The Revenge of Card Shop Life Episode #19 = Spike in new Magic Stores Nationwide

The Trend is your Friend
Until the End
Around the Bend
PATREON : / alphainvestments
SHIRTS: www.ebay.com/itm/-/162268260486?
~FAN MAIL~
Rudy's Magic Store
10950-60 San Jose Blvd.
Box # 139
Jacksonville, FL 32223
Special Item this month
Gatecrash @ 69.99
Normal Boxes available for October 2017
MTG - Hour of Devastation
MTG - Amonkhet
MTG - Aether Revolt
MTG - Kaladesh
MTG - Shadows over Inn
Force of Will - Ancient Nights
Force of Will - Legacy Lost
Force of Will - Return of Dragon Emperor
Force of Will - Echoes of New World
Final Fantasy Opus III
Pokemon Burning Shadows
Pokemon Guardians Rising
Pokemon Sun / Moon
Pokemon Evolutions
Pokemon Fates Collide
Pokemon Steam Siege
Pokemon Breakthrough

[@thomaslennex8969]

Rudy accidentally causes Timmy's nationwide to ask their moms for money to open a Magic store.

[@fresh3159]

Its always sunny in alpha investments

[@Ronny_Cordova]

Your landlord is going to stop in one of these days during filming and just do a 180 out the door.

[@Vuadanee]

turn 360 degrees and walk out

[@Gulyus]

It will be just like an Xbox one...the landlord will do a full turn and walk away!

[@MidnightAge]

I seriously enjoy these kinds of videos. Crazy shenanigans Rudy is funny and enjoyable, but I really do enjoy the nuts and bolts videos that go into real details of investing and running shops and all that. These and the box opening/collection videos are by far my favorite.

[@loureyes8573]

I live in the heart of Utah, And I'll tell you right now, our cardshopes aren't growing in numbers. But the PreExisting ones are always making improvements or moving to larger buildings in the same area for more room.

[@codyloren6076]

Rudy, I came across your Revenge of Card Shop Life series and binged watched every one. I have always wanted to get some insight into this side of things. Thank you for the great videos. Also, I went to your channel and sorted by oldest just to see how long you’ve been making videos which lead to the about me section. I noticed your subscribers was at 99,999, glad to be your 100,000th subscriber!

[@jennifer9084]

I thought you were going to fall in the beginning XD

[@losthaole87]

Really really really really like this video. I like seeing the aspects of running a small business. I like hearing the details in the ups and the downs in learning about what’s normal and what to keep an eye out for. Please keep making more videos like this. thanks a lot.

[@rhysakam9452]

Your videos are always incredibly informative yet lots of fun at the same time. Thank you so much for your videos Rudy, keep up the awesome work!

[@veronicamorrow4386]

Lol well done. These intros get better and better. I appreciate the effort and creativity you put into it. This one was next level.

[@Aggronaut]

The Office Space references always crack me up in part because Rudy reminds me so damned much of Office Space era Ron Livingston :)

[@mikechurchill1071]

Yeah because he looks a lot like him too!!

[@stephenmoore3105]

I just opened my own LGS but it was more of a deal that just fell into my lap and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. If I didn't have another job that takes care of my bills then I would have never been able to get into this at all but I'm glad I took the chance and stepped out there. The store is doing good and I also just made my first higher end card purchase from a customer, which was exciting and scary at the same time. I made the flip and ended up on top but I would not have even made that gamble had I not ever watched any of Rudy's videos. The guy is great at opening your eyes to the way the marketplace reacts to things and when to buy and when to walk away. He also is a great business man from my personal ebay experiences. He is 100% right about how hard it is for most people to make any money in this industry due to the number of other stores and online sellers out there. The only way that my store will be able to stay open (and it will) is because I have almost no overhead other than buying product to stock, and the fact that it is my hobby and not the way I make a living. Don't get me wrong, if you are determined enough and have the capital as well as a good business sense then you can make it work out just fine but listen to Rudy about the volatility in opening your own card store because I can see how it just drags people down when they just wanted to do something cool and open there own business.

[@WaddleJrJr]

Certainly my favorite Alpha Investments video in quite a while. I haven't noticed the uptick in new stores during boom seasons around me, but that's also just because I don't see many new stores opening in my area at all. I can absolutely see the reasoning for that, though, and I have noticed upticks in posts online from people saying they're considering it.

[@warhead42gaming]

I would pay good money for a foil Captain Repack.

