What's it worth?

How do you find out how much a deck is worth? I'm wondering about the Fantasy Showcase & Ukiyoe deck.

What it's worth has, in my opinion, two definitions:

1) What I'm willing to pay for it, and
2) What the average market asking price is.

I was lucky enough to find my Ukiyoe in March for $10 as part of a going-out-of-business sale; the Fantasy Showcase, sadly, will most definitely require a lot more footwork.

I have never paid more than $20 for a deck, mainly because I refuse to do so. I've been lucky enough to score a Shakespearean (Nowicki) for $15 including shipping, the gold Nefertari's for $5, and the aforementioned Ukiyoe.

So what I would suggest is to determine what you're willing to pay for either deck, and then be prepared to do a LOT of research to find a decent price. I tend to avoid Amazon for OOP decks because of the ridiculous asking prices; on the other hand, where else can you pick up a brand spanking new Lo Scarabeo for $13?

Illy

Usually, whether it's tarot or anything else, an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And that varies, I've found. Someone else may ask a huge price for something and find a buyer, but that doesn't mean it would be worth that to a buyer I, myself, might find. It also depends on how important the item is to the seller, I think, and what price they'd consider parting with it for. Some would part with an item for a much lower price than another. That Buckland on Amazon for $174 has sat there for quite awhile now without a buyer, so that doesn't mean it's necessarily worth that price just because they're asking it.

Value and worth - two different things, and subjective at best. How many times have you been to a garage, tag, yard, or jumble sale, seen something worth $1 and asked how much the seller wanted - and be told $50! Nice work if you can get it ....

December Fairy said:

How do you find out how much a deck is worth? I'm wondering about the Fantasy Showcase & Ukiyoe deck.

Click to expand...

I would probably do an e-bay search. Fantasy Showcase might be worth a lot (or not) because it is rare and totally OP.

Also check Tarot Garden and see what they sell for. They are only worth, as others have said, what people will pay for them, but Tarot garden should have reasonable prices. Remember however: wholesale is 50% of retail (what she buys it for, verses what she SELLS it for.)
Ace

I keep a record of what decks go for on ebay UK.
Not all, just the ones that interest me, that I might want to get someday.
So I know what would be a fair price to pay, or to expect to pay.
Money is tight. I want to buy decks, but I can only justify buying them if I can tell myself I am getting a good deal!
So, all this is just so I can convine myself it's OK to buy more decks!

I only have one record of a Ukioye. It went for about £12.50.

I have three for the fantasy showcase.
£25.00, £21.00, £13.00

None of these are what I would call very much.
They might sound like a lot when converted to dollars, but that is an effect of the exchange rate, and (I believe) gives a false impression of British prices.
But neither are they dirt cheap.

I very rarley keep notes on American prices.
Perhaps someone else does.

Like other people have said. It's worth what people want to pay.

So, all this only means that I have a record of what one person thought the deck was worth to them.
But I hope it helps you a little bit in what you are trying to find out.

I agree with what others have said...

check what the average going price is for a deck...then decide what you personally are willing to pay for a deck.
Some people are very good at finding bargains, but that will probably cost them a lot of time as well - they most likely see the hunt for an affordable copy as a fun sport. It will depend on how much money you have to spend and how much time and patience you have whether you want to spend a lot of time looking for it.

A very subjective and different way to look at it...I was thinking about my DruidCraft, that is no way a rare deck. But I think I use it ten times as much as my other decks. So to me, in the hypothetical case, it would be worth ten of my other decks. If I had to I would sacrifice ten of my other decks for that one.
So if you want an OOP deck very much and you are sure it will be of more value to you than your other decks...that may also give you an indication how much you would like to spend on it (this does not apply to collectors who want everything that is OOP of course)

Interesting thread....and I will try (for now) to avoid going off on a rant about "overpriced amazon decks"... hehehe

Not sure if this is helpful but....I bought my Fantasy Showcase deck about a year and a half ago....I think at the time it was OOP but not as hard to find as it is now. Cost me around $35 plus shipping....

Luna

Thanks everyone.

I think I'm going to start keeping an eye on deck prices from ebay too. That is a great idea.

I found one Fantasy Showcase for $125. Just by doing a search. That's a lot.

On Amazon, I think Ukiyoe is going for $53. A few months ago, the lowest price was $80 something.

I guess there is no price list. As everyone said, just what a person is willing to pay.

If someone says 'I want one now!', then the seller can ask what they want.

But if someone is willing to wait, then one usually comes up on ebay and goes for far less.
(or so it seems to me)

I love hunting down a bargain. It's what I call fun.

And if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to afford anything.

So, it's good both ways!