Category Archives: Travis Allen

MTGFinance: What We’re Buying & Selling This Week (Nov 16/16)


By James Chillcott (@MTGCritic)

One of the most common misconceptions about folks involved in MTGFinance is that we are constantly manipulating the market and feeding players misinformation to help fuel achievement of our personal goals.

Though we dole out a good deal of advice, most of you ultimately have very little insight into when and why our writing team actually puts our money where our collective mouths are pointing. To further illuminate our collective process, we’re running this occassional series breaking down what we’ve been buying and selling and why. These lists are meant to be both complete and transparent, leaving off only cards we bought for personal use and/or without hope of profit. We’ll also try to provide some insight into our thinking behind the specs, and whether we are aiming for a short (<1 month), mid (1-12 month), or long (1 year+) term flip. Here’s what we we’ve been up to this week:

Buying Period: Nov 1st – November 15th/2016

Note: All cards NM unless otherwise noted. All sell prices are net of fees unless noted.

James Chillcott (@MTGCritic)

BOUGHT

Leovold, Emissary of Trest

BOUGHT (Pucatrade)

SOLD

Leovold, Emissary of Trest is a popular EDH general that happened to get printed in a set (Conspracy: Take the Crown) that was sandwiched between other major releases and wasn’t opened much, despite the ongoing print run. Speculators took a run at the card about a month ago, and I managed to snag some local copies to go along for the ride. It’s already closing in on $25 so prospects for profit are solid.

Eternal Scourge won a Modern GP recently, as a two-of in the rogue Skred Red deck. The card is interesting as a recursive threat with some degree of open ended combo potential and the price was low enough for a foil rare that I was willing to throw it in my long shots box.

Eldrazi Displacer is a card that has found multiple homes in Standard and Modern, and has a bright future as a unique role player in casual, cube and EDH. There are still foils available around $10 but the inventory is VERY low for a recent rare and I think this easily tops $20 a bit down the road.  Spell Queller is a card with a similar profile that is powerful in both Standard and Modern, and it shouldn’t be too long until the sub-$15 foils dry up and the card sets up a new plateau over $25.

Kaladesh Masterpieces are not the most likely investments given how things have gone for the argubaly more popular BFZ Expeditions, but if a few of them are going to spike down the road, they are likely to be the ones that a) look great and b) are needed as 4-ofs in Modern. Mox Opal fits this profile well, and I can see these hitting $140-150 not too far down the road. If Affinity gets Arcbound Ravager in Aether Revolt Masterpieces, more of its players might get the idea in their heads to pimp out their decks.

The Puca acquisitions were more about outing points than chasing great deals, but all of them have a solid shot at some profit down the road.

On the sales side, I mostly moved out of specs that had tripped my profit targets and were liquid enough to support some of the buys I wanted to make.


Travis Allen

BOUGHT

Panharmonicon

Travis says:

“Panharmonicon is the EDHiest EDH card to ever EDH. Foils are still sitting right around the $10 mark, which they’ve been hanging out at since the Pro Tour excitement died down. This will slot into nearly every EDH deck from here until the end of time, and regardless of how many times Wizards prints it, it will rarely show up as foil. Pair this with the release of the Commander 2016 decks this week, which have done two things. They’ve invigorated excitement in a format that doesn’t really need help, which has been noticed anecdotally by players in my local group that don’t regularly play heading out to stores to pick up their sets. C16’s release also brings with it Deepglow Skate, the second-most EDH card to ever EDH, which conveniently works alongside Panharmonicon as well as one could possibly hope. Supply on foil Panharmonicons is higher now than it basically ever will be. Pick these up at $10 today and be glad when they’re $20 in a year or two.


Jason Alt

BOUGHT

Umbral Mantle

Jason says:

“Kydele generates infinite mana with it, and it was already creeping up before that. Low supply, difficulty in reprinting it and a new impetus for using it should all culminate in a sharper increase in price.”


Cliff Daigle

BOUGHT

Cliff says:

Planning to hold the TKS foils for 9-12 months, targeting a $30+ exit. Panharmonicon foils should top $20 in a year or two. Taigas went into my EDH decks.”

So there you have it. Now what were you guys buying and selling this week and why?

James Chillcott is the CEO of ShelfLife.net, The Future of Collecting, Senior Partner at Advoca, a designer, adventurer, toy fanatic and an avid Magic player and collector since 1994.

MTG Fast Finance Podcast: Episode 40

MTG Fast Finance is our weekly podcast covering the flurry of weekly financial activity in the world of Magic: The Gathering. MFF provides a fast, fun and useful sixty minute format. Follow along with our seasoned hosts as they walk you through this week’s big price movements, their picks of the week, metagame analysis and a rotating weekly topic.

Show Notes: Nov 3rd, 2016

Segment 1: Top Movers of the Week

Note: Price movements reflect posted NM prices, and may not represent prices players have paid.

Pact of the Titan (Future Sight, Rare)
Start: $1.00
Finish: $6.00
Gain: +$5.00 (+480%)

Leovold, Emissary of Trest (CSP2, Foil Mythic)
Start: $135.00
Finish: $325.00
Gain: +$190.00 (+141%)

Memory Jar (Foil, Eventide, Uncommon )
Start: $41.00
Finish: $62.00
Gain: +$21.00 (+51%)


Segment 2: Cards to Watch

James Picks:

    1. Mirrorpool (Oath, Mythic), Confidence Level 7: $1.50 to $6.00 (+300%, 12+ months)
    2. Linvala, the Preserver (Oath, Mythic), Confidence Level 7: $2 to $6 (+200%, 12+ months)
    3. Kozilek, the Great Distortion (Oath, Mythic), Confidence Level 6: $2.50 to $8.00 (+220%, 12+ months)

Travis Picks:

  1. Chromatic Lantern, (C16), Confidence Level 7: $3.00 to $6.00 (+100%, 12+ months)
  2. Eldrazi Displacer, (Oath, Foil Rare), Confidence Level 7: $10.00 to $25.00 (+150%, 12+ months)

Disclosure: Travis and James may own speculative copies of the above cards.


