LGS Box Mapping?
Economics forum
Posted on Feb. 7, 2015, 1:19 p.m. by AdmiralAbzan
I've bought numerous older booster packs from my LGS and never opened anything worth more than a dollar.
Has anyone else had similar experiences? It could just be bad luck I guess.
Servo_Token says... #3
It's a thing. That's why I never buy older boosters. Just buy singles.
February 7, 2015 1:42 p.m.
You find out which rates are in each booster pack. You can only do it with opened packs.
February 7, 2015 1:56 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #7
You just said "doodoo" (phonetically at least).
The other thing about older boosters is that you still have a very large chance at opening things that are less expensive. I mean, in Unlimited, sure you can open a Mox as your rare, but you can also open Animate Wall.
February 7, 2015 2:31 p.m.
I never had that experience. Actually, I had the exact opposite when the LGS owner opened a MMA booster box in front of me and let me put my hand in and take the pack I wanted.
February 7, 2015 2:44 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #9
A percentage of stores that enact the scenario that you described is a number that is almost indistinguishable from zero.
Box mapping is a very real thing that should be the first thought whenever you didn't see the box opened for yourself. It's less of a thing starting at Theros moving forward because WotC has upped their game on preventing it, but anything older than that there is some method of box mapping for.
February 8, 2015 1:16 a.m.
Didgeridooda says... #10
My LGS does not map. They open the box, and let the person buying grab the ones they want. It is a great store. Prices are competitive with online retailers, and they have a really nice online store too.
February 8, 2015 4:28 p.m.
It's really hard to map boxes from sets before the creation of mythic rares. The more sophisticated forms of box mapping were mostly done during Innistrad block and Return to Ravnica. Pretty much everything in the original Ravnica and before hasn't been mapped. IIRC a few people made a map for Future Sight, but others are/were still struggling to come up with something for Lorwyn.
The real thing to watch out for when buying older sets is repacks. I.E. people will open sealed Starter/Intro packs of older sets, like Unlimited, take out all of the good stuff, then replace the cards with less valuable ones of the same rarity.
ChiefBell says... #2
Some places do do it.
February 7, 2015 1:31 p.m.