This is quick question, I'll probably delete this thread after about 10 replies.
Can I make at least a $50 return or more from a booster box? I want to build a decent SOI collection for kitchen table but $100-110 seems too steep of an investment for that. My solution is to immediately offload whatever mythics or foils I pull since I don't plan on playing competitive standard and keeping the rest. I'm willing to "gamble" a bit since I have extra cash but only if I can make some kind of a decent return.
I've never bought a booster box, does any of this make sense? Are there any better ways to get a bunch of cards for a set or am I on the right track? Thanks in advanced.
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>>46461346
maybe but prolly not
>>46461432
this desu
>>46461346
Nope, mtggoldfish lists the ev as $103.
>>46461442
>>46461432
>Build a collection
>With dozens of singles
You guys are idiots. Go buy the box OP it'll be worth it.
>>46461432
>>46461442
So if I want to build a collection, $50 worth of singles gets me more than the 36 boosters for $100? Or at least a better value? Is the chance to pull a $20-30 mythic that variable?
>>46461542
There are only two mythics this set that'll be above $15. Avacyn and Abbey
Get 7 friends, charge them 11 dollars each, and do a redraft. That's $21 profit if you get the box for $100. Plus whatever from the singles you win.
>>46461594
-100
+77
= 23
Learn how to math
>>46461346
Watch the tolarian community college on YouTube on booster box pulling and selling.
Tldw: usually it is not worth it. Esp considering the time needed to package and sell everything.
>>46461494
This seems... fair? It doesn't look like I'll be able to offset the "investment" then.
>>46461539
Thanks for the advice. My friend had bought a booster box from New Phyrexia years ago and I still love making janky casual decks with the Rares and uncommon in it, so that's what I'm trying to do with SOI since the prerelease was so fun.
>>46461557
Thanks, this is kinda what I want to know. Would I make a better return if I went to FNM and tried to sell whatever mythics I get to players directly?
>>46461594
I have to find more friends for this. At the moment I only have 2 other guys who would be willing to draft SOI from a box like that.
>>46461686
Oh forgot: if you want specific cards, buy singles. If you want a small collection to play, you must as well go play drafts at your lgs or wih friends.
>>46461717
If you wanna get a booster box, do it. Decent enough way to buy bulk cards for a deck, but just don't expect to recover your money by selling mythics.If you're very lucky you might be able to get 50% of your cash back
>>46461717
If you're buying a box don't expect to get your money back. Expect to get your money's worth of entertainment from playing with friends for hours upon hours.
>>46461748
This is what I wanted to know, thank you. I want to build a collection, and in my head 36 x 15 = 420 cards for $100, which if I unload a Nahiri, Jace or foil Avacyn would end up being 419 cards for $65-70, which seems totally worth it.
>>46461728
I like drafting but won't I end up spending more money to get less cards?
>>46461542
Supposedly the odds for a mythic is about one in eight packs. It looks like Avacyn, Arlinn and Sorin are the only ones priced over $20 right now, out of 18 mythics.
Your expectation for those, probabilistically speaking, would be about 36(1/8)(3/18) = 0.75, i.e. you're not quite likely to pull even one. (Granted, this will be shifted up a little, because I did not factor in foils or the fact that there's a special double-faced card slot)
Stochastically speaking, the box is entirely likely to kick you in the nuts.
Speaking in terms of kitchen table: go for it, and try to introduce some friends to the joy of drafting.
>>46461846
And i'd expect Arlinn and Sorin to drop in price after pre orders are done, I think. Avacyn is gonna stay top dollar though
>>46461783
This is what I wanted to know, thank you. I've heard that fat packs are a slight rip off so i'll probably invest in the box. Since irs for casual play I think it's worth it.
>>46461346
You should expect around 50-70$ in terms of value out of the box, your losing money obviously but if avacyn does end up jumping and you pulled one those odds get better, your probably better off waiting a week to see.
