Hey everyone! I thought I would write a nice article for you guys. I'd like to discuss a pretty interesting topic that can hopefully help you guys make a bit of value on your cards in the long run. Some of what I'll write might seem obvious to you, some hopefully will not. This information is purely speculation, however. Bear in mind this is my first article, give me feedback!
Without further ado, I give you:
Investing In the Long Run: Standard
There are a plethora of good cards that I think will increase given time. Cards we have access to in standard. Cards we can easily open in boosters at affordable prices. The following are cards I think will increase after they rotate out of Standard and become solely useful in the Eternal formats.
First up. {Deathrite Shaman}.
This card is probably one of the most versatile one drops ever printed. He fixes mana, puts the game on a clock, and pulls your life total far ahead. Currently, he is a strong contender in Modern, a format oppressively ruled over by Jund, where the Shaman rests comfortably as a four of in almost every Jund deck out there. I think {Rest in Peace} was printed to limit the {Deathrite Shaman}'s graveyard shenanigans, but it simply isn't working.
While it will be a while before he rotates out, as long as Jund is strong in Modern, there will be a high demand for the creepy little wizard.
Next up: {Snapcaster Mage}
What doesn't this guy do? Flashy chump blocker, at the least. His ability of granting flashback means blue mages get real bang for their buck. He's played in both Legacy and Modern. Why is he so good? He simply gives you so many answers to whatever your opponent plays. Did they just play a {Dark Confidant}? You can cast {Snapcaster Mage} into a timely {Counterspell}. Crisis averted. Blue is a strong color in Legacy, and while not every blue Mage uses good old Tiago, he is in tons of blue decks and will continue to be blue's favorite creature. Expect him to drop slightly when he rotates out, when standard players try to get rid of their playsets. Buy them up at that point, because they will go up a few months after.
Next: {Abrupt Decay}
A 2 drop which gets rid of {Tarmogoyf}, {Dark Confidant}, and {Goblin Piledriver}? Count me in!
I think the reason this card went down after release is that it just isn't relevant in standard right now. I think if decks using {Delver of Secrets} were still prevalent then {Abrupt Decay} could see some use. It's much more relevant in Modern in Legacy, as it gets rid of so many cards. It's another strong removal tool for Jund decks. Its price should go up a few dollars, but not as much as the previously mentioned cards. The uncounterable aspect of it is very useful in Legacy with the prevalence of blue based decks.
Finally:
Shocklands!
All of them. They will go up. While they may be a reprint, the fact of the matter is that your mana base really makes or breaks your deck. Modern, unlike legacy, doesn't have access to dual lands of the power level of {Volcanic Island} or {Taiga}, and with a few exceptions, the Ravnica shocklands are the best Modern has. Easily fetched with fetchlands like {Arid Mesa}, the reprint of shocklands leaves us lucky players with a golden investment opportunity. Expect these cards to always stay below their older counterparts, but they will increase in time as their predecessors have.
One more addiction:
{Delver of Secrets}
What a broken card! He is played in legacy in the form of RUG Delved and U/R Delver decks. The amount of cards available that can flip him in Legacy is absurd. He may be a common, but I guarantee he will increase. Get foils, if you can!
Notable cards which I don't think will go up:
{Thragtusk}- he's only worth so much ecayae of how well positioned he is in the current meta.
{Lingering Souls} B/W just isn't that strong outside of standard, and the spirits aren't relevant considering the amount of removal we have access to in eternal formats.
{Bonfire of the Damned}- a nice card in standard, but the fact of the matter is that tapping out for this in Legacy or Modern, with the truly absurd amounts of counterspells, just hurts. Really bad. There are better and more efficient burn cards, and the only reason this card holds value in standard is the lack of counterspells and the power of the miracle mechanic.
{Geralf's Messenger}- zombies is not a strong archetype out of Standard, and his abilities are nicely counteracted by a timely {Kitchen Finks}. Ouch!
Thanks for reading everyone, and happy holidays!
Nice article. And it has given me some nice insight for the future. Thank you.
Im curious as to how much shocklands will rise and how soon. I have some now, and im itching to trade them in for something i need.
Quote from: MisterJH on December 23, 2012, 10:09:52 PM
Im curious as to how much shocklands will rise and how soon. I have some now, and im itching to trade them in for something i need.
