Buying boxes and selling the contents only works if you buy the boxes day one and sell off the cards the same day. You might get lucky with a Teferi or a Karn (which spike in value) but you are only likely to pull one (if that) per box.
You could say you want all the commons and uncommons but you can easily buy 4 copies of all of them for like 40 to 50 bucks.
So if you are not likely to earn money back by selling the rares and you can buy all the chaff for cheap, why buy a box?
The real reason to buy a box is because you enjoy cracking packs. Simple as that.
By the same token, I do not understand people who buy a box and then draft it. There's no value in drafting your own property. You either lose out big time on the money side (as your friends are keeping the cards they draft), or you are front loading an expensive draft (if your friends pay you for the packs) or you cause a lot of hurt feelings (when someone drafts Karn and realizes they cannot keep him). Plus, there are no prizes. Prizes pay for more drafts (either by selling other people your unopened packs, or cracking the packs and selling off the meager contents). So why do people do it? Because it is fun, duh.
By the same token, I do not understand people who buy a box and then draft it. There's no value in drafting your own property. You either lose out big time on the money side (as your friends are keeping the cards they draft), or you are front loading an expensive draft (if your friends pay you for the packs) or you cause a lot of hurt feelings (when someone drafts Karn and realizes they cannot keep him). Plus, there are no prizes. Prizes pay for more drafts (either by selling other people your unopened packs, or cracking the packs and selling off the meager contents). So why do people do it? Because it is fun, duh.
I've run booster drafts with my own product (prizes from other limited events) and it's a good way to turn otherwise useless product into fun + money. I usually sold packs at $3 each, which is less than a store but means you do have a profit margin even if you bought the box, as long as it was less than $108. And the people doing it were usually happy to have a somewhat discounted draft, among people who were all good drafters and friends, rather than the usual mix of randos at the LGS.
As far as prizes, you can certainly offer prize support at the same rate, i.e. 1-2 packs per person into the pot, for an extra $3 or $6. Personally I prefer to rare redraft though. Then there's no incentive to take money cards over stuff that's good for your deck, and the most successful players always get the best prizes, rather than more spins on a slot machine that may or may not pay out. Plus it means your packs go further.
If they're cards I actually want, then I'll usually draft for fun, but keep the cards. People not getting "hurt feelings" is as simple as mentioning that it's free because they don't keep the cards. What sort of prick would expect to get a free draft AND keep the cards? Personally I'd love to do more free, no-cards-attached drafts. Getting a few hours of fun limited for free is already awesome, why would I get salty over not keeping someone else's cards?
I've never had much success selling loose prize packs outside of a draft. Most I think I've gotten is $2.50, and that's only from someone who knows and trusts me. Sometimes people take them in trade. Otherwise they mostly just stack up or get drafted.
Also, "for every good call, there's a bad call" is incorrect. It's more like "for every 5 good calls, there's 1 bad call."
I can come up with a lot of examples on both sides. There are so many ways one can speculate. Long term speculation (the luxury of waiting it out) is certainly the most doable but I am a player 1st and foremost so there is a limited amount of energy/time I'm willing to spend. Sometimes the ban list can mess things up too. Fortunately in the case of BBE I started buying up copies of every version (foils in particular) I could when the price hit bottom just for the heck of it (because it's a fricken great card) and it worked out pretty well. Though the banning of Steel Overseer was unlikely given other far worse targets, total affinity domination due to that card would have presented at least an element of risk as with any speculation. Being good at speculating is great and all but I don't think it's as common as you make it out to be. I assume it's because no one brags about failures.
Obviously the "buying singles is better" argument is widely known as the best financial choice but the fun of opening packs, drafting, and redrafting (if you are a cheap bastard) is a worth while use of time and money. Coming out ahead, even if just a little, is totally doable opening boxes. As a previous poster mentioned, you have to be on top of it to recover your cost. Sometimes you lose out on 20 bucks or so but in a game this expensive, what does the equivalent of an Uber ride really matter to your bottom line.
The exclusive buy-a-box promo is WotC playing a dangerous game I think. They need to be very careful or very competent and I'm not sure they're either.
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Buy and sell Magic: the Gathering cards on the handy dandy itty bitty website I made: https://SpeedMTG.com
The exclusive buy-a-box promo is WotC playing a dangerous game I think. They need to be very careful or very competent and I'm not sure they're either.
I doubt it will ever be a problem. They know how to make bad cards. The problems are usually attempts at making strong cards, new types of cards or last minute changes made by a single person with 0 time left to test. The last hasn't happened in a while, I assume because they don't allow those kinds of last minute changes anymore.
I don't generally buy boxes but I did for Dominaria because of the Legendary theme providing help for my Duel Commmander and Commander decks, and the promo card.
Cracking packs with friends is very fun too, though the packaging on Battlebond locally was super, super loose so not sure what happened there.
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The "Crazy One", playing casual magic and occasionally dipping his toes into regular play since 1994.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
Only draft every Friday unless all hell breaks lose.
PreRelease events every time, i think i only missed like 3 in 20+ years playing.
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That accumulates enough value over time and trading that value around theres usually nothing special enough in new sets that wouldnt be covered.
