Do Not Buy This Magic: The Gathering Scam!

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Check out The Most Powerful New CommandersFrom The Brothers' War: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4iciJtrirWcp9E

[@dennismarinos2129]

Angry professor is just best professor

[@Nozdormu1982]

It is even worse. You get a 4 dollar magic booster, that might be worth even less after you open it :P.

[@alexMendoza-wl5oj]

my fears that the entity doing this has more tendrils in the company the distributors and the stores then we can account for

[@rennefaireresident9085]

@@dennismarinos2129 As long as it's not Arena gatekeeping Prof.

[@nathanmarines1907]

I pulled a double masters from two

[@cax1175]

If you're gonna get scammed buying sealed product, at least do it from wizards themselves

[@ibemagnus]

Yeah I'll buy the WotC moneygrubbing product instead xD

[@TheUbernuck]

all the packs are 15 cards but some cost $4 and some cost $15+???

[@ThePopeSquad]

or your LGS!

[@ThatRandomGamerrz]

LMAO

[@jamesmast4221]

@@TheUbernuck if you're talking about what is shown in this video I'm assuming the pricier ones were a combination of older out of print sets and special packs that give you more rares and shinier cards

[@silvanobianchini6924]

I was like "hey, 1 booster pack and a promo card, sounds neat, it will probably sell for around 5.99 dollars". And then... 17.99 LOL

[@902496]

No kidding. I was thinking "well, I would like a foil stonecoil and if its just like $6 I don't see what the harm is in buying just one" I don't think the prof needs to worry about anyone buying these "on a lark". Unfortunately, I think the only people ignorant enough about magic to buy this product aren't people who watch TCC... On a side note, way back in the day I did find some opened commander decks in a few of those plastic boxes, but after it became widely known, the big box stores were always sold out. By the time they restocked, those cases never had commander decks again. For a while I checked every time I went to the store, shaking the box around to get a look at a set symbol or card name, and all it ever was was dual decks and land packs from bundles. Those things haven't had any good contents in them since like 2015

[@atony1400]

This is exactly what I did and said when I saw them. Seasoned Magic players think alike after all!

[@ozmond]

They aren’t 17.99 at my target. They were the same price as a normal pack. I bought one of those

[@themonkeyhand]

@@ozmond I've seen Masters cards priced as normal boosters, either your Target or his made a mistake.

[@Wyrmshield]

Yeah that's the point where my jaw hit the ground

[@Kimch87]

I would be willing to say that the whole "It's aimed at parents" argument is exactly why it's a scam and not just a rip off. They prey on those who doesn't know and all I can hope is that the price itself is enough to dissuade people from buying it, even if they don't know the real "value".

[@alexandersean4708]

Exactly. That is unconscionable. End of story. Saying it’s only marketed to people who don’t know what the value is makes it worse! If that price doesn’t put someone off, tell them that you could get the SAME PRODUCT for 13 dollars cheaper by just buying a regular booster pack!

[@alexandersean4708]

@@jackfrost2572 Oh crap, they do? That's horrifying! I have an entire branch of the family who collect pokemon cards! I hope they know about this!

[@AwakenedAvocado]

Total scam 10/10

[@kiillabytez]

Yet, the packaging isn't misleading in the slightest, so again..., not a scam.

[@ShaggyRogers1]

@@kiillabytez Intentionally attempting to hide the contents to not make it obvious that you are buying a product that is actually straight up worth half as much as the price tag is straight up scam practice. Deceptive packaging and misleading labeling is against the law.

[@Madlittlepixel]

Ive seen these at Target and never realized the crazy price. I assumed they were going to be $5-8 because the pricing tags are rarely accurate and things seem to float around in Target. Make that assumption and grab a pack or two and dont notice the price while being checked out is the likely problem... Then notice it on the receipt and ask to return... I noticed a lot of Targets wont take back TCG stuff due to people scamming returning product they resealed. Not a good situation all around.

[@AlanHaskayne]

If they are all in the wrong place tell the target associates about it. For me at least, they have always marked down the product to the price on the shelf, which has let me get collectors boosters for $4.25, and even some of these kinds of products for a reasonable price.

[@madhatten00]

yeah 9.99 usually they overmarked just for the freaking stone coiled rare so you're paying 7 dollars for it

[@jaredbarton6161]

They (at one point) had a 3-pack for 11.99 with a promo and it looked dece. Theyve been gone for a hot minute

[@madhatten00]

@@jaredbarton6161 yeah if u can get packs for less than 5, u got a bargain. Sometimes you find old packs for that in boxes, but the wrapped in plastic/cardboard ones are in the 9.99 range.

[@KrepsyK]

Yeah I assumed they'd be about the prices you stated above. 17 bucks is a massive rip-off.

[@einjharrelraca]

my problem with these is that they aren't meant to scam us, the seasoned players who know, this scam is meant to target our loved ones looking to get a gift, and new players.

[@youtoons]

Stocking stuffers…

[@tisttheory5752]

lol are you braindead? thats literally what he said in the video........i know this video and comment is 2 yrs old but still hopefully you arent as smooth braindead as you were ffs

[@xD3adKl0wnx]

I haven't played Magic in over a decade, but I somehow got your video pushed to me by "the algorithm" so I gave it a watch. I have to say, this is a solid piece of content and you're doing a great thing by spreading the word about these kinds of parasites who try to scam people and sully a hobby by selling garbage to those who may not know any better. Cheers!

