Tips on Selling Back Your Magic: The Gathering Cards to Dealers

Dealers are many player's best friends. They set up early on major tournament dates, stay late, and are always willing to trade if you're willing to pay their price. They can also be a source of quick cash if you're able to unload some of your good rares after a season of good trades. Unfortunately, some players don't understand how to deal with these dealers, and waste a lot of time and money in doing so.

The first step in dealing with dealers is to shop around. If you're buying, check every dealer you can find to get the best price. Often, prices can vary by as much as $10 between dealers, depending on the kinds of customers they typically serve. If you're selling, most dealers will have a want list posted somewhere, which will give you an indication of what they're looking for and how much they'll give you for it. Remember that you don't need to sell everything to one dealer. Take the best price you can get for each item from each individual dealer. Also note that some dealers will give you cash, while others will only allow you to redeem your sold cards for trade credit with them, so always ask before confirming a deal.

If you're selling, visit dealers early. Often they will have paid for their spot at a tournament, and will want to get the optimum value for their money. If you're trying to sell them things at the end of the day, they know that there's little chance they'll get rid of all their stuff by the time they need to close, and will be less likely to buy your stuff at the highest price. Conversely, if you're buying for a tournament on a later date, do it at the end of the day, and if you're making a substantial purchase ask if you can get a little discount. Obviously if you're only buying a few cards, this is unlikely, but if you're buying twelve cards for the same price, ask if they'll do 12 for the price of 10, or something like that. Most of the time they will oblige at smaller prices, especially since they have little chance of selling those cards to other customers. The worst they can do is say no.