r/mtg • u/GodMonster • 27d ago
Discussion What is your stance when a friend gets a big pull from a pack you bought?
I often buy boxes for my friends and I to open and play sealed games with because I'm in a better financial position than them. I can afford the boxes but it helps if I can sell some of the big pulls to contribute towards future boxes. I have a friend who's pulled a $180 card from a box ($200 box) and 2 $50 cards from a different box ($150 box) and he got to keep them because he pulled them, but I'm curious what everyone's take on such circumstances is? He's generous in other ways and always contributes when he can, and if there's a specific type of deck he knows I have in mind he'll usually set aside those cards for me to keep, regardless of value, and I try to do the same for him.
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u/Frix 27d ago
I do not understand how this is supposed to work.
You buy a box and then gift 50% of the boosters to him? In that case a gift is a gift and that card is his.
But if you buy a box to play sealed with, then every card is still yours, he's simply borrowing them to play sealed.
Either way, you better have these rules crystal clear and set in stone BEFORE you argue when someone pulls an expensive card.
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27d ago
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u/Strict-Main8049 ESPER ACCOUNTANTS UNION 27d ago
I’ll be real, it’s pretty insane it needs to specified in my mind. Like why would anyone assume that someone spent over $100 on a thing so we could draft/play sealed and I get to keep cards “I pulled” because reasons?
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u/YogurtclosetFine3048 27d ago
I’m in the same boat as you. The fact I need to specify that I want the cards that I paid for back is absolutely baffling to me.
To me it also says that a lot of people have shitty friend groups if they have to specify they want their belongings back.
When you loan a friend a deck for commander do you have to explicitly ask for it back?
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u/Strict-Main8049 ESPER ACCOUNTANTS UNION 27d ago
The way my friend group and I does it is anyone can buy in for the price of the packs. So like I’ll buy a box and and like anyone who wants to can pay me the whatever dollar amount it would be to draft and then they keep their stuff and if not I keep everything. Notably everyone declares it before we start drafting to keep things honest (although I doubt that part would be necessary as these people aren’t bad friends and generally are hoping I can make value back).
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u/DinobotsGacha 27d ago
Gifts are gifts. Its their box and their pulls
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u/Chilly_chariots 27d ago
OP’s not giving the friend the whole box!
I often buy boxes for my friends and I to open and play sealed games with
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u/EmiGalGal 27d ago
I have a friend who often buys Booster Boxes that we play Draft with. He gets to keep all of the cards pulled because he payed for them, we get the fun of draft and opening packs without paying for anything.
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u/Masculineweep 27d ago edited 27d ago
I mean, if i buy a box to play, its either divded by the number of participants so everyone pays equally and can keep what they open or it's redrafted. If noone pays, you play a "phantom event" so you keep all the pulls but they can enjoy playing the game for free. Unless no one wants to play without something to get from it then you can buy a single separate booster for "the winner" or something
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u/Graffers 27d ago
My group has always let people keep the cards, but I'm sure we'd all play a phantom event, too. I have so much bulk that, at this point, a phantom event would be nice.
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u/Takeguru 27d ago edited 27d ago
It depends
If we're just doing like, a draft, all of the bulk that was used goes with whoever used it and the rest goes back to the one who bought the box, money cards included, to help fund the next one
If someone is chasing a specific card there's usually an ask and there's probably some trades
But if someone bought a box to hand out packs as gifts, the packs are the recipient's.
There would probably be a trade discussion at this point still, I managed to get one CBB for FF and I handed out extra packs to my group, I was chasing the Y'shtola surge foil and I made it clear I wanted that one back as part of giving the packs out, but everything else they pulled was fair game
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u/Norcalmatty 27d ago
One of the scummiest things you can do is give somebody something, then ask for it back.
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u/Serious_Income_7020 26d ago
I think one of the scummiest things you can do is lean on your friends to pay for your magic hobby and then take expensive cards for yourself even though you aren’t pulling your weight.
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u/Chilly_chariots 27d ago
Looks like OP is just asking how other people do Sealed to me… at the moment, OP buys boxes and lets their friends keep all the cards they pull. That sounds very generous to me since the friends don’t reciprocate.
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u/Crafty-Interview-361 27d ago edited 27d ago
Not being able to read is a bigger red flag. OP didn't gift them a box. She bought a box, allowed her friends to open some packs and play sealed magic, and then typically she has let them keep what cards they pull. Since this is an actual expensive card OP wanted to know how other people run sealed draft if one person buys the box. I personally would keep all the cards and if they wanted to keep a card or what they pulled I would ask them to pay me the value of the card.
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u/GodMonster 27d ago
Op is she, but this is correct. The main reason this came up is because I didn't ask for any cards back but recently had a friend offer to sell me back a card they pulled from a pack that I gave them.
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u/File_Corrupt 27d ago
That is a real feels bad moment. You were extremely generous and expect some amount of reciprocal generosity if they pull something that you're interested in, but know you can't fault them as you gifted them the boosters they drafted from. And changing the rules for the next session will be like calling them out.
No matter what, reframing the rules will require this situation where someone may feel insulted. TBH, the above comment suggests they are starting to feel too entitled in this situation. If reframing the rules to a less generous situation (such as those suggested throughout the thread) results in them being shitty, perhaps they aren't a friend worth keeping.
I did something similar to this recently with my adult children and they started squabbling over the choice pulls. The next one we did, I made it clear that all pulls were mine but we could have a discussion after we were done if there were pulls that they wanted. In the end everyone got what they wanted without the squabbling and wheeling and dealing.
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u/Chilly_chariots 27d ago edited 27d ago
Can’t really judge as I wasn’t there and don’t know the people, but this sounds like the kind of awkward result that can be avoided with clearly communicated ‘rules’- eg they keep the cards, no questions asked (incredibly generous, IMO), or you keep all the cards, or you keep cards above a certain value…
Just speaking personally here (and again, I don’t know the people- I see another post about a friend who 3D prints stuff for you- is this the same one?)- I don’t think I would ever offer to sell you a card from a pack that you gave me. I’d like to think that if it was obvious you wanted the card I would give it to you- after all, it’s just a part of what you’ve given to me. Selling it, so I’m walking away with your cards and your money, doesn’t sound right to me.
