Buying essentials
The five-minute version. Read this before you create an account or spend anything.
Updated 2026-09-17
1. Set a budget before you look at prices
Decide what you can lose without it mattering, and treat that as your ceiling for the month. Cards are a hobby, not an investment plan, and prices can fall as easily as they rise.
- ▪Never borrow, use credit or dip into money you need for bills to buy cards.
- ▪If a purchase would make you anxious, that is the signal to close the tab.
- ▪Feeling rushed is normal on limited releases — a missed box is cheaper than a regretted one.
2. RRP is the price the product was made to sell at
RRP (recommended retail price) is the price set by the publisher and used by shops supplied directly by a distributor. It does not change with hype. When we have distributor stock, our members buy it at RRP with purchase limits, so allocations spread across many collectors instead of a few bulk buyers.
- ▪RRP stock is new, sealed and bought from our distributor.
- ▪Purchase limits apply so more members get a share of a small allocation.
- ▪RRP items are labelled as retail stock in the shop.
3. Market value is what people are actually paying today
Once a set stops being printed, or demand outruns supply, the only price that exists is what buyers and sellers agree on. That is market value, and it is usually higher than RRP for popular items and lower for quiet ones. Our resale shelf is priced at transparent market value, sourced from stock we have bought in.
- ▪Market value moves daily and can fall as well as rise.
- ▪Resale items are clearly separated from RRP retail stock.
- ▪We show the price we are charging — no hidden fees added at the end.
4. Why the two prices differ
Publishers print a fixed number of any set, and demand spikes when a card becomes popular in play, in a video, or in a chase artwork. Shops that get distributor allocation can still sell at RRP; anyone re-selling afterwards is buying at market rate themselves. That gap is supply and demand, not a discount or a markup on our part.
- ▪Paying above RRP is a choice, not a requirement — decide if the item is worth it to you.
- ▪Older sets are almost never available at RRP anywhere, at any shop.
- ▪If a deal looks far below market value, treat it as a counterfeit risk.
5. Check the item before you buy
Confirm the set, card number, printing, language and condition. For sealed products, check the listing states it is factory sealed. Compare against a recent sold price rather than an asking price, and read our returns and postage terms so you know where you stand if something arrives wrong.
- ▪Singles: condition affects price more than rarity does.
- ▪Sealed: only untampered product holds a premium.
- ▪Every order is covered by our returns policy and UK consumer rights.