Given that I wanted to get Commander's for a new Style of Magic the Gathering that I am working on, opening Commander's Legends draft packs is almost always going to be worth it. But, that is me. Do what is good for you.
It's scary that people dont these days. This kind of ineptitude is permeating society. Bunch of ostriches burying their heads in the sand, or maybe up their asses, who knows anymore.
Honestly it's gotten to the point where if you exercise critical thinking and speak to someone that doesn't those people that don't treat it as those you are trying to start a fight, argument, being overly dramatic or being intolerably negative. Most people just aren't able to tolerate the exercise of questioning the norm or what they have be told to do.
When it comes down to it the powers that be weren't satisfied with a obedient and docile workforce / citizens, they need obedient and docile consumers as well.
@@Gevaudan1471 for one thing, he's not talking about the Prof being censored and secondly, if WOTC managed to silence Prof, that would be significantly different than banning someone from Twitter for violating their ToS. God, why can't you people fucking get that?
@@Gevaudan1471 He stated that what you said wasn’t what the op said and then answered YOUR question. What part of that was answering something that wasn’t asked?
I realize some entities may be giving you hell for your criticism, Professor, but just want to say that you have the support of a huge chunk of the community and you've given us a voice. Thank you.
I won't lie. I've sometimes really thought about buying set boosters but a phrase always brought me back to draft boosters: " magic is a game". Thanks prof
@@sanctred i was meaning that for me it's a game so buying set boosters in my case is pointless but anyone is free to do whatever they think with their money
@@gregoriopannelli1788 yeah I get it, that makes total sense. My point was that magic is for more than those people who just want the cards to casually "play the game". I play magic at an LGS usually once per week, and a few times a month on spell table. For most of the decks I'll pull things from my collection but then I just buy everything else as singles. However, I am also a collector. When a new set comes out I ONLY buy collectors boxs and set boxes. I already pre-ordered collector and set boxs for kamigawa. That was really my only point. For me, I NEVER buy draft booster boxes because then I just end up with 1000 copies of common and uncommon cards and none of the higher end art and mythic cards. I try to get a full set of all cards from each set printing.
@@sanctred Ambitious. When all else fails, I usually end up buying individual cards for a set. Recently, for instance, I bought Sisters of the Undead for my Dracula collection from Crimson Vow. It was certainly worth the cost of three meager draft boosters. And on top of that it’s a decent card in game.
I work in a FLGS, and I agree, we've struggled like nothing else to get some draft boosters in, but we have at least 8 whole boxes of set boosters in. We got people calling to buy draft boosters, keep having to knock them back, telling them to wait, maybe it'll be in soon. Sucks.
Just 8 boxes? Don't you need like dozens of boxes? I wonder how the FLGSs survive. I mean you have to sell at least 8 boxes a day just to cover the cost don't you?
@J D To each their own. Draft boosters have more cards and a greater level of randomness. the value in one box of set boosters in this set is also lower than that of draft boosters.
Somebody must be buying them. Like no matter how "cost effective" set booster boxes are, if they just sit there, then it's not doing wotc any good. I think FLGS can help to. If 8 boxes set boosters are left, then the next set, buy less set booster boxes from wholesale.
So blessed to have the professors as a champion of the regular magic the gathering player. Never realized that I have slowly switched to the play style that he promotes as accessible and viable long term. Pauper and cube.
Professor you remind me of my friend, who is a financial advisor. His occupation is literally to advise good monetary policies for his clients. He constantly complains that a number of his clients (who pay him for his advice) fail to follow his advice to their own detriment. Basically, people have a hard time with self control, especially with money. Thanks for having the consumer's interests in mind. Keep fighting the good fight!
I just discovered this channel, shortly after discovering MTG Arena and wanting to recreate my arena deck IRL. I’m so incredibly impressed by the breath and quality of the content, all of which has been incredibly valuable. This video perfectly illustrates why it is so valuable and why I love it. Thank you!
@@eeveelilith actually tho this man just sounds super fucking salty over something. I’ve never watched this dude but it’s bad first impression for sure
@@sun332s7 yeah he is. He’s super fucking salty over WotC because of their lack of concern to their consumers: you and I. Just trying to open your eyes by showing you patterns of behavior by them that you may not recognize. So yeah it’s clear he’s salty, but if it made a bad impression on you, then I can only come to the conclusion that you aren’t listening to him, or you aren’t understanding.. either way give him a chance and keep watching! I promise you that you won’t find another person that gives you information that is BOTH objective and meant to be insightful advice to the avg consumer, as well as this guy does!
It's been a while since I followed anything about Magic. You're the only channel I follow & I appreciate your consumer advocacy. You're the man for the job & your intellect & insight to this issue is appreciated. People over corporations, bottom line.
The Prof left a major part of the buying singles argument out: If we all bought single, shops would crack the boxes for the singles. And they buy boxes for less than we do
I've heard it described as, "when the expected value of a box (based on the probability of getting each cardtimes the current value of each card) is greater than the price of the unopened box, then those that hold unopened boxes will start opening then."
Yep! Shops would just stop selling boxes to you and crack the inventory to make up for it, and behave like a grocery store selling Coke products. You don't buy direct from Coke, it goes through a distribution chain. It'd be the same here, with LGS getting boxes cracked open for their contents to sell to people who only want singles. The issue then being that stores may be left with too many bulk commons and uncommons, but hey, that's easier for a store to manage than an individual person.
Yup. My friend's card shop has one of the best singles collection in our area and many of them are bought from people but plenty of them are from cracked packs because it keeps a good stock built up since they need to have the cards people want, and when people want them they tend not to be selling it to the shop.
I think this is key to that argument. The singles market certainly evolved a lot when more individuals opened boxes, but it’s not necessary for it’s survival. Shops will keep cracking boxes for singles so as long as it remains profitable to do so.
Imagine your boss walks in and is like "Hey, we did better this year than ever before in our over 25 year history, but we need to do TWICE as good this year." It's a very clear case of the people at the top not knowing what goes on at the ground level, or just not caring if it messes up anything else.
@@khaas9 it's the latter, they know setting unrealistic goals will earn them as much as possible, whether or not they actually attain those unrealistic goals.
As a Magic: the Gathering consumer, I appreciate you taking the time to put together these videos and meticulously craft your arguments in a way that encourages your audience to make informed decisions about their purchases. Thank you!
🤨 you think he cares about people? He no different than hasbro. This is his job, he know what people want to hear. He's looking out for him, not for everyone else
@@MTGHedgefund You seem so certain, what does he gain from making this video? More patreon supporters? He loved Time Spiral Remastered and the Commander precons from Strixhaven despite his negativity towards the game as a whole.
@@bicktuckley5824 what does he gain? Money lol. He has a lot of subs so he makes money with every video. His incentive is what jives with the viewer base.
Preach! I've been playing casual paper magic for some 10 years now. This single video has taught me more about MTG economy than other channels focused on MTG economy/finance :) Thank you!
I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm forever grateful that I happened upon your channel when I re-entered this game. You saved me more time, money, and frustration than I can even fathom. Thank you, Prof.
As a new player i really appreciate you taking your time to make this it really has made me think different i started around the pandemics beginning because i had alot of free time i played alot of mtg arena and i wanted to get my deck with style so i purchased collector boosters but i realize now that maybe i should try to play games in person and i need a company that i can trust maybe better for the long run im looking into flesh and blood as maybe a alternative for now and will be purchasing singles cheap on release i realize now that its the excitement that draws me in not because im looking for a certain card but the gambling aspect ive never thought about it like that and what effects it might have on me in the long run thanks alot for this video!
My husband just watched this video on the computer next to me. I cannot thank you enough for your diction. It makes such a difference in my being able to listen and focus on your arguments (which were also excellent) rather than having to focus on just hearing what you were saying.
