ELD: Collector Boosters

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

WOTC just announced at their SDCC panel that they'll be selling something called "Collector Boosters". It looks like this is the new way to get Masterpieces? I saw one blurry slide, so it's a bit unclear.

user_938036
Posts: 338
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 21
Pronoun: he / him

Post by user_938036 » 4 years ago

Straight from their Article

the Collector Booster is aimed at the player who values collecting the cards. Our expectation is that these Collector Boosters will range between $20 to $25 per booster, but that will depend on your region and where you shop. It's designed to be the best value if you're prioritizing collecting hard-to-find cards. You'll have more access to foil cards as well as to the various treatments I talked about above. In addition, it will also be the only booster where you can get extended-art cards. I'll go into much more detail in the third section about what you can expect in the Collector Booster.

Like the Theme Booster, the Collector Booster came about because we realized that the Draft Booster was serving a certain segment poorly. For this audience, the joy of opening a booster is the thrill of seeing cards they haven't seen before, of getting to open something beautiful and exciting. Because the Draft Boosters optimize the Draft experience, there's a lot of repetition with a huge number of commons in every booster. What if we made a booster that maximized opening new and different things each time? It would also be a place where you had the best chance of opening foils and all the new variants, including one type (the extended-art frame) that could only be found in this product. That's what the Collector Booster was designed to do—make the act of opening a booster pack as exciting as possible.

The Collector Booster is currently only being printed in English and Japanese. Unlike Draft Boosters and Theme Boosters, which can be reprinted, the Collector Boosters will be a limited print run. To celebrate the introduction of Collector Boosters, the Throne of Eldraine Buy-a-Box promotion will include a Collector Booster in addition to the normal mechanically unique promo card (supplies are limited; check with your local store for details).

Collector Booster

Number of Cards: 15 cards and 1 foil token card
Number of Versions: 1
Contents:

1 rare/mythic rare with extended art
1 foil rare/mythic rare
9 foil commons/uncommons
3 special-frame cards (showcase or borderless planeswalkers)
1 ancillary card
1 foil token
This booster is a little more complex, so I'm going to walk through each slot:

1 Rare/Mythic Rare with Extended Art
This slot is a rare or mythic rare with extended art. Every rare or mythic rare from the set that doesn't already have a variant frame (meaning that it doesn't exist as a borderless planeswalker card or showcase card) will be available as extended-art cards. The extended-art cards are all rares and mythic rares and are only found in the Collector Booster.

1 Foil Rare/Mythic Rare
This slot is a foil of any rare or mythic rare from the set, including variant versions such as borderless planeswalker, extended-art, or showcase cards.

9 Foil Commons/Uncommons
These slots are for foils of any common or uncommon from the set, including variant versions such as showcase cards. (Commons and uncommons don't have borderless planeswalker or extended-art cards.)

3 Special-Frame Cards (Borderless Planeswalkers or Showcase Cards)
These three slots will be non-foil variant cards, but not extended art. They'll be borderless planeswalker or showcase cards. These cards will all be non-foil. For Throne of Eldraine specifically, the non-foil common showcase cards will only be found in the Collector Boosters in one of these slots.

1 Ancillary Card (Non-foil)
This slot is for new cards that are connected to the set but don't appear in Draft Boosters. The card pool for this slot can vary from set to set. For Throne of Eldraine, this will be the Buy-a-Box card, the new cards from the Planeswalker Decks, and the new cards from the Brawl Decks (more on this in a moment). This slot is going to be the catch-all for mechanically unique cards associated with the set, allowing collectors to get them here without having to purchase other products or participate in other promotions. These cards will be in non-foil.

1 Foil Token
This slot is a foil version of a token card found in the Draft Booster. The Collector Booster is the only place these token cards will appear in foil in boosters. Note that this slot is only tokens and not any other type of card, such as emblems, that also shows up in the token slot in Draft Boosters.

Those aren't all the products that are going to be associated with Throne of Eldraine, though. Let me walk you through some more.

