Hi, i have been playing MTG since 1996 and can give you somewhat of an idea.

1. As was said they have different levels of rarity which they show by the color of the sets symbol on the cards. Black=Common(11 in pack), Silver=Uncommon(3 in pack), Gold=Rare(1 in pack) and Red is Mythic which is 1 in 10 rares have a chance of being a Mythic.

Now that being said, that really doesn't play a huge factor on the value. Of corse it helps. But you can run into some Uncommons worth a little bit, while most rares can tend to be somewhat worthless. You will get a few in each set worth a good little bit. But the main factor on the worth is the demand for the card in Tourneys. If you have a card that seems to be very powerful in constructed decks for Tourney play, then it will be worth something. But also now that a newer style of playing(EDH) has become very popular, a lot of the older cards have gone back up in value.

2. This is a hard one as they come out with a new set every 3-4 months, I wouldn't suggest buying boxes unless your a player. It's really a 50/50 shot if the box you buy has more value in the cards then what you spent on it. Trying to go and buy older sets from past years can be expensive and is the same situation that it may not have cards worth what you paid for box. Really it's hard to buy and resell MTG cards unless your a gaming store that sells all that type stuff and buys large amounts of boxes for your store supply.

The 3 newest sets do have some nice cards in them worth around $40-$50 each. But then again your not going to get them every box, it's all randomized.

3. There is the possibilty of valuable cards in a box, but not a positive "Hit" each box.

captkirk42 wrote:

1. Usually the "booster" packs/boxes are seeded in a specific way so that one can start playing right away. They put x number of commons, x uncommons and 1 maybe 2 "rares" in each pack/deck.

 

2. I have no idea, personally I thought MTG had lost it's popularity several years ago, but apparently it is still going strong in some circles.

 

3. I don't know anything about their value but there are a few MTG websites out there some include price guides and this one seems to be one of the "offical" sites (or at least associated with it) http://mtg.wikia.com/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering_Wiki

1. While there is a format where you build a deck from boosters, you cannot just open a few packs and play (for the most part). That said, there are Intro and Event decks that do allow for this. Opening a booster pack is like playing the lottery. You don't know if the cards you're going to get are going to make up for the value of the cost of the pack.

2. Magic has not lost popularity in the slightest, not now, not several years ago. The place that I play at has new people playing every week. Big tournaments have more and more players every season and card values have skyrocketed due to additional sanctioned formats (namely Commander).

3. There are several sites where you can gauge the value of cards, but if you're going to sell on eBay, then checking the completed auctions is the best. The value of a card is subjective depending on the venue. In addition, I would use a Google search on MOTL, Magiccards.info, TCGPlayer...they should give you an idea of a cards prices.