It depends a lot on how you expect to get value out of the case. Are you going to sell cards on TCG or eBay? Use them for trade? Play with them?
The "value" of a box is well over $90 right now, the $124 per case in the previous post is probably accurate as far as retail value, but not accurate when you add in TCG/eBay + PayPal cuts, shipping, and shipping supplies.
If you are just using the cards to play or to trade, yes, you'll get more than $540 in value, but you will have to do some trading to get the exact combination you want and you will have excess of other cards that may be difficult to unload. Some of it will depend upon how fluid your trading environment is.
Edit: Foils will appear to be random over this sample size. And, obviously a couple of good foils can change things quite a bit.
As for being "lucky" or "unlucky" in the rares and mythics you pull, the distribution of those cards is not really random. If you expect to get 4 copies of each mythic, you will likely get 4 of most in a case, with 3 of a couple and 5 of a couple. It is distributed much smoother than you would expect from a random distribution. Even a case (216 packs) is enough to smooth things out considerably.
TCG recently changed their displays, does anyone know if there is a way to use the old format? I don't know if it's familiarity or the old format is better, but the old format seems much easier to navigate (and compare prices) to me.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
[quote from="thg »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-general/572284-evidence-of-the-game-being-dumbed-down?comment=33"]
If you read the thread, you would realise that it's more about card design than the rules.
I read the opening post which mentioned three examples, two of which were: Legend Rule (not card design); and Banishing Light/Oblivion Ring (which, to me, is closing of an unintended "loophole" is stack mechanics). The third was something about EDH, I have no opinion on that.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
Simple and consistent rules does not mean a less complex or "dumbed down" game.
Chess and Go have very simple rules, for instance. Better, in my opinion, to have very simple rules and allow the positions or interactions to generate the complexities than to make a complex rule set that only a lawyer could love.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
In the past I've been able to add $50-$100 in value to my trade binder during a regular FNM without ripping anyone off.
I might take a look just to see how this claim can be supported. Sort of the same way I might watch 20 seconds of an infomercial just to see how ridiculous it is.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
I'm pretty sure it was always an ability - not all abilities are keywords.
Wasn't that the point: make it a keyword so that it could be consistently treated as such.
Haven't other abilities become keywords in the past? I don't play eternal formats, but I'm pretty sure I have read some old cards that describe current keywords without using the keyword.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
It's very interesting that Nylea, God of the Hunt has gone past Thassa. At the start Purphoros was all the rage, then Thassa was top dog with mono u and now Nylea is highest priced god? Never saw that coming. I guess the Nykthos green decks are quite popular and giving everything trample can sometimes win the game on the spot.
It's just where it fits. Thassa was a key part of Mono-Blue for a long time, that will come to an end at rotation. Green decks with Mystic, Caryatid, Courser, should survive rotation and many of these can make use of Nylea because of trample AND pump. It makes sense that Nylea is passing Thassa.
Purphoros found a home in Red Devotion decks, but those never enjoyed the popularity of MUD or the Green Mystic/Caryatid/Courser decks. KTK seems to have more token generating options that could be Standard playable which might mean more popularity for Purphoros. There's a RUG Chord deck that is generating some interest (Purphoros + Hornet Queen!).
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
I'm 47, started playing Magic after my son (16 now) became interested. It is a lot of fun being able to share the experience with my son, talk about cards/decks, pick out what events we want to play, etc.
We recently split top prize in a local win-a-box event, have both won at FNM, I've won GPTs (he hasn't yet!). It is nice to be competitive in the events we enter and with each other while helping each other tweak our decks and whatnot.
At our first SCG Open, we were paired in the last round (I think it was a 10 round event), both with terrible records. We played it out for bragging rights instead of drawing and starting the 2 hour ride home.