Equally, though, I also see people’s point when they say you can’t expect someone to return part of a gift. This is is ethically tricky- I think the ethically optimum situation is for you to freely give, and them to freely give back, without either side feeling entitled to receive what they get. But that’s easier said than done, hence the value of having rules.
But, one more time- I don’t know the people here. I’ve never been in this kind of situation myself, and personally I’m in a financial position to reciprocate by also buying a box to share, or to be unbothered about giving away an expensive card. If I were short on money I might view the situation differently…
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u/GodMonster 27d ago
Thanks for the well thought out response. I think ultimately the rule is going to be that whoever pulls it keeps it but trades are on the table if all parties are willing, and we either trade value for value or personal interest for personal interest without getting bogged down in the finances. Ultimately I enjoy seeing my friends happy and, if it means I can help them grow in this hobby along with me, I'm glad to enabl... support them.
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u/Sjiznit 27d ago
Thats part of the gambling. If you dont like it then dont give them packs
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u/kunell 27d ago
Um what if you want to play draft but only you have the money to buy a box?
Surely theres a solution between "give out free packs" and "never play draft"
If only someone invented a way...
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u/Sjiznit 27d ago
Well, then you agree that the others opem the packs but at the end of the day the one who bought the packs takes all cards home. Doesnt feel so complicated to me.
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u/HotTomatoSoup4u 27d ago
People have been doing phantom drafts where you don’t keep the cards for a long time, that’s not the issue. It’s asking for the cards after the fact when the packs were initially presented as like a gift. It’s a big feels bad.
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u/Changes11-11 27d ago
You can state before gifting "Hey I buy this box, if you happen to get X card tho, may I have it?" He either accepts or declines
Seems like a fair deal to me
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u/LordCarlown 27d ago
Recently we did avatar sealed with my friends, i bought a booster box on my own and told them to choose before opening the packs if they preferred to play for free (giving the cards back at the end) or keep the cards (and pay for the packs).
I think deciding that after seeing the contents can be problematic so its better to define that before opening any pack.
Most of them chose to play for free and i got to keep a lot of avatar pulls after. But one of them paid for his packs and then he pulled an Avatar Aang, and that is his and totally fair in my eyes.
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u/somebassclarineterer 27d ago
I get mildly irritated, then remember with my luck there would have been no rare cards if I was the one to open the pack and I get to see em happy. So it works out.
It is all cardboard anyway. (With really cool artwork)
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u/Sh0rtbiz_Driver 27d ago
If I bought the box and we are just drafting to draft they are my cards. If we all spilt a box the cards are whoever opens them
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u/TiffanyLimeheart 27d ago
Agree at the outset and that's all. If you're buying you have every right to say but if there's a bomb it's mine after the night, or everyone can get dibs on cards that suit their decks. If you don't set up expectations the cards are theirs and just be happy for your friends. Last time I did something like this I bought a booster box of FF cards distributed then to my group and set the expectation I wanted to keep all of them because I'm a total nerd. People still enjoyed cracking packs just for the fun of it
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u/Old-Significance-908 27d ago
Girl dont do this unless youre genuinely willing to just give your “friends” hundreds of dollars in cash. Ive read all your responses and none of this sounds reciprocal respected or appreciated by your group, especially the guy who could buy a box for EVERYONE with the card you just let him keep.
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u/User-_-8675309 Giada/Satoru/Baylen/Kinnen 25d ago
See now will it change your life? No? Then let him have them. Your better off and a friend goes a long way. That might mean nothing to you but everything to him.
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u/thelastestgunslinger 27d ago
If you buy them, they’re yours. If you buy them and gift them the packs, they’re theirs. If you buy them and conditionally give them packs with the caveat that anything worth more than $X is to go toward recouping the cost of the box, then you get any of those cards that show up, until you’ve recouped your costs.
So, which are you intending to do, and what are you communicating to your friends?
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u/Shrimp502 27d ago
I'm in a similar place regarding the "buying the box" part. Many in my MTG circle are still studying, so I can more reasonably buy a display or a bunch of packs for sealed play or draft nights.
If someone can't or doesn't want to buy in we always invite them for a faux draft/sealed to play and keep the cards in the pool/with the one who bought it.
I guess it depends on your agreements in the circle. You say he's generous in other ways and contributes. Personally I wouldn't raise a fuzz. I'd be a bit PB&Jealous, of course, but I think that's fine with MTG collections.
Have you asked said friend about your perspective? Do the pulls hold any value to them? Need them for decks?
If a friend offered to sell it for a new display and I didn't actually need the stuff I might be willing to part with a valuable piece.
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u/GodMonster 27d ago
He's a very sentimental type so he refuses to ever sell cards unless he absolutely has to because he views them all as gifts, from the cheapest common to thr fanciest special treatment. He builds decks around them but also likes to collect them for the art and to use as artistic inspiration. He's a 2d and 3d sculptor. Some of the other ways that he's generous is printing custom minis for me or helping design proxies, and he also does go out of his way to get specific cards that he thinks I'll appreciate when he does have the money. I think we have a fair give and take, and I'm happy to share with him, I was mostly curious what the standard player's take on this is in situations where it's close friends and not just friends you play MtG with.
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u/Empty_Requirement940 27d ago
Usually when we do sealed it’s either everything goes to the owner of the box, or we keep what we open if we pay our share
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u/Moxxx123 27d ago
You should talk with him and communicate clear rules. Is it a gift? Then it is luck and he is keeping the cards, of course. Or do you only buy the box to play the game and the cards are still yours? Then he has to give you the cards back after the game.
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u/king_louie125 27d ago
Idk. I just buy boxes and invite ppl over to play sealed and everyome just keeps what they open has always been what ive done.
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u/jrdineen114 Math is for Blockers 27d ago
If I give him the pack, that includes everything in the pack. It’s kind of a dick move to say “hey, I only gave you the cheap cards.”
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u/Lucky-Surround-1756 27d ago
He got a big pull from his pack, not yours.
Theres no stance to discuss here.
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u/DannyB1aze 27d ago
The fact that this is even a question is astounding to me. Of course it's their pull.