[@PsionicMonk]

"When your grandma or cool dad" really sealed the point for me. I never got into these stupid repackaged products but thinking about some teenager's family doing a cool thing for them like, buying them cards for this game they love, really does hammer home how disgusting this practice is.

[@isaacyim8566]

Yea man, whoever thought of this were intentionally going after these people...

[@fdrehug7318]

Yeah, this is a totally unacceptable practice and needs to be stopped, I can Just imagine what a dad may think if they spend a little less then $20 USD on this only to find out that that cool card up front would have been sub $2 and the pack was $4 if he bought the same pack(being generous). sad thing is that we can't educate everyone and the profits from these things are such a value that the company can still go on in this terrible practice as @Daily gaming has said it makes parents not want to buy product because of these sale tactics

[@MasterDoctorBenji]

I don't disagree it's a terrible thing, but most grandma's or uncles or what have you would grab on of the cheapest things right? The Target Magic shelves are always fully stocked, no one buys the product. So with all the options, even the uniformed wouldn't pick something that expensive and small right? Most I would imagine would grab the 4.19 option or go big and buy a fatpack.

[@MrKahrum]

@@MasterDoctorBenji exactly. if you have any discernment as a customer at all, you can see that this is a scam from the outset. tbh, if you fall for this do us all a favor and dont procreate.

[@FORRESTtheunoriginal]

@@MasterDoctorBenji Not only that, but this has none of the branding on it. Granny cant tell a mtg booster pack from a pack of baseball cards without the big name and logo on it.

[@GKiernan01]

Not all heroes wear capes Prof, some wear button down shirts and vests while talking to a camera. But seriously Prof, thanks for everything you do!

[@Garymaster4321]

While looking really fancy.

[@sgtmadness22]

@@Garymaster4321 He tends to look like he's from the 1970's

[@semperfi818]

@@sgtmadness22 Those eye-searing, wide belly-warmer ties are pure 1970s indeed, but the Prof makes them work as a sartorial signature.

[@Garymaster4321]

@@sgtmadness22 yes and I love it

[@greenwave819]

@@sgtmadness22 1970s styles are coming back STRONG. Our man is actually ahead of the curve and looking hella stylish imo

[@danielciccarelli422]

We had these at Walgreens when I worked there. I would straight up tell people its a scam. This and the repacks of opened pokemon cards. I would just point them to the official boosters.

[@bobkarns]

Our Walgreens has 3 packs for $12, way more often than not, I've gotten pretty damn good pulls.

[@ryanolson356]

I used to work at Walgreens. I think there is something special with the card packs there (Official of course). However, like the OP on the chain, I would also point people away from the scam repackages. @@bobkarns

[@DoNotPassGO]

​@@bobkarns I also have a couple friends who bought several of these and got a few really good pulls surprisingly.

[@michaelkrynski7793]

@@DoNotPassGO the lightning pack stuff is fine but everything else is trash.

[@tonyq7364]

Thank you for protecting us Prof! You passion for the game and for getting us the best value for our dollar keeps me coming back!

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Any time

[@mutsuhanma7807]

@@TolarianCommunityCollege MVP!

[@jordanmeyer2699]

@@TolarianCommunityCollege I wish I saw this video sooner, I was one of those suckers, I never realized the price. I have let you down I apologize

[@KzhoLegendary]

Pls help me create a angel deck​@@TolarianCommunityCollege

[@The_Loreseeker]

In the 80s, Nintendo would call retailers and tell them that they would receive no new official Nintendo releases so long as they had unlicensed games in their store. I strongly believe that this is what WotC should do.

[@williambax8085]

Walmart would say cool we won’t carry your product. Wotc needs Walmart

[@The_Loreseeker]

@@williambax8085 Not really - the LGS network and their lil' deal with Amazon means they'll have _plenty_ of places to put product.

[@williambax8085]

@@The_Loreseeker they changed the way packs were made just to even get into Walmart. That’s why we have basic lands in packs now. Walmart target is some of the biggest exposure they get.

[@The_Loreseeker]

@@williambax8085 It's also some of the highest product loss they get, since packs are stolen _often_

[@williambax8085]

@@The_Loreseeker my point still stand.

[@coopisawesome189]

My grandma fell for this but with a Pokémon scam, It wasn’t even like a pack of Pokémon cards it was just like 10 random cards that were trash. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a scam and just wasted her money.

[@ForgottenAesir]

I learned about repacks being a shitty scam when I bought two of those repackaged acrylic boxes with "100 cards and a promo!" And they were both literally a promo, the same common equipment card, and 99 lands.

[@rafaelmeza566]

bruh

[@ethanuys6903]

Thats... wow

[@Thenightshowbreaks]

Lmaoooooook

[@greenwave819]

that's worse than going on a Tinder date and finding out the person is lying about their age by 10 years, their weight by a ton and their hair color by implying that they once had hair, but are now fully bald.

[@Danzilla1996]

I had one my girlfriend bought for me for my birthday and it was one promo and then three of the same shitty starter deck stacked inside, lol.

[@andxi1919]

Top notch consumer advocacy as always

[@DerpyM_2.0]

Indeed!