Segment 3: Metagame Week in Review

The guys talked over the plethora of interesting decks coming out of Japan related to the new Frontier format.

Segment 4: Metagame Week in Review

In a lengthy analysis segment Travis and James talk over the new SpecScore method for evaluating Magic: The Gathering speculative targets.

James Chillcott is the CEO of ShelfLife.net, The Future of Collecting, Senior Partner at Advoca, a designer, adventurer, toy fanatic and an avid Magic player and collector since 1994.

MTG Fast Finance Podcast: Episode 39

MTG Fast Finance is our weekly podcast covering the flurry of weekly financial activity in the world of Magic: The Gathering. MFF provides a fast, fun and useful sixty minute format. Follow along with our seasoned hosts as they walk you through this week’s big price movements, their picks of the week, metagame analysis and a rotating weekly topic.

Show Notes: Oct 28th, 2016

Segment 1: Top Movers of the Week

Note: Price movements reflect posted NM prices, and may not represent prices players have paid.

Needle Spires (Oath of the Gatewatch, Rare)
Start: $2.50
Finish: $4.50
Gain: +$2.00 (+80%)

Summary Dismissal (EMN, Uncommon)
Start: $1.20
Finish: $2.00
Gain: +$0.80 (+67%)

Flickerwisp (Foil, Eventide, Uncommon )
Start: $12.00
Finish: $21.00
Gain: +$9.00 (+75%)

Selfless Spirit (Foil, EMN, Rare)
Start: $10.50
Finish: $16.00
Gain: +$5.50 (+53%)

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (Kaladesh, Rare)
Start: $25.00
Finish: $30.00
Gain: +$5.00 (+20%)


Segment 2: Cards to Watch

James Picks:

    1. Mantis Rider (Foil, KTK), Confidence Level 6: $3 to $10 (+233%, 6-12+ months)
    2. Dragon Arch (Apocalypse), Confidence Level 7: $2 to $10 (+400%, 6-12+ months)
    3. Blessed Alliance (EMN), Confidence Level 8: $4 to $10 (+150%, 0-6+ months)

Travis Picks:

  1. “The Nephilim”, (Guildpact), Confidence Level 7: $0.75 to $5 (+500%, 0-12+ months)

Disclosure: Travis and James may own speculative copies of the above cards.

Segment 3: Metagame Week in Review

The guys talked over the Top 8 decks from Standard GPs in Providene and Kuala Lampur. In Asia, the story was all about UW Flash lists, while the story in the USA was a mix of R/W Vehicles, BG Delirium and UW Flash.

At the SCG Modern open in Milwaukee, Caleb Durward took home the trophy with his innovative Collected Spirits list. Bushwacker Zoo and UWr Mid-Range decks also made Top 8 out of left field.

James Chillcott is the CEO of ShelfLife.net, The Future of Collecting, Senior Partner at Advoca, a designer, adventurer, toy fanatic and an avid Magic player and collector since 1994.

MTG Fast Finance Podcast: Episode 38

MTG Fast Finance is our weekly podcast covering the flurry of weekly financial activity in the world of Magic: The Gathering. MFF provides a fast, fun and useful sixty minute format. Follow along with our seasoned hosts as they walk you through this week’s big price movements, their picks of the week, metagame analysis and a rotating weekly topic.

Show Notes: Oct 21st, 2016

Segment 1: Top Movers of the Week

Note: Price movements reflect posted NM prices, and may not represent prices players have paid.

Torrential Gearhulk (Kaladesh, Mythic)
Start: $8.50
Finish: $20.00
Gain: +$11.50 (+235%)

Harnessed Lightning (Kaladesh, Uncommon)
Start: $0.90
Finish: $2.25
Gain: +$1.35 (+150%)

Song of the Dryads (CMD ’14)
Start: $5.00
Finish: $12.00
Gain: +$7.00 (+140%)

Panharmonicon (Kaladesh, Rare)
Start: $2.75
Finish: 6.00 (already down to $4 now)
Gain: +$3.25 (+118%)

Metalwork Colossus (Kaladesh, Rare)
Start: $1.40
Finish: $3.00 (already down to $2 now)
Gain: +$1.60 (+114%)

Bristling Hydra (Kaladesh, Rare)
Start: $1.50
Finish: $2.50
Gain: +$1.00 (+60%)

Segment 2: Cards to Watch

James Picks:

    1. Cryptic Command (MM15), Confidence Level 7: $16.00 to $25 (+56%, 12+ months)
    2. Dark Confidant (MM15), Confidence Level 8: $30 to $45 (+50%, 12+ months)
    3. Eldrazi Temple (MM15), Confidence Level 7: $7 to $15 (+115%, 12+ months)

Travis Picks:

  1. Grim Flayer, (Eldritch Moon), Confidence Level 7: $16 to $30 (+88%, 6-12+ months)

Disclosure: Travis and James may own speculative copies of the above cards.

Segment 3: Metagame Week in Review

The guys talked over the Top 8 decks from Pro Tour Kaladesh last week, as well as the U/W decks that went 9-1 in the Standard portion.

Segment 4: Topic of the Week

Travis and James broke down the source and impact of the reversion to an annual Standard rotation cycle each fall.

James Chillcott is the CEO of ShelfLife.net, The Future of Collecting, Senior Partner at Advoca, a designer, adventurer, toy fanatic and an avid Magic player and collector since 1994.