From their prices now, they will fluctuate a bit based on what's prevalent in the standard meta game. However, when they rotate out they will first drop a couple of dollars, then slowly (we're talking months/years) go up. I think the original shocklands have increased an average of a dollar and a half a year since rotating out originally, which doesn't seem like much but is consistent.
Quote from: ZeroNero on December 23, 2012, 10:02:12 PM
Nice article. And it has given me some nice insight for the future. Thank you.
Thanks for the compliments!
Nice stuff. I would like to see more of this. I have 2 brief qualms.
1) Shocklands from Gatecrash will likely be worth more, because it they aren't going to print as much as they did Return to Ravnica. RtR is probably the highest selling product in Magic's history.
2) {Lingering Souls} is a Modern staple. Mostly everyone uses it to stop those Affinity decks. It is uncommon, so it won't see a huge increase, but could be more then a $2 uncommon.
Quote from: Dudecore on December 24, 2012, 01:13:26 PM
Nice stuff. I would like to see more of this. I have 2 brief qualms.
1) Shocklands from Gatecrash will likely be worth more, because it they aren't going to print as much as they did Return to Ravnica. RtR is probably the highest selling product in Magic's history.
2) {Lingering Souls} is a Modern staple. Mostly everyone uses it to stop those Affinity decks. It is uncommon, so it won't see a huge increase, but could be more then a $2 uncommon.
About the Gatecrash shocklands- you're entirely correct, with the smaller print run they will be worth a bit more. I would have mentioned that except that I wanted to wait a bit closer to the Gatecrash release.
In regards to {Lingering Souls}- I agree with you here- this card is a Modern staple right now. However, I think the fact that it is uncommon and still widely available makes any future price increase pretty small and inconsequential, while it will still increase. Thanks!
{Lingering Souls} is most likely to be printed again in some other form. A card that makes 2 tokens is space they'll use again. For right now it's even in legacy for the same reasons.
I really liked this article!
Cool article :) I am going to get a playset of each shock before rotation!
Quote from: Coffee Vampire on December 25, 2012, 09:39:23 AM
Cool article :) I am going to get a playset of each shock before rotation!
Thanks! Yes, I'm working towards full playsets myself too.
Cool article would love to read more.
Since all the shock lands are going to be printed even more in Dragon's Maze, will they go down a lot before they go up?
I would suspect not.
From what I understand, the dragons maze set will be a smaller print of cards but the rares will still be just as rare. If you open a lot of boosters your chance on getting a shock land may increase slightly, but getting the one you want will drop because there will be ones from both sets but equally as few overall.
I hope that makes sense.
Yes, it makes sense. I was hoping I could buy them cheap once it came out, but I guess not. I like EDH better than Standard now, anyway :D
Liliana of the Veil is another $$$ card
This card is up to $47 right know.
It sees standard, modern, and legacy play. O_O.
B4 reading this article i had bought
Abrupt decay x20 back when it was down to under $5.00. This card is now $7.64, and it will hit close to $15.
Deathrite Shaman is super awsome and sees play in three formats as well. Everytime i win a my local fnm i turn my credit into shamans lilianas or decays.
Snapcaster mage is a hell of a card. Got a play set of those but i want much more. :-)
Zendikar fetch lands are a must, especially misty rainforest $34 O_O.
Sweet info
Later
Quote from: Xaol on December 23, 2012, 09:44:13 PM
Hey everyone! I thought I would write a nice article for you guys. I'd like to discuss a pretty interesting topic that can hopefully help you guys make a bit of value on your cards in the long run. Some of what I'll write might seem obvious to you, some hopefully will not. This information is purely speculation, however. Bear in mind this is my first article, give me feedback!
Without further ado, I give you:
Investing In the Long Run: Standard
There are a plethora of good cards that I think will increase given time. Cards we have access to in standard. Cards we can easily open in boosters at affordable prices. The following are cards I think will increase after they rotate out of Standard and become solely useful in the Eternal formats.
First up. {Deathrite Shaman}.
This card is probably one of the most versatile one drops ever printed. He fixes mana, puts the game on a clock, and pulls your life total far ahead. Currently, he is a strong contender in Modern, a format oppressively ruled over by Jund, where the Shaman rests comfortably as a four of in almost every Jund deck out there. I think {Rest in Peace} was printed to limit the {Deathrite Shaman}'s graveyard shenanigans, but it simply isn't working.
