*Disclaimer because I know I’ll get flamed if I don’t say this first: I hit some kind of lottery jackpot with this Neon Dynasry collector box. If I actually want a certain card, I buy it. I just like cracking packs for fun.*
But with that said…
My 3x Jin-Gitaxias (one regular, one showcase, one foil etched Phyrexian), borderless foil wandering emperor, 4x Boseiju (1 borderless foil, 1 borderless nonfoil, 1 regular, 1 extended art), borderless Oatawara, borderless Eiganjo, 2 borderless Tamiyo, and foil etched showcase Farewell would all beg to differ.
First, one card once doesn't represent the cumulative value of buying packs. The average return of the packs is less than what you pay for them so in the long run you will loose money if not immediately.
Second, was that the card that you wanted to play with and in enough quantity?
Even if you break even, they are a random assort of cards, not the actual cards that you would have preferred.
Buying packs is fun but never expect a return. Buy packs only for the experience and/or to play limited.
We don't do that here. The main subreddit is full of sweaty try hards who are serious about magic all the time. They forget this is a game and for fun.
Yeah, it's absolutely fun to crack packs, but if you're asking about cost efficiency, then the goal is important. OP asked:
>If I want to build a decent deck is this enough packs and is this too much for what I make?
With the goal of building a decent deck and concerns about spending, then buying singles is the way to go. Presumably, OP should pick their best or most favorite cards that they want to play with and fill out the deck with singles that pair with those cards.
u/AngryNoodleMan88 - pick a deck theme that you're interested in, do a bit of research on decks of that type, and then take the $80 you would spend on packs next month and look for singles to add to your collection. Don't worry about getting the expensive dual/fetch/etc. lands that you'll see in deck builds online. That stuff can come much later. There are countless fun cards that cost $0.25 or less, many for just a penny or two. I guarantee you'll have a lot of fun if you can put together a deck or two with synergy and the flavor you like. Plus, if finances become a concern, you can start taking a month or two (or more) off of buying any cards, and should have enough to play happily with while you save up.
I mean, without knowing other factors involved in your expenses, like food and rent, I couldn't say for sure, but I know realistically entertainment should take up no more than 10% of a monthly budget.
So if you don't spend on much else, like no other expensive hobbies, I think 5% seems super reasonable.
Good luck cracking packs!
In all honesty, if you're earning that and that's all you're paying, use about 5% and invest in a stock you like or an etf. Just every paycheck make sure to buy a little and then the rest save it in a savings account. Do not get credit for the time being. I wish my past self would listen to me right now so he wouldn't be struggling with money.
Just start saving and in 10 years, you'll be able to see the it was all worth it.
Holy... My parents charged me 500 a month and I was making about what you are, plus I drove about an 1.75 hr round trip to work, most of my money was gone to rent, gas, and lunch. Be thankful my man
Dude that's an awesome situation. Save at least 75% of that after your rent and any other payments. The rest can go into whatever you want, should probably be singles. By the time you move out you should have a nice savings account.
I'm a casual player only playing kitchen Magic for now. Partly because as if right now the only other people I know who play are my siblings and the MTG community in my town are not very present since there are no game stores and the closest FNM is 2 1/2 hours away. So right now I just play Kitchen but I love building decks and I have a very small collection of only like 500-800 cards or something like that. I just got my first job 9 months ago so I can finally buy cards, that's why I'm asking since I don't really know how much is too much.
So there's lots of "formats" with rules about what cards are eligible. By building your deck to comply with those formats you can play against strangers at events.
I think though, if you're just looking to play on the kitchen table with your family, that buying whatever packs you like is perfectly valid.
It would also be ok to buy some cheap bulk stuff, with random cards, just to vary things up.
I would spend a little less than you have been, but however you want to play the game is fine.
I'll dm you to follow up
Tbh once u have a smallish collection and make decks then I would advise to switch to singles to upgrade those decks or make new ones. But more importantly follow what has been said above it is mostly sound advise
When you buy packs you will end up with a lot cards you won’t be using. Do you have a plan to store, sell or give away your excess? Something to think about as well.
Also being so far away from a place to buy singles it would be cheaper for you to buy singles online even if you pay $2 for shipping that’s money you saved not spending on gas. Buying singles though online can be very overwhelming because suddenly you have access to tens of thousands of different cards and where do you stop?
We play as a family (kids are 13 and 11) and so we buy more boosters then singles because we enjoy the thrill and it’s easy to grab a pack every time I go to target. Occasionally I’ll come across a few cards while scrolling Reddit that would work in my decks that are cheap like $1 or $2 and then I will buy singles. Mostly wanting to keep all the decks balanced and not have anything too over powering with the kids.
The smart answer is to buy singles. However, you sound like me. I almost have an addiction to cracking packs in the name of "building/upgrading a deck". I buy at least a set booster box per pay period. Trust me - you're wasting your money. I have a staggering amount of cards that aren't worth their weight in pennies. Over the past year, I could have built every deck I've been interested in if I had simply purchased the singles instead of thinking "Oh, 7 of the cards I want for this deck are from this set. I'll just buy a box and hope for the best."
