Magic Con Atlanta 2025: Day Three — Mystery Bags, Ticketed Play & Final Reflections
Series Note (Part 3 of 3)
This post is part of my MagicCon Atlanta 2025 series, where I share my first-time experience stepping into the world of Magic: The Gathering with my son Julien.
Day Three: Mystery Bags, Ticketed Play & Final Reflections (you’re here)
A Quieter Energy at the GWCC
Sunday morning at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) felt different. The high-energy chaos of Friday and Saturday had mellowed into something calmer, almost reflective. Vendors were tidying up their booths, players were making last trades, and you could feel people squeezing in one final round before the doors closed.
For Julien and me, it was our last chance to take in the atmosphere, wrap up loose ends, and chase down the parts of MagicCon we hadn’t yet experienced.
Ticketed Play & The Prize Wall
The real challenge of Day Three came with Ticketed Play. Unlike casual matches, this was a structured draft. We bought our tickets, cracked open fresh packs, and built decks on the spot before squaring off against other players.
The draft was intense. Each pack felt like a gamble — do you take the safe pick or the risk that might pay off later? Julien drafted with confidence, while I slowed down, carefully piecing my deck together. By the time we sat down to play, the adrenaline had already kicked in.
The matches were tough. Wins and losses balanced out, but every round felt like I was sharpening the skills I had started building on Day Two. Between matches, Julien offered more insights — how to read the flow of the table, anticipate opponent moves, and manage risk.
At the end of the event, we collected our Prize Tix and headed for the Prize Wall, a Magic player’s carnival of packs, playmats, and exclusive gear.
We walked away with 22 booster packs. That night in the hotel, we spread them across the table and tore through them one by one, laughing, debating strategies, and even building a few new decks from the haul. It was the perfect exclamation point to the weekend.
The Mystery Bag Reveal
All weekend long, I had seen people walking the halls with sleek black tote bags slung over their shoulders. At first, I assumed they were just another piece of convention merchandise. But the way people held them — close, with pride, with a bit of secrecy — told me otherwise. These weren’t just bags. They were Mystery Bags, and they carried an aura of excitement. Whispers rippled through the crowd about what they contained: rare promos, exclusive gear, or maybe something completely unexpected.
By Day Three, my curiosity had turned into determination. This was it — my last chance to experience one of the convention’s most talked-about traditions before heading home.
At the merchandise area, I purchased a MagicCon coin — a heavy, gold-toned token that felt symbolic, as if I were buying my way into a final ritual. With the coin in my hand, I joined the small line at the Mystery Window. The process couldn’t have been simpler: hand over the coin, receive a sealed black bag, and walk away. But everyone knew the weight wasn’t in the transaction — it was in the reveal.
Julien and I saved that reveal for the end, waiting until the last evening together at the hotel. Sitting across from each other, we opened the bag piece by piece: a MagicCon playmat, an exclusive t-shirt, booster packs, promo cards, pins, and other keepsakes.
It wasn’t just a collection of items. It was a sendoff — a way of bottling up the entire weekend in one bag, one final surprise before we parted ways and headed back to our own lives. For me, it was the perfect punctuation mark on a trip that had started as curiosity and ended as connection.
Mystery Bag Treasures
By Day Three, I realized just how much I had learned in such a short time — not only from Julien, but from the MagiKids staff who set me on the right path. Their work felt like the perfect mirror to my own journey: learning, connecting, and growing through play.
A Final Meal at Skol Brewing
With the convention behind us, Julien and I capped off the night at Skol Brewing Company, a Nordic-inspired brewery in downtown Atlanta.
Skol Brewing Company, a Nordic-inspired brewery in downtown Atlanta
Over hearty plates of food and cold brews, we reflected on the whirlwind of the past three days — the games, the lessons, the people, and the surprises. Skol’s atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, the kind of place that let you exhale after the intensity of a convention. It was the perfect bookend: good food, good drink, and time to just be together before heading home.
(Stay tuned for our full review of Skol Brewing Company in the Food & Drink section.)
Final Reflections
As I boarded my flight back to Miami the next morning, and Julien headed to Virginia, I thought about how far I’d come in just three days.
Day One had been about first impressions — walking into the Georgia World Congress Center for the first time, feeling the pulse of the crowd, watching the Marvel Spider-Man deck reveal, and finding unexpected calm at the painting table with a Death Tyrant miniature.
Day Two had been about learning — sitting down with the staff at MagiKids for my first real lesson, playing my first matches against Julien, discovering dry brushing and wet brushing while painting the Yeth Hound, and refueling over a Southern BBQ lunch at Twin Smokers.
Day Three had been about surprises — drafting under pressure in Ticketed Play, cashing in at the Prize Wall, ripping through 22 booster packs, opening the Mystery Bag we had chased all weekend, and winding down together at Skol Brewing.
But the true highlight wasn’t the cards, the promos, or even the wins. It was the time with Julien. Watching him move confidently in a world he loves, letting him coach me, competing with him, and sharing those small in-between moments — meals, laughter, reflection — that was the real treasure.
For me, MagicCon Atlanta 2025 wasn’t just a convention. It was a reminder of why Stag & Stow Co. exists. Our vision has always been to live with intention — to step out of comfort zones, to sharpen our craft, and to seek stories worth telling. This trip embodied all of it: grit in learning something completely new, discovery in unexpected places like miniature painting, and connection — the most important part — in sharing it all with my son.
That’s what Stag & Stow is about. Not chasing trends, but chasing moments that matter. Not just traveling, eating, or playing, but making the journey itself a story. MagicCon gave me that story, and now it becomes part of our larger one — built with grit, guided by purpose.
Founder’s Note
As the founder of Stag & Stow Co., I want to take a moment to thank everyone who made this experience possible.
To the staff at MagiKids, thank you for your patience in teaching me my first game of Magic and for the work you do introducing the game to schools and communities.
To the team at WizKids, thank you for creating spaces where creativity thrives — painting miniatures became one of the most unexpectedly rewarding parts of my weekend.
To the staff and vendors of MagicCon Atlanta 2025 at the Georgia World Congress Center, thank you for bringing together a community where veterans and newcomers alike can connect.
To Twin Smokers BBQ and Skol Brewing Company, thank you for the meals and moments that gave Julien and me a taste of Atlanta beyond the convention floor.
And most of all, to my son Julien, thank you for being my guide, my coach, and my competitor. Sharing this with you made it unforgettable.
At Stag & Stow Co., our goal is to live with intention and share stories that matter — whether they’re about food, travel, gear, or experiences like MagicCon. This write-up is part of that mission, and it reflects our honest impressions and personal journey.
Disclosure: This post contains links for informational purposes only, and in some cases affiliate links through Amazon. If you choose to purchase through these links, Stag & Stow Co. may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. At this time, we have no affiliation with MagicCon, Wizards of the Coast, Marvel, MagiKids, WizKids, Twin Smokers BBQ, Skol Brewing Company, or any other businesses mentioned. All opinions and experiences shared are entirely our own.
— Nathan Aponte, Founder, Stag & Stow Co.