I recommend however if you can to purchase single boosters(or like 5-6) at a time per box your lgs has opened and for sale, statistically speaking buying like that makes your chance at a mythic much higher(even if that mythic is shit, and also you might just pull nothing). Or just buy singles whatever
>>46461846
Wow I had no idea there were 18 mythics this set. That puts a lot into perspective, since as you said I probably won't even pull the mythics I'd need to offset anything. I like the responses in this thread however, so I think I'll be making the investment anyways.
>>46461942
A lot of the mythics are really playable so you shouldn't be too worried about it, frankly there's only like 3 mythics that are seriously bad(geralfs masterpiece, that fire hound 5/5, and that regrowth that's six mana, and maybe one or two I forgot).
Lots of the mythics are at least safe in assuming they will be playable.
>>46461346
No. If you want a collection of commons/uncommons get a Deckbuilder's Toolkit or some Intro packs or some shit...or just buy the full set of commons/uncommons.
If you want specific rares then buy singles.
Playing sealed events at your LGS is also a good way to build a collection while also gettking to actually play some Magic
Booster boxes are for jews and weirdos with youtube channels.
![goldnightcastigator[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/2N0Dj7r.jpg "goldnightcastigator[1].jpg")
>>46462247
>>46461846
>>46461542
The Thing in the Ice is a... thing too, is rare and costs 20$.
They're generally not a good investment, if you really want to build your collection do what >>46462291 said. However, if you enjoy the thrill of cracking packs and don't really care about getting monetary returns then it can be worth it.
Personally I like to buy boxes every now and again because I enjoy busting open all dem packs, plus I play a lot of janky ass kitchen table magic with my more casual friends, and it's fun to draft with a box.
>>46462401
Why would they think a 4 mana 4/9 flying haste would be equally balanced by letting everything kill you twice as fast while effectively reducing the angel's tougness to 5.
>>46462508
but it has flying so unless your opponent has 5 power in the air then you're good
>>46462586
Or if your opponent has a single burn spell that does 3+ damage. Like bolder salvo on surge cost, lightning bolt, bathe in dragon fire, scorching blast, etc.
>>46462586
Or if your opponent has a single burn spell that does 3+ damage. Like bolder salvo on surge cost, lightning bolt, bathe in dragon fire, scorching blast, etc. not to mention that new 2 mana sorcery that field wipes more than a yugioh game.
>>46462663
You'd need 5 damage to kill it fampai
3 turns to 6 damage
4 turns to 8 damage
5 turns to 10, killing it.
>>46462697
But still. Pic is going to utterly dominate the meta since clues are a worthless compensation. I can't imagine any deck with white not having at least 2 copies of it.
>>46462797
Yeah I won't deny that. Declaration in stone is fucking retardedly good.
>>46461942
>I like the responses in this thread however, so I think I'll be making the investment anyways.
Oh yeah, go for it. That's what I was trying to point out at the end: you can't be guaranteed to break even or profit, but you still get a box of fun.And 36 hits of that delicious booster smell
>>46462454
The Thing in the Ice is a... thing too, is rare and costs 20$.
Yeah, I'm aware. Echomtg lists ... maybe 12 cards at $10+, unfoiled. I was just adressing the specific probability of the big-money mythics.
>>46462663
so you just spent expensive removal to get rid of his cheap non legendary mythic
whatever way you look at it a 4/5 flyer with haste for 4 is amazing, it's up to you to find a way to workaround the drawback
>>46462812
How do you think people will try to counter it? Besides, you know, counter spells.
>>46462848
Keep in mind that prices will change once people start using the cards in standard tournaments. A card that's $20 right now could theoretically sky rocket if it makes a big splash on the pro tour. (And yes I know you shouldn't buy a box on the speculation that something will spike like that)
>>46462882
Beats the fuck out of me. Al I know is i'm running w/g and i'm running 4 of them.
>>46462878
Different anon here. It's a damn good card, since you can use it to block most creatures, and can dish out some good damage with it too. Its major downside is that if your opponent is running a lot of burn they can just nuke you down faster than you can swing them out. Obviously you'd need to sideboard it out in that instance.
>>46461783
This, I bought two boxes, I play sealed with a friend on Saturday nights after we get drunk and high as fuck. Boxes last fucking ages and now that I have a massive assortment of random cards from past sets we grab a handful and play pauper winchester drafts.
