Best MetaZoo Booster Box To Buy 2022

Brian Cooper  By Brian Cooper | Updated on December 19, 2023

If you haven’t noticed, even during this terrible economy of 2022, the TCG market is still very strong. Money is still flooding into the market and I thought it would be the perfect time to check in on one of my FAVORITE games, MetaZoo!

What is the best MetaZoo Booster Box 2022

MetaZoo is just about ready to release its 6th major product on the market “UFO” and the anticipation in the community is strong (UPDATE: IF YOU’RE READING THIS NOW, UFO IS OFFICIALLY RELEASED!!) I thought it might be a good time to look at all the current major releases and pick out which is the best MetaZoo Booster Box to buy in 2022. So let’s take a look at everything released so far and we’ll see which product is strongest and worthy of your investment dollars.

MetaZoo Release Dates

So let’s first look at the timeline of major MetaZoo releases to see which sets we want to focus on. MetaZoo has released so many different products including Spellbooks, Release Event Decks, Blister Packs, Pins, Plush and Skateboards to name a few, but our focus is purely on the BOOSTER BOXES of the following major releases:

So let’s start with the big one….

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation KICKSTARTER

First released in February 2021, the very first Cryptid Nation set is released with the Kickstarter logo. MetaZoo used the Kickstarter website to generate popularity and the funding needed to get this very first product off the ground and it was a huge success.

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation Kickstarter Booster Box

During this initial print run, only 2,500 Booster Boxes were made and if you were lucky to know about MetaZoo in early 2021, you might have gotten lucky and purchased one. I was one of those lucky people and made my purchase of two boxes in late March that year. It proved to be one of my best decisions ever as box prices rose from under $1,000 to upwards of $7,000-$8,000 in less than a year.

Box prices have settled back down due to the worldwide economic and pandemic issues but are still quite high. Boxes have been selling lately for around $4,000 and some as high as $5,000 so demand is still strong for Kickstarter due to it’s extreme rarity.

Is Kickstarter the best Metazoo Booster box to buy in 2022? I would say right now it’s definitely the best one. MetaZoo is still in its infancy stages and they still don’t have the popularity of Pokemon or Yugioh, but over time I think they will. And the shear amount of MetaZoo rare cards that are highly desireable from this set will make this the box to have going forward.

Getting a box from the very first set put out and sticking it away for a few years could prove to be a massively good decision and I think (if you can afford it), buying this first box is the best choice.

2023 PRICE TARGET – MetaZoo Kickstarter Booster Box: $6,000
2024 PRICE TARGET – MetaZoo Kickstarter Booster Box: $7,500+

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation 1ST EDITION (CN1E)

If you cannot afford the high price tag of the Kickstarter boxes, I would highly recommend going after boxes of 1st Edition (CN1E.) As with most things, the 2022 economy issues have affected prices, but these 1st Edition booster boxes are extremely affordable and worth stashing away for a year or two.

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation 1st Edition Booster Box

MetaZoo 1st Edition boosters used to go for as high as $1,000 earlier in the year and then dropped back to around $700 just a few months ago in Spring ‘22. Now you can pick boxes up SUPER CHEAP in the $400-500 range and I honestly think they’re a steal at this level.

The print run was only 25,000 booster boxes and that is about a quarter of what MetaZoo is said to have printed for their latest UFO set that was just released. Popularity is growing fast and, with such a small print run, I would bet my first born that the 1st edition booster boxes will climb back to those earlier $1K levels and exceed them over time.

So why else do I think the 1st Edition is a great buy right now? I think you have to look at what might be left out there to rip open. When CN1E hit the shelves, players and collectors were in a frenzy to open more packs.

Kickstarter was the only product out there for a few months and everyone in the Discord and in other online forums were buzzing about the product. So when it finally released in July 2021, a ton of the product got ripped open. How much of that 25,000 box print run is left is open to speculation but my guess is half or less.

Single prices remain strong for the 1st Edition and I don’t see that changing. There will always be a market for those original Mothman Holos which will drive box prices up as well. Players also really like the different cards in the sets so whether you’re casting powerful Spells or looking to summon ancient Artifacts, Cyptid Nation has everything you want in a TCG.

Is Cryptid Nation 1st Edition the best MetaZoo booster box to buy in 2022? I’d say it’s the SECOND best right now.

If you have the means and the patience, you’ll never see a better deal on CN1E Booster Boxes ever again. One day you’ll look back and wonder why you didn’t load up on boxes for $400 (probably I will too!)

2023 PRICE TARGET – CN1E Booster Box: $750/box
2024 PRICE TARGET – CN1E Booster Box: $1,000+/box

MetaZoo Nightfall (1st Edition)

Back in October 2021, on the heels of a very successful Cryptid Nation 1st Edition release, MetaZoo released their second major set called NIGHTFALL. The set was and continues to be very popular with players and collectors and I think booster boxes are poised for another big run up in the next 1-2 years. Here’s why…

Although print runs of Nightfall were larger than Cryptid Nation 1st Edition, I still think overall they are fairly low at 50,000 booster boxes. You would think doubling the print run would flood the market with Nightfall, but that was certainly not the case here.

MetaZoo Nightfall Booster Box

Demand has been increasing across the US and globally for MetaZoo and 50,000 booster boxes is just not a lot of product to go around the globe. Over time, as more players and collectors come on board to MetaZoo (and this is inevitable in my view), I think we’ll see this product become more and more scarce.

There was a “1st Edition” stamp on the boxes and cards indicating there might be other editions made, but a few months after release word came from MetaZoo that there would be no more printings of Nightfall. So what you see is what you get.

