Magic Prices

> > I am sure your Friendly Local Games Store has mentioned this, but it looks
> > like Magic the Gathering prices will be going up by roughly 30% in the New
> > Year.

Yes - it seems fairly certain now that Magic prices will rise
dramatically.

From what we hear there is quite a lot of pressure to enforce parity
between the pound and the Euro which would make boosters £4. Hopefully
we can draw a line in the sand and fix any price rise to £3.49 at
worst and £2.99 at best.

I know many of you might not think so, but we've had it pretty good in
the UK these past few years. The UK has been the only territory to
experience growth in Magic player numbers, and when the dollar slid
(and Magic prices rose in the US to $4), our prices were held at
£2.49.

Magic boosters last went up (to £2.49) back in 2001. Back then, the
exchange rate was $1.4 and the US price was $2.99. At $3.99 a booster,
at an exchange rate of $1.5 a Magic booster should be a little over
£3. But at 4 Euros a booster, at an exchange rate of 1.1 Euros, a
Magic booster should be a little over £3.60.

For better or ill, Magic stock distribution for the UK has been
centralised in Europe. Parity with the Euro is a convincing argument,
but unfortunately the result would be our booster sales gutted and
delivered lock stock and barrel to US based box shifters.

Magic is *not* the only hobby product set to experience dramatic price
rises in 2009. Most games are manufactured either in the US or Europe,
and the pound is at pretty much its lowest ever ebb against both
dollar and euro. Boardgames have already risen 30%. Mongoose RPG
products went up a fiver a book last week. Pokemon rose from £50 trade
a booster display to £60, and the next set is likely to be even more.
UFS went from £2 to £2.75. Upper Deck no longer own Yugioh, and new
owners Konami are based in Germany, so expect to see Yugioh rise
dramatically too, probably (again) to £3.49/£4.

The reason your LFGS hasn't mentioned this? They don't know. Maybe
they suspect, but right now, nobody knows what price point Conflux
will come in at, what price prereleases are going to have to be.

Dave Salisbury
Fan Boy Three

On Dec 20, 12:30 pm, Fan Boy Three <d....TakeThisOut@fanboy3.co.uk> wrote:
> > > I am sure your Friendly Local Games Store has mentioned this, but it looks
> > > like Magic the Gathering prices will be going up by roughly 30% in the New
> > > Year.
>
> Yes - it seems fairly certain now that Magic prices will rise
> dramatically.
>
> From what we hear there is quite a lot of pressure to enforce parity
> between the pound and the Euro which would make boosters £4. Hopefully
> we can draw a line in the sand and fix any price rise to £3.49 at
> worst and £2.99 at best.
>
> I know many of you might not think so, but we've had it pretty good in
> the UK these past few years. The UK has been the only territory to
> experience growth in Magic player numbers, and when the dollar slid
> (and Magic prices rose in the US to $4), our prices were held at
> £2.49.
>
> Magic boosters last went up (to £2.49) back in 2001. Back then, the
> exchange rate was $1.4 and the US price was $2.99. At $3.99 a booster,
> at an exchange rate of $1.5 a Magic booster should be a little over
> £3. But at 4 Euros a booster, at an exchange rate of 1.1 Euros, a
> Magic booster should be a little over £3.60.
>
> For better or ill, Magic stock distribution for the UK has been
> centralised in Europe. Parity with the Euro is a convincing argument,
> but unfortunately the result would be our booster sales gutted and
> delivered lock stock and barrel to US based box shifters.
>
> Magic is *not* the only hobby product set to experience dramatic price
> rises in 2009. Most games are manufactured either in the US or Europe,
> and the pound is at pretty much its lowest ever ebb against both
> dollar and euro. Boardgames have already risen 30%. Mongoose RPG
> products went up a fiver a book last week. Pokemon rose from £50 trade
> a booster display to £60, and the next set is likely to be even more.
> UFS went from £2 to £2.75. Upper Deck no longer own Yugioh, and new
> owners Konami are based in Germany, so expect to see Yugioh rise
> dramatically too, probably (again) to £3.49/£4.
>
> The reason your LFGS hasn't mentioned this? They don't know. Maybe
> they suspect, but right now, nobody knows what price point Conflux
> will come in at, what price prereleases are going to have to be.
>
> Dave Salisbury
> Fan Boy Three

Any word from White Wolf about V:TES booster prices, or will they stay
at £2 ish?


