TL;DR
- 🏷️ MSRP is suggested. Market is real
- ⚡ Majors sell at near-MSRP and are gone in seconds to minutes
- 🏪 Shops sit higher because they buy higher (mostly)
- 🧠 Judge a ping against market and what you're willing to pay, not MSRP
- 😬 Over MSRP can be fine. Over market is the mistake
Buying at MSRP is the true goal, especially for hot sets, but is equally rare. Market is what you're trying to beat. On anything in demand they separate within hours of launch, and most times weeks before.
Why so little sits at MSRP
- Demand. Anything near it typically sells out quickly
- Local shops price closer to market because they tend to buy at a higher price from wholesalers
Judging an alert
When an alert fires you are answering one question: where does this sit against what it has been selling for?
- At or under MSRP on something in demand, take it. It does not hang around
- Between MSRP and market is normal for a shop. Do you want it today, or wait?
- Well over market, leave it. An alert says something exists, not that it is worth buying
If a set is out of print then market simply is the price, and holding out is just deciding not to own it. Paying over market is the biggest mistake, but if you absolutely want something, you can always justify it.