Magic Cards have different "VALUES" in different SCENARIOS

[@PhilShary]

This should be the entry video on Alpha Investments, this is pure gold.

[@MechEngDommo]

I want to say Rudy, that this post should be mandatory viewing for anyone who is considering any kind of resale type business. The stuff in here is 100% applicable to people who run pawn shops, thrift stores, flea markets, used cars, etc. Best 20 minutes of business education I've yet to see on the internet.

[@fastcornbread]

Agreed.

[@Mattman243]

Got into MTG finance a year ago. I'm out of it because I was doing singles and quit while I was ahead. I'll never understand how people don't get what you're talking about in this video. The people buying need to make a profit! Thank you for making this video. Please do one about selling cards too! Some stores around me sell cards for TCG Mid. Asking one store owner about it, he said "Just buy the card online if you can get it cheaper". I did. He lost a sale. What's up with that?

[@willt9789]

Mattman243

[@Mattman243]

Nathan Holstrom I get it, he thinks that's how much he needs to sell the card at to profit. But, how is he operating at a price point that high? Does he buy from people at market value or something? Rent in a space that's too expensive? If someone can SHIP a card to me with postage and fees for 15% less than what he's selling in store for cash, I don't know how that's not a bad business plan. It just seems like a downward spiral.

[@BarryStewart]

The convenience of receiving it right now, being able to tangibly touch an item and know 100% it's legit and the condition you want, having a face to go back to if something goes wrong, building a relationship with someone you can continue to do business with and trust to be there tomorrow. There's a lot of reasons to shop brick and mortar though the price is typically higher than online. Do you buy all of your clothes, groceries, electronics, etc, online? If so, does your neighbor?

[@overkilledgaming261]

The card shop owner is providing you with a convenience of having the card right then and there. Online is cheaper and you have to wait. Plus the risk factor is involved on getting scammed or not getting your card as stated.

[@thrillhouse4151]

Oh my goodness, Myst! Riven was ridiculously difficult!

[@TheAudioInjection]

This is a really educational that so many people need to watch. People complain about stores buying their used goods at a low rate all the time but it makes so much sense when you think about it.

[@residentzombie]

No one works for free. This notion that exists that profit is bad and money is evil solely comes from the mainstream media and Hollywood movies brainwashing people about reality. Prices exist because scarcity exists. Prices are derived from supply versus demand. The value of money is 1/2 the value of every transaction. If you understand these things you will do well financially in life.

[@DiegoDeschain]

By now I just give Rudy's videos a thumbs up BEFORE even watching the damn thing and it never disappoints.

[@xaxabel]

you've become my favourite person on youtube, Rudy. A true role model. Thank you for what you do.

[@kaminarikatuhstrofik9534]

I GOT MY FLIPPIN ALPHA INVESTMENTS SHIRT IN THE MAIL TODAY. HOLY SHIT.

[@IndividuumNot]

best shirt, hands down.

[@BDS1313]

can you do a video on storing magic cards in mass and what you do you protect them from water damage, fire and such. also, do you store these at your house? the reason i ask is because i have a massive collection for personal use. do you have some way of insuring your stock?

[@johnc6497]

MYST is such a fantastic classic! I remember having that on our family computer when I was a kid and getting frustrated with it since I was too stupid to figure out some of the puzzles ha

[@crazyrabbits]

I've still got the original Myst strategy guide lying somewhere around. Amazing game, and a classic.

[@WeskersPlayhouse]

crazyrabbits Myst is the reason the CD Drive became a household thing. The game was the biggest reason for people to get them for personal use at the time, and single-handedly moved units.

[@BarryStewart]

Shenanigans. If you're going to try to credit a game in this genre with pushing CD Rom drive sales it'd be The 7th Guest. Myst is a great game but clearly pulled from The 7th Guest on format and on continuing its success in sales numbers.

