Author
|
Topic: Where would be the best place to hire a trade specialist?
|
garryrosenthal New Member
|
posted October 20, 2012 06:34 PM

Hi everybody!1- This is my first post on MOTL! I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, however I looked around and thought this would be the best! 2- Please don't shoot me if this is in the wrong forum! I'd appreciate any help the wonderful people at MOTL can give me. I need some help. I've put together enough savings to start a TCG store and want to focus on Magic the Gathering. The problem? I haven't played MTG in over a decade, and when I played I was more of a collector. I was the guy who bought as many foils as he could get his hands on, and now I see these cards are worth crazy amounts of money, (I use to collect those foil oddysey sacklands for fun, and now they are worth crazy money!) Anyways, as I said before I need some help. I need to trade away these older expensive foils for new type 2 cards that are popular. I would carry these in my future store. I just don't have the experience, or time to spend weeks trying to trade all my older valuable cards for newer product. I've considered selling my cards to stores for store credit, however as a businessman there is no way I can do a 75% AT MOST trade for some of my cards. Not to mention, I have no idea what is popular now. What I want to do is hire an assistant who will trade them for me. I considered posting the position on monster.com, but I don't know how many experienced MTG people view the site. If someone could please give me some information about where I could post such a position, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
 |
Timmyhill Member
|
posted October 20, 2012 06:41 PM
  
Seems to me if you want to open a store you should spend the time and look up prices and sell the cards yourself. Because buy the time you pay someone to do it for you I don't think you will have much money left over to buy more inventory especially if you are just starting out.
|
stu55 Member
|
posted October 20, 2012 09:37 PM

You have 10s of 1000s of $$ saved up, and don't want to spend a few days learning prices or doing research to learn your own business? And you think you will stay in business long?
|
AGO Member
|
posted October 20, 2012 09:46 PM
  
You don't want to sell to a store at a 25% loss, but your willing to pay someone to trade them for you? Just sell them to a store. Your asking to get ripped by involving another individual in your "business".
|
Lord Crovax Member
|
posted October 20, 2012 09:47 PM

Seems more like he is looking for a Partner then a associate, least that's how I read it....someone to basically help him play catch up and move stuff. __________________ I shall have the souls of all who defy me. "Lord Crovax"
|
Filip Cec Member
|
posted October 21, 2012 01:24 AM
  
quote: Originally posted by stu55: You have 10s of 1000s of $$ saved up, and don't want to spend a few days learning prices or doing research to learn your own business? And you think you will stay in business long?
I think he'll need much more then a few days to learn the prices and, especially, to learn how to trade efficiently. And also, you need to have the skill to do that properly - too many times I've seen people who tried to start a business with mtg cards but failed due to the fact that they do not have what it takes to do it with enough profit.
|
stizkidz Member
|
posted October 22, 2012 04:23 PM
  
This is either a joke or a really bad idea.Why wouldn't you just sell the cards you already have in your "store"? Why don't you just buy new inventory to get the T2 cards you don't have? What is the net benefit in doing what you explained above? At best, you lose 25% on the cards you already have that you could sell. That is like selling a $100 bill for $75. Not to mention your overhead in running the store and paying someone to do the trading you explained. Where do I sign up? Have you given this idea even a mili-second of thought or planning?
|
coolio Member
|
posted October 22, 2012 05:55 PM

quote: Originally posted by garryrosenthal: Hi everybody!1- This is my first post on MOTL! I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, however I looked around and thought this would be the best! 2- Please don't shoot me if this is in the wrong forum! I'd appreciate any help the wonderful people at MOTL can give me. I need some help. I've put together enough savings to start a TCG store and want to focus on Magic the Gathering. The problem? I haven't played MTG in over a decade, and when I played I was more of a collector. I was the guy who bought as many foils as he could get his hands on, and now I see these cards are worth crazy amounts of money, (I use to collect those foil oddysey sacklands for fun, and now they are worth crazy money!) Anyways, as I said before I need some help. I need to trade away these older expensive foils for new type 2 cards that are popular. I would carry these in my future store. I just don't have the experience, or time to spend weeks trying to trade all my older valuable cards for newer product. I've considered selling my cards to stores for store credit, however as a businessman there is no way I can do a 75% AT MOST trade for some of my cards. Not to mention, I have no idea what is popular now. What I want to do is hire an assistant who will trade them for me. I considered posting the position on monster.com, but I don't know how many experienced MTG people view the site. If someone could please give me some information about where I could post such a position, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
this.. is such an oxymoron it's astounding © __________________ Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong. -Christopher HitchensReligion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. -Seneca the Younger
 |
ryan2754 Member
|
posted October 22, 2012 08:12 PM
  
