TCG Card Shop Simulator: Walkthrough

Welcome to the world of TCG Card Shop Simulator! In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of setting up your own card shop, managing inventory, pricing strategy, and getting the most out of your early gameplay experience. Whether you’re a newcomer or aiming to optimize your shop, this guide will help you get started.

Starting Your Shop

Upon beginning the game, you’ll need to name your shop and head inside. The game’s time will remain paused until your store is officially open, so use this moment to familiarize yourself with the interface.

Key Interfaces:

• Top Left: Objectives and time.
• Top Right: Your shop level and available money.
• Bottom Left: Access your phone with Tab to manage stock, orders, and more.
• Bottom Center: Contextual controls (action buttons).

Initial Setup: Stocking Your Shelves

Your first task is to start stocking your shop. Here’s how to get started:

1. Ordering Stock:
2. Press Tab to open your phone and navigate to the Stock Order app.
3. Initially, you will only have access to basic card packs. Choose the Tetron Dual Master basic packs.
4. Don’t forget to buy in bulk when possible. This reduces shipping fees, saving you money in the long run.
5. Always aim to order at least two items at a time to minimize shipping costs.
6. Unpacking and Displaying:
7. Once your order arrives (thankfully, deliveries are instant), head outside and collect your boxes.
8. Inside your shop, place the boxes on your shelves by opening them (R) and left-clicking to stock the items.
9. Early on, you’ll only have one shelf, but it can hold multiple items. Keep it simple by stocking one or two types of packs.

Pricing Strategy: Maximizing Profits

Now that your shelves are stocked, it’s time to set your prices. The game gives you a market price to reference, but you can tweak prices for better profit margins.

• Setting Prices:
• Click the price tag icon next to the item on the shelf. You’ll see the average market price and your cost.
• A solid beginner strategy is to price items 10% above the market price. This usually ensures a good balance between customer satisfaction and profit.
• Round prices to whole numbers (e.g., $3.50) to avoid awkward change handling.
• Monitoring Customer Reactions:
• Pay attention to customer comments. If they think the price is a bargain, you may be underpricing. If they complain it’s too expensive, consider lowering the price slightly.

Opening Your Shop

Once your stock is in place and priced, it’s time to open shop:

1. Head to the front door and flip the Open sign.

2. Stand behind the cash register and click on it to log in. You need to be logged in to process transactions.

As customers come in, they’ll browse and eventually make their way to the register. You’ll need to:

• – Scan each item by left-clicking it.
• – If they pay with cash, enter the total and give them the correct change. If they pay by card, simply enter the amount and confirm the transaction.

Expanding Your Inventory

Once you’ve made some initial sales, it’s time to diversify your products. Here’s what to focus on:

• New Packs and Accessories: As your shop levels up, you’ll unlock more card packs (rare, epic, and legendary) and accessories (card sleeves, deck boxes, etc.). Keep an eye out for when you can purchase new licenses for these items.
• Play Tables: A great way to boost your early income is to buy a play table from the My DIY app. These tables allow customers to play games in your shop, earning you passive income at a rate of $7 per hour per player.

Card Packs: To Open or Not?

Opening packs is tempting, but be strategic about it. When you open packs, you can sell individual cards (singles) at a higher price than packs. However, opening packs too often may leave you with less stock to sell as sealed packs.

• Selling Singles:
• Once you have a card table, you can start selling individual cards. Focus on selling cards valued at $2 or more.
• Avoid pricing singles below $1. It’s better to bulk sell these low-value cards later, using the Workbench (unlocked at higher levels).

Managing Your Shop: Day-to-Day Operations

Each day in the game ends at 9 PM, at which point no new customers will enter, though players at your play tables might stay to finish their games. Don’t rush to start a new day right away—you might miss out on some late sales!

Tips for Managing Each Day:

• Restock Early: Use the time before and after store hours to restock shelves and open packs.
• Order in Bulk: Always aim to buy in larger quantities to reduce shipping fees.
• Keep an Eye on Prices: The market fluctuates, so check your prices regularly to ensure you’re not underselling or overpricing.

Hiring Employees

Once you reach shop level 10, you’ll be able to hire your first employee. However, be cautious:

• – Early employees tend to be slow and may not justify their daily salary.
• – Wait until you can hire faster employees, or consider handling most of the tasks yourself until you can afford better staff.

Expanding Your Shop

Eventually, you’ll need more space. Here’s when to expand:

• – Only expand when necessary: Expanding increases your daily rent, so don’t do it unless you’re running out of space for products or play tables.
• – Prioritize Shelves Over Expansion: Before expanding, make sure your current space is fully utilized with shelves and tables.

Closing Thoughts

TCG Card Shop Simulator is all about balancing your passion for collecting with running a profitable business. The key in the early game is to grow gradually. Focus on increasing your inventory variety, maintaining good prices, and keeping customers happy. As you level up, you’ll unlock more features and the ability to sell rare cards, expanding your profits.

Take your time, enjoy the thrill of opening packs, and build a card shop that’s the envy of the neighborhood!