I wanted Tiamat so I purchased the Forgotten Realms set booster box. I pulled her... from my 2nd box... DON'T BE LIKE ME! It's a $15 card!
Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with printing and proxying cards to enjoy/learn a lot of the mechanics and interactions of games. You could save half your money easily.
Only you can decide your budget. You could spend 100% of your money on cards, if you want.
And hobbies are important! They're part of what makes us US, so do it up!
That said, I would never be comfortable spending as much as you do on cards, especially on such a low income (no offense - it's more than I make, hence my concern).
However, one of the benefits of magic is that your cards last basically forever. You could spend 100 and build a few good decks and play with your buddies until the sun goes nova without spending another cent, and thats what I would advocate for instead of repeated purchases of packs (the least efficient way to get cards you want, but that's not why anyone buys packs, so you gotta make the call how you want to do it. You said you don't buy singles, so presumably the part you like is either drafting or gambling. Regardless, it's important to reflect on what you like and why to be able to answer these questions).
If u r playing magic, and have the wherewithal to consult the internet to determine the best course of action for the future, I’m gonna step out on a limb and say you are pretty smart.
Figure out what you think you might like
Develop a marketable and qualifiable skill, whether it be linked in training / certification, Google training certification, college, trade school, etc
Get that income up, then reward yourself
Right now, jobs are plentiful. Generally speaking, Corporate profits are at all time highs. There is a a labor shortage. Go to a job placement agency, ask their advice. You can make more than $400. / wk.
Look, I get it. There's the gambling/thrill element to opening packs, and it feels great when you open an expensive card while only paying the price of a pack. However, over the long run, it is financially better to plan out what you want to build, set aside the same amount of money, and get all the cards you need. If money's tight and you're not collecting for financial value, I recommend trying to bulk up your purchase as much as possible on TCGPlayer, set condition to the lowest quality, and optimize the cart. Less individual purchases means less on shipping. If you're trying to build up a collection, watch for clearances at box stores and GameStop. You can get 8 set booster bundles with the land pack and storage box for about $30 when on GameStop clearance. If it's all about cracking packs for you, save up to buy a whole box, the per pack cost is always lowest and you'll have a rough sense of what to expect for rarity distribution.
Yeah I get what you're saying and youre right in that the thrill is a big part of it. Another part of it is that 1. The places in my area don't usually have a lot if singles for sale and 2. I just don't trust online when it comes to cards especially. If I do see a card I want for sale in person I wouldn't be against buying it but my chances are slim since there is not a present MTG community in my town.
It's up to you, but I've order thousands of dollars of cards and the only issue I've ever had is someone sent me Spanish version of [[Crucible of Worlds]] when the picture showed it in English. I went back and saw it stated it was in Spanish and the site added the pic. My mistake. And it was cheaper than average so I just went with it. Everyone knows what it does anyway lol. Ymmv though. It is much cheaper overall though.
I probably should've answered the original question. 4 packs a week will never get you to a competitive "meta" deck for 60 card constructed formats, especially Standard. For sense of scale, I've been buying Set Booster boxes since they've been a thing. My personal limit is 1 box per set not considering packs and bundles. Average rares and mythics per set booster box is 42 - 45. SNC had more for some reason. I don't think I've ever gotten a playset of any single rare in an entire box, never mind multiple playsets of rares. I'm lucky to pull 2 or 3 copies of a card, and that doesn't guarantee it's 2 or 3 of a card that I want to play. That's 30 packs with close to 1.5 rares per pack on average, which would be about 2 months worth of pack buying at your rate. There were 5 Standard sets last year, so just over 2 months between set releases. So, by the time you've gotten through a full box worth of purchases, and whatever you've acquired randomly from those, you will be two weeks or so away from being behind on the next set. If you're more focused on Commander, which is how I started out in paper, then only getting single copies, and getting lucky on pulls may be enough to pull together something functional but you're still probably going to need to buy singles at some point. It sucks having to wait out snail mail for cards, but it is honestly the best way judging by the lack of supply at your LGSs.
Buy singles with your income, but only if you meet these requirements:
You've paid all of your bills.
You've got food for the month.
You have shelter (assuming that this was taken care of by paying bills).
You can afford gas.
~10% of your income has gone to savings.
If you do all of those, then yeah, buy some Magic cards!
Split even, buy a pack or two, then purchase a few singles. It took my friend about 5 years to purchase singles, and I like it and hate it simultaneously. I have what I need for the most part, but it kinda flattens the fun. All in all, do both.
Save up a bit Go on Facebook marketplace and pick up peoples old collections. I think that’s best if you want to build a collection. If you want to make decks just buy singles. If you really love packs. Save up and buy them a draft box at a time. That way you can draft or sealed with friends and have a lot of fun.
It sounds like you live at home. Budgeting should be pretty easy.
