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Hi! I have a friend that I know is really into magic the gathering. I personally know nothing about it in the slightest, but want to get him a Christmas present.

I know the cards are sold in little packages where the contents are randomized, but are there are any specific little packages I should be looking into buying or certain special card he would probably want?

It's hard to recommend something MtG related without knowing what he likes and what he already has. You could get him a playmat whose art you think he'd like, if he doesn't already have one.

 Tibs Ironblood wrote:
Hi! I have a friend that I know is really into magic the gathering. I personally know nothing about it in the slightest, but want to get him a Christmas present.

I know the cards are sold in little packages where the contents are randomized, but are there are any specific little packages I should be looking into buying or certain special card he would probably want?

I would agree on a playmat if he doesn't already own one. Or, you can find out what color decks he plays and pick up a shockland. Shocklands are used in everything non mono colored, and he'll be happy to get one in a color he plays. Most are sitting around $7-$10, so it's a simple thing to order from TCGplayer

Unfortunately (for you), Magic has quite a lot of variants which make it difficult to guess what someone might like, without knowing what variants they play, and what they already have. The most important distinction is between "limited" and "constructed". "Limited" is where you have a limited pool of cards from which to build your deck. Usually, players turn up with 3 to 6 boosters, open them, and whatever cards they pull is what they use to build their limited deck. "Constructed" is where you construct a deck from whatever legal cards you can get your hands on. Which cards are "legal" depends on which variant of constructed they play. The most recent cycle is nearly always legal, but if they're into something like "vintage" they're unlikely to pull anything they want from the most recent cycle.

The most recent cycle is called "Battle for Zendikar", it has green and white packets. Someone who's more into "limited" might be happy to receive free boosters, or they might already have a stockpile. "Constructed" players tend to focus more on rare cards, so they might not get anything they especially want out of a booster. Most people play a bit of both formats, but you never know. If you were able to find out a bit more about what your friend plays, we might be able to help you more.

I came across this video the other day which might help you out. Personally, I'd prefer other stuff over any of these things (boosters), but if you're completely clueless then these might be your best bet.