[@dsper7640]

thank you rudy. this speaks to me cuz i buy cards from people usually on a 25 percent decrease of lowest ebay sold. make a quick flip make a lil money or keep the card if im playing it or really liking it. example buy a sol ring masterpiece for 65 sell it for 105 that was my last flip. ppl rly dont understand how prices work

[@nateau5015]

Probably the key video from Alpha Investments so far. Clear explanation of fundamentals of MTG trading.

[@reidyoung298]

Fantastic video, Rudy. Please bring these back and close that gap between Timmy and successful investors!

[@MisterKingBing]

Great video. That sheds a little light for me. I have a large collection from when I played MTG. (From the mid/late 90's until......maybe the Onslaught block) I know that some cards have gone up in value and that some have gone down in value. For example, I remember when Cursed Scroll was a hot card and was demanding a lot of money. I guess I should take some time (a bunch of time) and catalog everything that I have, or at least the good stuff. Fortunately, I was smart enough back then to sleeve everything and to put the good stuff in binders. Thanks for the insight Rudy.

[@JessicaZane4realz]

I broke open the case for my Tabernacle graded 9.0 so I could use it to play.

[@D20Comedy]

Did it go in an EDH deck?

[@Aaron-sv4zx]

Probably went into legacy Lands.

[@JessicaZane4realz]

Dylan Schettina 93/94 format.

[@dakotarogers7099]

Great video, completey agree. As a person that would be the one to sell to a store, I can understand why you must offer lower than the value an item may have based else where.

[@WeskersPlayhouse]

I remember playing myst with my dad when I was a kid. I didn't understand much about the puzzles, but it was definitely a great experience for young me. Riven was alright, and Exile was where the series died.

[@Yurumates]

Hey Rudy, have you ever heard of thepricegeek? It does what you mentioned; search completed ebay auctions. Provides charts and graphs and many other things. You should try it out.

[@marklummis712]

That Myst box reminds me of SFB

[@willaien9849]

Differing evaluations also creates opportunity for arbitrage, if you can navigate the mess. Which is pretty much what stores are supposed to do anyways.

[@zacharywatson9505]

Man I just started watching you recently and it's so fascinating to listen to u. Ur like an Economist for the tcg industry. I really wanna know how u keep up with all this. It's crazy how u now about every set and u know when to buy out and when not to. Keep up the work man

[@MaulerMyers]

Thank you for continuing to make informative yet entertaining videos man. I have recently started selling on eBay, I am doing pretty well but I do take relevant advice from what you say and it seems to be working. Thank you, from a Scottish seller.

[@rantan1618]

I'm really glad you're so passionate about Myst

[@accurate1983]

Rudy, do a video about starting a cafe or food business.

[@jamesdean9373]

Unique Manchild I’m curious what kind of food service he owns. Catering? High end, or a Moe’s lkl

[@darthraynar1750]

Rudy, Just making sure I am understanding one thing about your video, When you are saying LGS , are you refering to "Local Game Store"?

[@weirdwesteros1109]

Yes that’s what he means

[@RisingTaide]

One of your best videos yet! I'd love to see more "textbook" stuff with a Timmy spin in the future.

[@snoodles1234]

This should be the first thing every magic seller/buyer/investor should be made to watch.

[@lucasmartin9611]

That's a great point man. I had forgotten about RISK. It makes so much sense that they should be rewarded for incurring risk but people don't realize this. I'm guilty of this too. Thanks for the reminder. I'll be nicer to store owners now hahaha

[@tomislavceh5868]

Rudy thank you for putting out these videos, very worthwhile watch, and funny

[@travelsonic]

Stupid question: What are some good ways to tell if someone wishing to sell is legitimately getting hosed, or at risk of being hosed, versus setting expectations way too high?

[@stolenova1210]

Admittedly, it took me forever to break myself from the whole "my cards are worth what a price guide says they are" mentality. Eventually, I realized exactly what this video is trying to teach. Of course, it was a hard pill to swallow but I believe I've actually made more money out of my card investments since realizing this than I ever would have before.

