By Brian Cooper |
Updated on January 8, 2024The hottest thing going in Magic over the last week has been DOUBLE MASTERS 2022. Even during a terrible economy with record high inflation (on top of a raging pandemic), Double Masters 2022 (DM2022) seems to be defying odds and selling like hot cakes. But is Magic Double Masters 2022 worth the money and the current high prices? Can the market sustain $80+ prices for Collectors packs and $300-350 prices for Draft Booster Boxes?
How about the handfuls of singles that are bringing $40, 50, $60+ each and some way more than that?
Let’s quickly dive into this powerhouse of a product and figure out if you should be BUYING or SELLING at these crazy prices.
Contents
- 1 What is MTG Double Masters 2022?
- 2 Does Double Masters 2022 Have a Box Topper?
- 3 Is Double Masters 2022 Print To Demand?
- 4 Is Double Masters 2022 a Good Investment?
- 5 Is NOW The Time To Buy Double Masters 2022?
- 6 My Prediction for Double Masters 2022
- 7 Magic: The Gathering MASTERS Product Line History
- 8 Conclusion – Is Magic Double Masters 2022 Worth The Money?
What is MTG Double Masters 2022?
Just released on July 8, 2022, Double Masters 2022 is the newest Magic: The Gathering set and probably one of the most anticipated in a long time. It’s also the first set ever made to include the new TEXTURED foil treated Magic card which everyone is rushing to find!
The set contains 332 cards (broken down as 91 commons, 80 uncommons, 120 rares, 40 mythic rares, 1 special.) It’s another monster of a set and will prove to be difficult to build purely based on price and availability (which is limited.)
Double Masters 2022, like its predecessor Double Masters from 2020, is full of reprints from previous sets throughout Magic’s lifetime. Rarity has changed on many cards and some cards have new art and foiling as well.
Does Double Masters 2022 Have a Box Topper?
Unfortunately both Double Masters 2022 Draft Booster boxes AND Double Masters 2022 Collector Booster Boxes do not contain a box topper pack.
The Draft Booster boxes contain an oversized card that’s the size of the box that has what appears to be the Mimeoplasm on one side and descriptions of draft archetypes on the other. However, this card is the same on every booster and is oversized and unplayable so it’s not technically a ‘box topper.’ It’s more of an advertisement.
Is Double Masters 2022 Print To Demand?
Most definitely NOT. Masters sets like this one are never print-to-demand and will definitely have a somewhat limited production run.
For those wondering, print-to-demand just means that Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast continue to print the set based on how the set is selling in the open market. If there’s a high demand for the product, those printers will be on overdrive making cases upon cases of booster boxes. If demand subsides, Hasbro shuts down production and moves those printers on to the next product.
Hasbro never releases print runs for its main/core sets so we can only speculate how much of Double Masters 2022 was printed. Normally we’ll get a good idea of how much will be out there based on how much Hasbro and its distributors allocate to stores.
Rumor has it that store allocations were based on the previous quarter’s spend. This included how much product that stores purchased of the Commander Legends set, which many chose to limit. So if stores limited their purchases in the previous quarter and only purchased a small amount of the Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate set, they had very little (if any) allocation of Double Masters 2022.
We’re hearing most stores on average only got 12-24 Double Masters 2022 Draft Booster boxes as their allocation. Many indicated this was the LOWEST allocation they’ve ever received on any Magic product in years!
Could there be a 2nd print run on Double Masters 2022? There absolutely could be, yes. Hasbro doesn’t release this information, but when they see massive demand for this product, they absolutely could rev up the printer engines and dump more product into the market.
Is Double Masters 2022 a Good Investment?
So let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Is Double Masters 2022 worth your money and will it prove to be a good investment down the road?
The quick answer is it’s too hard to tell right now. Prices are fluctuating wildly on both singles, booster boxes and packs and it’s difficult to determine the long term future of the product during this crazy time.
I’ll go into history a little below, but first I want to try and determine if buying the product at current prices is a good idea. The bottom line is that if you don’t buy into singles or boxes at some point, there’s a chance you might miss the boat entirely on Double Masters 2022.
I think the ideal time to buy in was pre-drop when prices were at or below $300/box. Knowing that ship has sailed, you either got in then or you’re sitting there now wondering if it’s a good time to buy in at current levels, which are about 10% higher.
Is NOW The Time To Buy Double Masters 2022?
I still think the window of opportunity is RIGHT NOW to buy into Double Masters 2022 when it comes to sealed boxes. My guess (which is based on watching these drops for years) is that prices will go up and down a bit as the product is absorbed into the market and ripped open.