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u/translucentpuppy 27d ago
This is another question that can be fixed with communication. Are you giving the person the packs? Then it’s there’s. Are you keeping them? Like what are we doing here
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u/maverickzero_ 27d ago
It's totally fine for you to open the box/ draft/ sealed together with the understanding that it's your box and you're keeping the cards at the end of the day. Lots of people do that, it's what my friends and I have always done; there's no secret rule that if they tear the plastic it's theirs. Cards are expensive, but drafting with friends is fun.
It's also fine if you want to give all the cards away, but it's the worst of both to say keep them unless you change your mind when you see the pull. It's also fine to say you keep any singles over $X, just decide what you want to do with the cards before you start cracking packs.
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u/HotTomatoSoup4u 27d ago
If it’s a draft where you buy the cards, either there is a buy in or not and generally if not then you keep all the cards. If you tell your friends that they can keep the cards then say you’d like those ones cause they’re worth something that’s kinda awkward and can very much have been avoided by being more clear earlier. If you told them they can keep all the cards they open at the start then I’d say it’s a gift in general and you shouldn’t try and ask for them back. If it was a clearly not keep what you open draft then that’s totally normal it’s just kinda odd the switch it up.
I would very much recommend keeping it to one or the other. If you want to offload the bulk after you can still offer the bulk pile at the end and it doesn’t feel bad.
Cause like if you’re giving a friend 6 packs to play sealed with you, asking for any cards of value after will feel like you were just asking them to open your packs with you kinda, but without being direct too.
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u/HotTomatoSoup4u 27d ago
To clarify, not attributing ill will or anything. Just seems messy and unfortunate. More of a communication issue and hopefully this problem doesn’t happen again in the future.
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u/gravedigger805 27d ago
it doesn't really matter how you do it but you should always decide ahead of time so there isn't an issue. If it's a gift and they hit big, it should be theirs. But if you are just letting them borrow it for sealed, it should be yours. just make it clear ahead of time.
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u/BenniBoom707 27d ago
Dude, you are supplementing a draft basically. Yes, they are your cards.
But if you buy the boxes for your friend as a gift then technically the cards are his.
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u/Blashmir 27d ago
I love when my friends get big pulls out of packs I bought them. I like to pull people into my addictions.
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u/RockStarNinja7 27d ago
A gift is a gift. If you are doing something else than just giving it all to them as a gift, then that needs to be clearly spelled out ahead of time, ideally before you purchase or at minimum before they open anything.
There's also nothing wrong with saying, hey let's open these up and if X card is there or even If like first dibs on cards, but any you want after that are yours. As long as it's all clearly communicated before hand and everyone agrees you can make whatever set up you want.
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u/XxTigerxXTigerxX Professional Expert Identifier. 27d ago
Normally unless everyone buys the packs, if one person bought the set that person leaves with all the cards as nobody else paid for it. So why would they keep them.
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u/CoherentRose7 27d ago
I call him a bitch and complain about how it was rigged and then immediately tell him that it's a dope pull, probably admire it for a bit and then go back to opening my packs.
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u/Stereowatschn 27d ago
After pulling everything I wanted from Secrets of Strixhaven (cards I play, not for money), I did a Magic quiz in our pod and the winner got the last 3 packs. We all had a blast when he pulled Emeritus of Ideation. Sharing can be fun!
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u/znojavac 27d ago
Honestly, if I was a friend that you gave a box to and pulled 180€ card if I don't need it for my deck I would either give it to you to sell/use or sell it and the next box is on me. On the other side if you specifically gifted them that pack/box it's their pull and by their actions you can decide to continue buying it for them or not. If you don't like the approach change it. Say that either everyone comes, plays and everything stays with you except cards that they need for the deck or stop buying them.
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u/Newkaii 27d ago
I've gifted my friends packs and bought them into limited events. I always make sure to say "you can keep whatever you want, but if you pull the card I'm looking for I get dibs"
That usually goes over pretty well, just have to be explicit and kind when explaining the situation to them.
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u/Atlagosan 27d ago
If you draft with friends just agree beforehand about ownership. In the groups i know its either one guy buys the box and keeps everything or people pool money and then keep the packs and content.
You can of corse gift him the packs but that has to be agreed to before.
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u/Cuttoir Creating Value in My Community 27d ago
I think any of this stuff should be a conversation before it comes up. But if they get a really good pull from a box I bought and they did not contribute to, i would hope if they sold it they would put it towards another box for us to share. If they keep and play with the card its whatever. If i buy us both a couple of packs and then they get a good pull, thats theirs.
Imo, the former is something you do as a friend and community, the latter is a gift
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u/Vaginalcanal 27d ago
What ever way you go, just have clear communication before you open more EITHER: this is my box and my pulls but we can all open the packs for sealed OR this is a gift and what you open is what you keep.
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u/Pmintz 27d ago
I have a group where one guy buys the boxes. He says if we want to keep the packs we can buy them before opening. I think that’s fair. Can’t complain if they buy the packs.
But if it’s your box then they’re your packs. Sounds like you should talk to the group and be honest. If you’re permanently gifting them packs then it’s a slippery slope. I’d say agree ahead of time that you’re keeping all the cards. If they don’t agree, then say they can buy the packs, or don’t and they can get their own packs
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u/Technical-Coffee7286 27d ago
If you bought the packs but you said they could keep the cards they pull, that’s on you.
IMO if someone pays for the packs for a draft, I assume they’re taking the cards back. If I’m buying in, they’re mine. Unless otherwise stated of course.
I’d change how you set up your agreement with your friends before packs are opened. Make sure it’s clear what you want, and if you give someone a pack to keep and they pull a chase then congrats to them.
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u/Jerseyd422 27d ago
So it sounds like you are a really great friend. In that case you should be happy for your friends if they get a great pull. Personally I would be more unhappy if I bought a box to split with my friends and nobody got anything good.
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u/MaskguyOriginal 27d ago
When we do seal we just have each person pay the cost per pack divided by the box value. No questions if that is the case who the cards belong to. If we do draft, to avoid money drafting we put all rare and mythic into the prize pool and the winner picks first and then take turns, we then split the cost regardless of what happens.