While it will be a while before he rotates out, as long as Jund is strong in Modern, there will be a high demand for the creepy little wizard.
Next up: {Snapcaster Mage}
What doesn't this guy do? Flashy chump blocker, at the least. His ability of granting flashback means blue mages get real bang for their buck. He's played in both Legacy and Modern. Why is he so good? He simply gives you so many answers to whatever your opponent plays. Did they just play a {Dark Confidant}? You can cast {Snapcaster Mage} into a timely {Counterspell}. Crisis averted. Blue is a strong color in Legacy, and while not every blue Mage uses good old Tiago, he is in tons of blue decks and will continue to be blue's favorite creature. Expect him to drop slightly when he rotates out, when standard players try to get rid of their playsets. Buy them up at that point, because they will go up a few months after.
Next: {Abrupt Decay}
A 2 drop which gets rid of {Tarmogoyf}, {Dark Confidant}, and {Goblin Piledriver}? Count me in!
I think the reason this card went down after release is that it just isn't relevant in standard right now. I think if decks using {Delver of Secrets} were still prevalent then {Abrupt Decay} could see some use. It's much more relevant in Modern in Legacy, as it gets rid of so many cards. It's another strong removal tool for Jund decks. Its price should go up a few dollars, but not as much as the previously mentioned cards. The uncounterable aspect of it is very useful in Legacy with the prevalence of blue based decks.
Finally:
Shocklands!
All of them. They will go up. While they may be a reprint, the fact of the matter is that your mana base really makes or breaks your deck. Modern, unlike legacy, doesn't have access to dual lands of the power level of {Volcanic Island} or {Taiga}, and with a few exceptions, the Ravnica shocklands are the best Modern has. Easily fetched with fetchlands like {Arid Mesa}, the reprint of shocklands leaves us lucky players with a golden investment opportunity. Expect these cards to always stay below their older counterparts, but they will increase in time as their predecessors have.
One more addiction:
{Delver of Secrets}
What a broken card! He is played in legacy in the form of RUG Delved and U/R Delver decks. The amount of cards available that can flip him in Legacy is absurd. He may be a common, but I guarantee he will increase. Get foils, if you can!
Notable cards which I don't think will go up:
{Thragtusk}- he's only worth so much ecayae of how well positioned he is in the current meta.
{Lingering Souls} B/W just isn't that strong outside of standard, and the spirits aren't relevant considering the amount of removal we have access to in eternal formats.
{Bonfire of the Damned}- a nice card in standard, but the fact of the matter is that tapping out for this in Legacy or Modern, with the truly absurd amounts of counterspells, just hurts. Really bad. There are better and more efficient burn cards, and the only reason this card holds value in standard is the lack of counterspells and the power of the miracle mechanic.
{Geralf's Messenger}- zombies is not a strong archetype out of Standard, and his abilities are nicely counteracted by a timely {Kitchen Finks}. Ouch!
Thanks for reading everyone, and happy holidays!
Quote from: Jacetherican on March 22, 2013, 12:56:12 PM
Liliana of the Veil is another $$$ card
This card is up to $47 right know.
It sees standard, modern, and legacy play. O_O.
B4 reading this article i had bought
Abrupt decay x20 back when it was down to under $5.00. This card is now $7.64, and it will hit close to $15.
Deathrite Shaman is super awsome and sees play in three formats as well. Everytime i win a my local fnm i turn my credit into shamans lilianas or decays.
Snapcaster mage is a hell of a card. Got a play set of those but i want much more. :-)
Zendikar fetch lands are a must, especially misty rainforest $34 O_O.
Sweet info
Later
Quote from: Xaol on December 23, 2012, 09:44:13 PM
Hey everyone! I thought I would write a nice article for you guys. I'd like to discuss a pretty interesting topic that can hopefully help you guys make a bit of value on your cards in the long run. Some of what I'll write might seem obvious to you, some hopefully will not. This information is purely speculation, however. Bear in mind this is my first article, give me feedback!
Without further ado, I give you:
Investing In the Long Run: Standard
There are a plethora of good cards that I think will increase given time. Cards we have access to in standard. Cards we can easily open in boosters at affordable prices. The following are cards I think will increase after they rotate out of Standard and become solely useful in the Eternal formats.
First up. {Deathrite Shaman}.
