Anyone who has moved past the beginner stage of being a Magic: The Gathering player will easily understand why purchasing it for collection can be more addicting than actually playing the game itself. Hence, why premium collector bundles like the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition box exist.
It's one of the most controversial yet bold moves made by MTG's parent companies, Wizards of the Coast. Of course, like any smart customer, one will want to know what they're getting before they commit. So before delving in or if just curious, here are 10 facts to know about the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition bundle.
10 ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE WOTC BUNDLES
Most players are no longer shocked by the huge products that WOTC releases on a yearly basis. These are collectors' cards and boxes that run anywhere from $200 to 300 USD. Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition managed to drop everyone's jaws when it came out with a $450 price tag.
This makes plenty of other bundles before it pale in comparison price-wise. It was enough to draw controversy to the bundle, especially since it's still a gamble regarding the cards one will acquire...
9 THE BOOSTER PACKS INCLUDED ARE COLLECTOR BOOSTERS
That's right, the main attraction of the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition is the 16 booster packs included. These are Collector Booster packs, by the way, which contain nine foil cards and some alternate art cards among the bunch.
The main difference is how much more valuable their cards are compared to the regular cards. The price difference between foil and non-foil cards is considerable enough, even for commons and uncommons. Moreover, Collector Booster packs supposedly cost around $20-$25, though it seems the prices have inflated today.
8 MAJORITY OF THE PRICE COMES FROM THE BOOSTER PACKS
Speaking of which, the price of the 16 Collector Booster packs in the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition adds up to $320 at the lowest. That very well makes it two-thirds the cost of the whole deluxe bundle.
Now, that calculation was for last year. Since an ample amount of time has passed and Throne of Eldraine boosters are dwindling in supply, the Collector Booster packs for them could easily go up by as much as 50 or even 100 percent depending on the seller. In that case, that makes those 16 booster packs more expensive than the whole Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition, assuming the bundle still costs $450.
7 TONS OF ADVENTURE CARDS
One good reason to justify getting the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition is, of course, the Throne of Eldraine cards, namely the ones with the Adventure mechanic. These cards are essentially two-for-ones and have broken the MTG meta many times over.
Now at the moment, there are currently no plans or announcements from WOTC regarding future Adventure cards or even reprints for that matter. That very well means the price of these things might shoot up a lot depending on their place in the meta.
6 NO GUARANTEE OF TOP-TIER CARDS
With all that said, the thing about booster packs is that they're one of the biggest gambles MTG players can take with regards to purchasing. Typically, booster packs only contain two rare or mythic cards; the rest are common, uncommon, lands, and tokens. Collector Booster packs are no exception.
That means there's only a guarantee of 32 rares/mythic cards in the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition. Some of them are bound to be "trash rares or mythics" and there's also a varying chance of getting cards with Adventure in them. But hey, at least they're all foil; it's still something to keep in mind in order to avoid frustration.
5 THE 3X3 BINDER IS MADE BY ULTRA PRO
The other attraction to the bundle would be the faux-leather 3x3 binder with the MTG logo at the front. It has no zipper but the overall look of elegance is achieved.
The binder itself is made by none other than Ultra PRO, one of the leading CCG accessory sellers and manufacturers. They do make better binders for cheaper price tags, like 4x3 with better functionality while still being relatively cheap. As for the quality, the company's reputation ought to precede it.
4 MTG ARENA BONUSES ARE RELATIVELY MINIMAL
Here's one of the more disappointing aspects of the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition, especially for those who spend more time in Magic: The Gathering Arena than paper. The only Arena bonuses are a Garruk sleeve and six free cards along with their alternate digital art styles.
A lot of potential buyers might want to take note of this, particularly those purchasing the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition pack hoping for Arena bling. It's great if one likes Garruk or green tribal decks, but that's about it.
3 THE "UNCUT FOIL SHEET" IS JUST A SLICE
Another collector item included in the box would be the uncut foil sheet. The uncut sheets contain 11x11 cards. However, the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition's uncut foil sheet is only 3x3. Technically that makes it a cut sheet, or an uncut sheet junior. It's more compact and more manageable to display, at the very least.
2 IT'S NOT FOR MOST PLAYERS
Now, having a $450 price tag at the time of release makes this product above a lot of players' budgets. That's how WOTC likely intended it; it's a premium product for premium buyers or some of the most hardcore CCG collectors with enough income to spare.
For the regular FNM-goer or kitchen-table wizard, the price is just too outrageous. That's because it doesn't offer much in terms of playability or in-game usefulness. Heck, some of the target buyers for this probably don't even play MTG anymore and just want to collect shiny cards.
1 LOW SUPPLY
Since it was made for the richest and most dedicated collectors of MTG, the Throne of Eldraine Deluxe Edition isn't that abundant. It's like a limited edition book or clothing item, bought more for status and pride than for practicality.
That also means there are low stocks on it in the official store. Even the price on eBay far exceeds the release SRP for the deluxe bundle. Likewise, the resale value of its contents or even the whole bundle itself will likely only go up as the years go by. The clock's ticking for potential buyers, but most are content to just enjoy blissful cardboard slinging at a lower price point.