I'd have to agree on that part; Saskatchewan is little more than a barren wasteland when it comes to a Magic community. Really any part of the country that isn't outside of the Southern Ontario-Quebec belt. This change only adds to the frustration of non-US players everywhere, which at this point will probably motivate me to play MtGO a little more often.
I'm interested to see where this goes. People are always on the band wagon of...Magic won't ever die because it's just the best. People keep saying it'll die of with every new thing that's new and such.
However...when you start to cut way back on your tournament structures, cut out your player rewards, turn your major events into private events only with far, far less players now AND as a bonus...no gunslinging, no side events, no last minute grinders, no incentives for the fans and public to show up with hopes of last minute glory or to just watch the games...something is going on. Something major.
Read the blatant signs. These are not the actions of a company that is making record breaking sales with Zendikar and Innistrad. These are not the signs of a company that is giving back because of how splendid it's doing in the gaming industry. These are signs of a company that is cutting out the non-essentials and grist that is costing them money in the long run.
The last thing that companies like Enron and the financial corporations said on the way out? Everything is fine. Don't worry. Profits are up. Company stability is fine. We're more profitable than ever before.
I could be wrong...but you know...as myself and old card slinging buddies back in the day said when Star Wars CCG died off...no good thing lasts forever. That game didn't die off from popularity either (it was a strong second behind Magic forever)...it died off from a business deal between Hasbro and Lucas over the rights to the toy lines and lunch box sales & also from horrible management practices by Decipher.
Except unlike Enron outside evidence says they ARE exploding in profitability. They are just stupid about using it apparently.
Just wanted to remind everyone including(and especially) Nidstyles that WOTC is having record breaking sales during this "horrible recession", so apparently people are NOT in fact pulling back on their MTG spending.
When I say record breaking I mean just that. GP sizes have doubled in 4 years, and according to aaron forsythe innistraad prerelease had 33% more UNIQUE players than SOM a year prior.
33% growth in the player base? Even if you assume it was less in the nonsanctioned player base you are still looking at year over year of 15-20% for a product that should be out of its fastish growth stage.
In other words, they shouldnt be needing to cut costs currently.
I'd be surprised if this card doesn't end up being the best card in the set.
That being said, it's not Mythic, so the odds of it being worth more than what it's being sold for now are slim.
I don't see this card settling anywhere below $10, however.
You are almost certainly wrong then.
To reiterate what Kijiin said. Large set non mythic=low value. Almost irrelevant how much play it sees. In fact thinking back I think the highest nonmythic large set card since mythics started were the fetcehs and they dipped below 10 until recently.
The USPS is an agency of the US government. The government will just have to provide funding if it is unable to generate enough revenues on it's own. That's not a "bailout" any more than giving the army money is a "bailout".
Except its not a part of the USG really. Its a odd quasi independent group(think Fannie may/freddie mac).
Also, there are laws in place preventing the other companies from competing with the US Post office on certain types of mail if I am no mistaken.
There is a article coming to 60cards.com that will go into the price bubble etc in a bit more detail. Should be out in a few hours I do believe. Its written by one of my employees and is MTGO specific.
oh, so there was a supply difference :/, but even before the modern inflation, bridge was fully 4 times as expensive as troll
this might explain it more :/, how many copies?
The 3rd set/1st set difference cannot be stressed enough. Think of it this way Ravnica was drafted roughyl as follows.
RRR=3 months
RRG=2.5-3 months
RGD=2.5-3 months
So ravnica was drafted at least 1x for 9 months, at least 2x for 6 of that, and 3x for slightly over a third of that. NOw look at TPF a much less bought set than ravnica.
TTT=3 months
TTP=2.5-3 months
TPF=2.5-3 months.
Even ignoring disparities based on being a less popular block, all else being equal there should be about 6 times as many grave trolls as bridges. That ignores some factors, but should better make you understand how important being from the third set is.
So...basically...what you are saying is that you're screwing the general public and players who aren't considered as important as you? Interesting...and you wonder why I don't buy my product from the mainstream Magic stores and sellers.
Selling a car that has an MSRP of $16,000 for $48,000...what would you call that?
Why would Wizards even put an MSRP on a product that's going to sell for three times that amount than? It's not like they're selling to the general public (allegedly...I've stood there and watched my local sporting cards store order them through Alliance for me..but that's impossible since they aren't a WPN location...allegedly) so they don't even need to include that number.
As I said...odd how I can still get these things for MSRP at off-hand stores. The special stores with the special customers must be getting them and than selling them for a 0% mark-up to other stores.
Who does that? Especially in Magic?
If a dealer up the road is paying 45k for that car, I would call that the correct thing to do. MSRP is just that SUGGESTED.