I find this Ogilvy quote really great when it comes to "consuming Magic" products: people don't think how they feel, they don't say what they think and they don't do what they say
Oh, but they do. It's just that the community that consumes MTG content on youtube and is vocal in the comment section is not very representative of the average MTG consumer.
Your argumentation is so refined, so well constructed and articulate. It shows that you were a teacher at some point. Additionally, your stance on the subject is a noble one, because you only want the best for the game and its players. Huge respect prof
I really realized the impact the collector boosters have is when I wanted to buy a fun Kicker theme deck, and noticed all the foils, and regulars, were literally the same price. Since people don't open those packs for the foil commons
I switched to online play on cockatrice for two good reasons: 1. Pandemic: Magic was a game I used to play at my university with friends but due to the pandemic we no longer have the possibilty to gather together again, since everyone lives in different states and cities and; 2. Just look at the prices of the cards!!! I only play commander so the competitive edge is not something I care and honestly I don't see myself spending money in this game again anytime soon.
You hit the nail on the head. This is a planned move to boost profits. Can't blame the corporation for doing it. It just means people have to wait a couple months after a set comes out for the draft box prices to drop :(
@@3nertia I mean, you CAN blame the corporation, but you can't expect the corporation to do anything that doesn't serve its or its shareholder's best interests. A corporation essentially exists to make as much money as possible, hopefully sustainably. While some people will be upset, the corporate bosses have determined they'll still keep buying cards anyway and it seems to have worked despite what many have hoped.
@@3nertia I totally get it. I think the disconnect is a corporation is not a person. It's an entity set up to serve its shareholders, which I'm guessing aren't mostly made of Magic players. Now if Magic players owned the majority of Hasbro stock we could all vote together to move the company in a direction we wanted.
It has been a long time since I was a teacher, but this video should be shared with so many classrooms - business, economics, entrepreneurship, and even game theory. Thank you!
More than anything, I've learned from talking to my LGS owners that The Prof. influence has really helped drive sales of certain sleeves, binders, and similar products at their stores. So thank you Prof., your reviews of products helped keep my favorite LGS alive.
as a player who wants the cards to build constructed decks and play the game: yes, definitely singles are the most cost-effective way to go as an investor insterested in long term value of the purchase: no, generally sealed product holds better value over time as a player who enjoy drafts and sealed: self-explanatory
Some people don't actually know that you get better value from buying singles, so the Prof putting that out there on the regular is actually a much needed PSA.
You've basically strengthened my approach to buying wanted and needed singles as opposed to buying and cracking tons of packs. Thanks for the consumer advocacy and the intelligent approach to argumentation Prof I appreciate it so much!
people saying "if no one bought packs then singles would cost a fortune" dont understand basic economics. if that unlikely event happened then the price of a pack would be worth the value of the cards. moreso even. people would buy packs to sell for profit until it evens out. There is no feasible way for that extreme case to happen as long as thecards are being printed.
I found you a loooong time ago through Loading Ready Run and have always loved your humor and content. I know you might not see this, but this video is great. I appreciate you.
Yeah, there seems to be “customer permission” for replacing draft boosters by set boosters, which for me is clearly a worse product for a higher price. Good for WotC, bad for the customers that see it as you and me do, Prof
Sir, the more I watch your videos, the more I like and respect the way you stand behind what you say. You seem to genuinely care about the game and the fans.
I've been loving everyone going after the inflated collectors versions of cards. Allows me to scoop up all kinds of normal printing playables on the cheap.
Hey Prof, i just wanted to tell you something. I've been watching your videos for a really long time and every time you told us to buy the singles we need, I heard you, but for some reason I still kept buying boosters or even entire boxes. But this time, with strixhaven, I finally listened to your advice. I made a list of all the cards I really wanted, went online (my lgs doesnt sell singles) and got all the cards I needed. Instead of getting a box I saved about 20 bucks and even got some cards I would never buy, cause i kept thinking they were "too expensive" like Rowan. Thanks to you I got all the cards and even got a lot of the commander exclusive cards. So even though you may not reach everyone in the magic community, you made the life of this small german player a lot better and helped me realise how much money I've wasted. So thank you and please never stop giving us advice, we all need to hear someone speak openly about his opinions and thoughts.
Heyyyy, right as I was scrolling for something to watch. Ill be back after finishing the video. Finished the vid. I agree with everything you said professor. Earlier this week I went on tcg player and purchased 1 copy of all rares and mythic for strixhaven at their most basic forms (no extended/foils) and purchased everything for 130. Thats less than a draft booster, and around the same for a set booster (after tax). I am a commander player, so im ok with only 1 copy of everything, and the plummeting prices of singles really works out for me. There's no point in buying sealed product, unless you want the dopamine rush from cracking pack and opening the money card of the set. It sucks to see the draft box numbers go down too, since that might increase the prices of the individual draft packs and therefore you might end up paying a higher price for drafting at your LGS.
Thanks to your advice I feel like I've largely cured my addiction to buying any sort of booster packs except for occasional packs from my local game store while I am also buying singles. If another special draft set like Time Spiral Remastered or Mystery Boosters is created I will look into buying a box to make into a cube.
I'm afraid Prof hit the wall with that, he won't leave the statement "it's a corporation, and that's ok", and no amount of talking to Spice 8 Rack is going to help.
I don't believe his argument is denouncing capitalism. He seems to very carefully avoid that. He is simply speculating on the individual's optimal choices in the current environment that is primarily influenced by WOTC. In summary, WOTC has made the following decisions regarding their production of products; therefore, the individual is motivated to buy singles.
I know this video is 9 months old but I only recently found the channel... Points all made perfectly concisely and clearly. On my side of things, I recently purchased NDK products which were the Collector Booster Box, the Bundle and the Draft Booster Box. I love cracking packs and I love finding shiny goodness in my packs. I'm not a re-seller, I don't have a singles storefront and the most I'll do is trade in high-value singles to my LGS for store credit so that I can purchase more products because I don't have the mental fortitude to go through the entirety of my purchases and value them all and trade them all in if they're less than £0.50 per card. I like having showcase art, foils and borderless cards to play with and I don't intend on collecting the full set of cards (not after I found out there's over 500 showcase/extended/borderless cards in addition to the 300+ basic cards, all of which can be foil). The collector boosters were fun to open, but it became hard to keep track of whether cards were good or not and the novelty soon wore off. Opening the draft boosters was a tedious process and was good for padding out my collection to have playsets of commons and uncommons, but there wasn't a huge amount of "wow" in it. The set boosters included in the bundle (as well as the other included items) really hit my preference for opening packs. Enough fancy stuff to make it exciting (plus the bonus art cards are great little pieces to have), as well as acquiring a decent amount of other cards to play with. As such, in future, I'll probably focus on purchasing set booster boxes and maybe the occasional bundle if I need another set of lands or cardboard card holders to house my collection when not in-deck. If I need additional cards to fill my decks, I'll just buy the singles. Thanks for helping to clarify what I, as a consumer, will feel most comfortable investing my money into and what I feel gets me the most value and enjoyment.
My LGS just got about a half dozen boxes in. I'd pick one up, but I've already moved on from that product. Not to mention that I spent way too much chasing Mystical Archives and my next big purchase will be for MH2.
Awesome video! I'm more of a lurker; but I couldn't help but wonder whether or not and how often people reach out to you to be a spokesperson for other issues/organizations. One thing I love about the videos I do watch is your objectiveness in delivering information.
There is no evidence, he even says as much in his video. Wotc, makes it decisions based on information the prof isn't privy to. He just speculates. Same as everyone else.