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

Pack foils just got a lot less special now that there are extended art versions of mythics and rares, and foil extended art versions that seem like the new top-tier of pimp.

User avatar
motleyslayer
Posts: 1127
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Contact:

Post by motleyslayer » 4 years ago

I really like this type of pack as a way to appeal to people who like foils/different frames for cards. It's a way to make money off of people who would be willing to spend more to have cooler versions of cards

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

Depending on what the price point ends up being, I'll probably buy one or two and see what the experience is like. It'll certainly be nice to be guaranteed to open something cool in a pack, but $20-$25 for something random is still a bit scary. "Oh, I got this set's equivalent of the Stirring Wildwood Topper. Yay."

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

FYI, the Deluxe Collection is up: https://magicstore.wizards.com/us#/cart

$450 is a lot of money. Not sure that it's worth it. I'm very interested to see what the borderless cards do in the future. They're WAY overpriced right now.

Cow31337Killer
Posts: 139
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: Unlisted

Post by Cow31337Killer » 4 years ago

I think I'd rather buy $450 worth of socks than pay for such a blatant rip off

User avatar
The N82O Molecule
Posts: 358
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: New Phyrexia

Post by The N82O Molecule » 4 years ago

I tried, but I was a couple hours late I guess

im not sad about it as honestly I couldn't afford it, but I figured get it, set it aside for a few years. . .you never know

I figured the garruk card alone would fetch a decent price. it also had a 9 card uncut sheet, which sound great but probably sucks. it has 16 packs, which by 30$, your actually saving money.

I do really wonder about this. . .I know it sold out. its like a kyle jenner make up kit. haha

User avatar
drmarkb
Posts: 634
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted

Post by drmarkb » 4 years ago

Is it really sold out? Is it just a ploy- artificial scarcity to make people think it is not "standard hot garbage (TM)". We don't know the print runs, either- so caveat emptor all round.
I must admit, some people seem to think that it is worth buying to sit on, like the original Masters- but I rather think that it will lack both liquidity and demand and I would not touch it with yours as the phrase goes, (and there is nothing wrong with mine.).
I prefer certainty- and this product has too many question marks....

User avatar
The Fluff
Le fou, c'est moi
Posts: 2398
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Gradius Home World
Contact:

Post by The Fluff » 4 years ago

this feels like a cash grab. Is it really guaranteed a person is guaranteed plenty of good cards for the 450 dollar price tag? Or is there a chance of getting plenty trash cards?
Image
AnimEVO 2020 - EFZ Tournament (english commentary) // Clearing 4 domain with Qiqi
want to play a uw control deck in modern, but don't have Jace or snapcaster? please come visit us at the Emeria thread

User avatar
The N82O Molecule
Posts: 358
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: New Phyrexia

Post by The N82O Molecule » 4 years ago

this leads to interesting territory, I bet they are watching the numbers like we are. and by watching I mean scrooge mcduck'n it in gold coins

at worst its 16 packs of 15 cards for 450. fancy cards at that. your basically only dealing with rares and mythic rares, your getting the top corn of the set, if any mythic rare or rare goes exponential your in a significantly better spot right? your rare is better that than the pack rare right?

wizards gambled that there will be chase rares and there is a high chance there will be. its not a gamble that there are players with money and there are people that see value (eBay) but how many cards will carry value and what % will that be. what did wizards do that props this up?

put my conspiracy hat on, this Garruk pw card. . .must be pretty good. . .right? there must be a way that brakes it right? cause otherwise having a fancy art crappy pw card does no one any good. that card alone is basically a solo example of the rav walkers, doin work by his-self.

but to sum it up really (my point) will this set and its cards carry a value different than any other? will the alternate arts add dimension to card buying? it will reduce regulatory rare price right? this is based on the idea that a card and its different arts values will culminate in a average and with the basic rare being the cheapest is should be lower than if it didn't have alt art prints.

for me the writing on the wall is that there is so much to this game I'm never gonna see. and that depresses me, cause I want to belong haha emo moment haha

deimos035
Posts: 9
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by deimos035 » 4 years ago