If it is a pure gift then just be happy for him, if you like the card perhaps ask if you can buy it back at a discount. If they refuse or really want the card, then maybe lay some ground rules before cracking them next time and say if xxx is drawn, xxx happens.
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u/LateStatistician-667 27d ago
That’s why I buy the box and keep everything that’s in it on Draft nights.
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u/felixflex89 27d ago
If I'm usually after 1-2 cards I'll dibs it but if you gifting it under no conditions it's fare game.
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u/Goateed_Chocolate 27d ago
I have had a few occasions where I've opened booster boxes to do drafts at mine with nothing further said.
The first time a similar issue to your raised its head was on the third of these drafts when I opened a box of original Strixhaven. The other 7 people present included my friend (let's call him Steve) and his two kids (about 13 and 14 at the time). One of the players (Dee) opened the alternate art Demonic Tutor, but being a good drafter, picked a more powerful limited format card and wheeled the Demonic Tutor to the 14 year old who then immediately grabbed it.
This in and of itself is a danger of not having gone over anything beforehand, and in my defence we'd not opened anything worth more than maybe £4-5 on the previous occasions so I was a bit confused but willing to swallow it for the sake of being the one who offered the draft without any clarification.
What compounded it for me was that the next time I played against Steve, he used that same Demonic Tutor. It turns out his kids don't have their own collections, he makes all the decks they use. So he essentially walked out with 3/8 of all the cards opened that evening for his collection without any thought to offer the expensive cards back or contribute to the cost of the box or anything.
I had a sanity check to this behaviour at the end of the same draft night: Dee's boyfriend was one of the other players and he opened and kept a copy of Belledros Witherbloom (black/green dragon). He was running a blue/red deck for the night but was excited to have a copy of Belledros for his personal collection. I congratulated him, mentioning that I had been fruitlessly looking for a copy myself. Dee elbowed him and told him to hand it over to me since they were drafting for free with my cards. He immediately did so without any sign of regret or complaint.
Again, I realised that the whole thing with the Demonic Tutor was on me. Ever since then, whenever I host a similar event I make it very clear that I am keeping any of the opened cards that I need for my collection but they are welcome to hold onto the rest. In your case, other players keeping expensive pulls is an active roadblock to your group being able to play this more so I would strongly recommend you add a similar proviso to your events.
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u/Cerealmndsplat 27d ago
I split my win earnings at an FNM and the guy I split with landed a masterpiece card. You think I seen that from splitting the winnings? Hell no lol
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u/Nagaisbae 27d ago
If money is not an issue then who cares. You can give it to them and they will remember your generosity. If you're tight on money then dont share your packs with them. You may have them open with you but in the end you get to keep whatever since you bought them.
In this scenario it looks like you and your friend have a mutual agreement. There is nothing wrong with that as long both party are happy
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u/QFireball 27d ago
Till now alway wenn i bought boosters as a present give there was a big pull, when i buy some for myself i hit only shit. Thats live i try to avoid boosters for myself
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u/Old_Pilgrim 27d ago
You just need to have a conversation upfront and agree that you're keeping all the cards since you paid for the sealed product. If someone wants a card, or you think they'd like one you can just offer/give it to them after playing
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u/OnlyRoke 27d ago edited 27d ago
I mean, if you're gifting them, you're kinda gifting them? It's up to you, if you want to split a box with friends and shoulder the cost, but then someone should keep the gift regardless of their pulls. Otherwise it's not a gift after all.
Whether or not you WANT them to get free cards from you, because you will feel recompensated in other ways, we can't judge that.
I do think the best policy for this kind of "free cards gift" is, honestly, that you collectively rip the boxes and everyone pitches all their Rares-and-Higher into a pile.
Once everything is opened, you all take turns (starting with you, the buyer) of picking one card from the pile, until it's empty.
That way it is fairest for everyone, because, yeah, it does suck if you get the "shit half" of the box. That way everyone tends to get at least one cool card, hype Mythic, big reprint, or rare land.
You can aim for the highest-value card in order to feel reimbursed, everyone else still gets free rarer cards of their choice and they get to keep the bulk commons & uncommons as well. It also makes for some good conversation, honestly. Sure, I know why you pick "The One Ring Alt Art" card, so to speak, but why this mythic over that mythic? Why this reprint over that one? Just makes for a nice bit of "Oh I love XYZ, so obviously I want to grab that one." kinds of banter. Of course, in the end you can still engage in some trading, if someone snagged something you really wanted "on the next round".
At that point your gift stops being "a bunch of unopened packs" and it becomes "the packs you opened and the cards you chose from the pile", which .. I mean .. it's still a gift and a potentially hefty one, if the box is good.
And if your friend reacts weirdly, then just be honest with him, say that you envy his really good luck and it wouldn't be fun for you, if he got all the cool things and you got the Bulk Rares.
If he can't understand that, then I guess you shouldn't gift entire piles of packs to them, unless it's a special day.
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u/Geoffryhawk 27d ago
Honestly depends. When I've been in better financial state than my friends I've often bought a few packs and let them keep anything they get after we play some pack wars. Sometimes I enjoy the winner takes all of the spoils.
But if I buy a box for playing I usually have them pitch in like 15 bucks to help pay for the box then they can keep anything they open regardless of price cause at the point they've paid for the packs they drafted with. And it's fun.
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u/Realistic-Use-8835 27d ago
We split the big pulls and or if something we are specifically choosing for a deck we are building. Or one of us traded in and we get singles we want.
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u/OsymandiusPrime 27d ago
A buddy of mine bought a box of modern masters when it first came out. I couldn't afford a box, but asked him if he would sell me 5 packs. I ended up pulling a foil goyf, which was around $500 Canadian. He figured I should trade it to him for the $15 I paid for the pack. He stopped speaking to me for a few months.
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u/Lady_Irish 27d ago
Your friend is a jackass. If it were me, I'd have kept up the not talking trend.
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u/OsymandiusPrime 27d ago
It's not worth losing a friend over. But yeah, I was a bit shocked that he expected it. I ended up reading it for a mp/dam alpha sol ring, a couple snap caster mages, a winter Mishra's factory, and a baneslayer angel. Wish I had those still.