Dear Professor, first and foremost, I would like to express that, as a scientist, I miss decency in argumentation in the public discussion - especially when it comes to MTG. So, I am absolutely delighted to hear such solid lines of argumentation. One may disagree but there is nothing wropng with the argumentation. Great work, Professor! Back to the topic: My personal approach to MTG is, I like cracking packs and I like building decks to play the game. So what I have always done is get some (draft) packs and see what (casual) decks I can come up with. It's great fun to play them at FNM - or, well, it was... The problem was that I ended up with tons of unplayed commos and uncommons. With the Set Boosters, this problem was solved for me (at least a bit). Now, for almost the same money, I get the same, most often more, amount of Rares and Mythics with less junk lying around. So, for me personally, the Set Booster Box has taken over from Draft Booster Boxes. Yet I think, this reinforces your arguments. Players are different. I mostly agree with your reasoning and your videos have been of quite some help to me^^
As a former printer I can tell you that even if different factories print different product, any of those factories could shift the work to fix allocation.
While I, genuinely, appreciate and respect your comments, videos, & presented facts, as well as your opinions, I, personally, love the Collector Booster packs/boxes. I understand that the value per card per pack is no where near the value per card as singles, I love using foils and alters regularly in my EDH decks. So, compared to draft boosters, I end up with significantly less chaff by opening collector boosters. Also, I love the pack opening experience of the collector packs. Again, I understand that my money goes further by buying singles of the same cards. I am willing to pay more for the experience of the collector pack.
I appreciate your "is it worth it to buy" videos and your product reviews because they always give me a very good idea of what I would be getting for my money, the decision from there is up to me as a consumer, but I hope you see this, Prof, because I have many quality deck boxes and sleeves for my cards now that I'm very happy and were very worth my money thanks to you, so thank you.
Wizards DID made a statement that draft boosters and jp set boosters are delayed while English set and collector boosters are not. Just putting it out there
Yes. And I really hope there isn’t a conspiracy to phase out draft boosters. Our play group of 10 drafts the current set every fortnight. Most of us don’t play any other forms of IRL magic. If draft boosters stop, we stop playing IRL magic. Full stop. So, I hope you’re right.
Totally agree. Also thanks for acknowledging you probably only have little influence on how most players behave. You could, however, have pointed out how some of your advice can create some spikes in singles prices (like that white counterspell that subsequently was featured on the mtgstocks weekly news due to its spike... most probably caused by your channel 😅). Anyway, good job, thanks for being there Prof !
You are very objective, you always prove your statement and support it with data. That’s why people like your UA-cam channel. So thank you for your work.
Thank you Professor. As always you provide thoughtful and researched analysis to Wizards of the Coast’s business practices. So much more useful than reactionary tweets. As a consumer, I prefer to be informed, so that when I do ultimately break down and buy a secret lair, I at least know how to evaluate that decision.
I started magic around zendikar rising and quickly fell in to the trap of thinking "cracking open boxes is the best way to get what you want." As a new player, I didn't realize I had more options than card pack and my lgs. These videos taught me about tcgplayer and how to get a bigger bang for my buck. Nowadays, when a new set comes out, I go to my lgs to get one draft booster box and support them (and because i enjoy cracking packs) then I get whatever else I want by buying singles at the lgs or tcgplayer. TL;DR: From someone that got into magic fairly recently and didn't know what to buy, thanks Prof!
You're guidance and wisdom of MTG products and reviews of their products is valued immensely within our player/collector community. Please keep creating content on your channel, newer and older players a like can learn much about spending their money correctly. Gone are the days when I would buy box after box of booster packs searching for "that one card". Buy singles, buy singles, BUY SINGLES!
I really don't understand why WOTC can't make an easier way for players to get the cards they need that doesn't involve some doofy gimmick. Damn near every other card game out there is willing to provide the high-demand cards it's base needs to some extent.
Prof, im sure you wont see this but maybe others will. I love your content. When i wasnt sure about which card sleeves are deck boxes or binders or playmats to go to, you were there with advice of my favorite variety: objective. No one payed you to simply say their product was the best. You gave your honest, well thought out opinion. When shit hits the fan and we're left in obscurity you do your part and educate us. I appreciate this more than you know. I appreciate a well thought out and objective opinion. Ignore the haters and nay sayers. I love what you do, please never stop.
Drafting is my favorite format of magic by far and if the future makes drafting difficult it will definitely affect my engagement with Magic. Set boosters do not excite me and I find them a bit esoteric and all around a worse value for me as the consumer.
After watching the video I asked myself what I was looking to get when buying MtG cards/packs/boxes. This question, I feel, is something we should all ask ourselves. Are you looking to get something back monetarily? Do you want to build your deck, and not have to worry about having the extra cards we didn't want? Or, are we doing this just for fun? When you find the answer as to what you are wanting out of the things you buy, I think that will align you whether you agree with the Prof or not. The mindset I see (at least in this video) is that of someone trying to get the most out of their money by getting the cards they want at a low price, saving them more money and getting what they want. I am not like that. I found that I enjoy that little thrill of pulling fun cards out of the packs, and seeing what fate has in store for me. I personally am not looking to sell my cards (at most I would trade, or maybe give some cards to a budding player), and just want to have fun. Does that mean I am being financially reckless? Yes, yes I am. I don't think that I disagree with the Prof, as he isn't wrong with his logic. I do agree with everything he is saying. I just really like buying set boosters and pulling cards. That is really what it boils down to on my end. So, if you want the most out of your experience, find what makes you enjoy the game the most and do it. Do so within your means, but do it nonetheless. I think this is a core message that needs to be internalized if we want to continue to enjoy this game.
There's a problem...I can't like this video twice. Thank you for your advocation for the average MTG player as well as thoughtful critical thinking in a world that needs more of it
I agree broadly with what you're saying - it's obvious that, as a profit making corporation, Hasbro is making decisions to maximize revenue. What I don't understand, is why they'd do it by manipulating production, when simply increasing prices would be bother easier and potentially more effective. Reducing the availability of draft boosters while keeping the wholesale price the same is just a donation to the secondary market, Vs producing enough to meet demand but increasing wholesale prices to reap the benefits. Seems simpler, honestly, than trying to move demand to a different product range. (As an aside, I don't understand who set boosters are even FOR. Draft boosters are for players. Collectors boosters are for collectors and those who just want to crack packs. Theme boosters are for newer players who want to get random cards in a colour or a theme. But set boosters? Who's the target market, and what's their motivation for getting set boosters rather than another option?)
I love how "Comrade" somehow immediately is linked to "Communists" and "Socialists" in North America by Opponents of it and by Communists and Socialists. Most likely because of Hollywood Movies while in Europe it's used for Brothers in Arms in the Military, your Classmates (Klassenkamerad f.e. in german) & when it comes to Political Affiliations it has been and is still used by both Populist Right and Populist Left since forever, f.e. during the Revolutions of 1848 it was used by Nationalist Revolutionaries & Left-wing Socialist Revolutionaries (Same in the French Revolution that popularized it in the first Place, wasn't only used by the Commune) So whenever i see American Leftists use it for eachother, thinking it's a Political Thing among the Left & even try to gatekeep it, i wonder if they know it's history and it's Use to this day & how the Use of it in North America is basically because of their Movie Industry & Cold War Gouvernments, not really the People who's Definitions you want to adopt, especially if it's only North America that has this Definition of that Word And yeah, i know your Comment was a Joke, but it reminded me of this weird Definition NA has for the Word, which applies to all kinds of other Words as well American Exceptionalism i guess haha Prost & Cheers from the Alps and stay safe everyone reading this
@@chartreux1532 it is a political thing if it is used as such. It is commonly used that way in american leftist circles, and granted that the Professor has collaborated with communists such as Spice8Rack I am guessing he has some familiarity with its usage in the states. Its not exceptionalism to use a word the way it is used in a particular culture. It is presecriptivist to say it being used in other ways than the way it is used by you are wrong or worse
@@janamohr448 Do you even know the definition of communism without googling it or is this meant to be one of those edgy token political remarks where we just smear social programs as communism? -.-
I don't think that most corporations are evil, I think they're just selfish, and self-motivated, like a lot of people are. Getting consumers to either not think about their agenda, or think about issues and only black and white terms, is how they keep doing what they want without scrutiny or deeper questioning. Part of why I really respect this channel is that it's willing to look at the issues in depth and sort out the differences. Collectors boosters can be good for the overall singles economy and still be bad products. We can acknowledge the positive impact they have in a greater sense, but that doesn't preclude us from advocating for them to be better products with a better value. In fact, I adamantly believe that if we don't do so, those larger impacts on the singles economy are only going to be temporary. Really great video, and really great points. As consumers, we need to be questioning, not necessarily judgmental but questioning, of a company's agenda, purpose, and the impacts of the intentional decisions they've made behind closed doors.
