The Magic Librarities

Shall I buy one Japanese Onslaugt tournament box display for $150, open it and hope for at least one neat foil to make money with the display?

The magic 8 ball said "not so good" ......

NeRo wrote:buy 1 Japanese Onslaugt tournament box display for $150, open it and hope for at least one neat foil to make money with the display?

No.

I bought a Japanese Odyssey booster box for $85, hoping to crack even a non-foil Entomb. Instead I got bupkiss. I did get 1 Standstill however, and 1 Cephalid Coliseum, so I suppose that should put a meager dent in my cost. I also cracked a Japanese Onslaught starter box for $105, got garbage foils, and 1 flooded strand, 1 enchantress' presence. I doubt I will even make my $105 back.

So basically, cracking it at $150 would def be a "gamble" in my books. Then again, I've been known to buy the odd lotto ticket from time to time. :)

I cracked at least 10 boxes of japanese onslaught box and 5 tournament box back when mirrodin came out. I bought the boxes at the same price as english as japanese cards weren't that expensive back then. It was worth it back then cause of fetches, exalted angel, piledrivers were at their peak price. On average I'd say I lost about $15 per box, but I did finish my japanese onslaught set so I was happy with that. The only time a box is worth opening is if there's a foil fetch, and I opened only once.

Question on display boxes.

I have seen vidios and heard stories of how to find the hot cards in a case of display boxes--in fact I think one of the vidios was on this board someplace. Had something to do with lot numbers and such.

Were those true or just a scam? If they were, is the situation still the same or have hot cards been randomized in some way?

Gary

never open displays if you want a cool card, actually never open diplays at all!
thats me but I only pull shit thus since years I did not open a pack!

I opened 6 booster boxes of Coldsnap to complete my personal sets, and pulled 2 foil Dark Depths. I pulled these before zendikar, of course. I sold one of them last year for more than the price I paid for a box. :)

I also pulled an Unlimited Mox Ruby at the Zendikar Pre-Release. TO wouldn't let me use it in the tournament :(

If you take trying to make a profit out of the equation, opening sealed product is great for getting minty cards for your decks or collection. I know some people that prefer only to "play" with pack fresh cards.

mystical_tutor wrote:Question on display boxes.

I have seen vidios and heard stories of how to find the hot cards in a case of display boxes--in fact I think one of the vidios was on this board someplace. Had something to do with lot numbers and such.

Were those true or just a scam? If they were, is the situation still the same or have hot cards been randomized in some way?

Gary

Not sure if they changed it now but boxes did have patterns on how the printrun is distributed. Videos that shows "whats in the box" just opens shit loads of boxes to find the pattern. I think the only problem is you can't tell what's the foils. Finding the rare pattern is called "Box mapping".

Another case is Onslaught booster box. Onslaught had this weird pattern where you can tell what rare there is 3 packs below the pack you open (open the 1st pack on the left row, you can tell what rare is on the 4th pack of left row). So if you open the top 3 packs from each row, you can tell what's in the box. Again, this pattern screws up if you open the foil rare. There should be the rare pattern somewhere on mtgsalvation. All I remember is if you open Krosan Colossus, you have exalted angel 3 packs below.

Why open boxes when you can open your PM box and PM BERKUMPS or the other 9000 of you who I pester everyday! =D>

berkumps wrote:I know some people that prefer only to "play" with pack fresh cards.

Don't hate me.

Clay I got a beat up Unlimited Badlands from a Zen booster box it was quite the surprise. Too bad the judge wouldn't let you use the Ruby haha!

Ertai's Familiar wrote: Clay I got a beat up Unlimited Badlands from a Zen booster box it was quite the surprise. Too bad the judge wouldn't let you use the Ruby haha!

The Ruby was a bit played (like Excellent-good condition). I found it in the pack like a minute after someone behind me hollered "foil fetchland!" haha I stole his thunder. the rest of the events I participated in at that game store I was kind of like a legend. "Oh yeah, aren't you the guy that pulled the Mox Ruby?" it was weird and cool at the same time.

At my store all the Zendikar is still first wave. I have players who take it as prize packs over anything else just to keep trying to win the lotto..;-)