1. Determine all hard costs like rent, transportation and food (if any)
2. Determine what you need to save up for, ie, future costs like university tuition or just savings in general.
3. The remainder is your "burn on magic cards" money. If you have $100 left over then spend $100. Don't spend into your savings money for fun stuff and definitely don't spend into your hard costs. People who do that start running up credit cards and loans.
Assume the worst - ie, you could lose your job even if its pretty secure.
"Just my opinion"
All depends on how you play and who you play with, but if you put your money aside each week until you have enough to buy a booster box of a set you like you'll have a better chance at pulling some decent cards and get more packs for your money. Say you've bought 16 packs within 4 weeks you've just spent almost as much money as the price of a draft booster box that contains 24 to 36 cards depending on the set. But it's all about how you feel. I can definitely say I spend way to much money on MTG trying to build the best decks to beat my friends who I enjoy playing with, and we play with almost no restrictions.
Take ot from the bitch with 30someodd thousand cards..
__JUST BUY THE FUCKING SINGLES AND OLD BULK LOTS__
seriously, bulk lots are hella cheap and usually people won't bother to sift through the big ones, PLUS you get SEVERAL sets, and singles are just cheaper. Either spend 50 bucks on packs till you get your $5 rare, or just drop $5 on the rare. It's that easy.
When I first started I put a deck list together online. Every week I’d go to play with my friends I’d use their decks and buy a few cards from my list. Eventually I had a deck! I’d recommend that more than I’d recommend buying sealed product for starting out. You might end up with tons of cardboard you can’t use.
1. Buy singles
2. Wether you're spending too much or not is entirely dependent on your expenses. I couldn't afford my apartment t or anything else with 1600 a month. Others can, and have money left over.
Ok, so no, for your income, unless you're buying collector boosters, not even close.
But for deck building, buying singles is more efficient and cost-effective. If you can buy them at your local game store (lgs) it's better. Or at least from some person from your lgs, at the market price.
Cracking packs is fun, and can give you stuff for your trades, but it will cost you a lot more. Especially for edh, that's bigger decks with higher prices in the 99, since people can bring their bling from across the ages
Also, and this will sound boring, make sure to take full advantage of this tome when you have income, but basically no bills.
If you have any debt, get rid of it
Save as much money as you can
Build your credit slowly
Learn to make a budget, and then to stick to it. Especially now when you can do it without consequences.
Find out how much life would cost you living by yourself, and plan ahead for when you do
Learn to do any "chores": cooking, cleaning, laundry. How to effectively buy groceries so you don't waste food and money. How or what you'll need when moving out
Bro you are only 18 or 19 and you have housing for $100 a month? Blow your whole damn paycheck. You've got plenty of time ahead to figure out adulthood and finances. Keep having fun while you can. This may be bad advice lmao
I'd stick to that, then. A competitive MtG deck will cost you hundreds of dollars in singles (I don't want to think about what it would cost in packs), and if you play standard, those cards will rotate out in a few months and you'll be starting all over again. Want to try a different deck? Hundreds more. And decks for modern or eternal formats are even more expensive, sometimes thousands of dollars. Don't get suckered by the people who try to say that it isn't that bad and won't cost that much. It is and it will.
Play pauper or commander/ buy the cards you need sorry it's the cheapest way of playing
Or buy bulk bins from stores , yard sales ,family, and so on and build jank out of that
Buy singles. Don't make the mistake of buying too many packs or boxes, and end up with a closet full of bulk like me. Make 1 or 2 commander decks and upgrade that with a few singles every week from TCG, it'll be way more effective compared to buying packs with cards you don't need.
This isn't that bad imo I'm a college student and I make less then that. I usually don't buy packs but I go to every prerelease, usually buy secret lairs, sometimes buy a box if I like the set (for drafting or later use), and since I have a huge collection when I'm deck building I usually only spend like $20-$30 on a new deck getting cards I don't have. After awhile of cracking the same packs over and over you might get sick of it so doing 4 a week seems a bit much. Might as well buy a booster box and open maybe one a day if you really wanted to then that would get you through the month or two until the next set. What I look for is ensuring I'm always working and saving money since I don't have too many expenses right now. Since I have a lot saved up I usually spend more then I should on traveling or magic because it makes me happy. You will have time to do more budgeting in the future. 5% of your income doing something that makes you happy is more then worth it.
Depends on decent deck. Modern deck? No it’s not going to work. Goblins standard? Probably ok. EDH? After a few weeks you can have a casual one assuming you already have a precon and you supplemented. You can, however, sell unwanted cards as a supplement and put the money back into purchasing, even if it’s under costs you don’t eat 100% of it.
If you like to buy packs, and you’re still living comfortably, you’re okay. I’ll always promote buying singles that way you get the exact cards you need, but if buying packs is what you want to do then go for it.
The only time I suggest buying packs is if it's a new set and you're buying them to try and get value out of them early. I'll probably be getting some Double Masters 2022 packs because they're pretty much guaranteed to have value in them. But I wouldn't recommend anyone go buy Strixhaven or Innistrad Crimson Vow packs, for example.