[@MadaZitro]

We used to get these when I worked at Walgreens. I did the, check the sides for the color and art to spot out somethings. I was gonna buy it when it got damaged by a customer a few days later, which meant we have to throw them out. I cracked them open anyway and found intact Apocalypse pack. Lets just say it didn't make it to the garbage bin... suddenly.. more and more of these mystery bundles were getting damaged... and having to be thrown out. I think kids trying to steal them were thinking they were Yugioh or Pokemon cards. All in all, I walked away with a fair share of dark steels and apocalypse packs, and an assortment of fun goodies like gate watch. Only thing I truly miss about that job I think.

[@PapaMortem]

These are packaged by Fairfield company. Never buy from Fairfield. They have a history of opening packs, removing cards, adding commons or cheap foils, and resealing them. Definitely don't buy the 'collection' or 'bundle' packs. You have about a 10% chance to actually get everything the pack says you're supposed to get.

[@lucascova7875]

Thanks, people need to know

[@kennethferland5579]

Can WotC cut these guys off or sue?

[@TheBizzerker]

More like UN-Fairfield, amirite?

[@Todasul47]

also their logo looks very much(identical) to the facebook logo

[@robgillan2493]

@@kennethferland5579 No they cant because the countries they do this in dont have proper regulations and laws on reselling products

[@thomp4183]

Dude, thanks alot for this video. I just started to get into Magic The Gathering. A friend gave me a bunch of his old cards to check out a while back and I decided to now go all in with building a deck. I will admit that I very likely would've fallen for this one had I not seen this video. Props.

[@justins1917]

You're not the only one, I would wonder at the price If there's something special in them and probably buy one

[@Demonlord4546]

Welcome to the club lads and lasses, you shall never escape this rabbit hole

[@lanceknightmare]

@@Demonlord4546 I escaped this rabbit hole. I started back in Ice Age and Fourth Edition. I have not played a single game of MTG or purchased any of their products in years. I have only purchased a single pack a few times and played casually for short durations in the last 10 years. Around the 2010's was the last time I picked up a booster box.

[@Tornven2003]

This is another reason to love prof. He is looking out for everyone all the time. Absolute heart of gold 🥰

[@CamperCarl00]

Years ago, as a college student, me and a friend bought a $12 repackaged thing from Fred Meyer. Even then, my package was full of commons and uncommons while my friend's was literally just lands.

[@nym053]

Omg hahaha 😂

[@k9o5k]

I did that once got one rare in the cube and it was covered in tomato sauce

[@LordRevan209]

I work at Target and I’ve been trying my best to inform the guests we have at the store

[@greenwave819]

by guests, do you mean people who are staying at your store?

[@LordRevan209]

@@greenwave819 not quite

[@nxtsoaveragejoe6644]

Not all heroes wear capes

[@SirTwilight]

Don't worry, I'll make your job a little easier if I'm ever at your Target and see these scam packs by moving them out of sight, lol.

[@apolinarhowell7783]

🐐

[@DooZah_TCG]

Honestly I consider you the voice of Magic the Gathering. I go to you for all my magic info, products, and reviews. Thank you for your contribution to this beloved game.

[@DarthHao]

The Fairfield Company has been selling these scam products for decades now. Good to remind everyone once in a while, just so newer players don’t fall for this trap.

[@marceloquejinho]

More like Unfairfields

[@summertilling]

@@marceloquejinho Got 'em.

[@anonymous-mj8wb]

@@marceloquejinho heh noice.

[@SteelfurSpeaks]

Straight talking and honest as always. This is why the Professor deserves his views.

[@adamorand88]

Hey, I'm in Tampa, Florida and I just got into Magic a week ago. Found your channel the other day and so far you've got some good info, thanks for that! Very helpful.

[@VivaLaReverend]

When you can't tell which scam the Prof is talking about because a lot of products feel like scams

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Are very few wizards official products of actually felt like scams to me. Some of them were definitely out of my price range but I also understand the price tag that they put on it with the exception of maybe the Deluxe Edition at the prof mentioned in this video. Even collector boosters I don’t think they’re worth it to buy if you’re going to crack them but boy do I think they’re worth it to buy and throw in your closet and then forget about

[@rd9669]

@@HomeCookinMTG yeah very few products feel like scams, I got started in throne of eldraine playing modern and commander and the collectors boosters were some of the best products I have seen. Secret pairs could feel like a scam especially when only 1-2 good cards come with bulk you never wanted.

[@GFreeGamer]

Fully agree with the sentiment that this is absolutely outrageous. The entry points into our community should be guarded to ensure that we don't lose potential players to the negative sentiments these products cause.

[@Gulocide]

I've always hated how scummy these reseller cover companies for bigger corps can get. Great shout out! Thanks for looking out Fam!

[@No-no-no-no-nope]

As a beginner it is mega hard to decide which products are good and which are not. Thanks for your videos, they totally help

[@MisterAssasine]

proxy your cards. Trust me, its so much cheaper and you can have any card you want. Printer go brr

[@kiillabytez]

I remember a magazine called Scrye, which helped consumers on which products were good buys, but I haven't seen it around much.

[@sodenoite45]

Up@@MisterAssasine

[@tiffanywyatt5137]

Proxy? ​@@MisterAssasine

[@RevanReborn3950BBY]

@@tiffanywyatt5137printout fakes of cards used in place of the real thing

[@crh18]

17.99 for 1 booster pack from Throne of Eldraine! wtf!