I think the OP mentioned it, but my son uses a playmat, I do not. I am much more conscious about have the right tokens available, he doesn't mind using dice. I think both these things are common age difference things.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
Then people will start to think. "Hey how come this guy is selling fetches for $9?" I'll buy from him. $9 fetch guy will be laughing all the way to the bank as he steals all the sales off the $10 fetch guys. This will repeat until it reaches an equilibrium.
Where will $9 fetch guy acquire the fetches he sells for a profit at that price?
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
In my experience the brewers get special satisfaction from beating the Tier 1 decks, in fact it seems many brewers go to FNM specifically for the opportunity to beat the Tier 1 decks. They can be defensive or grumpy when they lose, but overall, I think they would prefer there were a few Tier 1 decks in the event instead of zero Tier 1 decks.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
I have no doubt that prices will come down. The real question is how long before they will come down.
If there is demand at $20+, stores will ask $20+. Since people will want them immediately instead of waiting weeks or months, stores will be able to sell at those prices. And, the public can't just decide to crack boxes themselves if stores also sell boxes for $110. The public doesn't have access to $75 boxes.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
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This suggests it was indeed over $30 around release.
The "value" of a box is well over $90 right now, the $124 per case in the previous post is probably accurate as far as retail value, but not accurate when you add in TCG/eBay + PayPal cuts, shipping, and shipping supplies.
If you are just using the cards to play or to trade, yes, you'll get more than $540 in value, but you will have to do some trading to get the exact combination you want and you will have excess of other cards that may be difficult to unload. Some of it will depend upon how fluid your trading environment is.
Edit: Foils will appear to be random over this sample size. And, obviously a couple of good foils can change things quite a bit.
As for being "lucky" or "unlucky" in the rares and mythics you pull, the distribution of those cards is not really random. If you expect to get 4 copies of each mythic, you will likely get 4 of most in a case, with 3 of a couple and 5 of a couple. It is distributed much smoother than you would expect from a random distribution. Even a case (216 packs) is enough to smooth things out considerably.
I read the opening post which mentioned three examples, two of which were: Legend Rule (not card design); and Banishing Light/Oblivion Ring (which, to me, is closing of an unintended "loophole" is stack mechanics). The third was something about EDH, I have no opinion on that.
Chess and Go have very simple rules, for instance. Better, in my opinion, to have very simple rules and allow the positions or interactions to generate the complexities than to make a complex rule set that only a lawyer could love.
Wasn't that the point: make it a keyword so that it could be consistently treated as such.
Haven't other abilities become keywords in the past? I don't play eternal formats, but I'm pretty sure I have read some old cards that describe current keywords without using the keyword.
It's just where it fits. Thassa was a key part of Mono-Blue for a long time, that will come to an end at rotation. Green decks with Mystic, Caryatid, Courser, should survive rotation and many of these can make use of Nylea because of trample AND pump. It makes sense that Nylea is passing Thassa.
Purphoros found a home in Red Devotion decks, but those never enjoyed the popularity of MUD or the Green Mystic/Caryatid/Courser decks. KTK seems to have more token generating options that could be Standard playable which might mean more popularity for Purphoros. There's a RUG Chord deck that is generating some interest (Purphoros + Hornet Queen!).
We recently split top prize in a local win-a-box event, have both won at FNM, I've won GPTs (he hasn't yet!). It is nice to be competitive in the events we enter and with each other while helping each other tweak our decks and whatnot.
At our first SCG Open, we were paired in the last round (I think it was a 10 round event), both with terrible records. We played it out for bragging rights instead of drawing and starting the 2 hour ride home.
I think the OP mentioned it, but my son uses a playmat, I do not. I am much more conscious about have the right tokens available, he doesn't mind using dice. I think both these things are common age difference things.
If there is demand at $20+, stores will ask $20+. Since people will want them immediately instead of waiting weeks or months, stores will be able to sell at those prices. And, the public can't just decide to crack boxes themselves if stores also sell boxes for $110. The public doesn't have access to $75 boxes.