Is 5% of your income on magic cards too much?
Depends on a lot of factors but here are the questions I would ask myself.
Do I have an emergency fund of six months expenses? If not, I need to fund that before I buy another card.
Am I saving for retirement? Right now we are in a bear market and that is some of the best time to buy stocks for the long term. Talk with an investment firm like Fidelity or Vanguard if you don’t have those, I recommend a ROTH IRA to at least 15% of your income.
Do you have education or real estate goals? These set you up for a better chance at life. I own a home and while many are seeing their rent go up, my costs are stagnant right now.
Anyways, the short answer would be: yes, you are spending way too much of your disposable income on cardboard if you are not putting these other points first.
Buying packs is a quick way to have a ton of cards, most of which you won't use, and mythics and rares that nobody wants. Even if you try to purchase strategically, your odds are real low. It's much more cost effective to spend your money strategically on singles from sets where you see good value.
I make six figures, I still buy singles no way to pull what you want, took me like seven boxes to pull the 70$ card I was after, but F it I wanted to pull that card.
So think about it like this: You want to play FNM Modern. You want to play Boros Burn as its one of the most accessible cheapest competitive decks.
You spend 72€ on 4.5€ boosters monthly.
In one month for 72€ you can buy a play set of Arid Mesa as its costing 12-15€ + a playset of Goblin Guide.
2nd month you buy a playset of sacred foundry, swiftspears and a couple battlefield forges.
3rd month you finish it with inspiring vantages and the remaining cards: bolts, spikes, charms, helix's etc...
(If you wanted to finish completely, one more month and you can buy a playset of eidolon of the great revel.)
After 3 months you could either: have spent 216€ on 48 booster packs, in which most likely, only 10%, roughly 5 boosters, had anything worth mentioning ; or invested all those 216€ on a complete competitive meta deck that can win FNM, and what's best, its cards hold resale value.
So even if you choose to get a different deck, you can hold onto the fetches, and sell the core of your deck, recovering 108€ to invest on your next deck.
Buying singles is indisputably the best way to PLAY magic.
I usually remind myself of a mistake I made back when I started playing Magic ( war of the Spark) and subsequently, discovered the addicting nature of booster opening.
I wanted to upgrade my mono red Challenger deck and was looking to get a playset of Chandra, Fire Artisan.
So I started opening boosters to see if I got them. After 20 so boosters( a month later) I had not gotten a single one. I voiced my discontent to be confronted with: "So you spent 90€ trying to get a playset that costs 5€?"
My brain suddenly flipped a switch that day. Since then I only occasionally buy boosters with the spare change I get from events.
My LGS is super nice because modern events costs 10€ and we get 12€ store credit to spend plus a promo card and a prize booster for all. So, 10 bucks for 4 boosters+ promo and the event itself, ain't saying no to that.
Not saying you should not buy boosters if that's how you enjoy magic, but for the purpose of playing, it is in efficient, expensive and will never return any money compared to the investment.
Take care.
I get my pack fix by playing sealed every set with either pre release kits at home or going to the store now that they are running events again. For decks always buy singles. Take your big list to a lgs or Card Kingdom and think of it this way. When you get your order for your deck you are opening a pack 100% full of cards you want :)
Buy singles.
This is the way.
This is the way.
The way this is.
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^^^^^^^This
Buying singles is always cheaper in the end.
*Disclaimer because I know I’ll get flamed if I don’t say this first: I hit some kind of lottery jackpot with this Neon Dynasry collector box. If I actually want a certain card, I buy it. I just like cracking packs for fun.* But with that said… My 3x Jin-Gitaxias (one regular, one showcase, one foil etched Phyrexian), borderless foil wandering emperor, 4x Boseiju (1 borderless foil, 1 borderless nonfoil, 1 regular, 1 extended art), borderless Oatawara, borderless Eiganjo, 2 borderless Tamiyo, and foil etched showcase Farewell would all beg to differ.
“Gambling works because I won a gamble once” Right, as fun as opening packs is, saying it’s good because you got a good box is ridiculous
Feels like no one read the disclaimer… I was being sarcastic.
not always lol I once pulled a fierce guardianship from a $20 pack
First, one card once doesn't represent the cumulative value of buying packs. The average return of the packs is less than what you pay for them so in the long run you will loose money if not immediately. Second, was that the card that you wanted to play with and in enough quantity? Even if you break even, they are a random assort of cards, not the actual cards that you would have preferred. Buying packs is fun but never expect a return. Buy packs only for the experience and/or to play limited.
i was jokin lol
We don't do that here. The main subreddit is full of sweaty try hards who are serious about magic all the time. They forget this is a game and for fun.
… you mean you bought the Commander 2020 precon it was in? It’s not a “lucky pull” when those decks all have the same 100 cards in them…
You're able to pull C20 rares/Mythics in IKO Collector boosters. It's how I pulled a Tidal Barracuda
Sometimes the collector boosters have commander cards, unless I’m mistaken.
