Dealers - what are they?

[Guest]

[ali_g_4th]

Hi all.

An odd question - what is a "Dealer"?

How does one become a dealer, as opposed to someone who buys cases (from "dealers"), takes the cards they want and sells the rest off, on eBay or by some other means?

What perks are there, financially (that don't look like it's spelled right) and in other ways?

Any info, UK specific and generally, would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Martyn]

A dealer is someone that buys cards from company's like Cards Inc, Inkworks and Artbox and sells them to the public!

(Thats how i would explain it)

[Sharon]

I would imagine (but am not positive) you have to have a company set up ie vat registered.  I know from other threads on here that most companies won't deal with individuals ie if I went to Artbox and said I wanted 10 cases they wouldn't deal with me.  

As far as advantages there appears to be quite a lot.  Like case incentive cards, promo sets and other free-bees.  But I am sure this is all dependant on you spending loads of money with them  

[Martyn]

That sounds better then what i said  

[Roz]

I would imagine (but am not positive) you have to have a company set up ie vat registered.  I know from other threads on here that most companies won't deal with individuals ie if I went to Artbox and said I wanted 10 cases they wouldn't deal with me.  

Indeed they wouldn't.

Especially since you are in the UK - and Cards Inc have the only license to bring them into the country.

[beckham1]

I don't know about UK, but most card companies require that you have a retail location before they will let you set up an account.  You have to send them business licenses, information on your storefront etc.
 
I know for most dealers it is not a hugely profitable business.  I think it depends on how good you are at picking the winner products and letting the losers go.  

My local dealer was telling me he thought POA original was going to be great way before it came out.  I think he preordered like 12 cases based on his hunch (that is alot for him as he only gets more than a case if he has buyers already lined up).  However he only ordered about 7 cases of Update of which he had buyers already for those cases.  He thought they would overproduce.  SO I think he did ok on those products, but I know there have been others he bought because certain signers were supposed to sign and then they flopped.

It sounds like it is win some lose some.  I am sure some dealers who do major quantities make more than others.  I think Gimli was the one who said it in another thread something to the effect of one bad product a dealer orders to much of and can't sell can bankrupt them.

[ali_g_4th]

Is it as simple as saying, for example;

My father, who is self employed as a fishing tackle rep. (i.e. nothing to do with cards), if he could get VAT registered at his home address, could I have cards shipped there with all the "dealer" perks?

Does anyone know where I could / should look for detailed legal documentation regarding becoming an official dealer?

I'd get (and have got) the multi-case incentives when ordering multiple cases from an online UK company, but what sort of percentage discount do dealers get?

For example, RA list a case of new product at roughly $950. Would any UK dealers (or Joanna herself, in the case of my example) be willing to say how much they pay for their cases?

This is all hypothetical questioning really, I have no funds, no clue about selling goods (cards, or otherwise) and no reason other than interest for wanting to know all this stuff...

I'm rambling again...

[beckham1]

In the US I think you have to document and be able to prove a retail space (ie.  a storefront) I don't think they would be OK with home business.  

And I am not sure how this is in the chain, but distributors fit in the picture somewhere.  I think some Manufacturers will deal directly with dealers and others require you go through a distributor.  

Anything further than that is likely out of my league.  

[sketchqueen]

My father, who is self employed as a fishing tackle rep. (i.e. nothing to do with cards), if he could get VAT registered at his home address, could I have cards shipped there with all the "dealer" perks?

No. He'd have to show a business proposal (ie, How exactly does he plan on selling the cards? Does it make sense for our product to be in a hardware store or a dairy farm? Nope.


And no. I can't answer this - our dealers have an expectation of privacy and part of that privacy comes from being able to run their business without interference.

Gee - I just realized how unhelpful I am Sorry!!

[ali_g_4th]

Darn! Bang goes my idea to sell my spare cards "officially" out of the back of a van. LoL.

I don't suppose saying "I'm gonna sell on eBay" counts...  

I recently sold one of my cards to a guy on a tropical-island observatory, so maybe i could sell my cards "by parachute" - my business plan is to buy a plane and para-drop the merchandise to my buyers - it's inventive, original, wacky - it could work.... right....?

That's cool, I really appreciate your honesty and the respect you show your dealers. It's good to see your protecting your current clients, not just trying to flog cards to any ol' soul.

[Roz]

My father, who is self employed as a fishing tackle rep. (i.e. nothing to do with cards), if he could get VAT registered at his home address, could I have cards shipped there with all the "dealer" perks?

 Does it make sense for our product to be in a hardware store or a dairy farm? Nope.

