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The Fish & Aquatic Invertebrates set is coming soon!! LIFE posted in Discord in September that the set is en route and expected to be available at the end of October. That's the first Fish date tied to product actually in transit rather than a target. As of writing, we're in mid-October with no updates, so I'm cautiously optimistic. (You may have noticed there was no September issue. Sorry about that, we're back on schedule now.) I Got About a Quarter of What I OrderedI buy LIFE product at wholesale for my store, and for every set so far I've been able to order as much as I wanted. This ability abruptly changed for Fish. Every business buying at wholesale was put on an allocation. My Fish allocation came in at about 25% of what I requested and I may need to buy at retail to round out my business needs. Part of the reason for allocations is increased competition for the same number of boxes. I personally know of three new US businesses buying at wholesale that weren't around for Mammals Special Edition. Also, the bigger factor is that LIFE shrank the wholesale share of the print run and is keeping more of it to sell on their own website. Every box they sell directly is a box where they keep the full retail price instead of sharing it with a third party seller (like me). With a 1st edition they know will be in demand, holding more of it in house is an easy way to improve margins. Frankly, I don't blame them, but still a bummer. Why I Still Think Fish Sells Out Faster Than BirdsIn August I said my prediction is that Fish would sell out faster than Birds. The allocation cut makes me more confident, though new sellers on their own aren't proof of demand. Birds sold out quickly, the high-end collectors who sat out most of Mammals SE have been waiting specifically for this 1st edition, LIFE chose to hold more of the run for itself, and LIFE has been on the convention circuit promoting the TCG and Mammals SE. Assuming the print run matches prior 1st editions at 5,000 boxes, the same fixed supply will be chased by a larger pool of buyers than any set before it. How to Get Boxes on Release DayWith fewer boxes going through sellers, LIFE's own site and trusted third party sellers are probably your best shot at retail pricing. There are no preorders there, so it comes down to being ready within a few days of go live. I'd expect an announcement for Fish, but the turnaround may be quick given their coordination efforts to ensure product is available worldwide all on the same day. If you miss out, decide what you're willing to pay on the secondary market before release day. A number you picked ahead of time is a lot easier to stick to than one you pick while watching listings climb. More Fish ArtworkLIFE has kept releasing Fish artwork on Instagram since the set was announced. A few of my favorites so far: Three More Photography Cards Are OutThe Harbour Seal, Grey-Headed Flying-Fox and Common Impala went on sale on LIFE's website on September 10th. In August these had shipped and LIFE was waiting on delivery, so they landed close to schedule. That brings the photography set to six cards available for sale with an additional unreleased 4 cards announced via LIFE's instagram page. Looking AheadEnd of October is the date for Fish. Since it's already in transit I'm hedging less than usual, though it still has to clear customs. Birds SE is still "expected before Christmas," with no update since the July Q&A. LIFE also said they'd make the Q&A quarterly, which puts the next one around now, although I'm not holding my breath. I'll cover whatever comes out of it in the subsequent newsletter. ──────────────────────────────── P.S. - I'm still hunting for Tapanuli Orangutan and Spirit Bear holos, plus more California Condor holos as always. Let me know if you have any available! |