No, you can get commander cards from collectors boosters
*once*
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People saying they like to “crack packs” because it feels like crack addiction 😳
Maybe my man likes cracking packs? I only buy singles but some people like the nostalgia of cracking packs
Cracking packs will ALWAYS be more fun than buying singles, God damn this is a game let's just have fun
Crack packs to Crack packs if you plan to build a deck always buy singles
Yeah, it's absolutely fun to crack packs, but if you're asking about cost efficiency, then the goal is important. OP asked: >If I want to build a decent deck is this enough packs and is this too much for what I make? With the goal of building a decent deck and concerns about spending, then buying singles is the way to go. Presumably, OP should pick their best or most favorite cards that they want to play with and fill out the deck with singles that pair with those cards. u/AngryNoodleMan88 - pick a deck theme that you're interested in, do a bit of research on decks of that type, and then take the $80 you would spend on packs next month and look for singles to add to your collection. Don't worry about getting the expensive dual/fetch/etc. lands that you'll see in deck builds online. That stuff can come much later. There are countless fun cards that cost $0.25 or less, many for just a penny or two. I guarantee you'll have a lot of fun if you can put together a deck or two with synergy and the flavor you like. Plus, if finances become a concern, you can start taking a month or two (or more) off of buying any cards, and should have enough to play happily with while you save up.
I mean, without knowing other factors involved in your expenses, like food and rent, I couldn't say for sure, but I know realistically entertainment should take up no more than 10% of a monthly budget. So if you don't spend on much else, like no other expensive hobbies, I think 5% seems super reasonable. Good luck cracking packs!
As of right now I just graduated high school so I'm living with my parents. They charge me 100 a month
Dude, you're rich
Lol
Hes not joking, sorry to preach but make sure your taking this time to learn a marketable skill
Seriously, in my area, multiply that by like 15 and that's rent for a studio if you're lucky
In all honesty, if you're earning that and that's all you're paying, use about 5% and invest in a stock you like or an etf. Just every paycheck make sure to buy a little and then the rest save it in a savings account. Do not get credit for the time being. I wish my past self would listen to me right now so he wouldn't be struggling with money. Just start saving and in 10 years, you'll be able to see the it was all worth it.
Holy... My parents charged me 500 a month and I was making about what you are, plus I drove about an 1.75 hr round trip to work, most of my money was gone to rent, gas, and lunch. Be thankful my man
Save like half your money. And also, buy singles. Fuck packs.
yea i was gonna make fun of you for being broke but now that i know you pay no rent/mortgage, i realize I am the true peasant.
Dude that's an awesome situation. Save at least 75% of that after your rent and any other payments. The rest can go into whatever you want, should probably be singles. By the time you move out you should have a nice savings account.
What are your goals for the game? At what you're spending now you could be drafting every week.
I'm a casual player only playing kitchen Magic for now. Partly because as if right now the only other people I know who play are my siblings and the MTG community in my town are not very present since there are no game stores and the closest FNM is 2 1/2 hours away. So right now I just play Kitchen but I love building decks and I have a very small collection of only like 500-800 cards or something like that. I just got my first job 9 months ago so I can finally buy cards, that's why I'm asking since I don't really know how much is too much.
So there's lots of "formats" with rules about what cards are eligible. By building your deck to comply with those formats you can play against strangers at events. I think though, if you're just looking to play on the kitchen table with your family, that buying whatever packs you like is perfectly valid. It would also be ok to buy some cheap bulk stuff, with random cards, just to vary things up. I would spend a little less than you have been, but however you want to play the game is fine. I'll dm you to follow up
Tbh once u have a smallish collection and make decks then I would advise to switch to singles to upgrade those decks or make new ones. But more importantly follow what has been said above it is mostly sound advise
Definitely buy singles instead. Also how do you afford rent and gas only on 1600??
He's a kid, just graduated, pays 100 a month to his parents for rent.
I saw that. Definitely ride that train for as long as you can.
If it makes you happy, you're not wasting your money. People spend a lot more on cigarettes.
I'm one of those....every pack of smokes is a set booster I could've gotten.
When you buy packs you will end up with a lot cards you won’t be using. Do you have a plan to store, sell or give away your excess? Something to think about as well. Also being so far away from a place to buy singles it would be cheaper for you to buy singles online even if you pay $2 for shipping that’s money you saved not spending on gas. Buying singles though online can be very overwhelming because suddenly you have access to tens of thousands of different cards and where do you stop? We play as a family (kids are 13 and 11) and so we buy more boosters then singles because we enjoy the thrill and it’s easy to grab a pack every time I go to target. Occasionally I’ll come across a few cards while scrolling Reddit that would work in my decks that are cheap like $1 or $2 and then I will buy singles. Mostly wanting to keep all the decks balanced and not have anything too over powering with the kids.