I disagree with the notion that buying singles isn't as emotionally rewarding as cracking packs. If I buy a card for an EDH deck that I really like, whether it be the art, the card design or something else, getting that piece for my deck brings me joy, because if I've spent the money on the card, it means I'm invested in and have some attachment to that card. Look, I enjoy opening packs as much as the next guy, but buying singles can be just as much, if not more, emotionally rewarding than cracking packs, and is obviously generally more rewarding with the cards you end up getting. It's all about personal preference, and if you prefer cracking packs and find it more emotionally rewarding, all the power to you, I'm just advocating for the other side.
I played for the first time yesterday and have held off because of the games reputation for costing a lot. I watched your video to gain a perspective on why it costs so much and how to avoid paying to much for card. Thank you for the time to explaining this very clearly and I totally understood you perspective and agree. I just want to play this with my children at home and singles seems to be the best choice for me personally. Thank you for taking the time to make this :)
100% Agree. Proxy expensive cards. Don't crack packs, don't buy singles. It's foolish to spend $500+++ for a 100 cards you can only use in a casual format. Most of those cards will ultimately be power-creeped into obscurity.
@A Stoic's Door what's interesting is there's a decent chance that eventually no one will be able to tell the difference between counterfeits and the real thing.
@@SliderFury1 It is not really about fooling people at the end of the day. I'm very open that I play with proxies. Make the game affordable to play and there's no need to proxy. But when a commander deck costs the same as a gaming PC, a granite countertop, or round trip tickets to Paris I'm sorry the commander deck loses.
I've always enjoyed your content, Prof. Never have you not been clear as to what your goal was in your videos and I appreciate that. Thank you kind sir.
7:15 this is actually true in my case, I stopped playing MTG years ago, but I still enjoy watching your videos, learning about whats going on with magic and also improving my English , so what u say about buy this or not doesn't really affect someone like me yet is very entertaining listening/watching your videos
If you want to see if there is a shortage, check the shelves at walmart....for example the artificial shortage of jumpstart is exactly that.... artificial. Jumpstart boosters have been in stock at walmarts since the day of thier release....
I know it’s an obvious comment to state, but I really love how obvious it is sometimes that he is, indeed, a Professor. The way he breaks down his process around the 4minute mark is the exact way you break down an argumentative paper and it clearly shows. I’m not complaining, in fact I love it and it’s why I appreciate him as a UA-camr. You don’t always have to agree with his opinions, but you do always understand the process he uses to reach his conclusions and the justifications he has for doing so. He lays out his points and arguments clearly and effectively and I deeply appreciate that.
Revenge Of The Booster Box Game: ua-cam.com/video/Pfmr1LhY25I/v-deo.html
Very well put. Love your videos. Keep up the great work 💪
Does this statement on buying singles Apply 2 singles that are $50+?
Given that I wanted to get Commander's for a new Style of Magic the Gathering that I am working on, opening Commander's Legends draft packs is almost always going to be worth it. But, that is me. Do what is good for you.
Your starting to fit in look wise, might be time to grow a beard 😂
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant, Wizards wants money, 100%"
-The Professor if he was in the book, Horton hears a Who
Great!
Hand picks an apple, hand picks a plum.
Hazbro proves over, and over that we all are dumb...... did I do that right?
Wizards Woos a Whale
*/Horton Hatches the Egg, but still credit for a clever comment.
Horton, Hearer of Who's is about to be the next secret lair drop
MTG and WotC aside, I wish more people exercise this type of critical thinking in all aspect of their lives.
It's scary that people dont these days. This kind of ineptitude is permeating society. Bunch of ostriches burying their heads in the sand, or maybe up their asses, who knows anymore.
They are all busy on Instagram and tik tok. Mouth breathers 🤤
... and UA-cam lol
Honestly it's gotten to the point where if you exercise critical thinking and speak to someone that doesn't those people that don't treat it as those you are trying to start a fight, argument, being overly dramatic or being intolerably negative. Most people just aren't able to tolerate the exercise of questioning the norm or what they have be told to do.
When it comes down to it the powers that be weren't satisfied with a obedient and docile workforce / citizens, they need obedient and docile consumers as well.
MTG is truly a magical game. Nothing makes my wallet disappear quite like it
Wallet??? What wallet XD
Me over here buying jund death shadow without the catacombs and building multiple decks hahaha
Even more magical, your wallet is fine but the contents are gone
Omg, u too... I swear there is a camaraderie
Bought both emerakuls for my Etali deck, basically burned my wallet
You know The Professor is mad when he systematically dismantles several counterarguments without taking a single pause
I mean he does have a script :D
@Junbo Commander Yo DJ, was just checking your ol' Channel and found it quite empty. Everything alright, my friend? Much Love, Alex
@@AlexMonas that’s not the real dj lmao
My degree in Business Administration did help push me over the edge. But I was quite mad (or insane), one must be to enjoy economics courses.
We need a promo counterspell with the prof on it.
I realized that one day your channel might not be there to advocate for us..... Just want to say thanks I appreciate it
It's ok, its not censorship if a company does it.
@@Gevaudan1471 Not sure that's what Nathaniel meant.
@@Gevaudan1471 for one thing, he's not talking about the Prof being censored and secondly, if WOTC managed to silence Prof, that would be significantly different than banning someone from Twitter for violating their ToS. God, why can't you people fucking get that?
@@hitthegoat Ahaha I like how you people always out yourselves by answering things that weren't said.
@@Gevaudan1471 He stated that what you said wasn’t what the op said and then answered YOUR question. What part of that was answering something that wasn’t asked?
I got an advert saying there were hot singles in my area, so I called my LGS and low and behold there they were.
😐😐 jk I wasn’t expecting that😂😂😂
I realize some entities may be giving you hell for your criticism, Professor, but just want to say that you have the support of a huge chunk of the community and you've given us a voice. Thank you.
I won't lie. I've sometimes really thought about buying set boosters but a phrase always brought me back to draft boosters: " magic is a game". Thanks prof
Uh it’s a collectible trading card game. Just sayin’. People buy and use them for more than just a ‘game’.
@@sanctred i was meaning that for me it's a game so buying set boosters in my case is pointless but anyone is free to do whatever they think with their money
@@gregoriopannelli1788 yeah I get it, that makes total sense. My point was that magic is for more than those people who just want the cards to casually "play the game". I play magic at an LGS usually once per week, and a few times a month on spell table. For most of the decks I'll pull things from my collection but then I just buy everything else as singles. However, I am also a collector. When a new set comes out I ONLY buy collectors boxs and set boxes. I already pre-ordered collector and set boxs for kamigawa. That was really my only point. For me, I NEVER buy draft booster boxes because then I just end up with 1000 copies of common and uncommon cards and none of the higher end art and mythic cards. I try to get a full set of all cards from each set printing.
@@sanctred Ambitious. When all else fails, I usually end up buying individual cards for a set. Recently, for instance, I bought Sisters of the Undead for my Dracula collection from Crimson Vow. It was certainly worth the cost of three meager draft boosters. And on top of that it’s a decent card in game.
