All posts by Sigmund Ausfresser

Sigmund Ausfresser

PROTRADER: My Concessions to Hype

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By: Sigmund Ausfresser
@sigfig8

Did anybody catch the most recent banned and restricted changes?  I’m not talking about the latest Modern banning of Eye of Ugin and unbanning of Ancestral Vision and Thopter Foundry.  I’m talking about the change that caused this:

Fork

Bet no one saw this coming – Fork was unrestricted in Old School MTG.  While I’m fairly confident that one copy for over thirty grand won’t sell, the price chart is entirely accurate. Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited copies of this format staple are significantly more in-demand now than they were a couple weeks ago.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sigmund Ausfresser

PROTRADER: Beating the Eternal Drum

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This past week has been an absolute whirlwind for me and my family.  We took a vacation to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  As you can imagine, activities were extremely fun while also draining.  The return flight home was a characteristic redeye overnight trip resulting in high tensions all around.  Needless to say, it was intense.

Therefore, I need to leave you all with one more abbreviated column for this week.  With any luck, next week will see a return to normalcy and as a result, a return to our normally scheduled full-length columns.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sigmund Ausfresser

PROTRADER: Sig’s Quick Hits

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This week I need to author an abbreviated column, as I have a family engagement that precludes me from writing a full article [Editor’s note – don’t miss James Chillcott’s Digging For Dollars piece to fill the gap!]. This will likely be the case next week as well. Rest assured, however – I still intend to at least provide you with my ever-so-popular Sig’s Quick Hits Feature! This time it’s expanded for even more value!

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sigmund Ausfresser

PROTRADER: Pro Tour Preparation

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Next week is a significant week in MTG finance – the first Pro Tour since Standard rotated!  Pro Tours are typically very powerful catalysts to move and shake the market, often leading towards huge spikes in prices.  Remember when Return to Ravnica first came out and Angel of Serenity made a splash?  The card, which had pre-ordered for $5-$10 in advance of the Pro Tour, skyrocketed to an all time high after appearing on camera during the event.

Serenity

Of course, the momentum could not be continued, rampant selling ensued, and the card crashed from a high of $25 to around $8 in a couple months.  The card tried to rally back that Spring, but the bounce was short-lived.  Never again did the card show any life, and it still hovers just above bulk mythic status two years later.

As you can see in such a volatile chart, buying and selling at the right time was absolutely critical to make profits.  Buying at $7 and selling at $20 is a tremendous feeling, but buying during a Pro Tour spike at $17 and then watching the card’s price fade from $20 to $12 in the week it takes for your cards to arrive is absolutely miserable.  There’s a right and a wrong way to take advantage of Pro Tour hype and this week I want to share my strategy using a few case studies to help me along the way.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.