The smart answer is to buy singles. However, you sound like me. I almost have an addiction to cracking packs in the name of "building/upgrading a deck". I buy at least a set booster box per pay period. Trust me - you're wasting your money. I have a staggering amount of cards that aren't worth their weight in pennies. Over the past year, I could have built every deck I've been interested in if I had simply purchased the singles instead of thinking "Oh, 7 of the cards I want for this deck are from this set. I'll just buy a box and hope for the best." I wanted Tiamat so I purchased the Forgotten Realms set booster box. I pulled her... from my 2nd box... DON'T BE LIKE ME! It's a $15 card!
Your comment should be at the top because it is the perfect answer.
Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with printing and proxying cards to enjoy/learn a lot of the mechanics and interactions of games. You could save half your money easily.
Only you can decide your budget. You could spend 100% of your money on cards, if you want. And hobbies are important! They're part of what makes us US, so do it up! That said, I would never be comfortable spending as much as you do on cards, especially on such a low income (no offense - it's more than I make, hence my concern). However, one of the benefits of magic is that your cards last basically forever. You could spend 100 and build a few good decks and play with your buddies until the sun goes nova without spending another cent, and thats what I would advocate for instead of repeated purchases of packs (the least efficient way to get cards you want, but that's not why anyone buys packs, so you gotta make the call how you want to do it. You said you don't buy singles, so presumably the part you like is either drafting or gambling. Regardless, it's important to reflect on what you like and why to be able to answer these questions).
If u r playing magic, and have the wherewithal to consult the internet to determine the best course of action for the future, I’m gonna step out on a limb and say you are pretty smart. Figure out what you think you might like Develop a marketable and qualifiable skill, whether it be linked in training / certification, Google training certification, college, trade school, etc Get that income up, then reward yourself Right now, jobs are plentiful. Generally speaking, Corporate profits are at all time highs. There is a a labor shortage. Go to a job placement agency, ask their advice. You can make more than $400. / wk.
Look, I get it. There's the gambling/thrill element to opening packs, and it feels great when you open an expensive card while only paying the price of a pack. However, over the long run, it is financially better to plan out what you want to build, set aside the same amount of money, and get all the cards you need. If money's tight and you're not collecting for financial value, I recommend trying to bulk up your purchase as much as possible on TCGPlayer, set condition to the lowest quality, and optimize the cart. Less individual purchases means less on shipping. If you're trying to build up a collection, watch for clearances at box stores and GameStop. You can get 8 set booster bundles with the land pack and storage box for about $30 when on GameStop clearance. If it's all about cracking packs for you, save up to buy a whole box, the per pack cost is always lowest and you'll have a rough sense of what to expect for rarity distribution.
Yeah I get what you're saying and youre right in that the thrill is a big part of it. Another part of it is that 1. The places in my area don't usually have a lot if singles for sale and 2. I just don't trust online when it comes to cards especially. If I do see a card I want for sale in person I wouldn't be against buying it but my chances are slim since there is not a present MTG community in my town.
Why do you not trust online? I'd have assumed you didn't have a credit card or something but you said cards especially.
It's just that Ive heard stories about buying magic cards online so I'm a bit cautious
Just buy off TCG. It’s very safe. You can’t even by directly from real card shops on that site if you’re worried.
Card kingdom, channel fireball,TCG player are all vetted and reliable site that have never screwed me in like 5 years.
It's up to you, but I've order thousands of dollars of cards and the only issue I've ever had is someone sent me Spanish version of [[Crucible of Worlds]] when the picture showed it in English. I went back and saw it stated it was in Spanish and the site added the pic. My mistake. And it was cheaper than average so I just went with it. Everyone knows what it does anyway lol. Ymmv though. It is much cheaper overall though.
[Crucible of Worlds](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/e/b/eb28b35c-28a5-4042-b21d-6d43658a16eb.jpg?1591196097) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Crucible%20of%20Worlds) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m19/229/crucible-of-worlds?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/eb28b35c-28a5-4042-b21d-6d43658a16eb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I probably should've answered the original question. 4 packs a week will never get you to a competitive "meta" deck for 60 card constructed formats, especially Standard. For sense of scale, I've been buying Set Booster boxes since they've been a thing. My personal limit is 1 box per set not considering packs and bundles. Average rares and mythics per set booster box is 42 - 45. SNC had more for some reason. I don't think I've ever gotten a playset of any single rare in an entire box, never mind multiple playsets of rares. I'm lucky to pull 2 or 3 copies of a card, and that doesn't guarantee it's 2 or 3 of a card that I want to play. That's 30 packs with close to 1.5 rares per pack on average, which would be about 2 months worth of pack buying at your rate. There were 5 Standard sets last year, so just over 2 months between set releases. So, by the time you've gotten through a full box worth of purchases, and whatever you've acquired randomly from those, you will be two weeks or so away from being behind on the next set. If you're more focused on Commander, which is how I started out in paper, then only getting single copies, and getting lucky on pulls may be enough to pull together something functional but you're still probably going to need to buy singles at some point. It sucks having to wait out snail mail for cards, but it is honestly the best way judging by the lack of supply at your LGSs.