And how do we expect the hobby to survive without embracing new ideas

he hee

[sketchqueen]

There are new ideas - and if the proposal makes sense, I'm sure the Sales Manager would embrace it - and then there's the world of weird- computer repair technicians who will bring the cards with them on service calls to sell, a car dealership who will stock product, and my favorite was the fertilizer company - cards and manure!

[Roz]

See - today I have been to buy seeds for Tomatos, Lettuce, Parsnips, peppers, carrots and spring onions... I must admit I wasn't looking out for Star trek Packets... plus you'd have to make sure the cards were waterproof and compost proof whilst within their packs

I was (of course) just pulling your leg

One of the best places we never see them selling cards is at Cinemas.

[sketchqueen]

We did - once. For ST: Nemesis one of the theater chains in California wanted to have some cards (to give away) and so happily we did . I can see it now (she says tongue firmly planted in cheek )..

Yah - I need a LARGE popcorn - extra butter. LARGE Diet Coke and a box of whatever you have that's chocolate (and messy) and  5 packs of Lord of the Rings Trilogy Update (I'm making that up!) please.

Your total is $75.00 please

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Dealers: (noun, pl) Found in temperate regions of the world, inhabit micro environments known as 'stores' and use primitive animal strategies of resource exchange (money, cards) to survive. May be slightly mentally disturbed during card season where they compete for said resources. Abundant in North Americas, found in smaller numbers in Europe. Tend to have larger territory monopolies in Europe, with one dealer controlling the resources for the same amount that would suited to more dealers if in the Americas. Absent from Oceania

 

[sketchqueen]

Now that's the best definition I've ever seen

[stcardgeek]

A dealer, in theory, buys product and resells in either box format or broken down as inserts and sets.
When a product comes out they solicte orders via whatever their format of selling is..emails, newsletters, ads, etc. THey pass out promos and sell sheets. They answer questionss, offer deals, hype and excite.
They deal with problesm, lost packages, disappointing breaks, root on great breaks, juggle big eyes/small budgets, they pack, they sort, they make stacks in every single available space. They seek out the answers to questions.
THey remember their clients quirks..he likes Scotty, he likes Hoshi....he can't afford to buy stuff right now, why not pop him a common set in the amil and cheer him up. Her mom's sick, so she's a little slow to answer, be patient.
Dealers work long hours if need to pack out promptly and grovel when they accidently send an order to timbuktoo.
They don't cherry pick or steal a client's chance to get a good pull. They don't sort out cases and repack.
They don't bash the hand of the company that feeds them publically...they juggle the fine line of it's your hobby, but it's our livliehood.....
Oh, there's alot a dealer does. Sometimes it costs you a bit more then that dude blowing out on Ebay and some people won't pay it, but that's ok, we understand. Hopefully, we won't end up like the doo-doo bird..

[Eve Harrington]

A dealer, in theory, buys product and resells in either box format or broken down as inserts and sets.
When a product comes out they solicte orders via whatever their format of selling is..emails, newsletters, ads, etc. THey pass out promos and sell sheets. They answer questionss, offer deals, hype and excite.
They deal with problesm, lost packages, disappointing breaks, root on great breaks, juggle big eyes/small budgets, they pack, they sort, they make stacks in every single available space. They seek out the answers to questions.
THey remember their clients quirks..he likes Scotty, he likes Hoshi....he can't afford to buy stuff right now, why not pop him a common set in the amil and cheer him up. Her mom's sick, so she's a little slow to answer, be patient.
Dealers work long hours if need to pack out promptly and grovel when they accidently send an order to timbuktoo.
They don't cherry pick or steal a client's chance to get a good pull. They don't sort out cases and repack.
They don't bash the hand of the company that feeds them publically...they juggle the fine line of it's your hobby, but it's our livliehood.....
Oh, there's alot a dealer does. Sometimes it costs you a bit more then that dude blowing out on Ebay and some people won't pay it, but that's ok, we understand. Hopefully, we won't end up like the doo-doo bird..

Which is precisely why I buy from my dealer if I can. I don't mind paying $70.00 for a box I could
get on ebay for $55.00(OK, it hurts, but in principle I try to support small businesses whenever possible, even if I have to pay a little more.)
Plus, I know I can trust my dealer. Peace of mind goes a LONG way.

[stcardgeek]

I'm sure your dealer appreciates it. And somehow, someway, it'll work in your favor, even in ways you might not even be sure of.
I"m not begging people to go out of their way to spend big bucks unnecessarily, but the addage of you gets what you pays for usually holds true, that how it got to be an addage