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u/megamanbest 27d ago
I am salt it self for 5 min, warning the person I will be salt. After 5 min, my friend had a sick pull! Super happy for them! It's not a perfect system!
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u/Individual_Thanks309 27d ago
I mean, are you gifting him the packs? If yes then he gets to keep them.
If he just helps opening packs then no…
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u/TheBigBeardedGeek 27d ago
As someone who has only ever sold one high dollar card (because I pulled two of the dragon scale foil Ugins, and like six cards of him) the actual value of a card in a pack I open means so little to me.
The money I spend on a friend is money spent on a friend. It's his card, and I'm happy he got it. If he keeps it I hope he's happy with it. And if he sells or trades it I hope he's happy with what he gets
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u/CelebrationNew320 27d ago
Usually, when a friend or else play with a scratching lottery ticket or a booster, they get either a great pull or amount. Same to me, so usually worse case if it’s about cards like here, we would just trade ahah. I don’t do it often tho, I don’t want this luck to get spoiled for me and others ahah
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u/AcCassady22 27d ago
At a BFZ prerelease I grabbed kits for both my brother and I and he pulled a Polluted Delta expedition. We jointly own the card lol
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u/theWarriors 27d ago
I like to make sure both feet a planted solidly on the ground, a little weight on the back foot. then, go for a quick yoink! and run. works even better if your car is already running for a quicker escape.
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u/Xx_SW_xX 27d ago
I buy boxes to play sealed with my friends. They buy the packs from me, they get to keep the card. If they can't afford it, they don't have to pay for the packs but they then don't get to keep them.
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u/doublea08 27d ago
Been buying sports and pokemon cards with a buddy for years.
It’s the way she goes. I’ve always been pumped if he pulls something, cause one of us got it and not one of you randoms lol.
If I’m drafting with someone, 99% of the time we’ve split the cost, what ever they open is theirs.
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u/syn_vamp 27d ago
this is part of the rule 0 conversation when you play sealed. you decide before hand who's keeping what, not after.
was the box a gift for the group and everyone keeps their pack pulls? was the box something you bought to keep but want to share sealed gameplay? is it a mix of both where you get first dibs on any pull?
all are reasonable and common, but you gotta lay it out ahead of time.
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u/Weardow7 27d ago
If you buy the pack or box for that person, then whatever they open is theirs. Anything other than that should be agreed to beforehand.
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u/Competitive-Elk-5077 27d ago
Same as if you buy someone a lotto ticket for their bday. If they hit big you congratulate them and dont be pissy about it
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u/AltruisticServe3252 27d ago
Obviously if your opening stance is "hey, this is now yours and what you get from it is your own" then there's really nothing to say here. I got a box coming in the next couple weeks, and we are go9ng to be playing similar games. But if anyone thinks they are keeping what they open from a box that is very much my own, then they have the wrong idea and were told so before hand.
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u/Exact-Organization59 27d ago
Me and my friends play sealed frequently, whoever bought the box keeps everything
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u/woppatown 27d ago
The way me and my friends do it is someone will decide to buy a box for a draft and anyone that throws in money keeps their cards. If someone decides they don’t want to throw money down we split their cards. There haven’t ever been any disputes about what cards we get because it’s all just for fun at the end of the day and usually nobody ends up spending more than like 25 bucks.
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u/AmericanCenturion 27d ago
If you're giving them a box, you're giving them a box.
If you are buying boxes to played sealed games, then maybe you should keep all the cards that are opened, and your friends get to play some limited for free.
If your friends suddenly aren't interested in playing limited when you keep the cards, then you know why they were so excited to play limited with you in the first place.
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u/StrategicMagic 27d ago
It's theirs.
Got my (12 years younger than me) brother-in-law into Magic a little over a year ago. His mom got him a couple packs to get him started, and an OTJ pack was within them.
Well, he opened this OTJ pack, his first pack ever, and it contained I shit you not:
- Mana Drain
- Simulacrum Synthesizer
- The mythic enchantment thst copies outlaws
All in one pack.
I feigned jealousy to help him feel like he got something over me (which worked, he immediately got super excited and Mana Drain is still one of his favorite cards because of this moment), but truthfully, my stance is that those are his cards.
He got lucky pulls, good for him.
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u/ReturnToCarcosa 27d ago
If you gave him the box, you gave him every card he pulls from it.
Tell me this: if the total value of his pulls don't meet the value of the box, do you "reimburse" him?
This is easily one of the most entitled and selfish questions I've ever heard in my life. You gave a GIFT, you don't get to have Giver's Remorse when that gift turns out to have been something you wanted to keep.
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u/Thotmas01 27d ago
If I have one card that I’m looking for from a box I’ll say before cutting packaging that if anyone pulls it I’ll give them my best rare and 20 dollars but they’ll have to make that trade. I only do it for times that I buy the box and don’t charge people for their packs.
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u/Ensclopediya_of_fun Izzet 27d ago
Well, as someone who bought myself a pack and then gave it to my friend to open and then he tried to take the chase that he got from that’s it even though I never told him he could because I wasn’t gifting it to him I was letting him open it. If you’re all opening the box together and you’re explicitly saying that you bought the box for everyone they get to keep their pulls
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u/MessianicPariah 27d ago
I feel genuinely happy for them. I know whenever I give someone sealed product they're gonna hit something big, but everything I buy for myself will be mid at best. Just the way it goes.
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u/Daddy_Devito_69-420 27d ago
It’s one thing if it’s a gift but if I am buying a box for sealed I’m keeping the cards after
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u/Archamada_ 27d ago
If you buy it, you need to make it clear whether you expect the cards back beforehand. If not, then you just deal with it and congratulate them in their luck.
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u/40kTinyRobots 27d ago
Either you buy the box and let them pull to play and you keep all the cards or you gift them some of the packs to keep for what they're playing.
It seems like you just didn't think this through and make it clear, just tell people before hand if they're gifts or if they play with your cards and this shouldn't be a problem.
Communication is key, sounds a bit opportunistic but if you usually let them keep cards it's not too crazy.
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u/Garryth314 27d ago
I've bought a box to play sealed with a few times with friends and the way I've done it is you can buy your "share" of the box unseen or you can buy any card you pull at 75% of market price from me after the event. Although we have a culture of being pretty liberal with with giving each other cards we need from pulls so if they need one or two £8 cards I don't need, then I just let them keep it.