[@dcon1891]

At my store, some of them are also from theros beyond death 🤦

[@dustinburns4550]

Yea I saw these at my target I couldn't believe it.......I think one pack was at least a modern horizon maybe, but omg who is buying these ?

[@impendio]

Insane.

[@icewatever]

Excuse me, how dare you accuse Fairfield Games of such a scam!? You get a Stonecoil Serpent too remember :)

[@dustinburns4550]

Oh I forgot...... another stone coil to add to my 50 other ones , thank you Fairfield !!!

[@Vok250]

Oh to go back to the days when a $17 booster was a "scam" and a booster box was $90. Now a booster straight from Wizards is $40 and a box is $400.

[@danjackson86]

Absolute vintage Prof. Down in the trenches. Standing up for the little guy and all of the rest of us. Keep being the hero we deserve. This is why we love you. You are the OP mtg content creator

[@mikeanderson1370]

I've actually told my family and friends, in the past, SEVERAL TIMES, to NEVER buy me any collectible stuff, that has a fluctuating value, unless they absolutely are certain they know the product well enough to understand what they're doing. Because, even as a teen in the 90s, I just knew about scammers and how they worked, and many of them were big corporations taking advantage of gullible & ignorant people.

[@jzplayinggame]

One of the most transparent, wholesome, and knowledgeable youtubers out there. Thanks you for being light in your corner of the world

[@danalinchristania5163]

Well said

[@mutsuhanma7807]

If theres anything the community needs to do right now...is share this video...not to your friends or veteran magic players...but to people who don't know about magic or the newer people...

[@Jude_McCloud]

This is my first video of yours I have watched firsthand, and I just want to say how grateful I am for it. I thought I was already subscribed, but now I am for sure. I may not know a lot about you, but I know I admire and respect you. Looking forward to the future!

[@jacktupp4358]

It's predatory marketing. The exact point you brought up is the intended market. New players and parent's who don't know any better. Even so, it's hard to imagine someone would see that, then a booster next to it and not scoff at the $17 price tag. Hopefully skeptical minds prevail.

[@TheKingNaesala]

Problem is card sections at big box stores are consistently messy and prices aren't updated or kept clear. So your grandma sees the shiny card on the front next to a bunch of packs without it, and it's been hung on a hook with the normal packs or tossed on a pile of products and they grab it and dont notice the price, or notice it later on the receipt and try to return it but can't because of the new store policies fighting the recent wave of scalpers.

[@jacktupp4358]

@@TheKingNaesala I can see that being an issue, too.

[@marzix427]

If you go to target, their product is not always on the shelf neccesarily in the correct place and Target or Walmart won't care to correct it or even refund it either, which is terrible.

[@adonisgomez161]

Also, to someone who doesn't know anything about the game, you see the foil card and automatically think its good or worth something

[@MongoTheMagnificent666]

@@marzix427 Don't know what Target stores you're going to, but where I work we get shit done and fix any mistakes.

[@KaeroMTG]

“You know how you can help me out? DON’T BUY THIS!” I saw the righteous fury of the foremost MTG consumer advocate here. I’m here for it. Thanks Prof.

[@Mottenfest]

2:29 When I first got back into mtg in 2009 I made the mistake of buying something like this from Target. Nowhere on it did it say anything about not being official. Looking at this package, it looks like WotC must have cracked down on them. I opened the thing I got, and it was literally 15 of the same exact common. I felt so embarrassed and taken advantage of.

[@Bloodfire83]

Knowing WotC, if they find out people are actually falling for this scam, they'll probably try to copy it instead of fighting it.

[@toof987]

aren't they already doing that with set boosters? less product than a draft box and a higher price.

[@damientalrose553]

@@toof987 The trade off with set boosters is that you have higher chances at rare/mythic cards. So, you get fewer commons, typically more uncommons, and sometimes more rares/mythics. Every set booster box I've opened has been, cost per card, more valuable than a draft booster box.

[@SeraphSilverstar]

@@damientalrose553 I experienced this as well. Less chaff, more value. I remember getting a “god box” of khans of tarkir that had, in every pack of the box, accidentally replaced an uncommon with a mythic/rare. I would compare the set boosters to that level of value. Granted, it isn’t a perfect comparison, but you give up 6 packs and a few lower rarity cards and come out with more of the potential value of the rares/mythics than you will with draft boosters

[@TheKingNaesala]

Secret Lair: Very Fair Deal! Comes with a foil Sea Gate Banneret (same art) and one Ikoria pack. But!!!! There's a .001% chance we'll replace it with an original innistrad pack!

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

@@damientalrose553 it must be noticed though that the perception of higher value is based on the assumption that rares are more valuable ... while the sad reality is that, especially in the last couple of regular sets, most of rares are just bulk that have pretty much the same financial value of uncommons and commons on the secondary market. You can of course get lucky, but I feel that WotC has designed the set boxes to give customers the illusion of cracking more value (more rares, the debatable "list"), while in reality they are the only ones to increas their profit margins with less product for higher retail price.