>>46462996
Yeah. I mean it's basically a 4/5 which isn't that bad really.
The problem is when you play against someone who can kill you with spells, then you're boned.
>>46463038
Exactly. A 4/5 for 4 with flying and haste is great, and you can always swap it out if your opponent has enough spells to murder you because of its effect.
>>46463134
At mythic level I would expect it to be something more like 5/5 flying vigilance death touch.
>>46463275
Mythic is a meme rarity with everything in an extreme, no in betweens.
>>46463304
Waiting for a 7 mana mythic enchantment that basically says "You assign the targets for all attacking and blocking creatures".
>>46461346
It's a horrible idea. A 4x set of all the uncommons and commons in the set is worth about 20 euros according to magiccardmarket. Find a seller who ships these to your location and buy that instead of a box, shouldn't cost you more than $50 and it's 800 cards.
Simply speaking, booster boxes are always a terrible idea if you aren't planning on drafting or playing sealed. Moreover, SOI has horrible EV, an average booster looks to be worth less than $2. It's never positive EV to open random boosters but there have certainly been many sets where it was much less of a horrible idea than with SOI.
Don't do it. Listen to the people who say buy singles. Buy singles.
>>46463275
Mythic does not mean "automatically more powerful than rare".
It's a mythic because the drawback on it is so unique, not because it's that much stronger than the rare angels in the set.
Its probably at its best as a sideboard option against control decks. The drawback is completely irrelevant and it's a fast clock by itself.
Hey. Quick question here from a lucky anon. How much would I reasonably expect to sell a Ancient Tomb (expedition) for online? Would that be enough for a booster box of SOI?
>>46463817
This guy has it right. Buy a box only if you don't care about value and just want to crack packs and see what you can make with what you've got. I just got back into the game after a few years because a bunch of my friends play kitchen table, so I've got no issue buying a box and making something jank because 1) cracking packs is exciting and fun and 2) it's no fun doing things in the efficient way to build comp decks if all of the people you play with run janky ass shit that will never beat it.
>>46463987
Agreed. If I honestly spent the money to buy all the commons and Uncommons of Oath of the gatewatch x4 I would swamp my friends 4-0 nearly every game with basic combos.
>>46463987
This is a good post. There's certainly value in cracking packs because for most people it's a ton of fun. It's also more fun to start building casual decks with a slightly random collection. Either of these can be a solid reason for buying a box even if it means you get less cards for the same money.
>>46464133
My friends suck at magic to be honest. They're both Timmy's and I'm the only one who makes combos that work consistently and create decks under 80 cards. My last deck was a 60 card B/W ally deck based upon leeching the life out of all opponents whenever basically I do anything. Getting a copy of brutal horde chief in the deck for some reason pushed them over the edge and they refuse to play against the deck because it was beating their ass so hard.
>>46464133
Exactly. Then they either get discouraged and don't want to play with you anymore because your decks are just not fun to play against OR you start an arms race and you and your friends are now dropping tons of cash to compete with each other. In which case you might as well just play Standard or Modern seriously.
>>46463923
Dunno. I think the price might go down now that eldrazi is out of modern because of the ban. Sell it quickly.
about 80 bucks, a little less depending on where and how you set up shipping. you can maybe get 85, but either way you come up a little short.
Imho, though, you shouldn't sell any expeditions right now. Collectors will continue to want them as the years go buy and BFZ leaves print. They are some of the few cards that are almost guaranteed to go up in price over time, as their value is guided by something other than competitive value. Keep it in your collection to show off 10 years from now.
>>46464305
was meant for
>>46463923
>>46464294
Ancient Tomb has nothing to do with Modern Eldrazi, it's not even legal in Modern.
>>46464234
Mine aren't too bad mechanically they just aren't great at deck building. They know how to make synergies and combos but they don't understand mana curves or build arounds, so their decks are usually pretty simple. They all mostly play RG because it's pretty simple to build and they can play it competently but when they switch colors their decks lose all focus and don't curve well at all. I've been trying to teach them how to build decks better with drafting but they're hesitant to go to drafts at my LGS.