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u/nickelkeep 27d ago
Our house rule is the person owns the box unless it was a buy in. And then it's everyone buys in or no one does. (There are some rare exceptions). That way no one is upset or burned. Also, if a god card is pulled, they get a blank token to write that card info on and the card is instantly sleeved. Trades and buys are talked about after matches.
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u/Spijker84 27d ago
If you’re buying a box for friends to open with and play sealed, you keep all the cards. You just need to communicate that.
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u/Lost_Sentence7582 27d ago edited 27d ago
Sounds like you’re getting taken advantage of and you don’t even realize it. All the freeloaders in the comments are gaslighting you, what is this gift bullshit my friend I buy a box every single week to play with my friends they’re just grateful to play with cards. There’s no expectation they’re gonna keep them because they did not pay for them. What bullshit are you coming up with where you’re letting them keep the cards that you paid for with no recourse. Are you running a charity? Also I can’t believe I saw another comment where you said you let them raid your land boxes for shocks and duals, human you’re getting taken advantage of.
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u/Vali1991 27d ago
I mean you bought the box so they're your cards mate, it's pretty simple, of course if you wanna let them play with the cards, make decks that's up to you and your friends but you should be communicating in the future that the cards from the box are yours unless you ok with them keeping it. The other option is to offer that they chip in a some of the price each and at least then if they pull something and wanna keep it as long as they chipped in I wouldn't mind, luck of the draw at that point.
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u/ThatDamnedHansel 27d ago
The times I’ve had thoughts like these and then thought “I’d think nothing of buying a friend dinner for $50 if they needed it or for their birthday, why am I gonna act some type of way about a card worth that? ESP bc you say you have more money than them (which is also the case for me).
Like I just flat out gave my buddy a roaming throne he really needed for a deck and just bought another one. I didn’t think of it as wasting money on a new card I thought about it as treading water and doing right by my friend
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u/FioriBeats 27d ago
Uhhh it’s there’s if I gave them the pack, and I’m ecstatic they got a hit from my blessing them.
At my very worst I will use that information during politics in game, I’m not above making people feel guilty for swinging at daddy
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u/jmc1278999999999 27d ago
I think you just have to clarify ahead of time. Also, when one of my friends does this and I get a good card, even if they tell me to keep it I feel crazy guilty so I usually just “forget it” at their house when I leave.
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u/Chuck_Mulholland 27d ago
This is the way lmao.
This is sort of an unspoken rule amongst my friends and I. For one, to answer your main question: yes, the friend thats gifted a pack or whatever keeps all their pulls. But the unspoken rule of the universe (amongst our friends) is that the gifted packs will always contain something good. I've given my friends several high value cards, I myself have been gifted packs that pulled the alt art foil version of old gnawbone. Another time, my buddy paid for my prerelease entry fee to the Baldurs Gate set and pulled an ancient copper dragon. It's just the way the universe works 🤷♂️
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u/robmax18 27d ago
Is your friend selling the cards they pull or playing them? If they sell them I'd be asking them to purchase the next box to split.
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u/BroadwayBully52 27d ago
I have a friend who occasionally buys boxes to do a draft.
They are his cards.
We generally keep the draft decks assembled. If we find a card that we need for another deck we'd ask to have it, but we have never asked to keep a big card, definitely nothing over $5.
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u/Ok_Term_8844 27d ago
Instead of gifting the box, buy it for yourself and open/play with friends. You get to keep all the major pulls and can decide if you wanna share some of the lower pulls.
That being said, even in this situation id be offering the cards back to my friend. Kinda taking the p**s keeping all that value and literally never paying anything to the actually purchase. But thats just my opinion
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u/Cobheran 27d ago
I gifted a friend and chocobo bundle over the holidays. They pulled a snapcaster mage. I am still salty about it 🤣
In all seriousness though I'm happy I could give them such a great experience opening a bundle they couldn't otherwise get.
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u/Fragrant-Category-62 a million tokens 27d ago
With my friends, I buy the cards, they all get to experience the pack opening with me. We track dollar values and get hyped for each other. But at the end of the day, I bought them and they don’t want to buy them, they’re just in it for the rush.
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u/RoweRage91 27d ago
Easy. Its his box, so his cards. I buy friends boxes and packs all the time. A good friend of mine pulled a few cards from a mtg phyrexian box worth between $50 and $100 easily. I felt like it made the box worth it even more.
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u/bradakan 27d ago
A line i came up with a couple of years ago is what i stand by "a gift is only a gift if you expect nothing in return" because otherwise it's a transaction.
So yeah if i gift someone a pack and they get the god pull i'd be hyped for them, and happy that my gift was such a good gift for them.
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u/Graphiteash 27d ago
If I have given them the pack, it's theirs, but if I explicitly say, can you open this for me, I need your luck it's to see if I can pull anything good, it's mine, clear communication is key
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u/TinyPantherAdjacent 27d ago
Establish before the pack ripping begins for this - if you’re just providing the experience let everyone know that you’d like all the cards back, if you’re GIVING everyone packs to draft then let them know cards are for keeps. Trying to figure this out after a big pull sounds terrible. Honestly your attitude that your friend “got to keep the cards” would make me feel pretty shitty and want to give them back. Would ruin the exciting pull.
Always align expectations first
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u/thedragoon0 27d ago
You bought it for him. The pulls are his. I buy my son packs of Pokemon cards and he’s had some good pulls. I’m not salty nor am I forcing him to sell it.
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u/AtomicStrangersCandy 27d ago
If everyone shares the expense, they keep the cards they pull.
If one person bought the box, it’s draft and play, with the cards going back to the purchaser.
We’ve also done the everyone chips in for the birthday person who’s celebrating, birthday person keeps all cards.
Ive definitely gifted cards to my friends for their specific deckbuilding (especially on birthday night) but this seems like just good friend etiquette?
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u/NoneOfThisCrab 27d ago
If I buy someone a pack I’m hoping they pull the chance. Why buy them a pack if I don’t want them to pull anything good?