Why are you guys justifying to strangers how you spend your money? You do you, people
I appreciate the line "Your responsibility is to yourself."
You are a pillar of the tcg community , thank you for having our back truly. I don't play mtg anymore but truly truly appreciate these videos
I work in a FLGS, and I agree, we've struggled like nothing else to get some draft boosters in, but we have at least 8 whole boxes of set boosters in. We got people calling to buy draft boosters, keep having to knock them back, telling them to wait, maybe it'll be in soon. Sucks.
What about draft booster boxes from the last 4 standard sets? It's my experience that LGSs have extras of the sets released prior to Kaldheim.
@J D for drafting. You can't have a draft with the set booster box because it doesn't have enough packs
Just 8 boxes? Don't you need like dozens of boxes? I wonder how the FLGSs survive. I mean you have to sell at least 8 boxes a day just to cover the cost don't you?
@J D To each their own. Draft boosters have more cards and a greater level of randomness. the value in one box of set boosters in this set is also lower than that of draft boosters.
Somebody must be buying them. Like no matter how "cost effective" set booster boxes are, if they just sit there, then it's not doing wotc any good.
I think FLGS can help to. If 8 boxes set boosters are left, then the next set, buy less set booster boxes from wholesale.
"Pure gambling, no game" - that resonated with me.
So blessed to have the professors as a champion of the regular magic the gathering player. Never realized that I have slowly switched to the play style that he promotes as accessible and viable long term. Pauper and cube.
Professor you remind me of my friend, who is a financial advisor. His occupation is literally to advise good monetary policies for his clients.
He constantly complains that a number of his clients (who pay him for his advice) fail to follow his advice to their own detriment.
Basically, people have a hard time with self control, especially with money.
Thanks for having the consumer's interests in mind.
Keep fighting the good fight!
Prof, you rock. Thank you for your passion and patience, you without question make this community a better, more informed, more joyful place.
I just discovered this channel, shortly after discovering MTG Arena and wanting to recreate my arena deck IRL. I’m so incredibly impressed by the breath and quality of the content, all of which has been incredibly valuable. This video perfectly illustrates why it is so valuable and why I love it. Thank you!
This video is hugely important. And that needs to be said.
Indeed!
How so?
@@eeveelilith actually tho this man just sounds super fucking salty over something. I’ve never watched this dude but it’s bad first impression for sure
@@sun332s7 yeah he is. He’s super fucking salty over WotC because of their lack of concern to their consumers: you and I. Just trying to open your eyes by showing you patterns of behavior by them that you may not recognize. So yeah it’s clear he’s salty, but if it made a bad impression on you, then I can only come to the conclusion that you aren’t listening to him, or you aren’t understanding.. either way give him a chance and keep watching! I promise you that you won’t find another person that gives you information that is BOTH objective and meant to be insightful advice to the avg consumer, as well as this guy does!
It's been a while since I followed anything about Magic. You're the only channel I follow & I appreciate your consumer advocacy. You're the man for the job & your intellect & insight to this issue is appreciated. People over corporations, bottom line.
This entire video screams "hey wizards, PROVE ME WRONG" and i love it
WoTC answer: Secret Lair 324 - Treasure Tokens 49.99
The Prof left a major part of the buying singles argument out: If we all bought single, shops would crack the boxes for the singles.
And they buy boxes for less than we do
...and they could set the price. The demand for singles would increase too. ;)
I've heard it described as, "when the expected value of a box (based on the probability of getting each cardtimes the current value of each card) is greater than the price of the unopened box, then those that hold unopened boxes will start opening then."
Yep! Shops would just stop selling boxes to you and crack the inventory to make up for it, and behave like a grocery store selling Coke products. You don't buy direct from Coke, it goes through a distribution chain. It'd be the same here, with LGS getting boxes cracked open for their contents to sell to people who only want singles. The issue then being that stores may be left with too many bulk commons and uncommons, but hey, that's easier for a store to manage than an individual person.
Yup. My friend's card shop has one of the best singles collection in our area and many of them are bought from people but plenty of them are from cracked packs because it keeps a good stock built up since they need to have the cards people want, and when people want them they tend not to be selling it to the shop.
I think this is key to that argument. The singles market certainly evolved a lot when more individuals opened boxes, but it’s not necessary for it’s survival. Shops will keep cracking boxes for singles so as long as it remains profitable to do so.
the fact he is a English lecturer makes his videos way more understandable and concise
when i heard their announcement of wanting to double their profits for 2021 I got genuinely uncomfortable
Imagine your boss walks in and is like "Hey, we did better this year than ever before in our over 25 year history, but we need to do TWICE as good this year." It's a very clear case of the people at the top not knowing what goes on at the ground level, or just not caring if it messes up anything else.
@@khaas9 it's the latter, they know setting unrealistic goals will earn them as much as possible, whether or not they actually attain those unrealistic goals.
@@johnr797 This is corporate culture at its core. This and the need for continued, unlimited growth for shareholders.
As a Magic: the Gathering consumer, I appreciate you taking the time to put together these videos and meticulously craft your arguments in a way that encourages your audience to make informed decisions about their purchases. Thank you!
There needs to be more people like the professor in the world. More people that care about people. I love the outro music though
🤨 you think he cares about people? He no different than hasbro. This is his job, he know what people want to hear. He's looking out for him, not for everyone else
@@MTGHedgefund You might be right. I don't know him personally.
I’m not sure you needed a “though” at the end :D
@@MTGHedgefund You seem so certain, what does he gain from making this video? More patreon supporters? He loved Time Spiral Remastered and the Commander precons from Strixhaven despite his negativity towards the game as a whole.
@@bicktuckley5824 what does he gain? Money lol. He has a lot of subs so he makes money with every video. His incentive is what jives with the viewer base.
Preach! I've been playing casual paper magic for some 10 years now. This single video has taught me more about MTG economy than other channels focused on MTG economy/finance :) Thank you!
I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm forever grateful that I happened upon your channel when I re-entered this game. You saved me more time, money, and frustration than I can even fathom. Thank you, Prof.
I agree!
As a new player i really appreciate you taking your time to make this it really has made me think different i started around the pandemics beginning because i had alot of free time i played alot of mtg arena and i wanted to get my deck with style so i purchased collector boosters but i realize now that maybe i should try to play games in person and i need a company that i can trust maybe better for the long run im looking into flesh and blood as maybe a alternative for now and will be purchasing singles cheap on release i realize now that its the excitement that draws me in not because im looking for a certain card but the gambling aspect ive never thought about it like that and what effects it might have on me in the long run thanks alot for this video!
Nuance is something eludes a lot of us, and people like those at the TCC that explain it in their respective areas are a blessing.
My husband just watched this video on the computer next to me. I cannot thank you enough for your diction. It makes such a difference in my being able to listen and focus on your arguments (which were also excellent) rather than having to focus on just hearing what you were saying.
I find this Ogilvy quote really great when it comes to "consuming Magic" products:
people don't think how they feel, they don't say what they think and they don't do what they say
Oh, but they do. It's just that the community that consumes MTG content on youtube and is vocal in the comment section is not very representative of the average MTG consumer.
Your argumentation is so refined, so well constructed and articulate. It shows that you were a teacher at some point. Additionally, your stance on the subject is a noble one, because you only want the best for the game and its players. Huge respect prof
I really realized the impact the collector boosters have is when I wanted to buy a fun Kicker theme deck, and noticed all the foils, and regulars, were literally the same price. Since people don't open those packs for the foil commons
To be fair, modern foils are so crappy that I would willingly spend more NOT to get them in some cases.
@@ryanbarham8464 🤷most foils I get are below 5 dollars
It really is depressing. Draft is one of my favorite formats. During non-covid times I loved buying a box and drafting with my friends at the pub
Magic has become a game I watch instead of play these days, and a lot of that is due to reasons you have brought up.
