Ben Bleiweiss Profile picture
General Manager of Sales @starcitygames. Considered the father of MTG finance writing, published author, and father/husband. He/Him.
Dec 4, 2023 11 tweets 3 min read
I've seen a lot of doom and gloom lately about #MTGFinance, and I'm trying to reconcile it with the continued growth of the game in most other sectors.

The landscape has changed pretty rapidly, and we are in the biggest buyer's market I've seen in 20+ years.

#MTG (/thread) Is it worse right now for vendors? Yes, by-and-large several factors (the main of which is reprint cadence) has removed the ability to hold inventory for long-term gains.

I think a lot of vendors get tunnel-vision though, and forget that this is fantastic for players! #MTG
Feb 18, 2022 9 tweets 6 min read
(Thread) Let's talk Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty pack odds. Standard disclaimer - the odds I'm posting here are my own observations and based on secondary market pack opening (both us and other vendors I've spoken to). These are not official @wizards_magic posted odds. #MTG Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos (NEON variants)
My estimate is that any Neon Variant of Hidetsugu appears 1:40 Collector boxes (1:480 Collector Packs). This would make the odds 1:480 packs for Blue, 1:960 packs for Green and 1:3,840 packs (1:320 boxes) for Red. (/2)
Feb 11, 2022 11 tweets 3 min read
Let's talk Innistrad: Double Feature. In particular, let's talk the finances of the foils in this set. They have a unique treatment, they are one per pack, but most importantly - they are all going bonkers in price right now. (Thread) #MTG There are 24 foil cards in a box of Double Feature. On average, people are reporting opening 2 foil Rares and 1 foil Mythic per box. There are 128 Rares and 40 Mythics in the set. (/2)
Feb 11, 2022 7 tweets 5 min read
(Thread) In honor of #SCGCON Philadelphia and the giant multiple Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty prerelease events we're running this weekend, here are five fun facts about #MTG Prereleases!

scgcon.starcitygames.com/event/scg-con-… 1) The first official #MTG Prerelease ever was for Homelands! @wizards_magic rented out two floors of a New York Hotel, had a ton of decorations and special guests, and it paved the way for future Prerelease events.

Feb 10, 2022 14 tweets 6 min read
(Thread) Here's my top 10 cards from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. These are the cards I think will hold value long term. This would normally be a premium article, but I'm not currently writing / don't have time to flesh this out @starcitygames. #MTG #MTGNEON. This list includes cards from Neon Dynasty and Neon Dynasty Commander (New cards, no reprints). They release at the same time so I'm going to include them together. Some of these cards might drop from preorder pricing in the short term, but will be great long-term picks! (/2)
Feb 9, 2022 11 tweets 4 min read
(Thread) Hasbro released their Q4 2021 financial results, and #MTG was the brightest spot in Hasbro's entire company! There are some some extremely interesting takeaways from the report. Let's discuss! (/1) 1) Tabletop gaming and digital gaming revenue accounted for 74% and 26% of total revenue for WOTC. No matter what doomsayers are putting out there, physical play is essential to the long-term health of #MTG. Hasbro recognizes this! (/2)
Oct 26, 2021 13 tweets 6 min read
(Thread) Innistrad: Crimson Vow is almost on us, so let's talk about Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty! Yesterday, @wizards_magic put up all of the important launch and release dates for KND on their website (articles.starcitygames.com/news/important…). #MTG (/1) The original Kamigawa block was not a success for Wizards of the Coast. While some facets were popular (Shrines, Ninjas, Dragons), several parts of the set fell flat. At the time, the set was designed to pull in a rapidly-growing Japanese #MTG audience. (/2)