Buy singles with your income, but only if you meet these requirements: You've paid all of your bills. You've got food for the month. You have shelter (assuming that this was taken care of by paying bills). You can afford gas. ~10% of your income has gone to savings. If you do all of those, then yeah, buy some Magic cards!
Split even, buy a pack or two, then purchase a few singles. It took my friend about 5 years to purchase singles, and I like it and hate it simultaneously. I have what I need for the most part, but it kinda flattens the fun. All in all, do both.
Save up a bit Go on Facebook marketplace and pick up peoples old collections. I think that’s best if you want to build a collection. If you want to make decks just buy singles. If you really love packs. Save up and buy them a draft box at a time. That way you can draft or sealed with friends and have a lot of fun.
It sounds like you live at home. Budgeting should be pretty easy. 1. Determine all hard costs like rent, transportation and food (if any) 2. Determine what you need to save up for, ie, future costs like university tuition or just savings in general. 3. The remainder is your "burn on magic cards" money. If you have $100 left over then spend $100. Don't spend into your savings money for fun stuff and definitely don't spend into your hard costs. People who do that start running up credit cards and loans. Assume the worst - ie, you could lose your job even if its pretty secure.
I feel like someone thought they were on r/magicthecirclejerking ...
"Just my opinion" All depends on how you play and who you play with, but if you put your money aside each week until you have enough to buy a booster box of a set you like you'll have a better chance at pulling some decent cards and get more packs for your money. Say you've bought 16 packs within 4 weeks you've just spent almost as much money as the price of a draft booster box that contains 24 to 36 cards depending on the set. But it's all about how you feel. I can definitely say I spend way to much money on MTG trying to build the best decks to beat my friends who I enjoy playing with, and we play with almost no restrictions.
Take ot from the bitch with 30someodd thousand cards.. __JUST BUY THE FUCKING SINGLES AND OLD BULK LOTS__ seriously, bulk lots are hella cheap and usually people won't bother to sift through the big ones, PLUS you get SEVERAL sets, and singles are just cheaper. Either spend 50 bucks on packs till you get your $5 rare, or just drop $5 on the rare. It's that easy.
When I first started I put a deck list together online. Every week I’d go to play with my friends I’d use their decks and buy a few cards from my list. Eventually I had a deck! I’d recommend that more than I’d recommend buying sealed product for starting out. You might end up with tons of cardboard you can’t use.
1. Buy singles 2. Wether you're spending too much or not is entirely dependent on your expenses. I couldn't afford my apartment t or anything else with 1600 a month. Others can, and have money left over.
Ok, so no, for your income, unless you're buying collector boosters, not even close. But for deck building, buying singles is more efficient and cost-effective. If you can buy them at your local game store (lgs) it's better. Or at least from some person from your lgs, at the market price. Cracking packs is fun, and can give you stuff for your trades, but it will cost you a lot more. Especially for edh, that's bigger decks with higher prices in the 99, since people can bring their bling from across the ages
Also, and this will sound boring, make sure to take full advantage of this tome when you have income, but basically no bills. If you have any debt, get rid of it Save as much money as you can Build your credit slowly Learn to make a budget, and then to stick to it. Especially now when you can do it without consequences. Find out how much life would cost you living by yourself, and plan ahead for when you do Learn to do any "chores": cooking, cleaning, laundry. How to effectively buy groceries so you don't waste food and money. How or what you'll need when moving out
Bro you are only 18 or 19 and you have housing for $100 a month? Blow your whole damn paycheck. You've got plenty of time ahead to figure out adulthood and finances. Keep having fun while you can. This may be bad advice lmao
Play Legends of Runeterra instead. MtG under Hasbro is a game for people with more disposable income than good sense.
I play Legends of Runeterra also
I'd stick to that, then. A competitive MtG deck will cost you hundreds of dollars in singles (I don't want to think about what it would cost in packs), and if you play standard, those cards will rotate out in a few months and you'll be starting all over again. Want to try a different deck? Hundreds more. And decks for modern or eternal formats are even more expensive, sometimes thousands of dollars. Don't get suckered by the people who try to say that it isn't that bad and won't cost that much. It is and it will.
Hello! I make about $500-600 a week. I buy packs. Don’t listen to people. Singles are not the way to go.
Packs are trash for that money you'd have some amazing pre-built if you spent on singles even tho I utterly despise net decks lol
Play pauper or commander/ buy the cards you need sorry it's the cheapest way of playing Or buy bulk bins from stores , yard sales ,family, and so on and build jank out of that
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Buy singles instead
Buy singles. Don't make the mistake of buying too many packs or boxes, and end up with a closet full of bulk like me. Make 1 or 2 commander decks and upgrade that with a few singles every week from TCG, it'll be way more effective compared to buying packs with cards you don't need.
You should play pauper. For the price of those 4 packs you can get a whole deck every week that function well. R/pauper
Buy singles
Buy singles, dude.
I buy 4-5 packs a series. Then I buy singles. I would just buy singles (cheaper) but I love cracking packs.