I switched to online play on cockatrice for two good reasons:
1. Pandemic: Magic was a game I used to play at my university with friends but due to the pandemic we no longer have the possibilty to gather together again, since everyone lives in different states and cities and;
2. Just look at the prices of the cards!!! I only play commander so the competitive edge is not something I care and honestly I don't see myself spending money in this game again anytime soon.
take a shot every time the professor says "booster" in this video and by the end WotC's plans for MTG starts making sense
How am I going to drive home from work after?
You hit the nail on the head. This is a planned move to boost profits. Can't blame the corporation for doing it. It just means people have to wait a couple months after a set comes out for the draft box prices to drop :(
We can't we blame the corporation?
@@3nertia We absolutely CAN blame the corporation.
@@3nertia I mean, you CAN blame the corporation, but you can't expect the corporation to do anything that doesn't serve its or its shareholder's best interests. A corporation essentially exists to make as much money as possible, hopefully sustainably. While some people will be upset, the corporate bosses have determined they'll still keep buying cards anyway and it seems to have worked despite what many have hoped.
@@RipAndShip I guess I just have higher expectations than most - I expect people not to be so damned greedy heh
@@3nertia I totally get it. I think the disconnect is a corporation is not a person. It's an entity set up to serve its shareholders, which I'm guessing aren't mostly made of Magic players. Now if Magic players owned the majority of Hasbro stock we could all vote together to move the company in a direction we wanted.
Thank you, Professor for your endless insight and willingness to speak openly for the players.
Last time I was this early, foils didn't have a curling problem.
So they didn't exist 🤣
did UA-cam exist back then?
Tenth edition foils I opened a few years ago were the most curled foils I have ever seen
@@whyarewestillhere5665 every foil I have ever owned is a Pringle. The myth that they are bad now is exactly that. A myth
@@broskander3671 My pokemon foils have never curled
Absolutely love hearing professor articulate so clearly and effortlessly. Helps me really absorb the information he so kindly shares.
I may not always agree, but you never fail to educate as well as entertain
It has been a long time since I was a teacher, but this video should be shared with so many classrooms - business, economics, entrepreneurship, and even game theory. Thank you!
i have never been so hot for teacher. Seriously though, this is a great video on a touchy subject, and i applaud the way you approached it.
More than anything, I've learned from talking to my LGS owners that The Prof. influence has really helped drive sales of certain sleeves, binders, and similar products at their stores.
So thank you Prof., your reviews of products helped keep my favorite LGS alive.
Breaking news: you can get better value buying singles than buying sealed product.
No way!
as a player who wants the cards to build constructed decks and play the game: yes, definitely singles are the most cost-effective way to go
as an investor insterested in long term value of the purchase: no, generally sealed product holds better value over time
as a player who enjoy drafts and sealed: self-explanatory
It’s illegal to talk about investing on this channel Simon.
you can't draft using singles
Some people don't actually know that you get better value from buying singles, so the Prof putting that out there on the regular is actually a much needed PSA.
You've basically strengthened my approach to buying wanted and needed singles as opposed to buying and cracking tons of packs.
Thanks for the consumer advocacy and the intelligent approach to argumentation Prof I appreciate it so much!
people saying "if no one bought packs then singles would cost a fortune" dont understand basic economics. if that unlikely event happened then the price of a pack would be worth the value of the cards. moreso even. people would buy packs to sell for profit until it evens out. There is no feasible way for that extreme case to happen as long as thecards are being printed.
I found you a loooong time ago through Loading Ready Run and have always loved your humor and content. I know you might not see this, but this video is great. I appreciate you.
Yeah, there seems to be “customer permission” for replacing draft boosters by set boosters, which for me is clearly a worse product for a higher price. Good for WotC, bad for the customers that see it as you and me do, Prof
This is a seminal work that should forever be referred to when a player has questions concerning personal finance and mtg. Thank you.
I think this is Wizard's new way to raise the price of boosters without raising the price of boosters.
Chugg, is that you?
@@coreyroberson4550 yes it is!
Joined 13 years ago? Damn
Sir, the more I watch your videos, the more I like and respect the way you stand behind what you say. You seem to genuinely care about the game and the fans.
I've been loving everyone going after the inflated collectors versions of cards. Allows me to scoop up all kinds of normal printing playables on the cheap.
Hey Prof, i just wanted to tell you something. I've been watching your videos for a really long time and every time you told us to buy the singles we need, I heard you, but for some reason I still kept buying boosters or even entire boxes. But this time, with strixhaven, I finally listened to your advice. I made a list of all the cards I really wanted, went online (my lgs doesnt sell singles) and got all the cards I needed. Instead of getting a box I saved about 20 bucks and even got some cards I would never buy, cause i kept thinking they were "too expensive" like Rowan. Thanks to you I got all the cards and even got a lot of the commander exclusive cards.
So even though you may not reach everyone in the magic community, you made the life of this small german player a lot better and helped me realise how much money I've wasted.
So thank you and please never stop giving us advice, we all need to hear someone speak openly about his opinions and thoughts.
Heyyyy, right as I was scrolling for something to watch. Ill be back after finishing the video.
Finished the vid. I agree with everything you said professor. Earlier this week I went on tcg player and purchased 1 copy of all rares and mythic for strixhaven at their most basic forms (no extended/foils) and purchased everything for 130. Thats less than a draft booster, and around the same for a set booster (after tax). I am a commander player, so im ok with only 1 copy of everything, and the plummeting prices of singles really works out for me. There's no point in buying sealed product, unless you want the dopamine rush from cracking pack and opening the money card of the set. It sucks to see the draft box numbers go down too, since that might increase the prices of the individual draft packs and therefore you might end up paying a higher price for drafting at your LGS.
Some people online: “I’m gonna take this guy’s words and twist them against him”
An older, wiser, former English professor: “you may try”
"From my point of view, the professor is evil"
"Well, then you are cost!"
Thanks to your advice I feel like I've largely cured my addiction to buying any sort of booster packs except for occasional packs from my local game store while I am also buying singles. If another special draft set like Time Spiral Remastered or Mystery Boosters is created I will look into buying a box to make into a cube.
Insightful as always, Prof. Thank you for all you do for the MtG community!
This channel constantly comes so close to developing class consciousness
I'm afraid Prof hit the wall with that, he won't leave the statement "it's a corporation, and that's ok", and no amount of talking to Spice 8 Rack is going to help.
I believe the Prof is a leftie: his message and arguments are left- leaning. I am sure most people love the channel because of it.
So close
He doesn't want to be called a comi
I don't believe his argument is denouncing capitalism. He seems to very carefully avoid that. He is simply speculating on the individual's optimal choices in the current environment that is primarily influenced by WOTC. In summary, WOTC has made the following decisions regarding their production of products; therefore, the individual is motivated to buy singles.
I know this video is 9 months old but I only recently found the channel...
Points all made perfectly concisely and clearly.
On my side of things, I recently purchased NDK products which were the Collector Booster Box, the Bundle and the Draft Booster Box. I love cracking packs and I love finding shiny goodness in my packs. I'm not a re-seller, I don't have a singles storefront and the most I'll do is trade in high-value singles to my LGS for store credit so that I can purchase more products because I don't have the mental fortitude to go through the entirety of my purchases and value them all and trade them all in if they're less than £0.50 per card. I like having showcase art, foils and borderless cards to play with and I don't intend on collecting the full set of cards (not after I found out there's over 500 showcase/extended/borderless cards in addition to the 300+ basic cards, all of which can be foil).
