I feel like Wizards failed many commander players with this product and only rewarded LGSs who clearly felt it wasn't in their best interest to allow anyone to buy this product so they could chop it up for additional profits.
Don't misunderstand... I'm not against stores buying back singles from such box sets to resell from players who bought the box and don't want to keep everything included for themselves. In fact, I appreciate that they do because often I don't want the whole set anyway. However, specifically not alloying any customers to buy this product as it was intended to be sold is extremely disappointing and should be a violation of Wizards' distribution policy which (to the best of my knowledge) forbids (or used to forbid) the reselling of buy-a-box, fnm, and gameday promos (which hadn't previously been sold or traded back to stores) that were specifically meant to be given away as rewards for in-store events.
One can't help but ask...
Why wasn't this released as a Secret Lair product which anyone could order and actually receive a copy of, instead of what is essentially a rebranded From the Vault product, which as we knew from past experience would be, and is now seemingly impossible to find because of the existing price hikes on the singles included (which as we all know were only artificially inflated due to scarcity prior to the reprints)?
One would think when a product like this is released there would be a fair but modest mark-up from MSRP,... say bringing the product to $100 for the regular box and $200 for the premium version (which was my initial price estimate when this was first announced). However, evidently I now have to pay $350+ tax CAD instead for the entire set because stores will ONLY let me buy the cards as singles?!
Seems pretty insane considering I remember paying $225 (plus tax) albeit at a different store for Commander's Arsenal upon release (which obviously included a retail mark-up at the time but seemed fair) and had more (and arguably better) cards included!
*Edit #2: Very pleased now. After locking in my premium preorder fearing supply would run out quicker than it did, sales slowed, the price dropped, and I was partially refunded which gave me the ability to get more from Commander Legends! Evidently, in this instance I was apparently too anxious about this delayed release and wanted to ensure I could get this product easily and unopened (unlike some past FTV experiences), and somehow let my impatience get the best of me*
I'm sorry if this comes off a rant thread, but I truly want to understand the logic behind Wizards' terrible decision (in my opinion) to only sell this product through stores knowing what they would likely do to take advantage of the primary consumer base (actual players).
Whoever at Wizards made the decision should be ashamed of themselves, and I hope they (and Hasbro executives) read this knowing that they would've easily and undoubtedly sold many more copies of this box set (and made significantly more profit) by cutting out greedy middlemen had this set of green commander staples been released as a Secret Lair instead. In other words: EPIC FAIL!
Had it been sold online that way instead (properly and respectfully), I myself would've ordered two premium editions (one to keep sealed), but instead I'm buying NONE (sorry Wizards, but you lost a sale by your own doing), and will refuse to ever buy the singles individually out of principle because I can't in good conscious support the specific dismantling of such box sets. If I ever get them, it will have to be via a trade with another player, and if not, c'est la vie!
Opening booster boxes for singles resale is one thing, but opening very limited print run box sets which players literally yearn for, patiently wait for with anticipation once announced, and have the right to buy sealed in their box is quite another.
Struggling through Covid-19 times notwithstanding, I still say shame on every retailer who put their own profits over players (real people most of whom have limited disposable income) and seemingly didn't care one iota about making any of their long time supporters happy in this instance.
Your decision was wrong, unethical, and this long-time big-spending customer denounces and condemns it!
Apology deserved and expected.
Is anyone else finding it impossible to buy this product?
I've been patiently waiting for it to be available online for preorder at my LGS (which is literally the top MTG seller in Canada), but apparently after weeks of apparent shipping delays, I realized tonight that only the singles (both regular and foils) are available for purchase at ridiculously inflated prices.*EDIT: Full box sets are officially now available for preorder to shipped the first week of December. Perhaps I should have waited another week before getting impatient, but I was very concerned when all I initially saw for sales was singles*
For the record, I don't "need" any of these cards and already own multiples of every card included, but wanted the new alternate arts (preferably in foil... who doesn't, right?). Regardless, I'm still upset.
Was it not Wizards' intent to allow their customers (not their retail distributors, but actual players and collectors) to buy this box set in its entirety?
Quite frankly, I feel like Wizards failed many commander players with this product and only rewarded LGSs who clearly felt it wasn't in their best interest to allow anyone to buy this product so they could chop it up for additional profits.
Don't misunderstand... I'm not against stores buying back singles from such box sets to resell from players who bought the box and don't want to keep everything included for themselves. In fact, I appreciate that they do because often I don't want the whole set anyway. However, specifically not alloying any customers to buy this product as it was intended to be sold is extremely disappointing and should be a violation of Wizards' distribution policy which (to the best of my knowledge) forbids (or used to forbid) the reselling of buy-a-box, fnm, and gameday promos (which hadn't previously been sold or traded back to stores) that were specifically meant to be given away as rewards for in-store events.
One can't help but ask...
Why wasn't this released as a Secret Lair product which anyone could order and actually receive a copy of, instead of what is essentially a rebranded From the Vault product, which as we knew from past experience would be, and is now seemingly impossible to find because of the existing price hikes on the singles included (which as we all know were only artificially inflated due to scarcity prior to the reprints)?
One would think when a product like this is released there would be a fair but modest mark-up from MSRP,... say bringing the product to $100 for the regular box and $200 for the premium version (which was my initial price estimate when this was first announced). However, evidently I now have to pay $350+ tax CAD instead for the entire set because stores will ONLY let me buy the cards as singles?!
Seems pretty insane considering I remember paying $225 (plus tax) albeit at a different store for Commander's Arsenal upon release (which obviously included a retail mark-up at the time but seemed fair) and had more (and arguably better) cards included!
*Edit #2: Very pleased now. After locking in my premium preorder fearing supply would run out quicker than it did, sales slowed, the price dropped, and I was partially refunded which gave me the ability to get more from Commander Legends! Evidently, in this instance I was apparently too anxious about this delayed release and wanted to ensure I could get this product easily and unopened (unlike some past FTV experiences), and somehow let my impatience get the best of me*
I'm sorry if this comes off a rant thread, but I truly want to understand the logic behind Wizards' terrible decision (in my opinion) to only sell this product through stores knowing what they would likely do to take advantage of the primary consumer base (actual players).
Whoever at Wizards made the decision should be ashamed of themselves, and I hope they (and Hasbro executives) read this knowing that they would've easily and undoubtedly sold many more copies of this box set (and made significantly more profit) by cutting out greedy middlemen had this set of green commander staples been released as a Secret Lair instead. In other words: EPIC FAIL!
Had it been sold online that way instead (properly and respectfully), I myself would've ordered two premium editions (one to keep sealed), but instead I'm buying NONE (sorry Wizards, but you lost a sale by your own doing), and will refuse to ever buy the singles individually out of principle because I can't in good conscious support the specific dismantling of such box sets. If I ever get them, it will have to be via a trade with another player, and if not, c'est la vie!
Opening booster boxes for singles resale is one thing, but opening very limited print run box sets which players literally yearn for, patiently wait for with anticipation once announced, and have the right to buy sealed in their box is quite another.
Struggling through Covid-19 times notwithstanding, I still say shame on every retailer who put their own profits over players (real people most of whom have limited disposable income) and seemingly didn't care one iota about making any of their long time supporters happy in this instance.
Your decision was wrong, unethical, and this long-time big-spending customer denounces and condemns it!
Apology deserved and expected.
Thank you for your insights and for reading.
I used to be a demigod, but now I'm an omnimage
You order and pay for it, then you wait 3-5 Months to get it, if you are lucky and your order does not get canceled, or the shop goes bankrupt.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