After some radio silence and a long wait from the MTG community, options for attending MTG’s illustrious 30th-anniversary celebration in Los Vegas are finally available! After Wizards of the Coast announced an outstanding Beta draft experience for competitors who manage to battle their way to the top eight, excitement for the event has been at an all-time high. This excitement isn’t without base, as Beta packs can go for about $7000 or more. Each top eight players will be opening $21,000 worth of cards on the spot while competing for additional prizes! There are a bunch of different entry options available. These vary quite a bit, from $25 to $700. While we’re pretty sure the $700 entry is worth it, the best entry option for your money may be more expensive than you expect. At the price of $350, like another premium event, you may as well by putting up a Dual Land for Anti. Don’t worry, though. This entry fee is more than worth its weight in gold.
MTG Playmat Finance
As mentioned before, entry fees for one of MTG’s most notable events vary widely. Depending on what you want to do at the event, there are many custom options. Entry for kids starts at $20, while adults need to spend at least $60 to get access to one day of the weekend-long event. Those who want a weekend package can do so with prices starting at $160. However, if you want value for your money, we recommend buying the Ruby or a Pearl package for $350. This may seem strange at first, but when you see the perks, it will make sense.
About a month ago, we did an article outlining the most expensive playmats in MTG history. This was a rather complex topic to write about, as playmat finance is not followed in nearly as much detail as other financial aspects of MTG, like single card prices. One of the most expensive playmats that showed up multiple times in our research was MTG’s 25th anniversary exclusive Black Lotus playmat. Copies of these are scarce, with unaltered versions going for about $450 only five years after their printing. This price stands even with many MTG players expressing concern about the foiling used for the playmat. Some altered versions of the 25th-anniversary playmat sell for $1000 and up. If you’re going to attend this event in person, an encounter with Richard Garfield or Mark Rosewater may not only be a fantastic experience but could also favor your pockets.
MTG 30th Anniversary Benefits
Here’s where the critical part kicks in. MTG’s 30th-anniversary playmats are only available in entry packages to players who spend $350 and up. If anything has been made clear by our look into the 25th-anniversary playmat’s finance, given some time and some perseverance for signatures, the playmat alone should be able to fund your entry fee. Packages below this price range also have benefits, but none of them offer a potential financial return like this does.
To top things off, you get many more benefits for paying at the $350 level. Here are only some of what you can expect as part of the Pearl package:
- Weekend badge and lanyard
- 4 Event promo cards—Arcane Signet (foil etched)
- Richard Garfield, Ph.D. promo card
- 2 Mystery Boosters
- 2 Modern Horizons 2 Draft Boosters
- 3 Dominaria United Collector Boosters
- Exclusive Magic 30 playmat
- Exclusive deck box and sleeves
- Exclusive Friday Unfinity VIP event with Mark Rosewater.
- Magic 30 official pin
- 10% off on event-exclusive merchandise
- Magic: The Gathering drawstring backpack
An alternate VIP package is available for more Commander-savvy players for the same price. Here’s what you can expect with that:
- Weekend badge and lanyard
- 2 Event promo cards—Arcane Signet (foil etched)
- Richard Garfield, Ph.D. promo card
- 2 Commander promo card—Sol Ring (traditional foil)
- 3 Commander Legends Draft Boosters
- Exclusive Commander playmat
- Exclusive deck box and sleeves
- Command Zone access (all weekend)
- Magic 30 official pin
- 10% off on event-exclusive merchandise
- 1 Commander on-demand event
Promo cards and some additional packs allow for you to retain some value easily, but for more sentimental players like myself, they can stand as a memory of what should be a fantastic event.
What Event are You Excited For?
There’s a lot of stuff for players who attend the 30th-anniversary event to do. From panels run by Richard Garfield himself to the illustrious tournament with Beta packs to await the winners, Wizards of the Coast is bringing their A-game as an attempt to not only celebrate MTG and its community but also complete their goal of truly rebirthing paper play. For more information regarding Wizards of the Coast’s 30th-anniversary event, you can find their original post here.
