How do trading card companies (TOPPS, Pokémon, MTG, etc.) fairly distribute rare cards across all the manufactured packages?
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Depends on what you mean. MtG, at least, has “slots” so that each pack of 15 cards has 10 common cards, 3 uncommon cards, 1 basic land, and 1 rare. This way, every pack has at least a rare, and that rare slot has a chance of being a mythic rare, and one of the common slots has a chance of being a foil version of any rarity. These slots can be adjusted, depending on the set.
If you mean how they distribute rare card X, which is worth $1, vs rare card Y, which is worth $150, then they kinda… don’t. It’s all random, but there are always trends. You’ll see people buying the same packs from more than one area so they get a “fair” shake at getting the good stuff.
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