"How do you have so much Pokemon and Magic!"

People come into the store and comment: "Nobody else has Pokemon! How do you have so much of it?"

To which I answer, "I'm really good at this..."

I'm only half joking. After 43 years and multiple booms and busts, I've gained enough experience to know what to do and what not to do. I've learned the game. 

There are some common factors in all booms.

1.) When a product becomes hot, the difficulty becomes not in selling it but in getting enough of it to sell.

2.) You can't just jump onto a hot product unless you already have a path open to you. This means you need to develop good relationships with wholesalers. Too many retailers spend all their time looking for the cheapest deal. But what's more important is having someone who can deliver product to you at a reasonable price and in reasonable quantities. If you're looking for the cheapest all the time, you're not really gaining any credit from a wholesaler. I learned a long time ago that the relationship between you and the wholesaler is a lot more important than getting the cheapest rate. Honesty and integrity and reliability are worth more than a few margins points. 

3.) Once you understand something is hot (and sometimes there are subtle hints ahead of time that experience has taught me) then you order as much as you can. If it's allocated, you take the full allocation. Every time. 

4.) If it is offered again, even if at a higher price, you don't hesitate. You buy what's offered. This is where most retailers make a mistake. They hesitate. They want to see what will happen, or they wait until it fits into their budget. They look around to see if they can get it cheaper. But if you have a reliable wholesaler, you have to trust that they know what's happening and respond accordingly. He who hesitates is lost.

5.) Don't just stop with just what they offer. Often, when something first becomes hot, there is some secondary product that is older or wasn't as much of a success. You try to buy that before they change their minds. When a product becomes hot, the old and slow become much more attractive, especially since there is an even greater chance that no one else will have it. 

6.) I've learned--through much trial and error--that it is more important to actually have the product than to be the cheapest price. There is such a thing as supply and demand and you ignore that at your peril. If you try to sell at the original price, you will be instantly bought out. You have to find a price between what you can afford to sell it for and a price that will discouraged the scalpers from buying you out. It's important to point out that the buyer always has a choice to buy or not to buy. If you realize they don't know about the hotness you tell them it's at "market price" and they might find it cheaper if they get lucky. I always respond mildly to anyone questioning a higher price (which actually doesn't happen that often, but I fear it because of my sportcard experience): "I always encourage you to buy wherever you find it cheapest." And I mean that. 

7.) Don't be in a hurry as a retailer to sell out. This is probably the second biggest mistake most retailers make. They are so accustomed to quick sell outs--which in most product, especially product you can get more of, is the smart way to do things. But if you can't get more, or you can't get more at the original price, then immediately selling out isn't a bonus. In a sense, you want to have your cake and eat it too. You want people to come back, you want them to say to you, (to come full circle)  "Nobody else has this! How do you have so much of it?"

8.) You just keep buying it every chance you have, especially if it's a product that will still have a shelf life after the market has cooled. You will just be selling it slower someday, but that's all right. (You don't have to order it again, which is nice.) The watchword is: Supply always catches up to demand. So if it's product that is simply a fad, be very careful. In fact, get out before the peak. (But that is a whole nother subject, and another thing that experience has taught me.)

Fortunately, Pokemon and Magic both have their ups and downs, but there is very little chance they'll disappear completely.