[@DrunkenMilk]

Hey Rudy, you are a great thinker! :)

[@BarryStewart]

I buy/sell cars every day. It's nice to have actual wholesale numbers from auction houses on what retail stores should be buying and selling for. Whenever you're ready to start creating the wholesalers guide for MTG, hit me up! I'm sure you have your own personal spreadsheet to do the math for you already though. A big problem is that trading cards are identical and in most cases can't be subjective except for condition so are much easier to assess a value on. eBay is already doing the hard work of a true "wholesale value" except people can't figure out the basic math in fees and cost of running a business.

[@fastcornbread]

Nice video. At the end of the day, the value is what someone will pay it for. That's it.

[@EVERYdayImMEH]

Hey Rudy, serious question for you. I've been torn this past week between buying an expedition Polluted Delta and a Gaea's Cradle, both for EDH. I was taking into consideration the different factors that would weigh in on how the market for these two cards would play out over time, and whether its worth it (assuming patience isn't an issue) to hold off on the expedition to see if it will go any lower over time. I considered things like how there probably is still a massive amount of BFZ sealed out there, so that could have an impact. On the other hand, I thought about how you had suspicions that distributors were holding onto their sealed product and potentially getting into investing, and that it creates an artificial scarcity for BFZ, driving box prices up over time and thus would make it more expensive per expedition to bring new ones into circulation. Am I logical in thinking this way? Does this make any sense at all, am I even speaking english? Who knows. Would be cool if you read this. Stay awesome.

[@yuyu63]

The only value you should trade at is the buylist prices, what can you get it back today is all that matters

Very educational video, and it's applicable outsite mtg

[@reapersaurus]

My son has stuffed puppy dogs similar to the one leaning over, peering at your monitor. Any story behind this little guy?

[@jakeabel2548]

How did I know you where going to Say you take Revised for $1500. The one thing I'm wondering is would you take a Revised box for $1625 or would that still be a bad deal for you?

[@adolphus28]

Damn, they're going for 6-7k now :p

[@MTGVania]

Hey rudy, is there much of a topic in a video for the variance and ability to invest in different countries?

[@BloodDraek]

As a vendor, buying an $85 card for $50 or a $2k box for $1500 is really generous. Every vendor/store I've ever dealt with offers 50% or less on the card's worth. Are you really this fair with sellers?

[@adolphus28]

I think he still is. You have buylists these days at 70% now? (2years later)

[@Danielmontalvo88]

I finished a myst run about a year ago, halfway through riven before turning you youtubers. amazing games. Also The Book of Atrus was good.

[@jasonl3445]

Thank you for your insight! Truely

[@kelvint1989]

Thanks for yet another educational Video! Besides the three major groups (players, investors, and local game stores) I think your missing a fourth group albeit a more niche sector the foreign language MTG collectors. What is your view on valuing Japanese/German/Chinese language cards? Living in Japan, I realised many EDH staples and foils are not in line with the eBay prices in North America. I was able to sell e.g. 4x Japanese Brainstorms from Mercadian for USD$19.99 and it cost me 100 yen a per Brainstorm. There were couple of issues, foreign cards are less liquid, difficulty in identifying the premium to charge for Japanese and of course finding the right buyer to pay the premium.

[@jacquelinej7315]

foreign cards are harder to evaluate because people value them differently. i only want English cards and don't want anything to do with foreign cards, for example.

[@gawdat3859]

Rudy at 13:45 "You only net $2 when you sell a card for $4.99 on ebay" Rudy a minute prior: "Don't underestimate the money that can be made selling bulk for 99c each on ebay" HOW. How would you only net $2 BEFORE COGS on a $4.99 magic card sale? Were you tracking $5 orders??? Sorry, I'm going through the back catalogue. Love you, Rudy!

[@darwinroberson76]

I have a question, recently I bought a .65 junk rare card from amazon. Between shipping frees, cost of the plastic case it came in, amazon fees, and processing frees how could they possibly be making a prophet off of my purchase, even assuming the card is completely worthless? Are they selling at a loss for name recognition?

