Magic: The Gatheringhas been reaching out of its comfort zone for a few years now, making the equivalent of collaborations for a trading card game by introducing Secret Lair sets, but also introducing main sets with unique themes and settings. Good examples of this come from theWilds of EldraineandMurders at Karlov Manorsets, which stray from the usual expansions for the TCG but in a good way, giving some tropes an interesting spin that still screamsMagic: The Gathering. Yet, Wizards of the Coast managed to drop one of the best sets in the game’s history this year withBloomburrow, which takes place on a plane of the same name populated by cute anthropomorphic critters.
While lovely animal tribes that mostly live in harmony and have overall positive and wholesome views of the world may seem a bit out of place forMagic: The Gathering, it totally works when considering the set’s story and lore. More importantly,MTG’sBloomburrowis currently one of the most successful expansions for the game, and that is probably due to the amazing art and refreshing theme of the set. The reception was mostly great and so were sales, still going strong (and actually with higher prices since launch) almost one month into release. But still, it’s not all roses.
Why Magic: The Gathering’s Bloomburrow Set is Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
MTG: Bloomburrow’s Market Rise and Fall Explained
Much likeMTG’sThe Lord of the Ringsset,Bloomburrowfeatures a few very rare, very sought-after cards that can single-handedly repay most of the value of a collector’s booster box. These cards, called Raised Foils (also known as Raised Anime Foils), are essentially borderless versions of other cards in the set, but with unique illustrations that resemble the esthetics of anime. Furthermore, they have raised golden motifs on the borders, resembling leaves. These cards are the set’s rarest and most valuable, but they are more the exception rather than the rule.
While not as valuable asMTG’s One Ring fromThe Lord of the Ringsset, each of these cards can range from $70 to over $200. The problem is that, because the set is so popular and sales are not slowing down, the rest ofBloomburrow’s cards have gradually dipped in value massively since the expansion was released. Some borderless and showcase rares and mythics can be worth even just a couple of dollars, even if they’re also foil, meaning that it can be quite hard to turn a profit or break even withBloomburrow- including with the coveted collector’s booster boxes.
Since the supply of non-Raised Foil cards from Bloomburrow is much higher than the corresponding demand, prices have dropped tremendously since launch. Some rare borderless or showcase cards can be worth a few cents, for example.
MTG: Bloomburrow’s Raised Anime Foils Are a Double-Edged Sword
This can be a problem, and it’s not exactly new forMagic: The Gatheringeither. However, the fact thatBloomburrowis such a widely loved setwith a lot of good cards in it doesn’t really save it from having, potentially, minimal returns on players' investments. A collector’s booster box can easily go for well over $250 now, and while there are still a bunch of great cards in the set that can be worth a lot, such as Three Tree City (and all its variations), the price is high mainly because of the Raised Foils.
Beautiful showcase cards like Mabel, Heir to Cragflame and Finneas, Ace Archer are worth less than $1. Mythics generally retain more value, however, with most being worth at least $3-4.
Pulling one can be an amazing feeling, but the fact that a unique and thematically interesting set can come crumbling down in value merely four weeks after launch is disappointing. As such, regular play boosters have a very poor return on investments from the get-go because their rates have been estimated at around 1.5 rares/mythics per pack or less, whereas collector’s boosters have 5 guaranteed rares or higher rarities per pack. Still, withMagic: The Gathering’sDuskmournsetbeing a little longer away, it seems likely thatBloomburrowproducts' prices will continue to rise for a while, whereas the cards from the expansion will hit new lows outside of the Raised Anime Foils.
Magic The Gathering
Magic the Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectable card game created by Richard Garfield and released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Players take on the role of a Planeswalker and use various cards to battle other players by casting spells, summoning creatures, or utilizing artifacts. It features two main rule categories, constructed or limited, and can be played by two or more players at a time.
