Opening decks

[bjoern90]

Hey I’m now to collecting decks. And my stupid problem is:

On the one side I want to keep the decks in cellophane to maybe sell some one day on the other side I want to see them from the inside and use them.

Is here anybody who has the same stupid problem?
How do you solve this. I thought about buying two and use one but it’s also kind of strange.

[th4mo]

Hello Bjoern and welcome to UC

I think you'll find this is an issue that all collectors have to face and figure out for themselves! It's going to depend on the answers to several questions you have to ask yourself:

WHY are you collecting cards? to experience and enjoy, or as an investment, or something else? The truth is that if you buy a wide variety of cards, only a few them will have the potential to ever significantly increase in value.

WHAT kind of cards will you focus on with your collection? will you focus on custom courts, beautiful tuck boxes, cardistry decks, magic decks, particular artistic styles or themes, specific companies or designers, artists, etc?

What is your BUDGET? What can you afford to spend while you are figuring out the answers above?

Some people try to very very carefully open their decks to keep them as pristine as possible, but in the end I don't think there's much middle ground: a deck is either opened or unopened, and that will most likely have a significant impact on the resale value.

For a long time I took the approach of buying two decks, so I could keep one unopened. I was also buying almost every custom deck I came across. That got to be too expensive so I started to only buy 1 copy of the decks I wasn't very excited about. Eventually I stopped buying those decks at all and now I just buy the decks that I feel I "can't live without"! For those, I still buy one to open, and one or several to keep in mint condition. I have yet to actually sell or trade any decks away, mostly out of laziness!

quite a few people here never open their decks, and others love to poke fun at them, but the decision is entirely up to you!

Good luck, and if I'm being totally honest.... get out while you still can!

[GandalfPC]

For a long time I took the approach of buying two decks, so I could keep one unopened. I was also buying almost every custom deck I came across. That got to be too expensive so I started to only buy 1 copy of the decks I wasn't very excited about. Eventually I stopped buying those decks at all and now I just buy the decks that I feel I "can't live without"! For those, I still buy one to open, and one or several to keep in mint condition.

Yup - that, more or less - though I tend to open a lot less of the ones I intend to open than I intended. (about 200 opened out of 1600+)

[Honeybee]

Perfect post/answer th4mo

I open everything - sometimes even multiples

I wonder whether keeping them unopened isn't sometimes to allay the guilt of indulging so much - thinking that our heirs will one day be able to recoup the money we have spent

[Bradius]

Yeah, th4mo said it about as well as it can be said. I agree.

[bjoern90]

Thanks @th4mo for this long answer and thanks for welcoming me. I think I will have to find my own way then. I will limit myself on some brands and only collect these ones

[GandalfTheWhite]

I wanted to respond in a quick short way... I always intend to open the decks I buy. When I receive, I treat them as the most precious things and I tell myself that I will open on the weekends/when I have some time to myself/when I have some serenity. Unfortunately, life happens and those said things rarely happens. So, like the elder Gandalf said, I have few open vs. unopened. Deep down I still want to open them but when the time is right and I do not know when that is.