This card is probably one of the most versatile one drops ever printed. He fixes mana, puts the game on a clock, and pulls your life total far ahead. Currently, he is a strong contender in Modern, a format oppressively ruled over by Jund, where the Shaman rests comfortably as a four of in almost every Jund deck out there. I think {Rest in Peace} was printed to limit the {Deathrite Shaman}'s graveyard shenanigans, but it simply isn't working.
While it will be a while before he rotates out, as long as Jund is strong in Modern, there will be a high demand for the creepy little wizard.
Next up: {Snapcaster Mage}
What doesn't this guy do? Flashy chump blocker, at the least. His ability of granting flashback means blue mages get real bang for their buck. He's played in both Legacy and Modern. Why is he so good? He simply gives you so many answers to whatever your opponent plays. Did they just play a {Dark Confidant}? You can cast {Snapcaster Mage} into a timely {Counterspell}. Crisis averted. Blue is a strong color in Legacy, and while not every blue Mage uses good old Tiago, he is in tons of blue decks and will continue to be blue's favorite creature. Expect him to drop slightly when he rotates out, when standard players try to get rid of their playsets. Buy them up at that point, because they will go up a few months after.
Next: {Abrupt Decay}
A 2 drop which gets rid of {Tarmogoyf}, {Dark Confidant}, and {Goblin Piledriver}? Count me in!
I think the reason this card went down after release is that it just isn't relevant in standard right now. I think if decks using {Delver of Secrets} were still prevalent then {Abrupt Decay} could see some use. It's much more relevant in Modern in Legacy, as it gets rid of so many cards. It's another strong removal tool for Jund decks. Its price should go up a few dollars, but not as much as the previously mentioned cards. The uncounterable aspect of it is very useful in Legacy with the prevalence of blue based decks.
Finally:
Shocklands!
All of them. They will go up. While they may be a reprint, the fact of the matter is that your mana base really makes or breaks your deck. Modern, unlike legacy, doesn't have access to dual lands of the power level of {Volcanic Island} or {Taiga}, and with a few exceptions, the Ravnica shocklands are the best Modern has. Easily fetched with fetchlands like {Arid Mesa}, the reprint of shocklands leaves us lucky players with a golden investment opportunity. Expect these cards to always stay below their older counterparts, but they will increase in time as their predecessors have.
One more addiction:
{Delver of Secrets}
What a broken card! He is played in legacy in the form of RUG Delved and U/R Delver decks. The amount of cards available that can flip him in Legacy is absurd. He may be a common, but I guarantee he will increase. Get foils, if you can!
Notable cards which I don't think will go up:
{Thragtusk}- he's only worth so much ecayae of how well positioned he is in the current meta.
{Lingering Souls} B/W just isn't that strong outside of standard, and the spirits aren't relevant considering the amount of removal we have access to in eternal formats.
{Bonfire of the Damned}- a nice card in standard, but the fact of the matter is that tapping out for this in Legacy or Modern, with the truly absurd amounts of counterspells, just hurts. Really bad. There are better and more efficient burn cards, and the only reason this card holds value in standard is the lack of counterspells and the power of the miracle mechanic.
{Geralf's Messenger}- zombies is not a strong archetype out of Standard, and his abilities are nicely counteracted by a timely {Kitchen Finks}. Ouch!
Thanks for reading everyone, and happy holidays!
Happy to help!
Awesome article. Thank you.
Quote from: Abell19 on May 04, 2013, 01:19:17 AM
Awesome article. Thank you.
No problem! It's a bit out of date, but most of the information is still relevant.
dude, I don't think delver ever increased in price or play much, but I want one for my blue-red deck ;) thanks for the article, and btw most info here is still to date.
Another thing is going up is fetch lands
Quote from: IceScythe on July 10, 2013, 03:13:24 AM
dude, I don't think delver ever increased in price or play much, but I want one for my blue-red deck ;) thanks for the article, and btw most info here is still to date.
It will! RUG Delver is a HUGE Legacy deck. Foil Delvers will be worth a good amount.
I agree with your take on deathrite. 3 abilities for a 1 drop...all are effects that can be used in almost any deck. I pulled 3 and traded for 1. I plan on holding onto them for a long while
You were right about delver. He went from $1.29 to $4.56 in foil.
Quote from: Gleemax on July 21, 2013, 05:23:21 PM
You were right about delver. He went from $1.29 to $4.56 in foil.
