Depending on what you mean by the old. If the packs are revised or older, you have to be certain that they come from unopened box, otherwise there is a pretty big chance that they are 'scanned.'
As for newer bosters your mileage might vary. If you can get a old draft going. Go for it. If you just rip the boosters open, be prepared to be underwhelmed, unless you need nearly every card from the set you open.
Unless you get a good deal on a box of interesting product, you almost always lose money on opening boosters. Still I understand the itch. I have box of each Russian Ravnica-block set waiting at home and altough I will most likely hold three cool drafts at some point, the temptation to just open them is always there. Some other sets are much easier to resist, as I've been sitting on boxes of Alliances and 4th edition for nearly 10 years now.
Depending on what you mean by the old. If the packs are revised or older, you have to be certain that they come from unopened box, otherwise there is a pretty big chance that they are 'scanned.'
What do you mean by scanned? Is that some way of finding out what is in the pack before opening it? (I heard some people can do that)
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Beneath the Tangle, the wurm tunnels stretch . . . wide as a stone's throw, long as forever, deep as you dare.
You can map out the packs from a sealed box, pull out the packs with the money cards and sell the rest of the packs. Thus, why I never buy packs unless I can see the box being cracked.
The film is see through on the top of the pack, you can slide one card up and see what it is, and continue for every card in a pack. You NEVER take a pack of cards from the earlier sets unless you know for 100% sure it is from a sealed box.
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"It's like some kind of Voltron... made of elephants??"
What do you mean by scanned? Is that some way of finding out what is in the pack before opening it? (I heard some people can do that)
Revised and older booster packs were not made of the same material as they are now - by shining a strong light on them, you could see through them and what was inside.
Also, older packs from certain boxes may have been mapped. Magic boosters, until fairly recently, were usually printed and collated in a specific order based on the rare sheet. These patterns were mapped by people who went through a lot of product, and so could find the 'money' packs in boxes by opening the first three to see where on the map they were, and moving relative to it. Fairly recently (I think... M10? Someone feel free to correct me) Wizards started doing a better job of randomizing their pack distribution to stop the box mapping, but before that you could much more easily map the packs in opened boxes. This is one of the major reasons why most will suggest packs from sealed boxes only. It's no fun to buy twenty packs and get no good cards whatsoever, because some jerk has already pulled the money cards out of the box and resold the rest.
The film is see through on the top of the pack, you can slide one card up and see what it is, and continue for every card in a pack. You NEVER take a pack of cards from the earlier sets unless you know for 100% sure it is from a sealed box.
Pretty much any booster from the sets below can be searched without opening them:
Core sets: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised
Expansion sets: Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires
You're pretty much safe with boosters that have the metallic lining on both ends of the booster:
Core sets: 4th Edition and up
Expansion sets: Homelands and up
Is this a good rule to go by? By the way thanks everyone for the quick (and great) responses
Edit: How about tournament packs? Are those safe to buy from old map-able/scan-able sets?
Tournament packs are fine as long as they are sealed. Loose boosters are almost always a no-no unless you really trust the vendor. The metallic-edged boosters can't be scanned, but they *can* be mapped. You may wish to take a look at this video, for a demonstration of the card mapping.
I wouldnt mind having a sealed beta booster in my collection just to be a sealed booster (scanned or otherwise). Ive heard some folks even buy empty wrapers or stands from the old sets just for the collectors value.
Basically bottom line if your buying old boosters for your collection then keep them sealed and dont worry about whats inside. If your buying them to retro draft or whatever, dont expect to turn a profit on what you crack them just buy the cards.
Keep in mind that they didn't actually cello older boxes with the "official" stamp until modern years. I think I remember reading that Alpha and Beta boxes weren't even shrinked. So if you ever found an "in shrink" Beta box somewhere... there is likely a bigger chance you'll have 36 packs of Air Elemental than anything. Anyone with access to a shrinkwrapper and a strong light can find all the goodies and re-pack.