[@thegoldenhub6012]

Tyranthin same

[@redlion145]

Bro. There's about to be another Un set. Can you imagine the joke decks with Rudy cards? I mean who cares about standard when you can run Rudy?

[@phichlejoose6527]

this

[@dragonballtalk8527]

The Rudy card is worth 30$

[@dragonballtalk8527]

I'm learning to make any card anyone wants even if it don't exist.u need special paper and more to make for example a godzilla 14/14

[@stasislabs3725]

So I saw this video, thought it was entertaining. Went to your page and watched a few others. Decided that I really like this fake garbage you make and scrolled up to click subscribe. Looked slightly to the left and saw "99,999 subscribers" under your channel name. And I lost my shit. I'm your 100,000th Subscriber!! Pointless I know but it made my day. Congrats on hitting 10K Rudy!! Looking forward to more videos!

[@AStylz28]

Itsa great day knowing after what really is not that long but feels soooo long ago. Been around since the first month im so glad you are hitting 100k soon. Congrats Rudy you deserve it. As a former magic player i still find what you say is interesting and inspiring

[@AStylz28]

Hit like if you remember Ban month

[@TheRambo117]

I liked this video Rudy. I never really put the 4th quarter spending and 1st quarter decline together before, but it makes perfect sense. This was a very informative video, thank you!

[@Organicflava]

I think part of the reason for the uptick in people wanting to open shops, at least in my personal experience (I'm one of those individuals) is that when Wizards releases a good set, it boosts the confidence in people thinking Magic is here for the long haul. Sets without the hype backing them lead people to think that the game won't last forever, and that their store may only be around for a few years. While Magic isn't the only reason the stores can be successful, it is a reason why it's become less of a risk to open one. People high on popular releases rarely tend to think about how bad business can be during a period of unpopular sets.

[@pelks4765]

The intros are probably my favorite part of your videos

[@Brugllione]

I was listening at work and had to open the video to playback 18:05 to check if you had missed a "giggity" opportunity. I was not dissapointed.

[@themetavault6372]

I'm in CA and I have noticed people talking about similar things, especially getting into the vendor market at events or on TCGplayer. I think also that the 25 year anniversary coming up with the return to Dominaria block being designed by Richard Garfield himself has people super hyped. I know I am.

[@Aggronaut]

Real time comment. I think people to to flock to things when it feels new and fresh and right now... Ixalan feels extremely fresh. It feels unique and interesting and I think in part because the Plainswalkers are less important to this set. What I mean is... it feels like so often they keep forcing these characters that we are supposed to care about into the card design. This set is simple... its dinosaurs, pirates and conquistador vampires and if you took the "characters" out of the set it would still have internal consistency. It feels the way magic sets used to, where we went to new and interesting lands and got to see what kinds of crazy shit they contained. All of this and the fact that we have a return trip to Dominaria on the horizon gives Magic this weird mix of new and fresh ideas laced with a fatal dose of nostalgia.

[@pops1214]

Belghast you know they failed on one of the tribes in a set that just came out when the players forget an entire tribe (merfolk)

[@Aggronaut]

Yeah the Merfolk are just not that compelling and in truth rarely have been. I never got excited when I pulled a Lord of Atlantis back in the day... but bring on the Zombie Master and Goblin King :)

[@rokmare]

I think we should wait and see if dinosaur tribal will actually go anywhere and whether they will show up in future sets, What I don't like about this set is most of the cards are for limited play only and focus around dinosaurs it is too weak for standard because of the past few power sets with low cost and most of the cards are unplayable in commander and modern.

[@grannorbe6452]

Rudy, congrats on your 100K sub count. October 6th, the official Floppy taco day! Keep doing those crazy videos!

[@TimJacobs]

All the chair noise scared the hell out of my dog lol

[@chocolatte7769]

Love the video Rudy. Always refreshing to watch your videos.

[@lowentropy7281]

Here in SLC Utah, we have a lot of game stores/hobby shops. But I haven't noticed an increase of new locations.

[@benjaminwilson8032]

THE TRICK TO CARD SHOP SUCCESS IS A DOPE TACO TRUCK OUTSIDE

[@Ninjahankin]

I just realized that the Kaladesh invention box is less than a year from its maturity date. I thought that was gonna be a one time joke but dam its getting closer to becoming a reality.

[@IronsightV2]

YES! Captain fucking repack!! Glad you liked your cards Rudy! That crunch wrap supreme was almost a regular taco...

[@Clabian96]

I love our little heart to heart talks :)

[@retloth4269]

Rudy's video's are driving the store openings!