Prices initially spiked from $125/box up to $250/box and have since settled back down into what I believe is an extremely cheap $140-150/box. I seriously cannot believe the prices are so low on this limited box and I don’t think they’ll remain this low for very long.

So is Nightfall the best MetaZoo box to buy in 2022? It’s up there for sure. Having opened the product myself and knowing how fun that was, I really think this box will be $300 by next year.

The singles are still selling strongly and the entire theming of the set with the horror/Halloween type feel will drive box prices up over time. Not to mention, players and collectors are clamoring for the MetaZoo Unlucky 13 cards that are bringing decent prices. I also expect a spike right around Halloween so watch for prices to start moving around that time.

Plus did I mention GOD PACKS? The Nightfall product was the first to randomly include the unadvertised GOD PACK which is a full pack of HOLO cards. Every card in the pack is a HOLO! Check out my YouTube video below as I was one of the lucky people to pull this crazy pack. It’s things like that that help boost prices over time and the opportunity to pull a God Pack will absolutely add to the mystique of the Nightfall booster box over time.

2023 PRICE TARGET – Nightfall Booster Box: $300/box
2024 PRICE TARGET – Nightfall Booster Box: $350-400+/box

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation 2ND EDITION (CN2E)

So here’s the deal with 2nd Edition (CN2E) Booster Boxes. There are a lot of them out there. Estimates are that (worldwide) there are 75,000 booster boxes which is quite a bit more than CN1E (Cryptid Nation 1st Edition) and Nightfall.

MetaZoo Cryptid Nation 2nd Edition Booster Box

I would say CN2E is a long term play. You can currently pick up boxes online for around $65-70/box and they’ve hovered around that price for a few months now.

I picked up a sealed case of 12-boxes when they first came out and probably paid a little too much at $80/box. However, my thought was this was a long term hold and I had a reason for picking one up.

My thought was that the box topper pack that’s inside each booster box could eventually drive the prices up down the road. You have a shot at finding the very rare “Blue Ink” card in that box topper and that card sells for well north of $1,000!

So I figured I would stash a case and forget about it for a few years and hopefully MetaZoo continues to get more and more popular over time. Maybe one day I’ll cash in on that case, but we’ll see.

That being said, I do NOT believe the Crypid Nation Booster Box (Series 2) is the best MetaZoo booster box to buy in 2022. I think right now it’s fun to buy and open the boxes, but not the best place to park your investment dollars. Rip it because it’s fun, but save the investment dollars for Kickstarter, CN1E or Nightfall.

2023 PRICE TARGET – CN2E Booster Box: $100/box
2024 PRICE TARGET – CN2E Booster Box: $150/box

Other MetaZoo Booster Boxes (Wilderness, UFO, Seance)

I think the short and long term outlook for the most recent MetaZoo releases is open to speculation at this point. Wilderness was just released on March 31st, UFO was released on July 29th and Seance is expected to be released on October 30th (2022) so we’re early in the life of these products.

Both MetaZoo Wilderness and UFO booster boxes are released and both are basically lingering around the $75-80/box price. This is really cheap and darn close to wholesale.

The print run on booster boxes was confirmed by Mike Waddell on the Discord to be 100,000 globally for each set. Some are speculating 50,000 were released in the US and the other 50,000 went international but the total was confirmed to be 100,000 for each set.

That is a lot of booster boxes that need to get absorbed into the marketplace and it will take quite a bit of time for that to happen. MetaZoo is just a baby right now, just celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary in July 2022, so they are in the infancy stages of getting into the TCG market.

As more and more players and collectors worldwide learn about MetaZoo (which will DEFINITELY happen), more and more packs will get ripped. And as you know, the more boxes that get ripped open, the fewer of the unopened booster boxes will remain in the marketplace.

I would steer clear right now on the new stuff unless you don’t mind tying up your money for 2-3 years. I would much rather plunk $140 into one box of Nightfall as I know the print run is half of Wilderness or UFO and it will be harder to find as time goes on.

2023 PRICE TARGET – Wilderness or UFO Booster Box: $100/box
2024 PRICE TARGET – Wilderness or UFO Booster Box: $150/box

So What is the Best MetaZoo Booster Box to Buy in 2022?

Definitely the hands down winner is KICKSTARTER on the high end………CN1E and Nightfall on the low end. It just depends on how much money you’re willing to risk on unopened booster boxes.

I’m a big believer in MetaZoo. Will MetaZoo succeed? I absolutely believe so and I think the outlook is really good for this brand. I’m still learning the gameplay itself, but I love collecting the cards and I love the idea and theming behind the sets. It’s a well thought out and well planned product and I have very little doubt that it’ll catch on worldwide over time.

There are a lot of non-believers out there for one reason or another. I respect that and that’s what makes the world a great place. We each get our own say in the matter and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m fully onboard the MetaZoo train though!

If you believe in the product and you like the cards like I do, then by all means look into investing in an unopened Meta Zoo booster box for the long term. If you don’t have a box now, consider reaching out to your LGS fpr a MetaZoo Booster Box pre-order or even a Theme Deck to see if you like it. Remember, most people COLLECT Pokemon cards and don’t play the game itself and the same can be said for MetaZoo. People will always want unopened Booster Boxes…..just look at Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering!

As always, if you have any questions or would like some more advice about MetaZoo or Magic, I’m here to help. Just hit me up on the contact page or over at Twitter or Instagram. Best of luck and if you haven’t already, start investing in Magic (and other TCG’s) today!

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Brian Cooper has been a part of the trading card scene since the 1980s and is the driving force behind MAGIC CARD INVESTOR. His mission is to help bring back the fun and nostalgia of collecting Magic: The Gathering cards and other Trading Card games to everyone young and old.

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