[@tylercourtney2266]

Best video so far. And that's saying a lot!!!!! Thank you Rudy!

[@Damnationization]

You have the investors. Alpha INVEST-ments.

[@VincentFedetz]

Great video Rudy, I nerd out hard to magic and finance.

[@Clabian96]

This is pure gold! Let's get people educated!

[@ronfrederickcuico730]

Appreciate it Rudy. Thanks

[@lichonski128]

Rudy you should make textbook audiobooks

[@MrRant247]

Your stress is my comedy.

[@coolxheroxziph1128]

Rudy. I love you!

[@yesayes]

Just rewatching some old videos and I have to say.... Fucking Myst... Awesome 😎

[@ItsADAMyay]

What are the X-Men cards above the monitors?

[@adolphus28]

Thanks, i was wondering what they were. He's a 6"4' proper geek, amazing :)

[@theVoidyTv]

Rudy, some words from Europe: "We love you, be the best, fuck the rest"

[@tonesbones12]

supply demand influence values; good lesson Rudy

[@mrivera6975]

i always grew up knowing this was the case. it shocks me that people don't understand that. I need to make money too. retail price is not what you will get.

[@poeticserenade]

Rudy! What do you think about Facebook groups for sales?

[@vichasselmann]

Rudy, i always watch your videos and all the information you share is just awesome. I just want to enter into MTG Finance. How can I start with?

[@joelowdon1615]

Sure feels good to revisit this video today.

[@howtopc2700]

Rudy I have a question.If I pledge 10-15$ On Patreon do i need to pay an additional 10-15$ to buy a commander deck?

[@gotadrop]

great video Rudy, awesome work

[@gahbunk]

MYST!!! Right on, Rudy! :D

[@jeremiahl3998]

How do you stop a person from selling fakes on eBay?

[@Scorch428]

But if a person comes in KNOWING Rudy can only pay 30% less of what the last 5 sold for on ebay, and offers Rudy that price, you think hes gonna take it? Hell, no...hes gonna keep offereing less to try to take the person to HOSETOWN.

[@marcelinomurillo9953]

The wolf knows his shit

[@trevathecleva]

this is the best video you've giving me as someone who is considering to buy n sell. thanks

[@fgsfdsmonkey]

They're all right. 100 to buy 50 to sell 150 to hold

[@henrygomez7142]

Rudy how do you feel about Wizards reprinting EMA? Seems like scary waters for them to test.

[@nickdunn7362]

Good info, good job Rudy. Thank you

[@theVelvetAlley]

Super interesting thank you

[@wds-net]

Nice vid Rudy great info 👍🏻

[@joeydee9788]

Too true! Another great video 🤘🏻

[@HitomiCOD2]

Rudy can you please make a prediction about how "Aether Revolt" will do?

[@bigidiot123]

I've always been perplexed by how people make money selling cards for $1 with free shipping on ebay. Ebay takes 9 cents and paypal takes 33 cents. It costs at least 47 cents for a stamp. Assume you buy toploaders and bubble envolopes in extreme bulk for 5 cents each. You're literally making 1 cent per sale assuming you got the card for free. 1 cent to pick, package, and drive to the post office.

[@buk6708]

DrK They do it to get positive feedback and to try and get to 1k, 5k or such to get better fees and shipping rates. did the bay for awhile. It's to competitive now

[@coolguyxoxo]

Great advice!

[@SelflessResurrection]

As a regular seller on Ebay the whole $0.99 thing is just a waste of time. I think I'd only net 16 cents per sale. But I understand a big store is a lot more beneficial. But I don't understand how the time can be worth listing a bunch of cards at that price.

[@fastcornbread]

It's not a waste of time. I sell individual cards and I can assure you it's not. Like you said, it's a small gain, but still a gain nonetheless. For one, you get a customer, and that customer may always come back for something more expensive. And number two, selling someone a near mint card for $0.99 is a great way to get positive feedback which is HUGE in the eBay community. Positive feedback will attract buyers and definitely give customers confidence when you try and sell cards for $50 and up. I still wouldn't recommend ALL of your cards be $0.99 especially when you take in account listing limits.