[@StonedMonkeyProductions]

I have not seen too many new locations open up in my area here in Washington state. But i think the biggest reason for more shops wanting to open is being able to score a better deal on products. I feel you on the higher value sets it seems like my lgs seem to promote more than usual since most are Magic stores mainly.

[@DanielGarcia-ou7zn]

Congrats on 100,000 subscribers. Now you have to make a real iconic aka master video☺

[@TheSeanSmash]

From someone living in PA, there are really no card shops, at least in Central Pennsylvania, that are opening. The same stores that actually sell the cards have been around for a while. However, there has been an upswing in gaming locations. Whether it be a coffee shop or a brewery. These gaming locations do host prereleases and certain events, but not all of them actually sell the cards in the quantities of focused sellers. In fact, I'm not sure there has even really been a boost of new players, same faces week in and week out according to those I know that go to FNM's all the time.

[@corbettmobarak3749]

So, funny enough, I work in the service industry in Jacksonville and our busiest time of the year is 4th quarter, and 1st quarter. 3rd quarter is our worst time of year. A lot of people like to eat out after the holidays because they've been couped up for a while and eating leftovers. Been here for 5 years, this is just what I've seen in our region.

[@8BitGoomba]

I always appreciate the free business advice! It is pushing my e-bay sells up every week! Also I love these types of videos.

[@silverwolf6866]

Yes, I think the nice sets that are well received do influence new stores because many are on the fence about starting the business but the recent developments could have given them the nudge to have the confidence to take on the challenge.

[@Mugicha808]

Never played and probably never will play MTG but I watch all of Rudy's videos.

[@ericweis9771]

A good friend of mine has a mtg card, rpg, and comic book shop in Southern Utah. He has been in business about 10 years. He told me once that in his town about every two years someone walks into his shop and asks him, "I am going to open my own card shop in town. Would you mind if I volunteer at your card shop so that I can see how you do things?" My friend always replies, "Sure. No problem. I will just charge you $3K:day so that you can learn all of my shop craft!" My friend is not sure what prompts people to open their own shop but he thinks that is probably the health of the local economy. If these same wouldbe card store startups in S UT just watched your channel they could save $3K ;)

[@revcain5871]

bla bla ah rudy.. hosetown... floppy tacos... no pants rudy says eat more tacos

[@StarcoreLabs]

Great video. I enjoy "Rudy's Deep Thoughts" on magic and finance.

[@timorautiainen1783]

My highly uneducated guestimate why there is spike on opening new stores and people asking you is simply that you do have influence. I remember when I started following you and got myself wondering if should go to buy few boxes of whichever set it was that time and try to make profit with opening them. Even knowing my monthly income where even one box makes a dent into months general budget and that there is high risk of even making an euro cent of profit. But that did not matter at that moment, I was hyped. You do get into people's emotions in a positive way I'd say, works for me at least. This is the reason why I watch every video asap even haven't owned a single mtg card since 2003. The Creepy Card Shop Life you've been working on might have worked as a tutorial for many, but wondering now if they store owners have thought about their customer base. Obviously friends will be "Great, I'll buy everything from you" but what I've learnt from the past with niche market, it is not the regulars who bring in the money (obviously they do bring some). It is the random people and Pokemon mothers who bring the real money, friends just drink your coffee and buy booster pack once a week. Could be wrong here, hence this is only a guestimate. Lost my train of thought so hopefully my writing makes any sense.

[@samura1mac132]

yeah I do think a strong set causes ( buzz ) about the game. I am new, mainly because my friend was very excited about the game he pushed me to check it out. I've known about the game for years but had no idea how big, and fun it was! I say, good job Wizards of the coast!

[@D0wnshift]

You just past 100K subs. Congratulations Rudy!

[@tommyshowgun]

Your cheeky camera can't keep its eyes off your hands.

[@Flickstro]

For the record, I never thought you were human garbage, by any metric. You're a fantastic individual and I wouldn't have been viewing this long if that weren't the case. EDIT: Friends and business make strange bedfellows. You have been warned!

[@Rasmussen2750]

I know that Lorwyn block was a "Fail" but i really hope they make a "Return To Lorwyn" type of block... Tribals are the new black! :D

[@jgman81]

This was the video I needed for financial success outside of magic. Rudy you augment number facts with random bullshit in a way no other youtuber can. You should create a magic card inflation graph like the big mac world index.

[@dillomane]

Happy National Taco Day Rudy! May you enjoy the floppiest of tacos! Also, fantastic video, I really enjoy your analytical points of view and how you explain things so frankly.