>>46461346
If you want to calculate this, go to a place liek magiccardmarket.eu take the average of all rare prices in the set, multiply that by 31.5 then add 4.5 times the average mythic price in the set.
You'll probably end up with a value of around 40% of what you paid if it's a good set.
>>46464154
This. Especially with the cards in SOI, even if you get a junk rare, the commons and uncommons are pretty good.
Beingan autistic Vorthos player who only likes cards from the same block in a deck, I'm more than likely going to nab one for my birthday. Maybe a box of Eldritch Moon too, since it gets released on my birthday
>>46464305
Thanks. If my group falls apart in the coming weeks as everyone graduates and moves to online play I'll see if I should just keep it in storage and sell it for $350 in five years.
>>46464374
>the commons and uncommons are pretty good.
They still aren't even nearly worth what you pay for a booster box, see >>46463817
>>46464362
I'd say a good set gets about 60% return, there have even been some that were close to 70% close to their release. SOI is approaching DGM levels of bad value.
only relevant thread, should I hang onto my taimyos journal for dear life? my friend wants it for his clue deck and quite frankly I want his two lightning axes for my maddness deck so I can stop this weeks fbm... should I ask for more?
>>46461346
Basic pack value math that I've used is as follows: sum of the price of all rates / number of rares + 1/8 * total value of all mythics / number of mythics. It's a little higher than what you get due to foils, but those would take a lot more work to math out.
>>46464836
In terms of value, the Journal is so low it's about the same level as two Axes. Ask for some common or something for maximum jewery, otherwise it's a fine trade.
>>46464374
Mah fellow obsessive Vorthos, I just got back into magic after 6 years away. Hoping the next set takes a hard right into lovecraftian horror like it's implying.
I found SOI boxes for $89.99, no tax, free shipping on Massdrop, but the store I played all my prereleases has them for $95+tax.
I was going to spend $270 for 3 boxes, but I'd feel too bad about abandoning my LGS for a ~$35 savings.
>>46465525
>3 boxes
What the hell nigger. If you really want that many cards just buy one box and get singles for any rares and good Uncommons you missed.
>>46465574
But what's the fun in that?
Are fat packs okay?
>>46466023
Buying a box is fun, buying three is wasteful. Why not just see what you can make with one? I guarantee you can build the base of whatever you want with that. then you can just buy singles of whatever you need to finish.
If you MUST buy three, do yourself a favor and don't open all of them immediately. Having a box lying around for drafts is always a good plan, and if you still haven't opened one/still have packs in a few years, you can flip them for profit.
>>46466261
draft is the best way to collect cards if you aren't going pro. Do a bunch of drafts get 15 dollars worth of fun and a bunch of extra cards to trade for what you really want.
>>46466251
If the ev for a box this set is as low as they say it is, a fat pack would give you an even worse return. For that I'd buy some starter decks, that way you get some playable cards, some mana, and they come with boosters in them.
>>46461846
>Supposedly the odds for a mythic is about one in eight packs
It tends to average around that. if you want to be exact, 2 copies of each rare for every 1 copy of a mythic.
>>46461557
>who is Arlinn Kord
>>46461557
>implying abbey is gonna be above 7 in a few weeks
Its a nice card, sure. but its no plainswalker or Avacyn
>>46463275
Rarity level is supposed to be for drafting reasons. A 4/5 Flying Haste in draft is busted in draft board stalls and removal is not like in constructed..
>>46461346
Buy booster packs if you want to have booster packs to open. You could play sealed deck tournaments with your friends, or booster drafts if you have enough friends. Or, if you and a friend want to just open up a booster box and build decks and play with them in a slightly competitive manner. If you want to build a specific deck to bring to FNM, buy singles. Or better yet, just don't, because that's a rabbit hole that ends with you spending $500 on cardbord that becomes irrelevant in a year.
>>46469457
This. The only FNM I got to is my LGS's FNM drafts.
>>46461346
Only buy a box if...
A. You plan to draft the fuck out of the set.
B. You are a store who sells singles.
All other reasons are invalid.