You're best bet is to keep the FOILS.If you have the money to open the store, then you should have the money to buy singles. Get in touch with wizards about sealed product and buy some t2 type collections online. __________________ -Schmitty 89th in Refs [282] on MOTL (1 behind gar) 2nd in Refs [282] in OH-IO (72 behind souladvocate) 2nd in Posts [7602] in OH-IO (only 500 behind Val) “If Brad Stevens is the future of coaching in college basketball, the sport is in a good place.” - Rick Pitino
|
valorale Member
|
posted October 22, 2012 08:21 PM

Youre getting a lot of folks scratching their head here because there is a general consensus that if youre going into business selling magic cards .. you should really enjoy magic and probably know a lot about it from a financial standpoint. I mean if you dont love magic and find great enjoyment in it but rather looking for an investment I am sure there are many other turn key startups that probably have a much more predictable record of ROI. Things like hotels, storage centers, parking garages all jump to mind.
|
flophaus Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 12:12 AM

troll?
|
mm1983 Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 05:00 AM
  
It sounds like you are only asking for trouble if you hire someone to do the work for you when you are not up to date with the prices. It's not just knowing the prices on a constant basis but also knowing why something is worth what it is. This is something you need to make a full time job of if you are good at it or if you already have a full time job then you need to dedicate at least 10-20 hours a week to this type of thing if you want to sell many items on Ebay. In months where I do list items on ebay I have over 500 different playsets of cards available for sale and probably completely sell out of 25% of those cards.
[Edited 1 times, lastly by mm1983 on October 23, 2012]
|
jaromirjagr Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 01:00 PM

Do yourself a favor and dont invest in magic and for heavens sake dont open a store.Its like saying,wow I heard you can make money in stocks,lets invest 100grand in x stock without knowing the risk.Its hard to make a living selling magic cards even if you know about the game and the prices let alone if you know nothing.Do yourself a favor and save yourself the shame and debt that will follow.
|
airwalk Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 01:25 PM

Most stores find someone within their local MTG community who wants this job, which is really what you want. At the best store here the owner isn't into MTG, he has a lacky that does most of the MTG related stuff for him. I think creating a hobby store and then focusing on MTG isn't smart though, you want the comics people and the 40k people and the heroclix people... etc.
[Edited 1 times, lastly by airwalk on October 23, 2012]
|
Lord Crovax Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 02:05 PM

quote: Originally posted by airwalk: Most stores find someone within their local MTG community who wants this job, which is really what you want. At the best store here the owner isn't into MTG, he has a lacky that does most of the MTG related stuff for him. I think creating a hobby store and then focusing on MTG isn't smart though, you want the comics people and the 40k people and the heroclix people... etc.
How one of my local shops is to....store owner has someone else run the Magic, makes plenty of sense. __________________ I shall have the souls of all who defy me. "Lord Crovax"
|
psrex Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 03:51 PM
  
My local shop is owned by a group of several people, and they each have their specialties. One knows Magic pretty well, one knows miniatures, and one knows comics. It seems to work pretty well for them, or at least they've been in business for 10 years and they're still going strong.
|
ryan2754 Member
|
posted October 23, 2012 08:56 PM
  
quote: Originally posted by psrex: My local shop is owned by a group of several people, and they each have their specialties. One knows Magic pretty well, one knows miniatures, and one knows comics. It seems to work pretty well for them, or at least they've been in business for 10 years and they're still going strong.
+111111
|
Jon10 Member
|
posted October 24, 2012 04:47 AM

Is it that really profitable to own a MTG store nowadays rather than trading/selling your cards as a magic player?
|
MagixDK Member
|
posted October 24, 2012 05:15 AM

afaik warhammer, softguns and all that dressup gear for live roleplay is where the money is at.
[Edited 1 times, lastly by MagixDK on October 24, 2012]
|
mm1983 Member
|
posted October 30, 2012 04:38 AM
  
quote: Originally posted by Jon10:
Is it that really profitable to own a MTG store nowadays rather than trading/selling your cards as a magic player?
Only if you sell other stuff with MTG. Comics, other ccgs, board games, etc.
|