[@thatoreoguy]

enjoyed. I think you could do more talks on magic/finance in a similar way. As an older player who is getting back into the game i think the finance side is important to understand. As ignoring it for many of us is not an option.

[@Kemoswavvy]

The production quality of these intro's are top notch man....lol

[@iceburnhex]

I don't normally comment, but especially the second half of the video talking about how society works with the cyclical quarter spendings was a great reminder. I've kinda noticed, but not thought as in depth about it, but you can definitely pick out how people spend and complain about finances throughout the year. Maybe we can apply some of this with Magic and use it as a tool to teach people how to manage money better, therefore allow them to spend more on cards over interest? Just a creepy Rudy thought

[@lorewyn3386]

West Coast top 3 coasts. I agree, even you don't see it immediately, I think there is a significant uptick in shops OPENING.

[@Veishan]

Kaladesh investments box gets me EVERY TIME XD

[@PhilShary]

100K SUBS, RUDY! Gratz

[@davidgeorge6278]

I think a lot of people see your videos and it inspires them to get into MTG trading and investing. Idiots like me with $2000 in shitty common cards see your videos and think "hey, maybe I could list some Magic on ebay and be super successful". While I am not actually that stupid, I have got into dealing MTG single cards online because of you. Before finding your channel I had only ever traded from binders. While I have always been and will always be a private collector for fun, seeing all the nice loot you have amassed does make me day dream about what I could make my collection look like, and makes me wonder if I could ever get some expensive cards. If I had more money, who knows what I would decide to do after watching one of your videos late at night. If I could afford to lose some money, I might be stupid and jump in to open my own store.

[@thegotcheygamer3504]

Really did enjoy listening to your thoughts on this subject! Awesome vlog!

[@pixelart5743]

I have been at it for the past 2 years, if you guys want to start one. Do it as a hobby at night on Ebay, Esty, or Amazon, see if you actually like doing it before you spend 50 grand on opening a store. Start with like 10 grand and stick to one product, know that product and if it goes well hire someone else that knows the other products.

[@Drew_2308]

Rudy, you're a fucking boss and I love your honesty. Shine on you crazy diamond!

[@omarmoreno3758]

dude i love the beginning of this video, I've seen it like six times already. SWEET...

[@opag78]

I definitively like this video more than one of the ones with "crazy elements"

[@jordanboggs2356]

I don't play MTG but love your videos. Might have to try it out soon. I mainly play wow, and summoners war.

[@Axe2287]

I think Millennials are finally in a place that are more financially stable. The whole generation that got messed up by the great recession are going to get into a place that they can invest seriously in small business and also nostalgia. At least more of the major chunk of the bell curve of people around early 30s to about 25.

[@TheOrian34]

Very instructive and interesting.

[@VernsHobbies]

Thumbs up for every video with Office Space references

[@silentsnooper3307]

Love the opening! Nice!

[@maxpheby7287]

Man I wish some-one would open a store in my town. There isnt a single place with-in 30 miles of me where I can buy ANY magic products at all so yeah more shops the better.

[@josephsheldon9361]

I feel like the trend is a realistic thing here Rudy I feel also a lot of it not only how well the sets selling but how much fun the set is overall and how appealing that is to some of these people as players and most don't differentiate business from the pleasure of playing the game and that's also why most of them won't make it long term as the data also proves, which Is why me personally I have set my mind to it as a business venture and have a solid business plan set up and I'm not going to sway on opening based on how good a new set is, it will be when I have the capital and resources my plan requires.

[@ibringyoutoruin]

I think you get the most views because we can actually hear you. For that i thank you

[@KrepsyK]

New to channel guy here, whoever made the into card... hilarious! Good joke, love it

[@supermax64]

That intro is golden.

[@blulight6971]

I'm in college for Business and I swear I learn more from Prof Rudy

[@matthewrogalinski6544]

#FloppyTaco On the chair stack Good One Rudy! The Green Screen FloppyTaco is in The Wooden Box of Kaladesh Inventions.

[@ecoKady]

Fantastic video. Loved it.

[@evanl734]

Hey Rudy, did youever make a video on distributor shipping costs, also is it possible to pick up your order from the distributor rather than shipping?

[@TallonAM]

Well, you also have to remember Rudy, you might make up the pattern, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Once you find it, you have to decide if the meaning behind that pattern is relevant and useful.

[@regorllerref]

Those Planechase Anthology seem crazy.