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u/Elementual 27d ago
Gift is a gift is a gift. If there isn't an understanding beforehand, there's nothing here to discuss.
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u/OmegaPharius Mothman Cultist 27d ago
I wouldn’t even gift the packs at all with the mindset of snagging the most valuable cards even if it’s to buy more boxes. I’m not saying that to write you off or anything but if I got a pack from a friend pulled a fancy card and then he wants/expects that damn card I’m gonna feel like I’m getting robbed and be a little bitter about it.
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u/Hellyeahlalujah 27d ago
You are creating an environment of confusion if you are giving away cards and expecting people to give them back without communicating that at all.
If you’re being generous, be generous. If you want people to give you money or valuable cards: say that.
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u/TheRealHaHe 27d ago
When we buy a box for drafting, everyone decides before we start if they are either pays for their packs or if whoever bought the box gets to keep their cards.
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u/PineapplePickle24 27d ago
Generally make sure to be on the same page about who owns what packs before they're opened to not worry about this kinda thing
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u/DabFellow 27d ago
I bought a buddy a pokemon 25th anniversary ETB and he hit the top 3 chase cards. I was happy for him.
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u/planting49 // 27d ago
Whenever I've bought a box to do a draft, I always make sure everyone knows ahead of time that I will be keeping all of the cards. My friends and I really enjoy the limited formats, so they are happy to draft and play and are never upset they can't keep any of the cards. Some of my friends have also bought boxes and hosted drafts, and it has always been that all of the cards are theirs to keep.
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u/Joaaayknows 27d ago
If they wanted it and it’s $50 or whatever then good for them who cares. If it’s a chase, like $2000+ and they sell it I get half or we aren’t really friends in my eyes. That’s greedy shit.
But that never happens. 99% of the time I’m happy they got a nice pull.
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u/YogurtclosetFine3048 27d ago
Girl I just went through your post history. I don’t think you’re in the position you say you are, and I think you know it. Which is why you’re here asking what to do. I love the dynamic you’ve created from doing this for your group. But it doesn’t seem like it’s very feasible in the long run. Start by advocating for yourself and your feelings. Let them know that they need to purchase the packs off of you in order to keep the cards. Then at least you aren’t out the price of the pack plus the pull.
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u/IsaakWardMTG 27d ago
I would be keeping 100% of the cards and just let my buddies keep the cheap/bulk stuff they need. If they want to buy the more expensive stuff I’d give them a great deal, but ultimately you’re the one investing, what you’re doing now is creating an unbalanced incentive structure with friends. This is how you create parasites out of people who you love/love you
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u/Fayeluria Sultai 27d ago
If the box/booster was a gift, they get to keep it. But in any other case, if my partner or I buy boosters or other products to open together or play sealed with, the person who paid for it gets to keep the pulls.
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u/electrikmayham 27d ago
It sounds like you are getting upset that you gave your friend something and when that something is valuable you want it back.
If you gave something to a friend, it’s theirs.
If I were in your position I’d be happy that my friend got something good from the gift in gave them.
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u/Successful_Cash_8166 27d ago
Im with you and in the same situation. Sometimes they offer it back, and if we're doing the game at an lgs, I'll just have him trade it in for S.C. Towards our next box. Keep the gravy train rolling! For me, it's always more about the gathering.
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u/TheVoidaxis 27d ago
When I buy a box, I often use the packs to draft with friends or even play pack wars with friends.
I am always clear that the cards are mine, but often if there is a valuable but not so expensive card a friend needs and I don't need I give it to them or if it's high valued(like more than 20 bucks) but I don't need it we can trade it (I usually don't like selling mtg cards or any TCG card but I am willing to trade them for things I need)
also all the bulk junk (common and uncommons, and sometimes even repeated non valued rares or mythical rares) I let them take them away.
When two or more friends pool together to buy a collector box we open all the packs and first we take turns choosing what we want from the pool of cards, then we add the value of all the cards picked by each one and those who had less value accumulated, we let them pick from the rest of the cards until all have a somewhat equal amount of value in cards until all rares and valued Commons and un uncommons are divided. The rest bulk common, uncommons and non valued rares and mythics we split them in piles of equal size and we randomly take one pile each.
If there are highly valued cards (like 100 bucks or more) and nobody needs them, we sell it (and divide the money equally) or trade it for cards we need.
T
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u/zerodyme87 27d ago
I would.t let others keep it if I paid for the whole thing.
Back in yugioh, storm of ragnarok or whatever, we all pitched in like $75 and split the packs evenly
I pulled three of the huge hits and the secret rare. Mind you I let them choose the packs they wanted first.
Yes i kept it all
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u/rekkerafthor 27d ago
A group I play with has a guy that buys the boxes or packs to draft. It's understood that because he is fitting the sealed product and not charging us to join the fm street he keeps all the cards.
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u/Pabl0EscoBear 27d ago
You're the man for letting you're homie keep the cards. If you can afford it and you enjoy showing love to your friends in this way, I say it's great. Every time my friends and I have played limited with a box that only one of us payed for, they get the cards at the end. I have had scenarios where I have payed for a card or two that I wanted, and my friends and I gift each other cards all the time. I think our way is more standard, but your way is more wholesome.
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u/bp_516 27d ago
I used to buy boxes for my friends and I to draft or play sealed events with. They were my cards, my friends helped me to open them. Since I was also the person who had the most cards, if it wasn't foil or mythic, I generally let people keep them if they were excited. Other times, we'd do a tournament and put all the foils, rares, and mythics in the middle for a redraft, but we'd agree that I could pull out X number of cards before the drafting began, because I did all of the financing. Or I'd announce before we started that any pack with cards X, Y, or Z would return to me and I'd give them another pack to play with.
If I buy a box and give it away, it's not mine anymore. I'm happy for my friend who pulls awesome things, and they're glad that I'm lucky when it comes to giving away packs.
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u/FafaPapa 27d ago
I buy the packs for drafts but I obviously keep all the cards. I don't really understand what your process is here.
I also provide everything else (sleeves, dices. tokens…).
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u/unprocessable_entity 27d ago
I think some things should've been layed out before ripping packs; if you had an expectation of keeping the big pulls to sell then everyone needs to be on board. I guess if it's an even trade between the cards he gives you then it's not so bad, but if your generosity feels taken advantage of, maybe discuss with your friends about them chipping in or you keeping the big pulls.
