Comparison shopping everything
Tim has decided to sell off his Magic cards and play the online version. I think he'll get back into the more physical version of the game when money's better, but for now he's adamant. (Trust me, I tried to dissuade him.)
So, on Friday night, he sat down with the laptop and started making a "sell" order with his favorite shop, Card Kingdom. He likes it because we can drop the cards off in person, rather than the added cost of mailing, and the store has always treated him well.
But being the miser that I am, I insisted we check around. So Saturday morning, I printed out the sell order and started comparison shopping. By the time he got up about an hour later, I had a proposition for him: I'll divvy up the cards according to store, but I get 25% of the extra money he gets. (It's going toward debt.)
It took me just over an hour to finish checking four other sites. It would have taken even less time, but one of the websites is divided by set -- each set page loading painfully slowly. I had found nearly $100 more for the cards. Taking out shipping costs, Tim should get around $60 more for his digital cards; and I will have another $20 to throw at debt.
Just proof once again that comparison shopping pays off.
****
As a side note, Living Almost Large was kind enough to interview me on her site. Check it out here!
And I'll be hosting the Carnival of Money Hacks this Weds, May 6th, so be sure to get your stories submitted!
Labels: carnival, comparison shopping
posted by Abigail at
1:02 PM
4 Comments:
Since I don't play these kinds of games I'm totally unqualified to give an opinion as to whether it makes sense for Tim to sell his Magic cards or not. The fact that you tried to talk him out of it makes me think that there may be a cost or a downside to it in the future, or that he may not enjoy playing online as much as with the physical cards.
All that aside, I think it's great that you were able to comparison shop so effectively and increase the money you'll have coming in from them.
May 3, 2009 at 11:49 PM
Shevy,
The monetary value is about the same. If anything, the digital cards are a little cheaper (at least, on eBay) and the resale value is higher, since regular cards can get bent or scuffed or otherwise look "played."
But Friday Night Magic was one of the few times he got out and socialized with others. If he goes digital, he will mainly play from home, even in tournaments.
Still, right now he's insisting this is the best option for him. In the end, it's his hobby. I just hope it turns out for the best.
May 4, 2009 at 9:44 AM
If your Tim is anything like my Stick, you guys should take a look at some of the old, unplayed games you have. We sold a bunch of old PC games when we moved... granted, we got $5 or so for each, but that's still more cash and less clutter!
May 4, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Yeah, still not sure about that selling them all thing...
..but, very nice with the extra cash thing.
Theres my two cents.
May 6, 2009 at 3:17 PM
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