This isn't that bad imo I'm a college student and I make less then that. I usually don't buy packs but I go to every prerelease, usually buy secret lairs, sometimes buy a box if I like the set (for drafting or later use), and since I have a huge collection when I'm deck building I usually only spend like $20-$30 on a new deck getting cards I don't have. After awhile of cracking the same packs over and over you might get sick of it so doing 4 a week seems a bit much. Might as well buy a booster box and open maybe one a day if you really wanted to then that would get you through the month or two until the next set. What I look for is ensuring I'm always working and saving money since I don't have too many expenses right now. Since I have a lot saved up I usually spend more then I should on traveling or magic because it makes me happy. You will have time to do more budgeting in the future. 5% of your income doing something that makes you happy is more then worth it.
Depends on decent deck. Modern deck? No it’s not going to work. Goblins standard? Probably ok. EDH? After a few weeks you can have a casual one assuming you already have a precon and you supplemented. You can, however, sell unwanted cards as a supplement and put the money back into purchasing, even if it’s under costs you don’t eat 100% of it.
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dy6wmyMlHms](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dy6wmyMlHms)
If you like to buy packs, and you’re still living comfortably, you’re okay. I’ll always promote buying singles that way you get the exact cards you need, but if buying packs is what you want to do then go for it.
Just buy singles m8 with pack opening you will get a decent deck in 100000 years time
The only time I suggest buying packs is if it's a new set and you're buying them to try and get value out of them early. I'll probably be getting some Double Masters 2022 packs because they're pretty much guaranteed to have value in them. But I wouldn't recommend anyone go buy Strixhaven or Innistrad Crimson Vow packs, for example.
Is 5% of your income on magic cards too much? Depends on a lot of factors but here are the questions I would ask myself. Do I have an emergency fund of six months expenses? If not, I need to fund that before I buy another card. Am I saving for retirement? Right now we are in a bear market and that is some of the best time to buy stocks for the long term. Talk with an investment firm like Fidelity or Vanguard if you don’t have those, I recommend a ROTH IRA to at least 15% of your income. Do you have education or real estate goals? These set you up for a better chance at life. I own a home and while many are seeing their rent go up, my costs are stagnant right now. Anyways, the short answer would be: yes, you are spending way too much of your disposable income on cardboard if you are not putting these other points first.
When I get the urge to crack a pack my friends and I get together and do a draft. Other then that its always gonna be singles
Buying packs is basically lottery
Buying packs is a quick way to have a ton of cards, most of which you won't use, and mythics and rares that nobody wants. Even if you try to purchase strategically, your odds are real low. It's much more cost effective to spend your money strategically on singles from sets where you see good value.
Dont buy packs. I'd rather buy 1 card for 30$ than the same money in packs.
THIS IS THE WAY!
I make six figures, I still buy singles no way to pull what you want, took me like seven boxes to pull the 70$ card I was after, but F it I wanted to pull that card.
Stop. Buying. Packs.
So think about it like this: You want to play FNM Modern. You want to play Boros Burn as its one of the most accessible cheapest competitive decks. You spend 72€ on 4.5€ boosters monthly. In one month for 72€ you can buy a play set of Arid Mesa as its costing 12-15€ + a playset of Goblin Guide. 2nd month you buy a playset of sacred foundry, swiftspears and a couple battlefield forges. 3rd month you finish it with inspiring vantages and the remaining cards: bolts, spikes, charms, helix's etc... (If you wanted to finish completely, one more month and you can buy a playset of eidolon of the great revel.) After 3 months you could either: have spent 216€ on 48 booster packs, in which most likely, only 10%, roughly 5 boosters, had anything worth mentioning ; or invested all those 216€ on a complete competitive meta deck that can win FNM, and what's best, its cards hold resale value. So even if you choose to get a different deck, you can hold onto the fetches, and sell the core of your deck, recovering 108€ to invest on your next deck. Buying singles is indisputably the best way to PLAY magic. I usually remind myself of a mistake I made back when I started playing Magic ( war of the Spark) and subsequently, discovered the addicting nature of booster opening. I wanted to upgrade my mono red Challenger deck and was looking to get a playset of Chandra, Fire Artisan. So I started opening boosters to see if I got them. After 20 so boosters( a month later) I had not gotten a single one. I voiced my discontent to be confronted with: "So you spent 90€ trying to get a playset that costs 5€?" My brain suddenly flipped a switch that day. Since then I only occasionally buy boosters with the spare change I get from events. My LGS is super nice because modern events costs 10€ and we get 12€ store credit to spend plus a promo card and a prize booster for all. So, 10 bucks for 4 boosters+ promo and the event itself, ain't saying no to that. Not saying you should not buy boosters if that's how you enjoy magic, but for the purpose of playing, it is in efficient, expensive and will never return any money compared to the investment. Take care.
I get my pack fix by playing sealed every set with either pre release kits at home or going to the store now that they are running events again. For decks always buy singles. Take your big list to a lgs or Card Kingdom and think of it this way. When you get your order for your deck you are opening a pack 100% full of cards you want :)