Changes to Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drops have hit a boiling point with fans after the highly sought-after Monty Python Volumes one and two sold out in less than an hour on July 29.
The print model for MTG Secret Lair drops was changed earlier this year, from order and wait to an on-demand limited stock. Adjustments were made after some fans voiced complaints about the time it took to receive purchased drops, creating a system where cards were received within a reasonable time frame. But limited quantities of Secret Lair drops have a major downside when drops sell out on day one like the MTG Monty Python drops that sold out in one hour on July 29 and previous Hatsune Miko drops.
An upset fan who missed out on the Monty Python Secret Lair drops reached out to lead game designer Mark Rosewater on Tumblr, venting frustrations while asking for a reprint of the Secret Lair. And it’s not just one fan who’s complaining about the print system.
“I will pass this note along,” Rosewater said. “Many people today are mailing me about it.”
The comments were also full of frustrated players and collectors, with one user rebuking the print changes with facts like it’s better to wait for a product than to never get it unless you’re paying outrageous scalper prices. And prices for both volumes of the MTG Monty Python Secret Lair on the secondary market at time of writing are obnoxiously marked up due to demand.
Both volumes of the Monty Python Secret Lair were priced at $29.99 for non-foil and $39.99 for foil. Here’s what they are now on TCGPlayer.
- Vol. 1 Monty Python non-foil: Around $190
- Vol. 1 Monty Python foil: Around $235
- Vol. 2 Monty Python non-foil: Around $135
- Vol. 2 Monty Python foil: Around $255
It’s normal for collectors to have an advantage when selling limited quantities, but markups of over 600 percent are absurd in the eyes of many MTG fans who wanted the cards because they like them, not because they wanted to flip them.
Pressure from the MTG community may force WotC to change the Secret Lair print system again, but it most likely won’t bring back a reprint of the Monty Python drops.