Matt Green

> Any word from White Wolf about V:TES booster prices, or will they stay
> at £2 ish?

V:teS boosters already rose to £2.49 with the last expansion Matt. UFS
boosters also rose - from £2 to £2.75.

Dave
Fb3

£4-per-pack-for-a-TCG-sounds-like-it-pretty-much-kills-it-off.
I-don't-see-how-you-get-any-new-players-coming-into-the-hobby-at-that-
price-so-you-get-the-tournament-scene-disappearing-through-attrition.
£12-to-play-a-draft,-without-discount?-Is-cheaper-to-buy-a-DVD.
Bad-times-indeed.
Sorry-about-the-hyphens.-I - m e l t e d - m y - sp ac e - b ar - e
ar l i e r .

P hi l
-

On Dec 20, 12:30 pm, Fan Boy Three <d....TakeThisOut@fanboy3.co.uk> wrote:
> > > I am sure your Friendly Local Games Store has mentioned this, but it looks
> > > like Magic the Gathering prices will be going up by roughly 30% in the New
> > > Year.
>
> Yes - it seems fairly certain now that Magic prices will rise
> dramatically.
>
> From what we hear there is quite a lot of pressure to enforce parity
> between the pound and the Euro which would make boosters £4. Hopefully
> we can draw a line in the sand and fix any price rise to £3.49 at
> worst and £2.99 at best.
>
> I know many of you might not think so, but we've had it pretty good in
> the UK these past few years. The UK has been the only territory to
> experience growth in Magic player numbers, and when the dollar slid
> (and Magic prices rose in the US to $4), our prices were held at
> £2.49.
>
> Magic boosters last went up (to £2.49) back in 2001. Back then, the
> exchange rate was $1.4 and the US price was $2.99. At $3.99 a booster,
> at an exchange rate of $1.5 a Magic booster should be a little over
> £3. But at 4 Euros a booster, at an exchange rate of 1.1 Euros, a
> Magic booster should be a little over £3.60.
>
> For better or ill, Magic stock distribution for the UK has been
> centralised in Europe. Parity with the Euro is a convincing argument,
> but unfortunately the result would be our booster sales gutted and
> delivered lock stock and barrel to US based box shifters.
>
> Magic is *not* the only hobby product set to experience dramatic price
> rises in 2009. Most games are manufactured either in the US or Europe,
> and the pound is at pretty much its lowest ever ebb against both
> dollar and euro. Boardgames have already risen 30%. Mongoose RPG
> products went up a fiver a book last week. Pokemon rose from £50 trade
> a booster display to £60, and the next set is likely to be even more.
> UFS went from £2 to £2.75. Upper Deck no longer own Yugioh, and new
> owners Konami are based in Germany, so expect to see Yugioh rise
> dramatically too, probably (again) to £3.49/£4.
>
> The reason your LFGS hasn't mentioned this? They don't know. Maybe
> they suspect, but right now, nobody knows what price point Conflux
> will come in at, what price prereleases are going to have to be.
>
> Dave Salisbury
> Fan Boy Three

What are people currently paying for packs? I thought it was about
£2.50 so going up £1 seems rather insane.

On 26 Dec, 20:06, Sti <stuart_ma... DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
> What are people currently paying for packs? I thought it was about
> £2.50 so going up £1 seems rather insane.

I pay 1.63 GBP a booster generally as i buy cheap boxes , i don't know
how badly those prices will be hit as i am not sure where the boosters
are sourced.

If i am hit too badly by these price changes when they occur, I will
not be continuing to play as I will not be able to afford to go to any
"big" tournaments with my change in status and all that jazz! - GP's
PT's and Nats is what keeps me buying new cards at the moment. - This
is despite getting some lovely altered art cards for Christmas.

It just seems crazy to me, that during a time of economic collapse
that WoTC would consider raising the price of what is essentially a
luxury item, seeing as how these are the items that are hit 1st even
when they do not go up in price! Increasing the price to me just
seems like it is giving an excuse to people to go ahead and do what
they have been threatening to do - with all the other alterations
affecting people - and quit!