Yeah! It's going to go up more too. Guaranteed.
Quote from: Xaol on July 21, 2013, 07:47:53 PM
Quote from: Gleemax on July 21, 2013, 05:23:21 PM
You were right about delver. He went from $1.29 to $4.56 in foil.
Yeah! It's going to go up more too. Guaranteed.
I now have 8 foiled delvers
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
Because its awesome. Yes. Yes.
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
It's a huge modern staple. Plain and simple. You run {B} in Modern, you should probably be running this guy. Staples always get really high.
Quote from: Silent1236 on August 08, 2013, 10:00:37 PM
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
It's a huge modern staple. Plain and simple. You run {B} in Modern, you should probably be running this guy. Staples always get really high.
Being {B} is probably the biggest reason. There's such a lack of good draw in {B} compared to {U}, the most popular color in eternal formats. I mean {necropotence} is banned for a reason.
Do people want me to write up another article like this for Theros-M14 when the full block is out?
Yes, that would really helpful!
Quote from: Xaol on August 08, 2013, 11:02:36 PM
Do people want me to write up another article like this for Theros-M14 when the full block is out?
Yes! The finances of mtg are part of the fun for me lol.
And Mike, don't you worry! We'll get that {Necropotence} reprint soon enough! ....right guys? Please? :(
That would be amazing. It's crazy how it's still a $6 card and you can only play it in casual decks.
Edit: Never mind. Just saw that it's legal in EDH. Which is ridiculous.
Quote from: Mikefrompluto on August 08, 2013, 10:38:19 PM
Quote from: Silent1236 on August 08, 2013, 10:00:37 PM
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
It's a huge modern staple. Plain and simple. You run {B} in Modern, you should probably be running this guy. Staples always get really high.
Being {B} is probably the biggest reason. There's such a lack of good draw in {B} compared to {U}, the most popular color in eternal formats. I mean {necropotence} is banned for a reason.
You make an EXCELLENT point here. I did not think about it that way. +1 for finally making me understand why that card is a {B} staple.
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 10, 2013, 10:01:06 PM
Quote from: Mikefrompluto on August 08, 2013, 10:38:19 PM
Quote from: Silent1236 on August 08, 2013, 10:00:37 PM
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
It's a huge modern staple. Plain and simple. You run {B} in Modern, you should probably be running this guy. Staples always get really high.
Being {B} is probably the biggest reason. There's such a lack of good draw in {B} compared to {U}, the most popular color in eternal formats. I mean {necropotence} is banned for a reason.
You make an EXCELLENT point here. I did not think about it that way. +1 for finally making me understand why that card is a {B} staple.
Wow it's 70 dollars I thought it was 50 guess I was wrong.
Quote from: Hunteroffire9 on August 11, 2013, 12:26:23 AM
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 10, 2013, 10:01:06 PM
Quote from: Mikefrompluto on August 08, 2013, 10:38:19 PM
Quote from: Silent1236 on August 08, 2013, 10:00:37 PM
Quote from: EvACiDe on August 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Quote from: Potticus on August 06, 2013, 08:10:55 PM
Quote from: Birdbrain on July 23, 2013, 02:14:21 PM
Why is {dark confidant} so high? Is disrupting people's draw realy that big of a problem? Is extra drawing realy that broken?
It cashes in a resource (life) for card advantage
I understand what the point of it is, but over $70? I disagree.
It's a huge modern staple. Plain and simple. You run {B} in Modern, you should probably be running this guy. Staples always get really high.
Being {B} is probably the biggest reason. There's such a lack of good draw in {B} compared to {U}, the most popular color in eternal formats. I mean {necropotence} is banned for a reason.
You make an EXCELLENT point here. I did not think about it that way. +1 for finally making me understand why that card is a {B} staple.
Wow it's 70 dollars I thought it was 50 guess I was wrong.
More like $75, actually!
It's interesting to me to see how {Dark Confidant} is worth the same from both editions. I personally believe the original art is much, much better! I wonder why that is.
Quote from: Mikefrompluto on August 09, 2013, 07:24:16 AM
That would be amazing. It's crazy how it's still a $6 card and you can only play it in casual decks.
Edit: Never mind. Just saw that it's legal in EDH. Which is ridiculous.
there are a lot of things that are legal in EDH. then there is {trade secrets}....