Really hate the "collectors need to suck it" argument.
What yall really mean to say is "anyone who spent more money(and or has more money) than me on MTG needs to deal with losing lots of money so my more limited income(or excess cash) can afford to play just like you do.
There are plenty of PLAYERS who get hurt badly by reprints, you know the people who buy cases, singles etc and actually spend vast sums of money per capita on this game. I get that not everyone can do this, but despite some peoples wishes this game by its very nature(randomized booster packs), favors the wealthier.
WOTC doesnt care that a format is expensive, they only care to make sure they can maximize their dollars from said format. Thats why modern was made, because its a format they might can capitalize on the "eternal craze" currently sweeping the country/world. Its not because they like yall playing formats(legacy) that generate almost no income for them.
After checking ebay completed listings, ebay buy it nows, and online store prices, I came up with the following pricing/valuation for the individual shocklands:
Its amazing how some of them just seem to keep going up. Though it should be noted that while many of them continue to increase, the top two seem to have stalled out. I still think $35-$40 is going to end up being the top of the range for these, and that there will probably be a clog in the middle around $20 or so, with a couple like steam vents and watery grave likely ending up between $25-$30. And of course, poor sacred foundry, though up to $15 now, still languished at the bottom.
its hilarious that this is the most expensive(or becoming the most expensive) these lands have ever been.
i have never seen a difference in card "quality" between languages before, so this makes me a bit leery. Especially given the absurd amount of counterfeit knockoff stuff in general that leaves china.
Silly dont buy the preorder prices those are a joke!!! I dont like them setting the bar so high for jace 3.0. Its gonna stay that way for until it goes up. This sucks. Set it low then get ppls preordering at 15 dollars and then you make more money that way!!!
Right, except you have to bust boxes to do so, and those shockingly enough cost money. Given how reprint heavy in the money department this set is, that means the EV has to be made up somewhere else.
Except unlike Enron outside evidence says they ARE exploding in profitability. They are just stupid about using it apparently.
When I say record breaking I mean just that. GP sizes have doubled in 4 years, and according to aaron forsythe innistraad prerelease had 33% more UNIQUE players than SOM a year prior.
33% growth in the player base? Even if you assume it was less in the nonsanctioned player base you are still looking at year over year of 15-20% for a product that should be out of its fastish growth stage.
In other words, they shouldnt be needing to cut costs currently.
Last I saw cardsharks fees were WORSE than ebays.
You are almost certainly wrong then.
To reiterate what Kijiin said. Large set non mythic=low value. Almost irrelevant how much play it sees. In fact thinking back I think the highest nonmythic large set card since mythics started were the fetcehs and they dipped below 10 until recently.
Except its not a part of the USG really. Its a odd quasi independent group(think Fannie may/freddie mac).
Also, there are laws in place preventing the other companies from competing with the US Post office on certain types of mail if I am no mistaken.
The 3rd set/1st set difference cannot be stressed enough. Think of it this way Ravnica was drafted roughyl as follows.
RRR=3 months
RRG=2.5-3 months
RGD=2.5-3 months
So ravnica was drafted at least 1x for 9 months, at least 2x for 6 of that, and 3x for slightly over a third of that. NOw look at TPF a much less bought set than ravnica.
TTT=3 months
TTP=2.5-3 months
TPF=2.5-3 months.
Even ignoring disparities based on being a less popular block, all else being equal there should be about 6 times as many grave trolls as bridges. That ignores some factors, but should better make you understand how important being from the third set is.
If a dealer up the road is paying 45k for that car, I would call that the correct thing to do. MSRP is just that SUGGESTED.
What yall really mean to say is "anyone who spent more money(and or has more money) than me on MTG needs to deal with losing lots of money so my more limited income(or excess cash) can afford to play just like you do.
There are plenty of PLAYERS who get hurt badly by reprints, you know the people who buy cases, singles etc and actually spend vast sums of money per capita on this game. I get that not everyone can do this, but despite some peoples wishes this game by its very nature(randomized booster packs), favors the wealthier.
WOTC doesnt care that a format is expensive, they only care to make sure they can maximize their dollars from said format. Thats why modern was made, because its a format they might can capitalize on the "eternal craze" currently sweeping the country/world. Its not because they like yall playing formats(legacy) that generate almost no income for them.
its hilarious that this is the most expensive(or becoming the most expensive) these lands have ever been.
Only with certain bots. Mine for example(thecardnexus) and MTGOTraders do not use that bot system.
Right, except you have to bust boxes to do so, and those shockingly enough cost money. Given how reprint heavy in the money department this set is, that means the EV has to be made up somewhere else.