Fairly recently (I think... M10? Someone feel free to correct me) Wizards started doing a better job of randomizing their pack distribution to stop the box mapping, but before that you could much more easily map the packs in opened boxes. This is one of the major reasons why most will suggest packs from sealed boxes only. It's no fun to buy twenty packs and get no good cards whatsoever, because some jerk has already pulled the money cards out of the box and resold the rest.
--S
So should one bother buying loose packs from the newer sets? Even with Wizards randomizing more?
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Beneath the Tangle, the wurm tunnels stretch . . . wide as a stone's throw, long as forever, deep as you dare.
#1 Don't buy loose packs online
#2 Buy loose packs only from a trusted store owner (even some store owners I know, will map boxes and sell the "crap" packs to magic beginners)
#3 If you are unsure, don't open the pack. Save it for draft or others who want to be in draft.
I usually go with option 3. Ocasionally, someone rips an Inkmoth Nexus out of the packs I trade off.. but they also got tons of Magnetic Mines and Myr Welders.
Also note that all modern maps have been solved, except Worldwake(not enough data to discover the map, due to exceptionally low sales), and M12(not enough data yet, but likely to happen eventually). While they aren't as simple as the Odyssey map(all rares were in a single, repeating loop), the maps have been solved. Never, ever, ever buy loose packs online; suggest that your LGS make it a policy to mix the packs by hand when an employee opens a new booster box. The "i'll save my leftover mapped packs to draft with' plan is one of the reasons some stores no longer allow players to bring their own packs.
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GGGGG
As for newer bosters your mileage might vary. If you can get a old draft going. Go for it. If you just rip the boosters open, be prepared to be underwhelmed, unless you need nearly every card from the set you open.
Unless you get a good deal on a box of interesting product, you almost always lose money on opening boosters. Still I understand the itch. I have box of each Russian Ravnica-block set waiting at home and altough I will most likely hold three cool drafts at some point, the temptation to just open them is always there. Some other sets are much easier to resist, as I've been sitting on boxes of Alliances and 4th edition for nearly 10 years now.
Set to default
What do you mean by scanned? Is that some way of finding out what is in the pack before opening it? (I heard some people can do that)
GGGGG
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
Revised and older booster packs were not made of the same material as they are now - by shining a strong light on them, you could see through them and what was inside.
Also, older packs from certain boxes may have been mapped. Magic boosters, until fairly recently, were usually printed and collated in a specific order based on the rare sheet. These patterns were mapped by people who went through a lot of product, and so could find the 'money' packs in boxes by opening the first three to see where on the map they were, and moving relative to it. Fairly recently (I think... M10? Someone feel free to correct me) Wizards started doing a better job of randomizing their pack distribution to stop the box mapping, but before that you could much more easily map the packs in opened boxes. This is one of the major reasons why most will suggest packs from sealed boxes only. It's no fun to buy twenty packs and get no good cards whatsoever, because some jerk has already pulled the money cards out of the box and resold the rest.
--S
Just found this thread:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=188025
Is this a good rule to go by? By the way thanks everyone for the quick (and great) responses
Edit: How about tournament packs? Are those safe to buy from old map-able/scan-able sets?
GGGGG
--S
Basically bottom line if your buying old boosters for your collection then keep them sealed and dont worry about whats inside. If your buying them to retro draft or whatever, dont expect to turn a profit on what you crack them just buy the cards.
Currently looking to buy miscut Homelands, (my wife thinks I'm crazy too).
Semper Gumby (Always Flexible)
So should one bother buying loose packs from the newer sets? Even with Wizards randomizing more?
GGGGG
#2 Buy loose packs only from a trusted store owner (even some store owners I know, will map boxes and sell the "crap" packs to magic beginners)
#3 If you are unsure, don't open the pack. Save it for draft or others who want to be in draft.
I usually go with option 3. Ocasionally, someone rips an Inkmoth Nexus out of the packs I trade off.. but they also got tons of Magnetic Mines and Myr Welders.