MTG - Current Value?

[un2xs]

How can I find a current value for a factory sealed MTG International Collectors Edition set? Still factory wrapped with box in decent shape. (And has original store price tag.)These don't change hands publicly very often, so finding the value is beyond my google-fu.

Translation: Its kind of like high end Cockers that trade hands so rarely it's hard to establish a price. An old professor told us once that "The price of a thing is the price it will bring."

Thanks

[redsquirrel]

Extremely valuable if this is real. Please post a picture before I hype it up too much though.

[un2xs]

Chuckle. Oh, it's real. I walked into the game store and the owner had gotten in nine total sets of CE and ICE. I bought the ICE set because I like odd things. Let me see if I can find a photo for you.

[redsquirrel]

Wait, when did you buy this set?

[un2xs]

Roughly 1994. I am the original purchaser.

I was reminded of this last week when I talked to the guy who owned the store back then. I doubt it would matter on something like this, but he would provide a letter of provenance if I ever needed one.

[un2xs]

And now with photos ;-)

Second photo shows only damage to factory shrink wrap.

Third photo isn't as clear as I had hoped. Should I try another? I already wrapped it back up and put it away.

[redsquirrel]

Holy shit. This will give you an idea, but I think the value is even higher than this now. Probably 30 - 40k for the right buyer.

https://www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/collectors-ed-intl/sealed

[un2xs]

Thank you. I had found that page earlier. Do you know if that is a currently available price, if it's just history, or if it's their offering price?

How does one find this mythical "right buyer?"

[redsquirrel]

Likely a precovid price before the collector market skyrocketed. Regardless, I’d insure the set and then find the next closest magic tournament/event and talk to the collectors that show up there. I’ve also never had any MTG item remotely close to this value though.

Very very cool, and thanks for sharing. Interested to hear updates on what you find out.

[un2xs]

Most of my cards are in what one store called heavily played condition. There was no such thing as deck protectors in the game stores back then. I never made decks, I just shuffled a few artifacts in with all my cards from one color. I rarely won but played as long as it was fun. When locals started using killer decks I stopped playing. For me it wasn't about the winning. It was a social thing.

I never had the power cards and sold my only two multilands several years ago. The store that bought those two gave me enough cheap slip covers for my cards and a real card box for them. Until then the cards were touching each other in a cheese box. (Think off brand Velveeta box.)

[redsquirrel]

Ha that’s exactly what I would have done. Who would have ever guessed the value that early?

That fact you held onto this set for this many years is just incredible though.

[un2xs]

I bought the set and put it on a shelf. At some point I put it in a drawer where it sat for most of twenty years. I knew exactly where it was, but just didn't need to drag it out of the drawer for any reason.

[un2xs]

Somebody on our local gaming discord suggested I go to Vegas for Magic30 in October. Heck, alI want is a ballpark figure.

[Riot]

eBay is the move here. I cry when I try to buy boosters of old sets, let alone boxes. Since we had our first whacky draft, I’ve been buying a box of the latest set and throwing it in my closet.

[freedom]

it was several years ago, but we chatted about this. Since this is an MTG unicorn, you could post on ebay with a BIN of $20,000 and it would probably sell fast.
if you were patient and wanted to just wait for a better buyer, you could list for $40,000 and do a dance when someone wants to tango.
you will absolutely have to deal with hundreds of tire kickers and eventually meet a buyer face to face. you may even just go to a large event and do the transaction in a hotel room.
most people that buy hard to find MTG stuff (like me) want the face to face transaction similar to what we do here at MCB...

[un2xs]

I have kept our conversations in mind. The only things I have sold since then are the two multi-lands. I think I sent you a list of what I had at that point.

Much like then, I may have to hire a lawyer for dealing with the county. This time its not eminent domain. They have yet to do the environmental remediation for the 27 years they used my property as a police shooting range. The best they tell my brother is, "Yeah, we know its in the contract and we still haven't done it. But we don't have any money." All this said with a straight face as they spent over one million dollars on the new shooting range next door.

Until and unless I have to sue the county, I have just been seeking a ballpark figure so I know about what I can finance. But, environmental lawyers don't come cheap. I will have to foot the cost up front even if I eventually win.

[p8ntninja]

Best return on your little investment here is to send it in to get graded then place in a high end collectibles auction like Heritage. That's where the big bucks will come from. That's an incredible piece you have there, nice little nest egg as well.

[un2xs]

I contacted Beckett. I was told that they do not grade sealed products. And no way am I opening this one up to get individual cards graded. I think this is worth more as a factory sealed set than any other type of valuation.

[p8ntninja]

Interesting. I would still contact PSA or one of the other grading companies. You don't necessarily need it graded, rather you need it authenticated which one of the grading companies should be able to do.

[un2xs]

Point taken. There is a difference. Thanks for pointing it out.