Question about Alpha Starters.

[dragsamou]

Hi Members.
This a traditional Alpha Starter Sealed,but I read something in the Description that I never heard of.I would like the comments of Expert Members about that Particular point.Thanks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MTG-SEALED-ALPHA-ST ... dZViewItem

RARE FIND IN FACT THERE MAY BE VERY FEW IN EXISTENCE, FOR THE SERIOUS COLLECTOR. THIS IS A SEALED DECK (NEVER OPENED) YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS NO UPC SEAL ON THE DECK. THIS DECK HAS BEEN IN MY COLLECTION SINCE 1994. WHEN THE ALPHA DECKS FIRST BECAME AVAILABLE THERE WASN'T EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF RARE CARDS,AND SOME DECKS HAD AS MANY AS (9) NINE RARE CARDS.( WE ARE NOT GUARANTEEING THAT MANY IN THIS DECK BUT IT IS POSSIBLE). WE ONLY ASK ONE CONSIDERATION, THAT THE PERSON WHO IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO WIN THIS AUCTION ,THAT THEY CONTACT US AND LET US KNOW WHAT SPECIAL AND RARE CARDS WERE FOUND. YOU MAY NEVER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS EVER AGAIN.CARDS IN MINT CONDITION. CARDS HAVE NEVER BEEN PLAYED, ALL MY CARDS AND DECKS CURRENTLY ON EBAY ARE ALL AUTHENTIC, THEY HAVE BEEN IN MY PERSONAL COLLECTION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. PLEASE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BIDDING THERE IS A NO-HASSEL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE.

[hammr7]

Alexis,

Consider that wording to be little more than auction hype.

I have heard of isolated instances where the collation of starters was off. This has applied to virtually every set, including Alpha. But we all know stories of boosters with messed up collations as well. I have had packs with extra rares, extra foils, and had packs with no rares.

I have heard Alpha-specific rumors that a few starters got extra rares in place of uncommons towards the end of the run. Apparantly there were excess rares left, and Carta Mundi had used up all the uncommons. These rumors seem to coincide with a related rumor that a few early Beta starters got Alpha rares as well. These would be logical ways to use up excess rares and meet production goals.

From everything I have heard, the number of Alpha starters with the extra rares was extremely limited. I was never able to personally verify any specific instance. I was also never able to personally verify Beta starters or boosters that contained Alpha cards. Still, a few rumors have persisted, so I think it might be more than an urban legend.

Despite the possibility, I still have to laugh at the auction wording. It is dwelling on a chance-in-a-thousand that you might get extra rares, when there is a much greater chance of getting a land in place of a rare, and getting one or more lands in place of the uncommons.

[tap4black]

I have personally opened Beta starters that have had Alpha Rares inside. In addition, I actually know a collector who has most of a box left of Beta Starters, every deck opened out of that box to date has yielded Alpha Rares.

[Gryfalia]

There's no question that Alpha rares are quite often found in Beta starters. I think this goes back to WotC being poor at the start, so the excess rares that came off the press while Alpha was being printed ended up being put in the Beta starters to save money.

While so-called 'God starters' (all rares) certainly do occur, I think that advertising that 'this one could be it' is like selling a sealed box of revised and saying 'HOLY COW this could be summer!'.

Sure, it COULD be, but at odds probably similar to winning a small lottery..

Gryfalia

[ende73]

There's no question that Alpha rares are quite often found in Beta starters. I think this goes back to WotC being poor at the start, so the excess rares that came off the press while Alpha was being printed ended up being put in the Beta starters to save money.

While so-called 'God starters' (all rares) certainly do occur, I think that advertising that 'this one could be it' is like selling a sealed box of revised and saying 'HOLY COW this could be summer!'.

Sure, it COULD be, but at odds probably similar to winning a small lottery..

Gryfalia

Absolutely.

However it's funny that Revised boxes always sell for a premium with respect to what they could contain ($400+ for 3 Duals, 1 BoP, 1 Fork and like 4 or 5 WB Lightning Bolts and Dark Rituals ?!), maybe because some people on the demand do go for the 1 in a million chance to draft Edgar.

[mintcollector]

I have personally opened Beta starters that have had Alpha Rares inside. In addition, I actually know a collector who has most of a box left of Beta Starters, every deck opened out of that box to date has yielded Alpha Rares.

This has been confirmed before. In fact I recall a public posting on the fact that the print runs did not even out and Alpha Rares were used in Beta starter coalation.

Alexis: Quality assurance must not have been what it is today, and even today there are reports of boosters or starters having non-normal rarity makeup. Heck, fillers still make it out when QA should be catching these. Hank made a great point simply pointing out that posting what was uncommon or even rare for occuring in your auction is little more than hype. This would be no more different from me selling a Ravnica box and pointing out that someone did find 4 rares per pack in his Ravnica box, so there is a chance the one I am selling you might also have 4 rares per pack. While it IS true that my box MAY have 4 rares per pack like another box had, it is very UNLIKELY that this is the case. The point: auction hype and a weak attempt to get more cash.