[@MrCamel42]

I would like to start by saying, Thank you for spending your own money for the community at large. the sheer outrage that is exuding from your every pore in this video really shows how much love you have for this game, for that i would like to thank you again. May peace be the journey and dont forget to support your local game store

[@idontwantahandlethough]

Wow, really well said dude. That... really got me thinkin', jesus christ! I don't play anymore and haven't for a long time, so for the first part of the video I was kinda thinking "ok man, sure, but I'm not sure it's that big of a deal" but honestly by the end of the video I totally get where this guy is coming from now, and I immediately have a lot of respect for him. I think at this point in the modern age, most of us have gotten so cynical (especially me) that we almost instinctively balk at the idea of _genuinely_ caring this much about something... about anything. But idk, this dude's anger really spoke to me for some reason. It's refreshing to see someone be truly passionate about something they care about, if that makes sense? Yeah, so I'm pretty sure I'm talking to myself more than I'm talking to you at this point (or maybe I'm talking to the endless void that is the internet, i'm not sure it matters anyway), but thanks for reading this. I hope you're having a good day so far (yes, you. the person reading this). :)

[@MichaelKolesarKoleslaw]

A long time ago I remember first seeing these in places like Target, Kroger, Wal-mart, etc and they were much more reasonably priced, maybe 2-3 more dollars than just a booster pack.

[@1337DBZFan]

Hi professor, thank you for your sacrifice and keeping us informed.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

My pleasure

[@ctsupergeek]

The passion this man has is almost palpable. Wow, i just recently got into magic snd and found your channel. Amazing content, and i will definitely be watching more.

[@mandymk6862]

Same! My husband is an advanced player but I'm a total newbie.

[@QuigonJordan]

Prof has both entertaining, and highly informative videos. Over the years he's become a pillar of the community, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and subscribe to his channel.

[@nickhughes8179]

Dollar stores in Canada sell random 15 card packs for $1.50 each. You know you're getting bulk cards, a $0.25-1.00 rare, but you can often find much older cards in them, sometimes you find useful commander and Pauper bulk, and the occasional money common or uncommon. Got a Stitcher's Supplier in one and another gave me a Secret Salvage which was amazing for the Shadowborn Apostles deck I had. Don't expect Rhystic Study any more though. They have 60 card packs for $4 or $5 too. They come from a similar type company to MJ Hoodwinking but this company, Presstine Marketing, doesn't rip you off.

[@danielcolliver1993]

The ONLY type of these "mystery" packs ive ever bought mutiples of have been at rite aid. There typically junk promos but they come with 3 random booster packs for 12 bucks. These for 17.99. YIKES

[@Cajetas]

If you got rite aid rewards itd 11 bucks, so itspretty decent. Once in a blue moon they got a collrctors booster in there

[@kaliandrews4601]

Bought some of these a few years ago when Walmart still had them. Cracked an og printing of mind sculptor

[@bartenderbobmtg9809]

I buy the 3-pack from my local rite aid also I pay about 9.25 for the 3 pack

[@RetroPillowcase]

Same here

[@SherpaRage]

I buy those and have gotten some great cards/packs. Pulled a freaking Conspiracy Vedalken Orrery even once.

[@bryceroberts2965]

I reached out to the fairfield company and they sent me this: "Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, we will be taking care of this so it doesn't happen again."

[@koreannom]

basically it's the nice way of saying "get your head out of our business"

[@SublimeMB00]

Dude, your content is always on point. I thought I was already subscribed but I would like to formally apologize to you for not being subscribed to the awesome content you make! You are greatly appreciated, bud!

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Thank you. That means a lot to me.

[@BodywiseMustard]

Cringe

[@draconocor]

We're gradually getting closer to the legendary episode: "Is it worth it to buy x?" "No" *video ends*

[@CathrineMacNiel]

I remember that the Prof did something like that once. I believe it was on the Deluxe Throne of Eldraine even?

[@KiraSlith]

Stupid people need things jammed down their throats multiple times to understand WHY they shouldn't do something.

[@trowawayacc]

Lucky for us youtube just made shorts!

[@SageYT7709]

Reminder that not everyone has a LGS, nor can we play irl. We have to rely on Big Box stores. That being said, do NOT buy crap from MJ Holding, Or Fairfield.

[@Iceknight212]

Support someone else's LGS. There's so many really cool stores that sell for retail online with super reasonable 50-75 dollar free shipping bonuses, and so many sell at MSRP instead of gouging on eBay or tcgplayer. I've even gotten 10% off coupons when buying from LGSs!

[@prestongiles9917]

Preach!

[@DarkPaladin1130]

@@Iceknight212 Agree 100% There are many LGS who have online stores and offer great deals. If you don't trust them...Card Kingdom is FANTASTIC and prices seem right inline with the community. Altho I do question their grading system at times.

[@MrTomhotch]

MJ Holdings and Excell are the only vendors you buy from when you shop for trading cards at Target and Wal-Mart. They just make more margin on these mystery repackaged items, but even a regular booster is distributed by them.

[@prestongiles9917]

@@MrTomhotch oh shit 0.0

[@Sticky_Ricky]

Thank you for the heads-up, Boromir. Seriously though, I'm just getting back to Magic after 10+ years of not so much as touching a card, so seeing this early on was very nice.

[@Ewar231]

Thank you for covering this, I literally spent 20 minutes in a Target trying to figure it out for myself and was dumbfounded when I found out what was actually in the package. The only other thing I found was a lot of them had commander legends packs as well.

[@ericpritchard2427]

Wow, I am speechless. Thanks for spreading the word Prof!