Personally, I'd rather buy regular Collector's booster box. The portfolio is nice, but it doesn't do anything in terms of collection. Adding non-foil Kenrith and Garruk seems like an insult, since you can get them in those packs anyway. I don't know how to feel about this cut 'uncut' sheet, but this part aside, $450 is too much in my opinion. The only good part is that those booster packs should skyrocket in price over time (and extremely limited availability). In terms of general product desing, I somewhat agree with the latest Rudy's video - WotC knows it can push the limits further in terms of 'cashgrabs' and it doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon. Eldraine aside, I'm definitely saving money for those sweet collector packs from Theros and Zendikar.

wildfire393
Posts: 260
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: he / him

Post by wildfire393 » 4 years ago

The N82O Molecule wrote:
4 years ago
at worst its 16 packs of 15 cards for 450. fancy cards at that. your basically only dealing with rares and mythic rares, your getting the top corn of the set, if any mythic rare or rare goes exponential your in a significantly better spot right? your rare is better that than the pack rare right?
You're not only dealing with rares and mythics though. There are two slots that are guaranteed to be rare/mythic: the foil rare slot, and the extended art rare slot. The nine foil commons/uncommons are guaranteed not to be rare or mythic. The three showcase slots can be borderless walkers or showcase rare/mythics but they're more likely to just be commons and uncommons. The ancillary card could be Kenrith, a PW-deck Walker, or a Brawl commander, but it could also just be one of the PW deck-unique commons. The best possible collector's booster could have as many as six rare/mythic cards in it, but the expected value is 2-3.

User avatar
Max Rebo
Husband of Serra
Posts: 58
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Florida, USA

Post by Max Rebo » 4 years ago

Collectors Boosters are in Major Retail for $24.99 a pack...............go get em

User avatar
The Fluff
Le fou, c'est moi
Posts: 2398
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Gradius Home World
Contact:

Post by The Fluff » 4 years ago

24.99 a pack? Feels brutal.

Will have to wait and see first what people are getting from those packs, before I decide to even get one.
Image
AnimEVO 2020 - EFZ Tournament (english commentary) // Clearing 4 domain with Qiqi
want to play a uw control deck in modern, but don't have Jace or snapcaster? please come visit us at the Emeria thread

User avatar
The N82O Molecule
Posts: 358
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: New Phyrexia

Post by The N82O Molecule » 4 years ago

I bought 2
thats all im going to buy
I wouldn't recommend them. you most likely are going to just get 3 rares/mythics, and its just like what [mention]wildfire393[/mention] says above. foil commons are still commons

I got the rare castle garenbrig, castle ardenvale, rowan, fearless sparkmage, doom fortold, castle embreth, knights' charge

id say your most likely never going to get your money back, and at 3 rares, your better off just buying the regular packs. should be able to get 6 rares for 25 dollars and foils don't make up for things like that.

User avatar
The Fluff
Le fou, c'est moi
Posts: 2398
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Gradius Home World
Contact:

Post by The Fluff » 4 years ago

[mention]The N82O Molecule[/mention]

thanks for sharing the experience on the packs. Now, I really won't be buying any. two packs is more than 40 dollars, and I'd just rather use that money to buy modern staples that I need.
Image
AnimEVO 2020 - EFZ Tournament (english commentary) // Clearing 4 domain with Qiqi
want to play a uw control deck in modern, but don't have Jace or snapcaster? please come visit us at the Emeria thread

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

[mention]The Fluff[/mention] I got a Collector Booster with my box, and I ended up with borderless Cauldron, foil Spyglass, the brawl deck legendary dragon, and the rest was jank. That was probably a pretty okay pack, since I got a brawl mythic in my ancillary slot. I'd always intended to buy one or two Collector Boosters for fun, just to see what happened,

As far as the price tag, I look at it as $25 per booster + $50 for a guaranteed foil Garruk. Full stop. I bought a box to share with my friends, which I feel is the way to go here. Split among several people, the price is fine. I've also been splitting Mythic Editions when I'm able to get them (couldn't get WAR), so this is par for the course. This will actually be easier to split, because the packs are just packs, rather than trying to find someone interested in a Tezzeret (twice).

