Secret Lair Price Madness - Voracious Reader

[Akira Foxmind]

As we all know Secret Lair is a collector product what might justify a higher price. But now with the anouncement of the Voracious Reader Bundle I'm absolutely shocked.
For those who haven't seen it yet:
https://secretlair.wizards.com/us/product/635008/voracious-reader-bundle

In fact this is 50 cards (10 of each basic land type) for over 239,99$ (27.04.2021, 7:50 ET). In my oppinion this is absolutely nuts... just think of the Ultimate Edition that contains the 5 enemy-colored fetchlands, which is currently about 200,00$ as well. But those were actually useful at least.

To make that clear: I'm not against Secret Lair sets in general. Some of them are quite cool although the price is much higher in comparison to the single cards from a player's point of view.
But Voracious Reader just feels like a pointblack rip off to me.

What do you think about that? Is Wizards trying out how far they can go with Secret Lair?

______

Edit:
I just checked out of curiosity, those 10 copies all have the same text on them. Over all basic land types this text only differs on stuff like 'plains' to 'island'. The textbase is the same with some blankets for a few words and mana symbols.
I would've hoped for a complete text (maybe some kind of mtg lore)  that is split up between the 10 cards. This is even more disappointing. 

[Judaspriester]

Full Agree, this is absolutely nuts. 

50$ (1$ per card) for this meme print would have been acceptable, but 300$ (or 240$ with the current discount)... thats 6$/4.8$ per card... damn, I even lack words in order to describe how greedy and disapointing this feels for me.

/edit:

It’s okay if you can’t find the words to describe your joy—you’ll have plenty in the future.

I think there is a typo in the description, 'joy' feels like the wrong word. disapointment? anger? I think there are alot of words that would fit better than joy.

On the other hand.. this could be an reference to the game "We happy few", since I would have to pop a Joy (the drug everyone is taking ingame in order to think everything is great) in order to actually like the product (with the given price).

[ApothecaryGeist]

This seems to be the general consensus.  Way too much for this secret lair!  WotC did not have to commission any art for this.  So their cost is literally just the cost of printing the cards.  Most people feel that the $29.99 price should have come with at least a full playset of each one (20 cards total).  If not more.  I completely agree.

[Akira Foxmind]

The problem I have with this product - besides it being way to expensive for containing cards that are worth nothing from a usage point of view - is that there is not even any value to the text which seems to be the theme of this set. I mean, why the heck do you need the explanation and rules text of a basicland on it?? Who would give those cards to a beginner, because he can re-read how basiclands work in this game?
The Bob Ross Lands or the Godzilla Lands at least had some kind of unique style to them. And now you get lands without artworks (where in my oppinion the artwork is the most important part of a basic land).

If it really refers to We happy few why not communicating that officially? In that case there could also be text that is more fitting to the game instead of rulestext for basics.


In general - since it is a collector's product - if WotC would take the single card prices of the contained cards and add something like a 'collector's charge' of 10% it would be totally fine I would say.
For example if I were to buy the enemy fetchlands and had to choose between single cards or collector's version with different art but for some more bugs I would honestly consider it.

[Morganator 2.0]

Wasn't this a meme a few years back? I swear that I've seen these before on MTG meme pages.

While this is a sham, at least it won't have any consequences on the people that choose to not buy it. Unlike a different secret lair I could mention.

[WizardSpartan]

Wasn't this a meme a few years back? I swear that I've seen these before on MTG meme pages.

I was just going to say that. I thought I saw it on social media or Reddit a few months back.

This could easily be a proxy and I wouldn't even bat an eye. Definitely not a product for me (or apparently anyone).

When will they get that regular old basic lands are never worth exorbitant prices? If you really like a basic land, proxy. I doubt you could find a playgroup that actually gets mad if you proxied the Godzilla basics, Unstable basics, etc.

What a bunch of out-of-touch, money-hungry people.

[Morganator 2.0]

When will they get that regular old basic lands are never worth exorbitant prices? If you really like a basic land, proxy. I doubt you could find a playgroup that actually gets mad if you proxied the Godzilla basics, Unstable basics, etc.

You say that, but keep in mind that Unstable had three print runs (last I checked). That didn't happen because of draft or because of Urza, Academy Headmaster. That was people trying to get as many of those full-art basics as possible.

[ApothecaryGeist]

When will they get that regular old basic lands are never worth exorbitant prices? If you really like a basic land, proxy. I doubt you could find a playgroup that actually gets mad if you proxied the Godzilla basics, Unstable basics, etc.

You say that, but keep in mind that Unstable had three print runs (last I checked). That didn't happen because of draft or because of Urza, Academy Headmaster. That was people trying to get as many of those full-art basics as possible.

Sure, because those lands were in $4 booster packs.  With a guarantee of one in each pack.  To make that comparable, the Full-Text secret lair should be priced at $20 for a set of 5.  And then you're getting absolutely nothing else; and have to wait a few months for shipping; and there is no art on it.  So the price point should probably be a little lower.

[jlutzxinc]

$20 for 5 is $200 for 50; any more than that is outrageous enough, but then you learn that there's no art so they're charging hundreds to copy and paste something out of their rulebook which costs them absolutely nothing.  There's greed and then there's THIS; $200+ for something worth ZERO, even to them...outright bull$#!+ on a totally different scale.

Sure, because those lands were in $4 booster packs.  With a guarantee of one in each pack.  To make that comparable, the Full-Text secret lair should be priced at $20 for a set of 5.  And then you're getting absolutely nothing else; and have to wait a few months for shipping; and there is no art on it.  So the price point should probably be a little lower.

[Aetherium Slinky]

I'm not terribly upset. I just refuse to buy that stuff. I don't care for as long as they don't print SL exclusive cards that would be hard to obtain afterwards.

[WizardSpartan]

When will they get that regular old basic lands are never worth exorbitant prices? If you really like a basic land, proxy. I doubt you could find a playgroup that actually gets mad if you proxied the Godzilla basics, Unstable basics, etc.

You say that, but keep in mind that Unstable had three print runs (last I checked). That didn't happen because of draft or because of Urza, Academy Headmaster. That was people trying to get as many of those full-art basics as possible.

In my defense, Unstable basics are built different. I don't know why I included those as examples. They aren't basic lands. They are God's gift to Magic players.

[Judaspriester]

I'm not terribly upset. I just refuse to buy that stuff. I don't care for as long as they don't print SL exclusive cards that would be hard to obtain afterwards.

Sadly they have more or less already anounced that they will do this again:

On that note, Universes Beyond products will generally be sold in all Magic channels—these will not be strictly Secret Lair products.

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/magics-voyages-universes-beyond-2021-02-25

"not be strictly" reads for me like "ofc we will print more SL exclusive cards, but don't worry, we will also print some of those special cards more available for the plebs".

[Aetherium Slinky]

Sadly they have more or less already anounced that they will do this again:

On that note, Universes Beyond products will generally be sold in all Magic channels—these will not be strictly Secret Lair products.

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/magics-voyages-universes-beyond-2021-02-25

I am aware of this announcement, sadly. Time to protest - but later when it comes out.

[Korlich]

IMO this will not stop, unless we stop buying these products. Especially Universes Beyond incl. The Walking Dead, as long as these are not silverbordered.

[robort]

There is a saying "A fool and his money shall part". The asking price for what little value you get back is crazy. Even buying these just for collectible reasons doesn't justify the asking price. WOTC is just asking way to much for way under valued cards and if someone does pay it then they may as well toss money out the window because it just isn't worth it.