[@lorenzotanzi9851]

0:30 oh man this statement hasn't aged well After the 30th anniversary edition

[@pseudoku1]

I absolutely love how passionate Prof is at these videos. It demonstrates how much he loves the players of this game as much as the cards themselves ❤️

[@sagethevvitch]

The Professor really does just have our best interest in mind. I appreciate him wasting his own money and time so people don't get ripped off. Hopefully he makes the $80 back

[@DarkPaladin1130]

He will. This video alone will pay for them. Prof will be just fine. He probably right now, using those cards...they will make great fire starters!

[@privatename5788]

Let me explain these things to you. I used to work for a company that serviced Magic and the other cards. Here's what goes on: All damaged stock is returned to the distributor, and repacked into these. Maybe you know that. Maybe you know that the old packaging is discarded, and the boosters are repacked into these overpriced things. What you don't know is why. They don't expect or even want you to buy these. Buying them is just a bonus. They want these packages to be STOLEN. Theft of this product happens a whole lot, almost as much as actual purchases. By taking a garbage, $4 booster and repackaging it as an $18 product, the company gets to write of $18 each time one is stolen. These boosters are just peg warmers, but if they put it in a new package with a higher price point, it suddenly becomes attractive to thieves, and you'll notice how nice and small those packs are. The distributor puts thought into this. They can either have merchandise that they can't sell, which will eventually be thrown out and written off at $4 a pack, or they can write it off at $18 a pack once it's been stolen. So there it is. It's not right, it's not moral or ethical, but it's what American capitalism allows, and approves of.

[@markusaurelius83]

That's interesting and makes a lot of sense. Thanks for explaining.

[@ThePshhhhhh]

Soo are they gonna stop me orrrr.....

[@privatename5788]

@@ThePshhhhhh The retailer will stop you, yes. These products are consignment, meaning that the store doesn't own them, but gets a percentage of the sale price. Though they lose no money if you steal them, they also make no money for the shelf space the product takes up if the product is stolen. They're not going to go out of their way to guard this merchandise, but if they happen to see you and there's no one else being suspicious in the store, then you'll get busted, and go to jail for $18 worth of crappy cards.

[@AlexSilver9]

Ah, Fairfield Company, that right there is an IMMEDIATE red flag

[@impendio]

Who are they, first time hearing of it.

[@BurdTurgler]

@@impendio googled them and all i see is repackaging scams.. looks like the prof hit the nail on the head again

[@chesterfieldthe3rd929]

And see M.J holding s

[@ikhbjhbkm5]

Probably an amazon damaged and returns liquidator. Buy bulk bins of garbage for 10 cents on the dollar and have to find a way to resell it.

[@deadsexyradio7045]

They do the same gimmick with baseball and football cards.

[@birkkrabbedewaal8583]

I thought stonecoil looked interesting, and was thinking about buying it. Thank you so much for the warning.

[@madhatten00]

stone coil is only good in edh anyways it's just a subpar splash card with no synergy at 3-4mana, it is just a regular creature with trample at 5+ mana, there's just better creatures to play

[@unai49999]

@@madhatten00 i mean, it's not oko but it's flexible and a great sideboard option. Also It has a strog +/+ counter sinergy and great value with lurrus. It survived clarion, It was teferiproof, It survived the zenith flare and azorius flyers so i will say you are talking nonsense. Obviously not a broken card but holds up pretty good. Btw, it's pretty obvius the guy with the bolas pfp is trolling.

[@ButchDeLoria]

​@@madhatten00 A bit of a late reply, but it's funny to play for X=1 in Ensoul Artifact decks, and if you use it as a sacrificial blocker with Eater of Virtue you can give good creatures all of its keywords later

[@DarkSniper2005]

As a new player feeling the pull towards buying boosters I thank you for making this video so that i don't lose any more money than I already have.

[@Bored_Barbarian]

“Don’t buy this” Professor “buys a few dozen”

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

I waste my money so you don’t have to.

[@Welverin]

He suffers, so we don't have to.

[@christopherreichle6670]

He is the magic Jesus He pays for our sins in collecting cardboard

[@snarkback]

@@TolarianCommunityCollege you're doing God's work

[@FirePhoenix103]

@@TolarianCommunityCollege And I appreciate it! A sacrifice for a few to save many.

[@starnik]

I saw someone in your tweets saying that they found "Throne of Eldraine, Collector boosters" in these and that "so long as you know what you're doing sometimes they are good" and I wanted to scream at them. Absolutely crazy.

[@toof987]

" i found a revised pack!"

[@koolaidman531]

I'm guilty of this admittedly. Found a commander legends collector booster in one and pulled a mana drain out of it so it worked out. 99.9 percent of these though are absolutely trash.

[@Kaito-fk6cj]

a good rule of thumb is to NEVER EVER buy a Fairfield Company product.

[@drunkgerbil9962]

Scamming is all the Fairfield company does. They do it to all TCGs unfortunately.

[@ichristpieonathanielblizzh2454]

ALTER ME?!?! NEE-L... Night Thee- L or D... Circle of Us!! C-Low-N Mon Keys

[@anyGould]

The disturbing thing is that their parent company, Excell Marketing, proudly lists Magic (and Pokemon, and a bunch of other games) on their site. So I have this concern that WOTC knows full well who these people are and what they do, and don't care because they're buying down old inventory.