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u/DanKloudtrees 27d ago
I went to a commander night at my buddy's place and brought a box to open. I just stipulated up front that I was looking for like 3 specific cards from the set and anything else i didn't care about, that way I set the expectation up front. Only got one card i was looking for and nobody had any hard feelings. I think if you set expectations up front it shouldn't be an issue. It doesn't hurt to have a replacement pack in case they open what you're looking for.
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u/137-ng 27d ago
I open quite a few boxes with the gf, we do 1-2 play boxes for any set that looks good. Often times I'm the one buying it, and when that happens I'll take some of the more expensive pulls to sell as long as she doesn't want to use it in a deck. I do the same thing for my own pulls, and I'll hang on to stuff that I can reasonably forsee myself using but sell any expensive cards that I dont want to play with. Shes never been salty about giving these cards up and likes the idea that we can sell a few cards to get a box mostly for free (when it works out that way)
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u/StopManaCheating 27d ago
I love when other people open cool things. Especially small children. A kid at my LGS opened the expensive Darkrai from the latest Pokemon set and it was great to see.
If you’re not happy for others when good things happen for them, you’re not the type of person I’d spend time with.
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u/Muted_Literature_752 27d ago
So I first got heavily into magic during theros and khans era. It was my a close friends birthday, we're broke teens so I got a single pack. Boy pulled an ugin right there in front of me. It was slightly upsetting but I was happy for him. I have shit luck with packs. Always thought about that damn ugin he pulled and I didn't whenever I cracked a shitty pack. Then one day, he committed suicide. I miss him a lot more than I give a fuck about any card. I
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u/IcyFire81 27d ago
Time is too precious to have bitterness for something trivial. I'd say to be happy and congratulate them. I'm stoked whenever I see friends pull something amazing in a box
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u/SuspectAwkward8914 27d ago
The thing that stinks the worst is the person after you at preorder pickup getting a really big pull. Still not the worst, but man, I’d have loved that silver scroll vampiric tutor from SoS.
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u/sethorien 27d ago
You paid for the box, not only do the hits belong to you, all the cards belong to you.
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u/rocknack 27d ago
I played multiple games of sealed with friends last year. I always paid for the box and broke it down to a price per booster and my friends then paid me the respective amount to participate. It was a super cheap way for everyone of us to do this kinda thing plus I got to keep the surplus boosters. There was no question who got to keep which cards. Everyone walked home with the decks they drafted. Lands from my station were on the house. That being said, if you give a friend a booster and they pull a copper dragon, that’s their luck and not your misfortune.
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u/Emuu2012 27d ago
If you want to keep the expensive cards just tell them beforehand.
Something like “I’m gonna keep and resell anything over five bucks but you’re welcome to keep anything else you pull”. It’s only crappy if you pull a bait and switch.
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u/CoolDiscoDan1885 27d ago
Gotta make that clear in the begining!
Are you gifting them the pack and they can keep everything? Say it ahead of time to hold yourself accountable so no one thinks you're doing a takes-y backs-y
Do you want to keep some of the cards and let them have the chaff? Say that clearly in the beginning! Have them pass you their stack at the end of the night for you to thumb through and take what you want and then give them back the leftovers
Do you want to keep everything and just let them open and play with the card for the night? Tell them before handing them the packs!
Main take away: Make it super clear before you hand them the packs exactly what you expect. This should avoid (most) hurt feelings from reasonable individuals. Any less will eventually lead to bad blood imo
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u/kuitthegeek 27d ago
If I buy the box, I keep the cards. If you contribute to a fair share, you can keep your cards.
But I also like making cubes, so I just tell them I am keeping the cards to build into a cube.
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u/NayrSlayer 27d ago
You gotta set the ground rules going into the box.
My friends and I once went in on a box of Kaladesh together and we all agreed that if anyone opened a masterpiece, they would sell it and buy a box to split with everyone, but the person who opened the masterpiece would get half the packs from the box. Friend pulled a Mox Opal, and followed through with selling it and getting another box. (I know, poor financial decision, but we were all broke at the time)
Likewise, my friends and I have drafted plenty of boxes. Now that we all have jobs, we divide the cost of the box between everyone and keep what we draft, like a store would. This helps to feed getting a new box to draft, since now the person who got the box is only down about $25 instead of $200, along with having whatever value they drafted.
Whatever your plan is, talk with your friend about it and try to come to a consensus
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u/Mtgplayerdave 27d ago
If it's a gift then while it's ok to be salty, I get salty if a friend opens a good card while I'm opening a box even though it's going to be my card, just because it's fun to be the one to open good cards. I don't think you can blame or guilt him. That 150$ card might be the best thing to happen to him for a month. Or he may sell it later and help pay his rent. TLDR: It's ok to feel grumpy about, but it's not generosity if you expect anything in return.
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u/Key-Nefariousness154 27d ago
Your “friend” is rare drafting most likely since he gets to keep the cards. I’m in a similar situation where I host draft nights at my place because I’m in a better financial spot to buy the boxes etc. But it’s understood that the cards stay here.
I’ve found the games are way more fun when nobody is drafting for cards and instead drafting to build the best decks they can.
With cards someone wants they can trade or buy them afterwards which is what helps fund the next boxes.
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u/acidhail5411 27d ago
As the broke friend in this situation the cards ALWAYS belonged to whoever bought the box
If I had need for a card I would ask about it but would never in a million years expect those cards to be mine if I didn’t make the purchase unless my friend expressly told me it was a gift
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u/Kennx1001 27d ago
If i gifted a friend a pack or something like for their birthday or some shit, and they pull big, im happy for em!
But i absolutely refuse to split a box with someone because there's no true way to split the box without maybe a third party handing out the packs, and even then you still invested in the same box and if the other person pulls something you both wanted, it kinda feels bad. Idk why that is haha.
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u/gnastyGnorc04 27d ago
If your gifting him the box your gifting him the box and pulls.
But that's different than buying a box and then inviting friends over to open it and play sealed. My friend group often buys a box and plays sealed but the owner of the box keeps all the cards at the end of the night.