As I write this, boxes prices for Draft Boosters and Collector Boosters are hovering around $325-335 and most sellers aren’t budging. There is no panic selling going on at all and sales are steady.
Checking eBay, there are more sold listings than active listings which tells me people are buying just about everything that pops into the market. Sales are brisk and I think at these current levels, now is a good time to get into Double Masters 2022.
My Prediction for Double Masters 2022
Here’s how I think things will work when it comes to Double Masters Booster box prices. Remember, this is my personal opinion based on watching this stuff for years. I could be wrong, I could be right!
As time goes on, the prices of singles will force the product to be opened (because who doesn’t want a chance at pulling a big lottery card worth $100-200) and prices will adjust upwards. Boxes prices will continue to move up and before you know it we’re looking at $400-450 per box. Those box prices stabilize for a few months and you’ll see small changes up and down, but nothing drastic.
The next year or so after that initial few months (let’s say August 2022 thru part of 2023) I’m guessing prices will steadily rise. The focus in the Magic market will be on the new products hitting the shelves and some people will forget about Double Masters 2022. All the while, Double Masters 2022 slowly creeps up in price and before people have a chance to react, prices are reaching $500-600/box.
As long as Hasbro doesn’t get greedy, this will most likely be the trajectory of this product. The one thing that could kill this product (at least for the short term) is if Hasbro decides to turn the money-maker on and they start churning those printers to spit out more Double Masters 2022. If that happens, I would say those higher prices will eventually be reached but it could push the timeframe out 6-12 months. So get ready to hold onto the product a little longer if you’re looking at this as an investment.
I would be surprised if we see Hasbro dump a ton of this on the market. Products like Masters are special to Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast because they not only make them big money, the limited print run keeps people interested. If Wizards spit out core sets every year and printed them to oblivion, people would get bored. Having a few home run hitters hit the market every year keeps the buzz going and both players and collectors love this stuff.
Magic: The Gathering MASTERS Product Line History
Before you make an investment in Double Masters 2022, let’s check some history on the MASTERS product line to make sure this is a solid investment. History tells the tale in most situations.
- Between June of 2015 and May of 2022 (about 7-years), the Modern Masters Booster box prices went from $350 to $600. That’s a long time to stash your money but the bottom line is prices gradually increased over time.
- Between May of 2016 and May of 2022 (6-years), the Eternal Masters Booster box prices went from $250 to $495. It took a while, but you doubled your money!
- Between May of 2017 and May of 2022 (5-years), the Modern Masters 2017 Edition Booster box prices went from $190 to $380. I’m starting to see a trend here.
- Between February 2018 and May 2022 (just over 4-years), the Iconic Masters Booster box prices went from $135 to $290. You more than doubled your money in a few years. Not bad.
- Between May of 2018 and May 2022 (4 years), the Masters 25 Booster box prices went from $150 to 250. The trends continue.
- Between November of 2018 and May 2022 (about 3.5 years), the Ultimate Masters Booster box prices went from $280 to $575. Not a bad return if you hid a few of those boxes in the closet!
- Between March of 2021 and May of 2022 (which is just over a year), the Double Masters 2020 version booster box prices went from $369 to $800. That’s a 116% ROI (Return on Investment) in just over a year!
Hmmmm. I’m thinking maybe anything with “Masters” in the title might end up doing pretty good. Agree? That history and some common sense tell me Double Masters 2022 is a great long term investment and I would BUY at current levels!
Conclusion – Is Magic Double Masters 2022 Worth The Money?
YES! BUY DOUBLE MASTERS 2022!
Based on this history above, do you think Hasbro wants to ruin the product line and dump thousands of worthless cases of Double Masters 2022 onto the market? It will never happen. They will not risk the entire reputation of the Magic: The Gathering product line just to cash in on Double Masters 2022.
They will not overprint it and I think this history above speaks volumes on the future of Double Masters 2022 and future Masters products.
***A word of caution when buying this product***
Buying Magic boxes from reputable LGS stores when it comes to this product is a MUST. Make sure if you’re pre-buying that you trust the store and it’s reputation. I’ve seen too many players/collectors get burned by pre-buying stuff online (eBay) and from fly-by-night “dealers.” Find the LGS that’s been in the business for a long time and give them your business. You’ll sleep better at night for sure.
Also, make sure that on the Double Masters 2022 Collectors Boosters that you’re getting the right box. The box that is going for $290-300 right now has (4) packs in it. There are also “boxes” that contain only 1-pack that are way less expensive (about $80.) It can be confusing so make sure you’re buying the right box.
As always, if you have any questions or would like some more advice, I’m always here to help. Just hit me up on the contact page or over at Twitter or Instagram. As always, best of luck!