The collector boosters were fun to open, but it became hard to keep track of whether cards were good or not and the novelty soon wore off. Opening the draft boosters was a tedious process and was good for padding out my collection to have playsets of commons and uncommons, but there wasn't a huge amount of "wow" in it. The set boosters included in the bundle (as well as the other included items) really hit my preference for opening packs. Enough fancy stuff to make it exciting (plus the bonus art cards are great little pieces to have), as well as acquiring a decent amount of other cards to play with. As such, in future, I'll probably focus on purchasing set booster boxes and maybe the occasional bundle if I need another set of lands or cardboard card holders to house my collection when not in-deck. If I need additional cards to fill my decks, I'll just buy the singles.
Thanks for helping to clarify what I, as a consumer, will feel most comfortable investing my money into and what I feel gets me the most value and enjoyment.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for jumpstart 🤡
Got an email from my LGS to tell me boxes are on their way. May 2021... When did I buy that again?
Walmart has them in stock since forever....they never had a shortage...
@@omegablast2002 I'm in europe, shit's whacky out here
My LGS just got about a half dozen boxes in. I'd pick one up, but I've already moved on from that product. Not to mention that I spent way too much chasing Mystical Archives and my next big purchase will be for MH2.
@@omegablast2002 not everyone has access to walmart
Awesome video! I'm more of a lurker; but I couldn't help but wonder whether or not and how often people reach out to you to be a spokesperson for other issues/organizations. One thing I love about the videos I do watch is your objectiveness in delivering information.
I really like how you always go with an evidence-based approach on your videos, Professor! More power! 💯
There is no evidence, he even says as much in his video. Wotc, makes it decisions based on information the prof isn't privy to. He just speculates. Same as everyone else.
Dear Professor, first and foremost, I would like to express that, as a scientist, I miss decency in argumentation in the public discussion - especially when it comes to MTG. So, I am absolutely delighted to hear such solid lines of argumentation. One may disagree but there is nothing wropng with the argumentation. Great work, Professor!
Back to the topic: My personal approach to MTG is, I like cracking packs and I like building decks to play the game. So what I have always done is get some (draft) packs and see what (casual) decks I can come up with. It's great fun to play them at FNM - or, well, it was... The problem was that I ended up with tons of unplayed commos and uncommons. With the Set Boosters, this problem was solved for me (at least a bit). Now, for almost the same money, I get the same, most often more, amount of Rares and Mythics with less junk lying around. So, for me personally, the Set Booster Box has taken over from Draft Booster Boxes.
Yet I think, this reinforces your arguments. Players are different. I mostly agree with your reasoning and your videos have been of quite some help to me^^
As a former printer I can tell you that even if different factories print different product, any of those factories could shift the work to fix allocation.
Hats-off to you, Prof; you make your points clearly & allow room to be wrong rather than getting preachy. Always a pleasure.
While I, genuinely, appreciate and respect your comments, videos, & presented facts, as well as your opinions, I, personally, love the Collector Booster packs/boxes. I understand that the value per card per pack is no where near the value per card as singles, I love using foils and alters regularly in my EDH decks. So, compared to draft boosters, I end up with significantly less chaff by opening collector boosters. Also, I love the pack opening experience of the collector packs. Again, I understand that my money goes further by buying singles of the same cards. I am willing to pay more for the experience of the collector pack.
I appreciate your "is it worth it to buy" videos and your product reviews because they always give me a very good idea of what I would be getting for my money, the decision from there is up to me as a consumer, but I hope you see this, Prof, because I have many quality deck boxes and sleeves for my cards now that I'm very happy and were very worth my money thanks to you, so thank you.
Wizards DID made a statement that draft boosters and jp set boosters are delayed while English set and collector boosters are not. Just putting it out there
Yes. And I really hope there isn’t a conspiracy to phase out draft boosters. Our play group of 10 drafts the current set every fortnight. Most of us don’t play any other forms of IRL magic. If draft boosters stop, we stop playing IRL magic. Full stop. So, I hope you’re right.
Totally agree. Also thanks for acknowledging you probably only have little influence on how most players behave. You could, however, have pointed out how some of your advice can create some spikes in singles prices (like that white counterspell that subsequently was featured on the mtgstocks weekly news due to its spike... most probably caused by your channel 😅).
Anyway, good job, thanks for being there Prof !
The professor gives long winded intelligent answer to our woes; me saying he just described the problems of a monopoly.
You are very objective, you always prove your statement and support it with data. That’s why people like your UA-cam channel. So thank you for your work.
I think I like Prof so much just because he actually respects his audience's intelligence. Thanks for looking out for the consumers Prof!
Thank you Professor. As always you provide thoughtful and researched analysis to Wizards of the Coast’s business practices. So much more useful than reactionary tweets. As a consumer, I prefer to be informed, so that when I do ultimately break down and buy a secret lair, I at least know how to evaluate that decision.
To think this was all just a time filler between D&D games, Richard Garfield, what HAVE YOU DONE!
your voice is heard even in France Prof. Thanks for this message, it is good to hear what I feel deeply each time I'm looking to draft.
Brian, has anyone told you today that you rock?
You rock
I started magic around zendikar rising and quickly fell in to the trap of thinking "cracking open boxes is the best way to get what you want." As a new player, I didn't realize I had more options than card pack and my lgs. These videos taught me about tcgplayer and how to get a bigger bang for my buck. Nowadays, when a new set comes out, I go to my lgs to get one draft booster box and support them (and because i enjoy cracking packs) then I get whatever else I want by buying singles at the lgs or tcgplayer.
TL;DR: From someone that got into magic fairly recently and didn't know what to buy, thanks Prof!
I’m becoming a huge fan of proxying cards and wow I save a lot 😃
Choo choo the proxy train 😄
Proxies are the way to go. No more $20 cards $50 cards $100 card $300 cards $1000 cards. Ridiculous just because they won’t reprint.
Mpcautofill and makingplayingcards is a win 👍
You're guidance and wisdom of MTG products and reviews of their products is valued immensely within our player/collector community. Please keep creating content on your channel, newer and older players a like can learn much about spending their money correctly. Gone are the days when I would buy box after box of booster packs searching for "that one card". Buy singles, buy singles, BUY SINGLES!
I really don't understand why WOTC can't make an easier way for players to get the cards they need that doesn't involve some doofy gimmick. Damn near every other card game out there is willing to provide the high-demand cards it's base needs to some extent.
People need to wake up cuz it's not Wizards calling the shots anymore, it's Hasbro.
Because they're greedy, that's why ...
They did do Mystery Boosters, which didn't generate enough discussion and organic marketing
Prof, im sure you wont see this but maybe others will. I love your content. When i wasnt sure about which card sleeves are deck boxes or binders or playmats to go to, you were there with advice of my favorite variety: objective. No one payed you to simply say their product was the best. You gave your honest, well thought out opinion. When shit hits the fan and we're left in obscurity you do your part and educate us. I appreciate this more than you know. I appreciate a well thought out and objective opinion. Ignore the haters and nay sayers. I love what you do, please never stop.
Drafting is my favorite format of magic by far and if the future makes drafting difficult it will definitely affect my engagement with Magic. Set boosters do not excite me and I find them a bit esoteric and all around a worse value for me as the consumer.
After watching the video I asked myself what I was looking to get when buying MtG cards/packs/boxes. This question, I feel, is something we should all ask ourselves. Are you looking to get something back monetarily? Do you want to build your deck, and not have to worry about having the extra cards we didn't want? Or, are we doing this just for fun? When you find the answer as to what you are wanting out of the things you buy, I think that will align you whether you agree with the Prof or not. The mindset I see (at least in this video) is that of someone trying to get the most out of their money by getting the cards they want at a low price, saving them more money and getting what they want.
