Since the moment it was announced, MTG players haven’t been too best pleased with the price of 30th Anniversary Edition. Initially, there was a tremendous amount of baffled hype in the opening moments of the product’s announcement. However, all that excitement quickly disappeared upon the reveal of the $999 price tag. Through this immense cost and the nature of the product, Wizards miraculously united reserved list proponents and adversaries. Albeit they were only united in hatred against Wizards for this comically disappointing product.
Since its reveal in early October, 30th Anniversary Edition hasn’t escaped the damning limelight. Every time it manages to escape the spotlight, it seems another controversy almost immediately brings it back. At first, calculations of the product’s immensely disappointing value had 30th Anniversary Edition enduring another wave of backlash. After that, Wizards decided to give away 30th Anniversary Edition packs to celebrities who could actually afford to buy them, drawing the ire of the community once more. Following some 30th Anniversary Edition packs being released into the wild, the criticisms have flared up again. As, to very few players’ surprise, 30th Anniversary Edition packs are reportedly already selling at a loss while also being incredibly unsatisfying to open.
Anniversary Edition Packs for the Anniversary
To make their 30th Anniversary birthday bash that much more eventful, ahead of the event, Wizards gave away a plethora of 30th Anniversary Edition packs. Shipped to only Black Lotus VIP ticket holders, alongside their expected loot, this surprise gift didn’t go down well. As expected, many players were outraged that Wizards gave away this product to only a subset of customers. Between the outrage, however, there was also a lot of curiosity about what cards were inside the packs players received. Previous calculations may have told us to expect disappointment, but now we finally have the chance to see it firsthand.
Thankfully, during Magic 30, we got to see just that. Despite the near guarantee that you’ll lose money, several MTG players couldn’t resist the temptation. YouTube user VanCream was one such player who miraculously obtained eight 30th Anniversary Edition packs to open. In a short, underwhelming, and somewhat joyless opening, VanCream tore through pack after pack to little fanfare. Even opening two copies of the
Scrubland
Scrubland
({T}: Add {W} or {B}.)
dual land couldn’t manifest even the faintest glimmer of excitement. This isn’t too surprising, considering that dual lands are twice as common as other Rares in 30th Anniversary Edition.
Ultimately, over the eight packs they opened, VanCream was left significantly in the red. In the video, VanCream opened
Winter Orb
Winter Orb
As long as this artifact is untapped, players can't untap more than one land during their untap steps.
,
Magical Hack
Magical Hack
Change the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all instances of one basic land type with another. (For example, you may change "swampwalk" to "plainswalk." This effect lasts indefinitely.)
,
Nether Shadow
Nether Shadow
Haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is in your graveyard with three or more creature cards above it, you may put this card onto the battlefield.
,
Reverse Damage
Reverse Damage
The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage. You gain life equal to the damage prevented this way.
,
Howling Mine
Howling Mine
At the beginning of each player's draw step, if this artifact is untapped, that player draws an additional card.
, 2x
Scrubland
Scrubland
({T}: Add {W} or {B}.)
, and
Braingeyser
Braingeyser
Target player draws X cards.
, as their rares. Using the original 1993 Collector’s Edition prices as a guideline, pulled roughly $653.47 worth of value. Not too bad for only three minutes of work… so long as you ignore the fact those packs cost $2000.
Instant Loss
Thanks to 30th Anniversary Edition’s immense price tag, VanCream only recuperated 32.67% of the packs’ unopened value. Unless you really want to try your luck, opening 30th Anniversary Edition packs seems like a terrible idea. Instead of cracking the packs yourself, the safest bet seems to be to sell off the packs unopened. As Reddit user, and Black Lotus VIP, u/Mooberries detailed, this appeared to be a popular choice during Magic 30. In their “honest review of the Black Lotus Experience,” u/Moonberries claimed that for their own 30th Anniversary Edition packs, they “sold them almost immediately to a Vendor for $800. Turned 60 ‘proxies’ into a
Gaea’s Cradle
Gaea’s Cradle
{T}: Add {G} for each creature you control.
.”
Obviously, getting an essentially free Gaea’s Cradle obviously isn’t anything to complain about, however, u/Moonberries notably only sold their packs for $800. I’m no world-renowned mathematician, but last time I checked, $800 is significantly less than $1000. As if the immediate $200 loss wasn’t bad enough, u/Moonberries claims the price dropped even further during Magic 30. “By the end of the weekend, Vendors were only buying them for $120/piece,” u/Moonberries claimed. That’s an immediate $520 loss for players who purchase the 30th Anniversary Edition box from Wizards.
With each Black Lotus VIP ticket holder being gifted four 30th Anniversary Edition packs, it’s safe to say that the market was flooded at Magic 30. Subsequently, players looking to offload this generous gift from Wizards faced a buyer’s market, leading to reduced value. Alongside Black Lotus VIPs each receiving packs, u/Moonberries claimed in their review that “anyone who stood in line for a Mark Rosewater signing at 4 pm-5:30 pm on Saturday also got packs for free.”
Magic: the Lottery
As u/Moonberries pointed out during their Reddit post, many players considered actually opening 30th Anniversary Edition packs gambling. While the chances absolutely aren’t in your favor, money will be earned after all. There was supposedly a rumor, for instance, that during Magic 30, “a vendor had purchased a Black Lotus for $1500.” This chance for profit may seem appealing. However, as we covered before, there’s only a 1 in 123 chance of pulling this prized card. Subsequently, in order to open a single $1500 Black Lotus, you’ll likely need to spend $24,000. Again, I’m no mathematician, but that seems like a bad deal.
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