[@ichristpieonathanielblizzh2454]

@@anyGould Hey! I grew up with an Allen.. we watched stargate on TV where the Goa'uld pair-a-sited peoples... How are you doing that?! Are you a computer hacker watching over me like an angel in the nite?! =/O,

[@rockhydra9768]

These have been around so long and I don't remember them being so pricey. Back in the day they only used to be like .75 to a dollar more than the booster and had like 3-5 cards. It's wild how the landscape has changed.

[@HelmuthGerka]

Well this is a repack, its not even done by WotC.

[@rockhydra9768]

@@HelmuthGerka Yep, I get that but the price they want now is just crazy compared to when I was a kid.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

'inflation' is what theyll argue

[@marcoottina654]

I came here late (1 year, at least), I would buy some of those Stonecoil Serpent just to recover some money, because your content is superb quality! (and the Valkyrie Harbinger and Search for Glory at 6:39, I seriously need them ... I mean, all Angel-related stuff) (pardon the bad English)

[@darth_prentiss]

Thanks for bringing awareness to this type of thing, Prof.

[@dailygaming6672]

You really want to know what ends up happening,parents end up not wanting to buy them magic products at all after realizing they do those grimy sales tactics wether the new products are a scam or not lol good going Fairfield thanks for the scoop.not surprised they been scamming the pokemon community for YEARS.

[@theblan1k0ne]

Here's the lesson for everyone, never buy a product from the Fairfield Company, period. Most of the time you're just going to get garbage. Fairfield has done this kind of blister packaging in other card games like Yugioh--always being the same result seen in the video, but instead of a promo that would get rotated, it's a super rare that's never played at all. Seeing this "magic product" from Fairfield shows how genuinely scummy this company is.

[@CreativeSteve69]

A pokemon KZbinr I follow LeonHeart. He also did a video of Fairfield Company also doing scam packages like this but with Pokemon Card packs awhile back announcing not to get them. Its a shame these companies exists to rip people off out of their money like that out of the blue scot free. Pretty sad especially when it's cheaper just either buying a single pack in itself.

[@chillytoes]

When I saw that the pack cover was blocked in the packaging by the crappy "bonus"card I was immediately like "those are packs that are about to rotate aren't they" lol

[@vladplasmius2854]

Man, I do remember those days from about nine or ten years ago when these repacks could have some serious value, but you're right Prof, they've been gone for a long time.

[@ben2177]

Great information appreciate you looking out for consumers, many of which are what you mentioned grandparents, cool parents, or new hobbyists that don’t have the experience to know what is what, awesome work!

[@lockecole3726]

7:26 last month a buddy of mine bought one of those mystery box things, and it had the commander deck with dockside extortionist in it. I mean, I'm never going to try it because I saw what you got from them in previous videos, but I guess he won the lottery, lol.

[@drumaboy70]

Thanks as always for standing up for the players, especially new players who would definitely be the ones to fall victim to something like this. Great content as always

[@carolscott2336]

i thank you so much for what you have done to save people being ripped off. if you do not play the game this i have learned is not an investment anymore because you cannot get what the book price is anywhere. good job

[@gjnmwg1]

Added lesson learned included in every pack!

[@professormancaptain4210]

No need to search for a lesson card with THIS product. The learn mechanic is brought by YOU..and your regretted purchase.

[@RobotPlaysGames]

“Stick it somewhere else!” I can think of a place… Great job putting out videos like this! You’re a champion of the people, my man!

[@juanc4267]

New player here, thank you so much. Will definitely look out for unofficial packs sold off basicly second hand

[@christophercarlone9945]

Buy everything you can online. TCG is my go to.

[@pathkeepers]

I miss the random booster packs target carried around 2011. Imagine getting a pack of apocalypse at a big box store today.

[@csmead209]

I remember buying repacked stuff from target, came with halves of duel decks, introduction packs from Dark Ascension, and things of 60 basic lands for $29.99, But they came in those VERY SOLID hard plastic containers that can hold more than 400 cards each, and I've been using those since. That was 10 years ago. I didn't really get my $140 worth then in cards, but those containers are clean, clear, and organized.

[@valtiel6913]

niceee

[@SireBab]

Wtf, there's no way in hell that's even close to 5 dollars, let alone 18! Jesus christ that's literally worse than buying mtg packs, and I thought that was a laughable waste of money.

[@danielmorgan9544]

I really appreciate the videos of yours I have seen. I do remember the days of buying a commander in the acrylic box for 10$. Those days are well and truly gone. Keep doing what you are doing sir!

[@starmanda88]

The responsibility needs to lie at Walmart or targets feet. WOTC can’t stop scammers from buying in bulk and repackaging but the big box stores can certainly stop carrying such a rip off.

[@ACircusAstheLens]

Nobody blamed WotC for this

[@starmanda88]

@@ACircusAstheLens I didn’t say anyone did?

[@leonard9624]

Wotc should go after them, its their product being made to scam people.

[@robwagner7545]

The responsibility is with all of them, but none of them care. The only real solution in today's world is what Prof is doing, spread the word so others might not make this mistake. Unfortunately, these companies couldn't care less if their customers get scammed, as long as they get their cut.

[@ACircusAstheLens]

@@starmanda88 The phrasing of your statement implies it.