User avatar
Max Rebo
Husband of Serra
Posts: 58
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Florida, USA

Post by Max Rebo » 4 years ago

I got one pack. Foil Hushbringer, ext art merlin wizard guy, foil cmn and unc storybook frames. a really decent pack.
It's just that they also have the Modern Horizons 3-pack for 20.99. I think I would rather gamble on three MH1 packs for $5 less.

User avatar
drmarkb
Posts: 634
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted

Post by drmarkb » 4 years ago

They are utter garbage, but they will sell for the same reason people walk into LGS stores and buy overpriced boosters over singles. People will impulse buy and collectors will collect.

User avatar
CalebLost
The Prince of the Ravens
Posts: 109
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 5
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Pistoia, Italy

Post by CalebLost » 4 years ago

Me and a friend got a collector's box (6 booster each) for 240€ on preorder:
Card Experience: I got 6 extended regular (Once upon a time, Robber of the rich and a few other decent ones) 2 extended foil (Castle Vantress that I needed for commander, yeah! and Torbran, Thane of Red Fell) a bunch of foil rares (Fervent Champion and Gilded goose among others), of the 6 ancillary I got 2 of the Brawl commander (Alela, Artful Provocateur and Korvold, Fae-Cursed King) and a lot of good/useful foils (Mystic Sanctuary among them for the same commander as Vantress, double Yeah!).
Another positive point for me is the culling of the chaff: I play mostly commander and a little Brawl and I'm a pimp/collector so the 36 packs of common/uncommon of a regular box for me are 90% useless (I'd keep 1/2x of each card), this way I got to keep nearly 90% of the cards (I got a few duplicates of the showcase common/uncommon).
Fun experience: (I love to crack packs) I felt better to open this 6 pack where every single card was interesting (yeah, even commons) rather than crack 36 normal pack of a box where normally I'd skip to see the rare and eventual foil then sift through the chaff to return to my LGS for a few bucks.
Economic experience: paid 120€ for my half box due to preorder (20€ each booster, under the retail of 23€ my LGS does). I got a good return in value (UoaT extended and Torbran extended foil alone are on the 25€ range each) and considering that in the extended/foil slot I got only 1 mythic (no pw and no chase mythic) this could have been better
Current Duel Commander Decks
EnemyShard
MerenAlesha
Rashmi
Jhoira
Tajic

User avatar
The Fluff
Le fou, c'est moi
Posts: 2398
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Gradius Home World
Contact:

Post by The Fluff » 4 years ago

[mention]SquirrelToken[/mention]

congrats on the good pull from the pack. Well, splitting packs with friends does save money and it's more fun too. :)

unfortunately, I can't really go buying these boosters now. As I have to save the money for getting a fourth path to exile for one of my modern decks. :<
Image
AnimEVO 2020 - EFZ Tournament (english commentary) // Clearing 4 domain with Qiqi
want to play a uw control deck in modern, but don't have Jace or snapcaster? please come visit us at the Emeria thread

User avatar
DanzBorin
Posts: 6
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by DanzBorin » 4 years ago

I'd be worried that the single packs that end up at big box stores are mapped... way too easy to figure out if a pack is likely to be garbage.

User avatar
SquirrelToken
Posts: 219
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Kjeldor

Post by SquirrelToken » 4 years ago

DanzBorin wrote:
4 years ago
I'd be worried that the single packs that end up at big box stores are mapped... way too easy to figure out if a pack is likely to be garbage.
Packs at big box stores are actually incredibly unlikely to be mapped. They're often sold in individual blisters instead of loose in the box, and nobody knows how many times those blisters got dropped on the floor or otherwise shuffled from opening the case to being hung on the shelf. Heck, a careful employee might pick them up in order and then grab three at a time off their stack to put on the rack, which will mess up a mapping attempt.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Finance”