[@druce6267]

have you ever considered writing a book on the subjects you cover in your videos?

[@DarkPaladin1130]

2016 Rudy! If you choose to sell on eBay, that's YOUR choosing. Why penalize someone on the risk YOU take and where you sell your items? So you pay less, so YOU get rewarded if someone on eBay hoses you? Again YOU choose eBay. Not the person selling you the collection. Try and respect the person who tied up capital themselves buying the collection in the first place. Hope 2021 Rudy is little more conscious of this fact. Rudy! Your the man, but sometimes I wonder what your agenda is.

[@JBBost]

Of all the fuckery you could be accused of, you're a pretty damn good teacher.

[@MtendoTheSkunk]

Jeeze you offer 75% of high end cards/product? I wish I had known you in 2012!

[@itachi9kitty]

Looking up the last sold on ebay is exactly what I do and people look at me like I am crazy when I am trying to negotiate with them and they keep quoting Tcg player. If I look at someones collection and they mention Tcg play, I am done and walk away cause they wont accept a realistic price on their collection cause their perception of what it is worth and what it is actually worth is out of whack due to Tcg player. It is my understanding with Tcg player though is that is what you could realistically expect to pay when buying from a store front, not a individual seller just getting rid of their collection. I also agree that people don't seem to understand the whole process of selling and risk that stores or individuals take on when buying collections off of someone and just think they are being scammed, sell it yourself then lazy asses.

[@jacquelinej7315]

you need a sample size, not just the last item sold. someone might have been desperate to buy a card and you might see that 'inflated' price, for example, if it was the last one sold.

[@Noumenon1987]

Great video!

[@ArdenDag]

I'm waiting for the video where he forgets to put Serra Angel in. :)

[@clintonfleming5974]

Well said.

[@lineshawn4819]

Rudy, I want to know your opinion. I am a high schooler and I want to start investing. Where do you think I should start?

[@matthewb8598]

do not start now. you do not have the capital to effectively start investing seriously

[@lineshawn4819]

Matthew B Thanks

[@scottmwyman]

Bartz the Man you should try to save 10k and invest it in corporate bonds...he mentioned this in a video a few weeks ago....you make about 50$ a month in passive income.

[@trevathecleva]

Bartz the Man how well do you know magic? don't invest in something unless you are reasonably confident. when is out going to get reprinted? how long you want to store it? is it secure? etc... silver might just be safer. I'm no fan of non physical investments as they can disappear or be confiscated etc...

[@matthewmoreno4442]

This sounds like every episode of Pawn Stars, hahaha. Of course buyers need a profit margin! Oh damn, why is this just being recommended to me a year old? I've been watching you forever, guess I missed this one.

[@BenPenta]

another great video, rudy!

[@masterwizard1361]

The myst box isn't sealed...

[@shadowxp86]

Nice video as usual.

[@classyname42]

That intro had me rolling laughing!

[@BraxtonLuty]

I loved myst

[@RB1TR4G3UR]

I caught myself watching this , like .. I allready already know all of this , why have I continued to keep watching . lol ... Good advise though .. cause people need to know this

[@adolphus28]

Rudy's quite skilled at presenting too.

[@netnoob77]

It's simple. Just cut away the middle guy and you get more money.

[@darkrevamtg2687]

i wish my lgs did this. they give 50% on cards. I would be so happy if i could get 75%. because of this, ive never sold a single card to my lgs....for me that 25% makes it worth it to sell it myself

[@jacquelinej7315]

i can see giving 50% for cards that aren't too sought after, but a store should offer more for singles that are hot

[@darkrevamtg2687]

jacqueline j no its for anything. any trade is 50%

[@benefitnessstudio2702]

Best vid yet

[@tennesseetide3833]

Hoping to be the 7th guest on your comments but alas, too late.

[@BarryStewart]

Someone who knows what's up