Why collecting complete sets makes sense
Today, collecting full sets is not very popular anymore. Most collectors focus on single expensive cards. However, this trend is likely to change in the coming years because of demographic, social, and economic reasons.
As players get older, many prefer collecting rather than actively playing. Furthermore, Magic cards are slowly becoming historical collectible objects, similar to classic comic books, vintage toys, or even fine art in the modern world
In the future, early Magic The Gathering cards may be seen as the “master paintings” of trading card games.
English sets lost part of their appeal after 2000
Collecting English sets changed significantly in 2000 with the arrival of the Magic Online Redemption Program. Starting with the Invasion set, players could redeem full digital sets and receive complete physical sets (normal and foil versions).
This means:
- Many English sets after 2000 were created in large quantities
- They no longer required opening booster boxes to be completed
As a result, only pre-2000 English sets truly required organic collecting from boosters. That said, collecting English sets is still fun and challenging, especially older sets, and modern ones now that the redemption program has ended and alternate artworks have become more common.
The special value of foreign-language sets
Most Magic content creators focus almost exclusively on English cards.
But English speakers are not the majority of the world’s population — and the number of collectors who read other languages is constantly growing.
In many regions (Asia, Europe, South America):
- Players often speak two languages (their native language + English)
- They played Magic using both English cards and cards in their own language
Because of this, many collectors feel a strong emotional connection to cards in their native language.
Foreign-language cards are usually much rarer than English cards because:
- Smaller print runs
- No large redemption programs like English sets had
This makes complete foreign-language sets especially attractive for long-term collectors.
Three ways to build a set (from easy to hardcore)
1. The direct method (fast but Less fun)
You buy a complete set online or from a local store.
Some websites let you add every card of a set to your cart automatically. Others sell ready-made full sets.
- pros : Fast and efficient
- cons: Not very exciting or rewarding
2. The fun method (our recommended way)
This is our favorite approach. Buy one or more booster boxes of your favorite set and start building from there. On average, a booster box gives you roughly:
- ~400 commons
- ~100 uncommons
- ~36 rares or mythics
This usually covers more than half of the set, including many basic lands. Interestingly, basic lands and tokens can be some of the hardest items to find individually — because people rarely sell them. Booster boxes often include many of them, which is a big advantage.
We strongly believe Magic booster boxes are meant to be opened and enjoyed, not stored forever on shelves.
After opening:
- Make a list of missing cards,
- Buy the rest as singles online or in local shops
This method combines fun, nostalgia, and reasonable cost and you also keep the empty booster box as a collectible item.
3. The hardcore collector method
You can also build a set entirely by:
- Buying every card individually,
- Hunting lots and collections online.
This takes more time and effort, but it is extremely satisfying for true collectors.
Final thoughts
We hope this article encourages you to start building complete sets. Try collecting your favorite Magic eras in your native language whenever possible. You’ll rediscover the joy of opening packs, completing collections, and owning true historical collectibles and not just single expensive cards.
Over time, full sets (especially in rare languages) may become some of the most valuable and meaningful Magic collections in the world.