[@SirBruceDetects]

I was at one time thinking of opening a store but I decided to just open a Ebay Store.. I do ok for doing it part time.

[@yoyo2be]

I loved the ideas that you said in the video

[@lilwaif168]

100000 subs good job Rudy!!!

[@RobertGardnerEngineer]

Also, FYI, this was the single most interesting video to me. I really found the insight very interesting.

[@RobertGardnerEngineer]

The Bay Area is an MTG desert. CFB is the only real store of any size, and there are exactly zero regular big events (I imagine because venues are so expensive). It's so bad I'm selling out of paper magic.

[@marklummis712]

what a card!

[@MartinThorning]

Loved the intro :)

[@MTGUnpacked]

Seems like a tough business to get into. I wonder how much churn there’ll be in the distributor accounts by next summer?

[@robertconner580]

I love the videos Rudy. Keepem comin

[@ladyarmourlapras]

I bet you can smell 100k subs, milestone's so close!

[@timmatherfackingsmith7601]

great video. i agree. and learned a lot.

[@planeswalkermtg5324]

This was my favorite video in months BTW

[@TheOliver353]

RUDY DOESN'T CARE!!! HAHAHA HOSETOWN!!! HAHAHA TACOLAND!!!

[@betasequence9375]

Very good video, I enjoyed it a great deal.

[@forsakenfortnite5771]

I think your right I have noticed a big up swing of players at our local LGS and I am sure it is do to the state of standard and nostalgia most of the new comers are old players coming back to the game or coming out to FNM for the first time

[@magnums4943]

''Hello it's Rudy from Taco Investments...''

[@TercesKun]

i swear rudy, you are my role model

[@KuroNoKeiyakusha88]

There's a simple answer to the Magic-product saturation: Don't buy shit you don't want/need. If you have to spend money on bills and Christmas presents, maybe you don't need to buy that duel deck or From the Vault

[@corriedebeer799]

it is all going in and out, giddy.

[@pokemon2poker]

Probably your last video before you hit 100k. Congratulations man, I hope to cross paths with you someday.

[@indraneelmassie5994]

Grats on 100k!

[@sonofchlar6144]

222K now.

[@finnish_maniac8927]

@@sonofchlar6144 260k now :P

[@rasmachris94]

This is just my opinion and a little bit of common sense. It might be a bit insensitive to say (as I'm not actually a retailer myself) but if you're entering the card shop business based on the recent releases you will fail as a business. (This goes for lots of things in life but fits here) You need to be able to play the long game and as soon as the boxes you're planning to sell are out of print what are you going to do? Like everyone else you need to move onto the newer stock and there will be less interest, less pull and it will not seem as financially viable as it will right now where there are all these good sets coming out. To me this looks no different than those companies that are always chasing the newest fad and trying to create the next big thing; sometimes they're lucky and they get a hit but if they can't repeatedly make hits they'll go out of business quickly because they can't sustain their business model over a long period of time. I mean let's say that the current set and the next is good; okay well what after that? You make a killing in sales on those two but what if the next 3 are terrible and no one wants to buy your stock because it's not competitive (paid in excess, so higher retail prices) or maybe you just aren't selling as many as you bought to stock - you'll run into trouble and that's the best-case scenario. The truth is that if you go all in on these sets and don't know when to pull your punches; play the slow game and wait for good sets then you'll be in quite a pickle. If you're hoping for specific sets you may as well be gambling because you might go all in on a set that's 'guaranteed to do well' and then realise that consumers just aren't interested because there aren't any cool or interesting cards or any decent reprints - in which case you just paid a lot of an investment into a dying stock. Sure, some will sell but not as well as expected and you'll have to liquidate - taking the loss on the bulk that you couldn't sell, maybe even barely breaking even on the initial investment if you're lucky. Selling anything where you have to put hard cash down first is a risky investment because you can't guarantee that you'll make a return on that initial price even if you liquidate. It's a balancing act of buying enough stock for consumers so that your profit margin increases, while not buying into too much stock and eating into your profit margins and in some cases evaporating them entirely. Only years of experience will really tell you what to expect and how much you know that you'll sell for sure and even then it's kind of a gamble. Although of course, I could be wrong.

[@chrissudlow8638]

Mcdonalds and taco bell is my fucking office space lol

[@draxxus]

I wish it were as simple as “release it in the first quarter so we get huge revenue” the timings of premium sets are chosen very specifically. There is a lot of data justifying the release in the 2nd quarter as opposed to the 1st.