Buying Magic the Gathering Cards on eBay can be a daunting task for
those without experience. There are a lot of sellers out there and a
lot of different products. As a long time player of the game and
experienced eBay buyer and seller I've seen it all. Whether you are
buying wholesale cards, singles, or sealed product there are some easy
and helpful hints to ensure you have a pleasant purchasing experience.
Buying Large or Wholesale Lots
- Know What You Are Buying. When
buying any product on eBay it is important to make sure you know what
you are bidding on, this is especially true when buying large lots of
Magic cards. While this is often one of the best ways to build up your
collection of cards on the cheap make sure to only bid on auctions that
clearly describe what you are purchasing. Some sellers may not fully
describe there lots of cards and you could end up with 100s of copies of
the same lame card. Make sure the lot you are bidding on states how
much duplication there is within the lot as well as how many
rares/foils, uncommons, etc. are in the set. The more info the better.
- Avoid "Repacks." Repack auctions
temp sellers with the promise of expensive cards for cheap. If it
sounds too good to be true it probably is. Just because a seller claims
to have included a Planeswalker card or "Power Nine" cards in one out
of a hundred repacks available there is no way to ensure that is the
truth. Typically when buying lots of cards, unless there is a specific
list, you are not going to find a card worth a hundred dollars on sale
for a few bucks.
Buying Singles
- A Picture is a Thousand Words.
When buying singes on eBay, especially expensive cards, there is no
replacing a high quality image of the actual card you are purchasing. A
picture is so much better than any complicated grading scale or
description. This is the only way to know the true condition of the
card.
- Watch Out for Stock Images. Make sure the picture you are looking at is actually of the card you are buying and not just a generic card image.
Buying Seal Product
- Buy Sealed Booster Boxes, Not Loose Packs.
When buying booster packs always buy sealed boxes of boosters rather
than individual booster packs. Although it is more of an investment it
is always a better deal. This is due to the fact that Wizards does not
fully randomize cards in the boosters. Thus, there are people who map
which boosters within the box contain the best cards keeping those for
themselves and selling the rest. Hard to believe but true. So save up
and buy a sealed box.
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