[@Intellectualfreethinker]

Het Prof! You don't know me yet, but you soon will. I plan on helping out in our format in a massive way and reached out to the Command Zone so I can get started. I'm an extremely smart person and see a lot of problems with how people make decisions in games (Including content creators), and you are one of my favorite content creators, so I want you to help me improve the way players think. Good things are coming your way...

[@Lazarithe]

I don’t play physical magic I actually play KeyForge but I watched this video the whole way through you are doing your community a great service.

[@raidrax2368]

The fact that people do this is outright disgusting. Thanks for the info, I'll be telling everyone I know that plays to watch out for these scams. Money doesn't grow on trees!

[@sodorflubbs5000]

The fact that’s is packed by Fairfield kind of sums it up. They do the same with Pokemon cards to.

[@dustinburns4550]

I saw this at my target......17$ for one pack and a promo card, after last told me the price I just laughed and said u can keep that......target is a little higher than everywhere else I noticed

[@h-squid]

18* Another one falling for "ey its less than 18$ its just 17.99" (Though in this case it doesbnt change much)

[@shiranui498]

This reminds me of Aeon and Tesco (my equivalent of Walmart/Target where I live) selling Gundam model kits at twice the price of what hobby stores are selling them at. It feels like they are preying on families and relatives who don't know better getting them as gifts thinking they found a good deal.

[@LN_997]

I'm surprised to hear tesco even selling gunpla, never come across it where I am

[@madhatten00]

well it's a decent enough deal at barnes and nobles for gunpla if i bought it directly from japan, shipping fees makes it equivalent like 24.99 and then i pay 16 with 7 dollars shipping from japan

[@shiranui498]

@@madhatten00 on average hobby stores are selling high grade kits for 15-20 dollars, but a HG Re:rise kit could cost upwards of 25 to 30 dollars at Aeon/Tesco

[@RSpudieD]

I don't play Magic nor really know much about it, but your video came up and I was curious. This is seriously messed up! Scam is honestly not strong enough of a word for this!

[@farbenluxus1972]

It's unbelievable that this video even exists for a couple of reasons... My main question is - how is this even possible? I couldn't imagine that WotC allows this? I ask as a European....

[@corpsefoot758]

Just imagine Europe with like 10% of the consumer protection/advocacy (in law and in culture), and America will start to become a lot more understandable lol Money is the only god here

[@doktorwyvern2883]

@@corpsefoot758 10% in culture is very generous. As Americans we prefer to react to people getting scammed with "just don't get scammed lol".

[@corpsefoot758]

@@doktorwyvern2883 I hear ya :\

[@TheKingNaesala]

The company listed hear buys wholesale from WotC (so they get things at cheap bulk price, like a store turning profit), put their own packaging on it for hardly anything, and then turn around and sell it to major chains with the huge price tag. Target/Walmart don't know what the difference between this and a collector's booster is, so they nab some up and make a profit off the poor souls who don't know better. Basically, they're the worst possible kind of unnecessary middlemen.

[@jtowensbyiii6018]

in america people literally commonly pay 200%+ EXTRA on products because theyre too stupid to understand otherwise and its perfectly legal to do so

[@DogWould]

As a cool dad, I appreciate this PSA. Thanks, Professor, for looking out for the consumers.

[@artyomsaveli9681]

Weird. I've only seen this sort of thing with Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon cards. And I'll admit, I did buy some of those. All I can say is - wherever they did the repack at - quality control was not a priority. I've had some cards either scuffed up and dirty, or in a language I don't understand; mind you, they weren't in a foil, just thrown in bare with a 1/16" of plastic protecting it.

[@lugialover09]

I did the same with Yugioh cards back in 2016 or so. I didn't know any better sadly. Hell, I even overpaid for several bulk lots online a few years before that. I wish I could go back and smack myself upside the head. But I was 18 with a new bank account and I hadn't been allowed to own Yugioh cards growing up, so I didn't know what prices were reasonable.

[@artyomsaveli9681]

@@lugialover09 Yeah, I feel that bruv.

[@wickpagano4417]

Professor, you were so passionate about how furious this made you, I feel like I'M out of breath for you. We appreciate the warning sir!

[@briankearns3524]

You sir are a great asset to the mtg community! I most graciously appreciate your sacrifices and present my sincerest thanks.

[@theinnkeeper2440]

Imagine the different promo card: Thalia’s lancers such a great BONUS

[@zackschilling4376]

Dont forget the Bristling Hydra! I have so many of those stupid lancers.

[@dac314]

Xanthrid Necromancer? Or maybe Hamletback Goliath?

[@cheer90099]

or Etali :P

[@abuelovinagres4411]

“Buy Singles” has never had as much sense as today. Damn!

[@iamapaleontologist4827]

I really like your tie. Also, thanks for the warning. Just getting back into MtG after 20 years away and things have changed so much.

[@velrono]

As someone from the UK. The weird repackaged stuff they sell at big box shops in America are just insane to me. How do these shops get away with this?

[@Scaeo4ds]

yeah every time he mentions something like this I'm astounded at what they get away with there

[@anubis243-x5h]

This is something big box stores have been doing for years, I'd be surprised if Hasbro isn't complacent in it.

[@timtauber5557]

Complicit

[@eldonerc2524]

After what Hasbro did to toys R us, with all the star wars garbage, this is probably part of their sales model.