Trading with Collectors

The number of people who actively collect foil, foreign, and alternate art cards is miniscule.   For people who buy or trade for these unusual cards, they normally collect with a very specific deck, or cube in mind.  When you find the few people who pure collectors, take note.  I try and make friends with these people and keep an open line of communication.  From my experience, these collectors are very friendly people, as long as you know how to deal with them.

From my experience, collectors only want one of three things; cash, cards that are easy to turn to cash, and pimped cards for their collection.  Collectors are not going to look through your binder and pull out a bunch of junk rares and give you rare valuable cards for them.  Their binders are full of cards that stores can’t keep in stock; other cards would just pollute their collection.  When they pull non-pimp cards from a collection, it is with the intention of selling it as soon as possible.  Be prepared to let go of your valuable rares or cash from your wallet.

These pimped card collectors hold cards with a sentimental value, and with good reason.  They troll craigslist, frequent multiple stores, grind trades, and buy entire collection from people just to get the rarest of cards.  These cards are their puppies; the collector can’t really give the proper attention to all the cards they own, so they are looking for a good home.  Collectors care about their cards, and what happens to their cards once they trade them away.  If you let collectors know that these cards will be going into a deck, they are more likely to trade them away.  When you have proved that you really do intend to use the cards they trade to you, these collectors are generally open to giving you favorable trades in the future.  If you play with your cards unsleeved, or just are grabbing cards to trade those cards away, collectors will avoid trading with you at all costs.

It is almost pointless to actively try and get huge deals from collectors.   For the most part, they won’t try and rip you off.  Collectors do know the values of their cards.  These cards are hard to find, and have a niche market.  Collectors have large amounts of unusual cards and have a very good grasp on the value of individual cards. The only way you can get any gain on a trade is if you have a pimp card that they are specifically looking for. 

The best way to get deals with collectors is to be their friend.  I suggest going out of your way to be nice to these guys.  Give the collectors value on some trades, pass them some free cards, or buy them a meal.  When you play games with collectors, take the time to admire the cards they have chosen to put into their deck.  For collectors, it’s not whether they win or lose, it’s how good their deck looks while playing.  If you can have a good relationship with collectors, they will be more than happy to help you out.

This last week, I bought a large number of cards for the deck off of one of my collector friends, Scott.  We agreed on a fair price + trade. Then, I promptly paid him more than we had agreed upon.  He sent the cards on a Friday and they arrived that Monday.  I opened the package and saw that he had included a few very high value cards that we had not discussed, but that I will make room for in the Arcum deck.   I feel like he outdid me in this nice guy battle, so I will have to find a way to get him something extra that he is looking for.   

This is what I got in the mail:

·         Counterspell (Mercadian Masque Foil)

·         Force of Will (Italian)

·         Stoic Rebuttal (Foil)

·         Isochron Scepter (FNM Foil)

·         Lightning Greaves (FNM Foil)

·         Prototype Portal (Foil)

·         Sensei’s Divining Top (Foil, Signed)

·         2x Sol Ring (Judge Foil)

·         Pithing Needle (Japanese, Foil) O.o  ßExtra Card

·         Academy Ruins (Foil)

·         Blinkmoth Nexus (Foil)

·         Beseiju, Who Shelters all (Foil)

·         Wasteland

·         Time Spiral (Signed) O.o  ßExtra Card

·         Misty Rainforest (Foil)

·         Scalding Tarn (Foil)

·         Seat of Synod (Foil)

·         Stalking Stones (Foil)

·         Tectonic Edge (Foil)

·         Darksteel Ingot (Foil) ßExtra Card

·         6x Full Art Foil Zendikar Land

I also found a Foil Japanese Mindslaver in a store for under $20, so I picked it up.

That is it for this week. Past the halfway point! 58 cards down 42 to go (With Pithing Needle and Time Spiral 60 down, 40 to go)

Thanks,

Sean