Thanks for the insight, Austin! I’ve never actually send to them before, but I’ll be sure to be on the lookout for that. I might send them a smaller batch of cards as a test drive before shipping hundreds of cards and getting screwed over. I appreciate the heads-up 🙂

Mostly Craigslist, word of mouth, and local grinders/competitive players who crack boxes and packs. It’s worth mentioning at FNM that you’re willing to trade for bulk common/uncommons at a flat rate, talking to your LGS if they don’t deal in bulk C/U that you’re willing to work something out with them, etc.

It’s really about making connections and filling a niche in your community. Most people don’t want to put the time in to sort bulk, so the multipliers are way higher than buying standard staples at retail and crossing your fingers.

I don’t think you should pay 45, but that’s only because there are copies on the market significantly cheaper than that. If you don’t have them yet and want them to play with, I would recommend searching for deals on some of the prominent Facebook pages or Twitter #mtgbuysell hashtag. There are copies on TCGplayer for 36-37, and Facebook groups usually cut that by 10% to account for the fees they’re avoiding by selling on social media.

Long story short; If you want them to play with, yes you should buy them now. You should be looking to pay 34-35 though, not 45.