After lingering at the bottom of the dumpster heaps for almost 2-years now, could MTG Kaldheim Collector Booster Boxes be making a comeback? The answer is YES!
It certainly has taken its sweet time but I can now report that Kaldheim Collector Boosters have been gradually going up in price and things are looking good for the long term.
So what is the reason for these boxes to make a sudden reappearance in the “approaching HOT” category?
Let’s dive into Kaldheim a bit, specifically the Collector Booster boxes, and check out what’s going on and what we can anticipate going forward.
Contents
Kaldheim Collector Boosters – ORIGINS
WotC released the Kaldheim set back on February 5, 2021, which was right around when that nasty Covid was coming off its January peak.
The world was still sort of preoccupied with the pandemic and Kaldheim’s release just so happened to come out during a tough time in the world.
However, sealed Magic The Gathering out of print boxes were doing extremely well at the time. Prices on collectibles across the board were very strong in the market so confidence was high to say the least.
When they first hit the market, Kaldheim Collector Booster Boxes were selling anywhere from $185 to $200 per box which was right in line with expectations.
Prices fluctuated but they stayed in that range for at least the first month.
THEN CAME THE RUMORS!
Word on the street at the time that Wizards was not going to restock after the initial shipment so that certainly played into the story.
Skeptics were saying Wizards was willing to accept lower revenue on Kaldheim Collector Boosters merely to inflate the secondary market of this set AND other sealed boxes.
Collector boosters are normally a limited product anyways so the rumors that no restock was coming pushed a lot of collectors to buy up the supply in anticipation of future price increases.
I did the same, purchasing 12-boxes at the time priced between $175 and $196. I thought ‘why not’, you can’t go wrong with a limited print run Collector Booster!
Things looked great towards the end of February 2021 and Collector Boosters were pretty strong in that $200 price range. Distributors and store owners were saying they couldn’t get any more boxes from anywhere in the country.
WE STRUCK GOLD! GET READY TO CASH IN!
Well, that didn’t happen and as we approached the early part of March 2021, Kaldheim Collector Booster prices started to come down. A lot of people liked the set itself, but Kaldheim was struggling.
Maybe it was in anticipation of the upcoming Time Spiral Remastered that was set to release on March 19, 2021. That was certainly a possibility as stores and distributors tend to dump products to get the cash available for the next set.
Maybe Wizards had pallets of the stuff sitting in the wings waiting to cash in. That was a real possibility since Wizards doesn’t release production numbers and there was no way to tell how much they made.
This was also about the time Wizards started selling products on Amazon so that created a massive uproar across distributors and the roughly 3,000 local game stores across the country.
Products were coming and going so fast in the Magic world that the battle to keep the attention of players and collectors was a losing one. Kaldheim was becoming a casualty of the attention war going on in the TCG world and it was getting hammered big time.
Prices started going down over time and eventually they bottomed out in early-mid 2022 at around $140-150. Kaldheim was eventually labeled by distributors as the worst selling standard set since Core 2021.
Collectors and players had moved on and Kaldheim was sitting on the ‘Island of Misfit Toys’ (and Trading Card Games) wondering if anyone would ever want them again. Such a sad story…
What’s Happening With Kaldheim Collector Booster Boxes Now?
It was the day before Christmas and all through the house, not a Magic player was playing, not even, well you get the story. It’s the day before the big day (Christmas that is) and Kaldheim is starting its big comeback.
Prices that were once in the $140’s and $150’s are now starting to creep back into the $160’s, $180’s and $190’s!
There are still some $150’s if you search, but not as many as there used to be. Heck, even Amazon is just about out of boxes. Just a few days ago they had 6 left….this morning only 1.
Could this be because of the holiday season and all the little Magic players are getting Kaldheim Collector Boosters from Santa? I doubt it. I think there’s something else in play here.
It’s called SUPPLY and DEMAND. I still don’t think there’s a massive demand for Kaldheim, however the supply of the limited print Collector Boosters is just not there anymore.
Over time those $140 boxes were snatched up and ripped open because you got a great product for a great price.
Singles of cards in those boxes were not super expensive, but they were certainly not garbage either.
The most sought after card in the set, Vorinclex Monstrous Raider, that crazy looking legendary Phyrexian Praetor, is bringing a solid $30-40 in any version (regular, foil, showcase or Phyrexian.)
The Goldspan Dragon is also bringing $15-20 for the regular version and over $40 for the extended foil version. And there are a handful of cards priced over $10 including Orvar the All-Form and Esika God of the Tree.
There are some really nice cards in this set and I think that plays into the ‘comeback’ of sorts that Kaldheim is just starting to see.
It’s not blowing the doors off but I believe we’re on the cusp of some positive movement on the Collector Booster boxes as that’s where you find the good stuff.
Long Term Outlook on the Kaldheim Collector Booster Boxes
I’m still bullish long term on most older sealed Magic Booster boxes in general. I know there’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to production numbers on each set, but I think over time as boxes get ripped open and specific cards begin to become more popular, prices go up.
The Trading Card market is unique when it comes to unopened boxes. Because Magic is really just a game, boxes are MEANT to be opened, decks built and games played.
Over time as Magic expands, it’s not like sports cards where it’s the same player with 50-different versions or brands. It’s a different animal.
Magic cards and sets evolve over time and tell a story. Cards from previous sets all of a sudden become more important as time goes on and as Wizards designs new mechanics.
The storyline changes too as Wizards thrusts us back into Dominaria or Phyrexia, reviving cards from those parts of the story.
Things evolve over time and once older less important cards all of a sudden are extremely desirable for gameplay.
There are so many ways to get drawn back into older sets for one reason or another. Some sets resonate with certain players and they have a connection to the set for whatever reason.
Maybe it’s the first pack or box they ever opened. Maybe they enjoy the artwork or a specific card or two in the set.
There are so many reasons for players and collectors to be drawn to a set and that’s a story for another time. But for now, when it comes to Kaldheim Collector Boosters, I think we’ll continue to see that upwards trend.
It will not be $250/box overnight but the trajectory is heading that way. I think you’ll continue to see sub-$200 box prices for a while until the supply gets opened up and stashed away. As scarcity starts to set in, the line towards $250 becomes more obvious.
There are also cards in the set that could definitely start to show more value and that alone could push box prices upwards. I can see Orvar, the All-Form or Esika, God of the Tree becoming important cards in gameplay some time down the road and then the sky’s the limit on box prices.
But remember, when it comes to investing, Kaldheim is a LONG term play. In my view, it couldn’t hurt to throw a box or two into the closet and forget about it.
At some point, unless Wizards reprints these (which they’ll never do), Kaldheim Collector Boosters will become more important and thus more expensive.
Wrap It Up
So that’s my 2-cents on Kaldheim Collector Booster Boxes. It’ll be interesting to see how the market views this set as time goes on.
As with anything, it’s not a slam dunk guarantee to be a winner, but I think the limited print Collector Boosters have a better shot at price increases than any other sealed product.
At some point I think I’ll investigate the entire Collector Booster product line and see how trends look.
I think that would be a good study and maybe help us look at past prices and how things have shaped up over the years for that part of the sealed box market. Hmm…..I’m intrigued!
There you have it! If you have any questions about Kaldheim, Magic: The Gathering or any other TCG like MetaZoo, please send me a message and I’ll get back to you and maybe even post an update right here. Take care and I’ll see you back here soon!