We’re very excited to see the next MTG set arrive, with both new product releases and for an awesome weekend of Prerelease events!
Behind the curtain
As for any Magic release, retailers such as ourselves put in preorder numbers with our distribution partners a month or more ahead of release (this window changes by publisher). We tend to order many times greater the number of units than the current preorder quantities when our lock window comes. This helps us to provide enough product for everyone who preorders in the last mile as spoiler season begins. At length, our distributors are told by the Publisher (in this case WOTC) how many units of each product they’ll be able to get, and the distributor allocates those units amongst their accounts. This process is byzantine, and is unique to each distributor.
This set in particular was short printed, with less product than “usual” being produced, presumedly to add additional capacity for SPM and TLA, releasing later this year.
Allocation
As with FIN, we’re allocating preorders. The allocations this time are much less stringent however, and far fewer items in the range are already sold out. To meet our goal of providing product to the broadest number of customers, we are allocating the following item:
- Collector Boxes – Max 1 per person
These item is sold out. We do not anticipate receiving a meaningful restock on any of this item. If additional units become available, we will continue moving down the list in chronological order, and reach out to individuals to provide the option for that item.
Communication
We will be sending texts out individually to everyone on our preorders list for whom we have contact information. This will include the allocation, if any, for every product that was requested. If you have a preorder with us, and do not receive a text, or have any questions about the text you receive, please give us a text back: (509) 404-3111
Availability
All is not lost! If you still want product from this set, contact us NOW. We still have Prerelease kits available for Prerelease-at-Home (where you get the kit and 2x Play boosters as prize support!), which can still be reserved for pickup on the first day of Prerelease. We still have a solid supply of kits available for the community, and they’re a solid value vs Play boxes. These too will sell out however, so please make sure to get your name down before we get to the weekend. Once the doors open for Prerelease, they’re going to go fast!
The Future
So how can you get a better spot in line, if we ever need to allocate like this again? Well the secret is just to get in as early as possible. As soon as a product line has officially been announced, we’ll start taking preorders. From there it’s first-come-first-served based on when you contacted us. We do not collect pre-payment, nor would pre-paying theoretically guarantee a pass on allocation; we fill strictly based on when each customer got in line. If you’re one of those folks that likes to get the exact same products every set release, no questions asked, we have recurring preorders available as well – just ask!