Simply said, if you played at almost all times and got the cards from the boosters at the time, you just have them, unless you see a reason to sell them or trade them.
But if someone has almost no old cards or expensive cards to start with, buying a ton of booster packs can turn out to be profitable, especially if the super expensive cards that carry the value are sold quickly.
The only sure fire way to lose tremendous amounts of money is to keep cards after rotation and see them plummet by like 90% or more. Thats a mistake people shouldnt do, unless they really dont care for money at all.
It's actually good to buy a box and build with it. The thing is that you need some place to start when building a deck. Also, to get a feel for an archetype, it can pay to have filler, disposable cards for some slots. The issue I have with WoTC is that the gulf between constructed playable and draft playable is ridiculous. 5 cost and 4 cost removal spells? If a removal costs 4 mana it better wipe a card unconditionally from the face of the multiverse.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The only way I can really see buying a box to be fully justifiable is if you're doing draft/sealed/some other format of unopened packs. Everytime I've ever seen someone just cracking a box, it has appeared as nothing more than another form of gambling money away.
So I'm personally very annoyed about the new Buy-a-box promo scheme, but it has me thinking about people who DO "buy a box".
Personally I love drafting, and I love commander. I usually try to get whatever commander-relevant cards I can from drafts, and then buy the rest as singles. I don't really have much use for the other cards I end up with, and I tend to accumulate tons of rares I don't need from limited events (not to mention commons/uncommons, which I usually just recycle), and lots of sealed product too from winnings. I try to get some fun from these mostly by winston drafting with my girlfriend, although in days gone by I actually could get 6-8 people together for a real draft, and get some cash back for my packs in addition to fun.
But clearly there are people out there who are just buying booster boxes and cracking them. I know this because I see them doing it sometimes at my LGS. Frankly I don't get it. I understand completely someone buying a box if they plan to run a booster draft amongst their friends or something, but just buying a box with the intention to crack it and take the cards from it for decks or trade fodder? It seems really inefficient to me. The odds of getting cards you want seems fairly low (especially if you need multiples of rares or mythics) and the average value of the cards seems like it's usually below the price per pack unless you buy and sell them very quickly when the set releases. And you end up with mounds of worthless, or near-worthless, garbage. Wouldn't buying the singles be way more efficient if your goal is to construct any kind of deck?
So for people who buy booster boxes and just crack them - what's your reasoning behind this purchase? Is there some motivation that I haven't thought of? Or is everyone just as mystified as I am?
1. Birthday/ Christmas gift. Boxes make better gifts. There's an element of excitement and anticipation that you're not giving when buying singles for someone else. Half the boxes I've purchased have been due to gifts.
2. Gathering with friends. In the same vein as the former. I've gotten together with old friends and decided to just pick up one box for us to share at a get-together. Everyone gets 3 packs--something like that. It's a gesture of goodwill on my part. The hosts bring food. Once again, the packs add an element of excitement that we all can share.
In both #1 and 2, the element of randomness and excitement is part of the gift. Gift's aren't the right venue for attempting to maximize wealth. In fact, the value of the gift is a little besides the point.
3. Getting to know a set. Occasionally if I like a set, I'll crack open a box to get acquainted with it. At this point keep in mind, I don't get have any of the commons or uncommons yet. The first box always provides more value than each successive one.
4. Pack wars. This is probably the most ridiculous type of card board crack I've ever bought into. It's pure gambling and a ridiculous thrill, but does ultimately support your LGS. The way you play is everyone who wants in opens a pack. The person who opens the lowest value rare has to pay for everyone else's pack.
I occasionally split one with a friend and we draft it over the next few months when we can get a group together. I go in with no expectation of making any money, if I get even half my value back in cards I am happy with it since I got to draft it with friends, make a few casual decks out of it and add a card or two to cube.
If I was earning a decent wage I would probably buy a box to myself every set, I think if you are drafting the packs its not a bad fun/cost ratio. Opening packs without drafting I think of as a scratch card, a quick thrill but you probably wont make the money back.
I think the biggest reason to buy and open packs is the thrill of maybe opening a valuable money card. It is the same as with lottery tickets. You will most likely not get your money's worth in terms of cards, but you are paying for the fun experience of opening the pack and the anticipation beforehand. I have bought displays and fat packs in the past, and in some cases I opened some super money card (a Kaladesh invention Chalice of the Void, a foil Recruiter of the Guard and the Zendikar expedition BR fetchland, for example). These were exceptions though, as in general it is definitely the least money efficient way to acquire the cards you need. Opening packs is a bit like playing limited in that you are paying for an experience rather than the resale monetary value of the product.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
I used to buy boxes years ago, but since I mainly play standard I buy the singles I need. I found I had thousands of crap commons just laying around taking up space.
Well with my own opinion on this, there's definitely a certain rush I get, cracking packs open and pulling a card I really want or one of the higher valued cards from the set. Doing it with friends or at your lgs gives you the opportunity to share your lucky pulls so to speak. I always buy a fat pack or booster box from every set. Just to get my card pack cracking open fix. Then I order the singles I didn't pull and go on with my life. When I was a newer player, I made the mistake of buying pack after pack trying to pull all the cards I really wanted. A very expensive, costly lesson. So that's the rule I stick to, I personally like getting far packs because of the box you get, then I just buy whatever singles I still want.