I am not like that. I found that I enjoy that little thrill of pulling fun cards out of the packs, and seeing what fate has in store for me. I personally am not looking to sell my cards (at most I would trade, or maybe give some cards to a budding player), and just want to have fun. Does that mean I am being financially reckless? Yes, yes I am. I don't think that I disagree with the Prof, as he isn't wrong with his logic. I do agree with everything he is saying. I just really like buying set boosters and pulling cards. That is really what it boils down to on my end. So, if you want the most out of your experience, find what makes you enjoy the game the most and do it. Do so within your means, but do it nonetheless. I think this is a core message that needs to be internalized if we want to continue to enjoy this game.
There's a problem...I can't like this video twice. Thank you for your advocation for the average MTG player as well as thoughtful critical thinking in a world that needs more of it
I agree broadly with what you're saying - it's obvious that, as a profit making corporation, Hasbro is making decisions to maximize revenue.
What I don't understand, is why they'd do it by manipulating production, when simply increasing prices would be bother easier and potentially more effective.
Reducing the availability of draft boosters while keeping the wholesale price the same is just a donation to the secondary market, Vs producing enough to meet demand but increasing wholesale prices to reap the benefits. Seems simpler, honestly, than trying to move demand to a different product range.
(As an aside, I don't understand who set boosters are even FOR. Draft boosters are for players. Collectors boosters are for collectors and those who just want to crack packs. Theme boosters are for newer players who want to get random cards in a colour or a theme. But set boosters? Who's the target market, and what's their motivation for getting set boosters rather than another option?)
"the company's goal is for itself, not for you"
COMRADE
I love how "Comrade" somehow immediately is linked to "Communists" and "Socialists" in North America by Opponents of it and by Communists and Socialists.
Most likely because of Hollywood Movies while in Europe it's used for Brothers in Arms in the Military, your Classmates (Klassenkamerad f.e. in german) & when it comes to Political Affiliations it has been and is still used by both Populist Right and Populist Left since forever, f.e. during the Revolutions of 1848 it was used by Nationalist Revolutionaries & Left-wing Socialist Revolutionaries (Same in the French Revolution that popularized it in the first Place, wasn't only used by the Commune)
So whenever i see American Leftists use it for eachother, thinking it's a Political Thing among the Left & even try to gatekeep it, i wonder if they know it's history and it's Use to this day & how the Use of it in North America is basically because of their Movie Industry & Cold War Gouvernments, not really the People who's Definitions you want to adopt, especially if it's only North America that has this Definition of that Word
And yeah, i know your Comment was a Joke, but it reminded me of this weird Definition NA has for the Word, which applies to all kinds of other Words as well
American Exceptionalism i guess haha
Prost & Cheers from the Alps and stay safe everyone reading this
@@chartreux1532 it is a political thing if it is used as such. It is commonly used that way in american leftist circles, and granted that the Professor has collaborated with communists such as Spice8Rack I am guessing he has some familiarity with its usage in the states.
Its not exceptionalism to use a word the way it is used in a particular culture. It is presecriptivist to say it being used in other ways than the way it is used by you are wrong or worse
Yes a companys goal is to profit on its customers. Not sure what the COMRADE is about since CCCP ended before Magic: the Gathering was first printed.
Sounds like capitalism’s motto
@@janamohr448 Do you even know the definition of communism without googling it or is this meant to be one of those edgy token political remarks where we just smear social programs as communism? -.-
I don't think that most corporations are evil, I think they're just selfish, and self-motivated, like a lot of people are. Getting consumers to either not think about their agenda, or think about issues and only black and white terms, is how they keep doing what they want without scrutiny or deeper questioning. Part of why I really respect this channel is that it's willing to look at the issues in depth and sort out the differences. Collectors boosters can be good for the overall singles economy and still be bad products. We can acknowledge the positive impact they have in a greater sense, but that doesn't preclude us from advocating for them to be better products with a better value. In fact, I adamantly believe that if we don't do so, those larger impacts on the singles economy are only going to be temporary. Really great video, and really great points. As consumers, we need to be questioning, not necessarily judgmental but questioning, of a company's agenda, purpose, and the impacts of the intentional decisions they've made behind closed doors.
People don't buy singles because it's not as emotionally rewarding to do so, that's the value of it, not only the cards.
Yeah the gambling-like dopamine reward is a pretty big component. It’s why they put mystical archive in a low power set like strixhaven.
Buying singles isnt as satisfying as pulling chase cards
I disagree with the notion that buying singles isn't as emotionally rewarding as cracking packs.
If I buy a card for an EDH deck that I really like, whether it be the art, the card design or something else, getting that piece for my deck brings me joy, because if I've spent the money on the card, it means I'm invested in and have some attachment to that card.
Look, I enjoy opening packs as much as the next guy, but buying singles can be just as much, if not more, emotionally rewarding than cracking packs, and is obviously generally more rewarding with the cards you end up getting.
It's all about personal preference, and if you prefer cracking packs and find it more emotionally rewarding, all the power to you, I'm just advocating for the other side.
It makes sense to buy singles, but from my personal past experiences. Buying and selling singles have not been a good one that's really on the LGS.
Being able to afford my bills while also affording my hobby is waaaaaay more emotionally satisfying than pulling a chase card.
I played for the first time yesterday and have held off because of the games reputation for costing a lot. I watched your video to gain a perspective on why it costs so much and how to avoid paying to much for card. Thank you for the time to explaining this very clearly and I totally understood you perspective and agree. I just want to play this with my children at home and singles seems to be the best choice for me personally.
Thank you for taking the time to make this :)
Something about professor's videos always makes me want to have a can of pringles while I watch 🤔
man's got a crispy voice
Just buy collector's boosters! They're shiny cardboard Pringles
or popcorn
Just eat your MTG cards
This is my favorite video on this channel so far! Tyvm, kind sir!
Not a problem when you have ink and a printer 😂
@A Stoic's Door What’s the company named?
100% Agree. Proxy expensive cards. Don't crack packs, don't buy singles. It's foolish to spend $500+++ for a 100 cards you can only use in a casual format. Most of those cards will ultimately be power-creeped into obscurity.
@@Bookswinters yeah all I do is I try to buy the commander, but then I proxy most of the list. I’ve figured out quite a good formula to make them
@A Stoic's Door what's interesting is there's a decent chance that eventually no one will be able to tell the difference between counterfeits and the real thing.
@@SliderFury1 It is not really about fooling people at the end of the day. I'm very open that I play with proxies. Make the game affordable to play and there's no need to proxy. But when a commander deck costs the same as a gaming PC, a granite countertop, or round trip tickets to Paris I'm sorry the commander deck loses.
I've always enjoyed your content, Prof. Never have you not been clear as to what your goal was in your videos and I appreciate that. Thank you kind sir.
ProfesorIn Argentina, it's where I come from... buy singles is the only way.
Love discussions like this, very well spoken and understood.
They're out here bragging about great profits. Seems like a good time to remember that profits are unpaid wages.
7:15 this is actually true in my case, I stopped playing MTG years ago, but I still enjoy watching your videos, learning about whats going on with magic and also improving my English , so what u say about buy this or not doesn't really affect someone like me yet is very entertaining listening/watching your videos
I had thought the draft boosters not being available was just the pandemic, but it was intentional all along? Ooof
at the same time i was 'forced' to buy draft box because my LGS was out of set boosters :p
If you want to see if there is a shortage, check the shelves at walmart....for example the artificial shortage of jumpstart is exactly that.... artificial. Jumpstart boosters have been in stock at walmarts since the day of thier release....
I know it’s an obvious comment to state, but I really love how obvious it is sometimes that he is, indeed, a Professor. The way he breaks down his process around the 4minute mark is the exact way you break down an argumentative paper and it clearly shows. I’m not complaining, in fact I love it and it’s why I appreciate him as a UA-camr. You don’t always have to agree with his opinions, but you do always understand the process he uses to reach his conclusions and the justifications he has for doing so. He lays out his points and arguments clearly and effectively and I deeply appreciate that.