How do you guys value open/used decks?

[Justin O.]

What would you guys say is a good (albeit loose) guideline for what you can expect on average to pay for opened decks with unused cards as well as opened tucks and used cards
Would a good rule of thumb, for example, be: Opened tuck/unused cards is worth 40% of a decks rough estimated value whereas opened tuck/used cards would be worth roughly 20% of a decks value?

I try not to buy decks that are opened, I like brand new shiny decks, but sometimes those are hard to find and I'm new enough to collecting that I don't have a comfortable feel for gauging a decks worth with my limited experience so I'm looking for a little bit of direction despite what I imagine can vary pretty greatly from person to person.

[Loop Cuts]

I'm very bias to used deck and simply wont put stock into them. (no pun intended)  That's just my point of view though.

[Curt]

Personally, I can see value in opened vintage decks, but not really in anything new. I mainly collect and keep my collection sealed, only open the odd one to play with. Anything new, I feel that I would be missing out since they are not really that hard to get sealed. Vintage decks on the other hand can be damn near impossible to find sealed sometimes, so owning a good condition opened one is the next best thing. Putting value on opened decks is tough.. obviously I would pay less but it really depends on how badly I want the deck.

[S. Carey]

Personally, I can see value in opened vintage decks, but not really in anything new. I mainly collect and keep my collection sealed, only open the odd one to play with. Anything new I feel that I would be missing out since they are not really that hard to get sealed. Vintage decks on the other hand can be damn near impossible to find sealed sometimes, so owning a good condition opened one is the next best thing. Putting value on opened decks is tough.. obviously I would pay less but it really depends on how badly I want the deck.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Yeah some vintage decks have a super cool factor too them that I just gotta have. There is something bad ass about owning a deck from years ago that can't be found anywhere or that just has a particular story behind it. It might have zero monetary value but there is a lot of value behind what it means to you.

[Don Boyer]

I'm largely in agreement here.  In the vintage world, most of the decks you're likely to run into will be opened and used - but they still have value for the rare artifacts they are.  Playing cards are ephemera - objects built from the start to be consumed and disposed of in favor of another inexpensive replacement.  As such, they weren't meant to last decades (or in some cases, centuries) and you're lucky to find any remaining examples at all, new or used.

As far as modern decks - there can be some value in an opened deck, depending on its condition.  Having said that, an opened pack isn't worth as much as a sealed one.  Modern custom decks that are opened get their value from the fact that limited numbers exist in most cases, as they were made in limited print runs.  Many people will open a pack anyway as a matter of course - one pack for playing with, one pack for storing in the collection; to that kind of collector, they don't mind as much buying packs that are opened but still in good shape.

I might call an opened pack in good shape as being worth half, and a heavily worn pack as worthless other than for magic tricks that destroy cards.  If the deck is still in print and available at reasonable cost, it lowers the worth of an opened deck - it's not as rare and why pay for used if new doesn't cost that much?

[CoolaFu]

Personally I value opened decks not more than half its price. If  someone will offer me to trade let say 4 opened shadow master for 1 sealed shadow master. I would still pick 1 sealed deck. It like comparing spoiled milk and new milk. This is just my opinion.

[BiggerDee]

I'm purely a colelctor, and I buy decks for display, only opening a few total. I try to buy decks at a price point where if I ever decide to sell, I can at least get my money back. If they are a limited and great deck, a lot of folks will open and use them and when scarcity comes into pleay in the future, I've gained some value, if I decide to sell. Note though that I don not buy any deck as an investment, that's simply crazy. I buy anything (not just cards) with the intent of getting my money back, or making a profit, in the future, no matter what it is. Doesn't always work, but it's a good idea to have when purchasing things, especially with the large and varied collections that I have. That being said, unusual finish decks are a different story. I want a deck of Jerry's Nuggets. Funny thing is, I'd MUCH prefer an opened deck, as opposed to sealed. I think that sealed ones are far overpriced, but the reason is that they have features/coatings that aren't available anymore, adn I want to feel how they handle. I could do that with a sealed deck, but I could never bring myself to open one, so I'd never know. If you have cards from Cincinnati, ones with special finishes, lightly used older decks that are popular for their handling, you can probably get prices that aren't too far off from the sealed version. You just have to do you research and remember that no matter what anyone thinks that they are worth, the true value is what you will get when you sell them. You may get twice as much on one day as you'd get on another, you just have to ahve the right deck at the right time and the right buyer.

[Lukeout]

As I use all my decks, a good used one would be fine with me. If it's cheaper, then all the better!

What I'd really like to do is trade used decks for other used decks if possible.

[Don Boyer]

What I'd really like to do is trade used decks for other used decks if possible.

Read the rules for the STISO board.  Once you've met the minimum requirements, post a trade topic and list some decks you have for offer.

The minimum requirements:

• Read the rules - duh! 
• Be a member for at least seven days
• Bring your post count to 25 posts from OTHER boards - you aren't allowed to post in the STISO until you've reached the minimum.  Posts to LOLAQ and Support don't add to your total.
• Have a reputation score of at least 1 - this happens automatically if you haven't received any "bad poster" ratings.