I'm very interested in completing my collection of MtG sets and only need the earliest ones(Alpha, Beta, Arabian Nights, & Antiquities) but finding the complete sets in NM/M condition is pretty freakin' hard. Is there a reliable site or store that anyone here knows of that could be of help?
If I'm reading that right, it seems unlikely they have 99 complete Arabian Nights sets.
For the most part, you have to compile these sets yourself. Not many people have the kind of cash to buy complete sets of Alpha or Beta, so stores don't tend to keep them in stock. Once in a while a place like Star City or Troll and Toad might acquire one, but it isn't guaranteed to be NM. Last Beta set I saw was around $18,000.
You could watch eBay, but you might have to wait a while. I'd just focus on picking up the individual pieces if I were you.
Oh, and there's the question of how NM/Mint you want your set to be. Some of the most intense collectors are going for a set of cards graded as high as possible - 9's or perfect 10's. A set like that will cost more money than I care to imagine.
I'm pretty sure ABUgames doesn't actually have those completed sets on stand by. There's a disclaimer that says that it could take up to a month to compile the sets.
Antiquities will probably be the easiest to complete. I saw one recently sell on ebay for like $800. Alpha/Beta will probably be a long arduous journey. Random junk rares can still set you pack like $50-$100 a piece just because of hoarders trying to collect a % of the print run. Of course, Power, Dual Lands, and Time Vault are likely to set you back into the five digits. It will be hard to find ungraded alpha power that's not graded, so that's worth considering too, if you want your whole set graded or not.
I had seen that site previously but it didn't seem particularly trustworthy.
And I don't buy graded sets. The markup that grading adds is a waste of money. I put all of my cards in high-quality card pages in sleeves and keep them in padded binders in a temperature-controlled room. I have no need for graded cards in hard plastic cases.
ABU Games is a trustworthy vendor, they are a mainstay at US GPs, and they are very strict graders. I have seen cards they carry at their booth, and they will often give NM- cards (by other sites) lower grades, while their NM cards are truly NM.
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I've been buying from ABUG for over a year now, lots of big shipments, and they're great, super reliable, always quick to correct a mistake (The other day they sent me 1 Phantom Warrior and 3 Phantom Wings, instead of 4 warriors, and after contacting them, had the replaced cards within 2 days, keeping the wings as well) They do business well. My only complain would be that their "played" condition cards are sometimes in a poorer condition than you'd like, sometimes water damaged, but the M/NM are decently priced and always look good.
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And heres what you are looking at paying for Alpha, $52709.35 from ABU.
For the most part, you have to compile these sets yourself. Not many people have the kind of cash to buy complete sets of Alpha or Beta, so stores don't tend to keep them in stock. Once in a while a place like Star City or Troll and Toad might acquire one, but it isn't guaranteed to be NM. Last Beta set I saw was around $18,000.
You could watch eBay, but you might have to wait a while. I'd just focus on picking up the individual pieces if I were you.
Oh, and there's the question of how NM/Mint you want your set to be. Some of the most intense collectors are going for a set of cards graded as high as possible - 9's or perfect 10's. A set like that will cost more money than I care to imagine.
Antiquities will probably be the easiest to complete. I saw one recently sell on ebay for like $800. Alpha/Beta will probably be a long arduous journey. Random junk rares can still set you pack like $50-$100 a piece just because of hoarders trying to collect a % of the print run. Of course, Power, Dual Lands, and Time Vault are likely to set you back into the five digits. It will be hard to find ungraded alpha power that's not graded, so that's worth considering too, if you want your whole set graded or not.
And I don't buy graded sets. The markup that grading adds is a waste of money. I put all of my cards in high-quality card pages in sleeves and keep them in padded binders in a temperature-controlled room. I have no need for graded cards in hard plastic cases.
Thanks to a_passer_bye for an incredible signature banner!
Trade with me!
GWUBRDraft my Old Border Nostalgia Cube! and/or The Little Pauper Cube That Could!RBUWG
Modern:WDeath & TaxesW | RUGRUG DelverRUG