You could say you want all the commons and uncommons but you can easily buy 4 copies of all of them for like 40 to 50 bucks.
So if you are not likely to earn money back by selling the rares and you can buy all the chaff for cheap, why buy a box?
The real reason to buy a box is because you enjoy cracking packs. Simple as that.
By the same token, I do not understand people who buy a box and then draft it. There's no value in drafting your own property. You either lose out big time on the money side (as your friends are keeping the cards they draft), or you are front loading an expensive draft (if your friends pay you for the packs) or you cause a lot of hurt feelings (when someone drafts Karn and realizes they cannot keep him). Plus, there are no prizes. Prizes pay for more drafts (either by selling other people your unopened packs, or cracking the packs and selling off the meager contents). So why do people do it? Because it is fun, duh.
As far as prizes, you can certainly offer prize support at the same rate, i.e. 1-2 packs per person into the pot, for an extra $3 or $6. Personally I prefer to rare redraft though. Then there's no incentive to take money cards over stuff that's good for your deck, and the most successful players always get the best prizes, rather than more spins on a slot machine that may or may not pay out. Plus it means your packs go further.
If they're cards I actually want, then I'll usually draft for fun, but keep the cards. People not getting "hurt feelings" is as simple as mentioning that it's free because they don't keep the cards. What sort of prick would expect to get a free draft AND keep the cards? Personally I'd love to do more free, no-cards-attached drafts. Getting a few hours of fun limited for free is already awesome, why would I get salty over not keeping someone else's cards?
I've never had much success selling loose prize packs outside of a draft. Most I think I've gotten is $2.50, and that's only from someone who knows and trusts me. Sometimes people take them in trade. Otherwise they mostly just stack up or get drafted.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
I can come up with a lot of examples on both sides. There are so many ways one can speculate. Long term speculation (the luxury of waiting it out) is certainly the most doable but I am a player 1st and foremost so there is a limited amount of energy/time I'm willing to spend. Sometimes the ban list can mess things up too. Fortunately in the case of BBE I started buying up copies of every version (foils in particular) I could when the price hit bottom just for the heck of it (because it's a fricken great card) and it worked out pretty well. Though the banning of Steel Overseer was unlikely given other far worse targets, total affinity domination due to that card would have presented at least an element of risk as with any speculation. Being good at speculating is great and all but I don't think it's as common as you make it out to be. I assume it's because no one brags about failures.
Obviously the "buying singles is better" argument is widely known as the best financial choice but the fun of opening packs, drafting, and redrafting (if you are a cheap bastard) is a worth while use of time and money. Coming out ahead, even if just a little, is totally doable opening boxes. As a previous poster mentioned, you have to be on top of it to recover your cost. Sometimes you lose out on 20 bucks or so but in a game this expensive, what does the equivalent of an Uber ride really matter to your bottom line.
Cracking packs with friends is very fun too, though the packaging on Battlebond locally was super, super loose so not sure what happened there.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
Only draft every Friday unless all hell breaks lose.
PreRelease events every time, i think i only missed like 3 in 20+ years playing.
----
That accumulates enough value over time and trading that value around theres usually nothing special enough in new sets that wouldnt be covered.
Simply said, if you played at almost all times and got the cards from the boosters at the time, you just have them, unless you see a reason to sell them or trade them.
But if someone has almost no old cards or expensive cards to start with, buying a ton of booster packs can turn out to be profitable, especially if the super expensive cards that carry the value are sold quickly.
The only sure fire way to lose tremendous amounts of money is to keep cards after rotation and see them plummet by like 90% or more. Thats a mistake people shouldnt do, unless they really dont care for money at all.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
1. Birthday/ Christmas gift. Boxes make better gifts. There's an element of excitement and anticipation that you're not giving when buying singles for someone else. Half the boxes I've purchased have been due to gifts.
2. Gathering with friends. In the same vein as the former. I've gotten together with old friends and decided to just pick up one box for us to share at a get-together. Everyone gets 3 packs--something like that. It's a gesture of goodwill on my part. The hosts bring food. Once again, the packs add an element of excitement that we all can share.
In both #1 and 2, the element of randomness and excitement is part of the gift. Gift's aren't the right venue for attempting to maximize wealth. In fact, the value of the gift is a little besides the point.
3. Getting to know a set. Occasionally if I like a set, I'll crack open a box to get acquainted with it. At this point keep in mind, I don't get have any of the commons or uncommons yet. The first box always provides more value than each successive one.
4. Pack wars. This is probably the most ridiculous type of card board crack I've ever bought into. It's pure gambling and a ridiculous thrill, but does ultimately support your LGS. The way you play is everyone who wants in opens a pack. The person who opens the lowest value rare has to pay for everyone else's pack.
If I was earning a decent wage I would probably buy a box to myself every set, I think if you are drafting the packs its not a bad fun/cost ratio. Opening packs without drafting I think of as a scratch card, a quick thrill but you probably wont make the money back.
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.