By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Black Market (Mercadian Masques)
From $9.47 to $10.38 (9.61%)

Commander games are usually multi-player affairs that last a long time and leave a lot of bodies in their wake.

Black Market watches all of this carnage and rewards you with a plethora of black mana every turn.

Braid of Fire is the only other card that benefited so much from the removal of mana burn.

There should always be something to do with all of that mana, from recasting your Commander to playing a huge Exsanguinate.

This will always have casual appeal and the more people that adopt the format the better it gets.

I think it is safe to sit on these for a while. The current rules makes this too powerful to reprint in Standard and I doubt Wizards will stick it into a new Commander deck.

9. Enchanted Evening
From $4.20 to $4.63 (10.24%)

Journey into Nyx just brought us Constellation and fueled dreams of abusing Enchanted Evening and enters the battlefield effects.

This is pretty much for casual fun. I have not seen any competitive decks try this out.

The interest has created a chance to cash in on any copies you have been sitting on or pick up some cheap copies.

You can get them as low as $3.28 and they can be sold for $3.50.

I would sell or trade these away but I would look at foil copies of Ethereal Armor or Sphere of Safety. Those are cheap and should have some long term casual value for Prison decks of all sizes. Ethereal Armor also sees play in Modern Bogles.

8. River of Tears (Future Sight)
From $8.19 to $9.12 (11.36%)

Future Sight brought some of the coolest lands ever designed into existence.

Grove of the Burnwillows and Horizon Canopy have already found homes in Modern and Legacy decks.

Filterlands show up in some Modern builds.

Nimbus Maze has never really found a home.

River of Tears is one of most interesting because it gives you the mana you need for a disruptive UB Control deck exactly when you want it. Black mana on your turn for Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek. Blue mana on your opponent’s turn for Spell Snare or Remand.

Modern Faeries is the only deck that fits that description. A lot of players dreamt of Faeries dominating Modern when Bitterblossom was unbanned but it has yet to make a dent in the metagame.

I would happily trade these away to pick up some cheap Innistrad enemy color checklands.

7. Phyrexian Tyranny (Planeshift)
From $2.38 to $2.73 (14.71%)

Nekusar the Mindrazer has been one of the most financially relevant Commanders that has ever been printed. Ironically this is because everyone bough the Mind Seize deck to open up other cards.

They sold True-Name Nemesis and Baleful Strix and then had a ninety-eight card commander deck staring at them begging to be played.

Nekusar turns group hug decks on their ears. Instead of placating everyone when you announce everybody gets to draw extra cards off of your Wheel effects you bring ruin and destruction.

Phyrexian Tyranny just makes the kill come that much quicker.

Every turn you are bleeding either life and mana. Either option keeps you and your combo safe. I like these as toss ins since they were bulk so recently.

If you are sitting on them I would start trading them away. There is not a lot for them to grow and the decks that need them only run a single copy.

6. Pyromancer Ascension (Zendikar)
From $8.13 to $9.35 (15.01%)

Modern Season is here but we have yet to see any major results from UR Storm it is undeniably a powerful deck. Jon Finkel has played the deck to impressive results.

This was the trap. Not everyone is Jon Finkel. Outside of the fetchlands the deck is actually pretty cheap to put together. People will want to try it out will fail to put together the combo before they are swarmed by an army of angry Pestermites or Tarmogoyfs.

I love the card but would advocate trading these into the hype.

5. Hero’s Downfall (Theros)
From $4.83 to $5.58 (15.53%)

Hero’s Downfall took a hit when it was reprinted in the Born of the Gods Event deck.

It was also featured in the heavily drafted Theros.

Conspiracy is here and with M15 only weeks away the supply is about to plateau.

It is also well positioned as the best removal in one of the most dominant decks in Standard.

The finals of GP Chicago was a Mono-Black Devotion mirror match and plenty of creatures met their end to this instant.

In fact the Top 8 featured 19 copies of the card and almost all of those were played main deck as a full play set.

It is used in every black deck including Orzhov, Esper, Bug and Junk decks of all varieties.

Planeswalkers and creatures will not be safe for at least another year.

It has yet to see much Modern adoption but I would not rule out the possibility. If you play Standard I would make sure I had my play set.

This card and Thoughtseize already give the deck some of the best disruption available. Now we just need more black cards to be printed.

This is probably the lowest we will see the card. I would stock up on these and look to unload them around the third set of Tarkir next year.

4. Furyborn Hellkite (M12)
From $2.53 to $2.99 (18.18%)

What a casual hat trick! It is a mythic rare, dragon and it is huge.

It certainly makes an impressive entrance onto any battlefield and if you are running him alongside Marchesa, the Black Rose he can make that entry over and over again.

Unlike many dragons he needs a special place to be reprinted. He uses the Bloodthirst mechanic which has already been repeated so it cannot just be jammed into any random core set.

I also like that he is a cheap pickup at $0.92 with vendors willing to pay up to $1.50 for him.

3. Cemetery Reaper (M12)
From $1.54 to $1.87 (21.43%)

Commander games are known for whacky themes and big crazy creatures.

This card helps you build your army of the undead while hosing graveyard and reanimation strategies.

I like the idea of having lords for popular tribes but with his three printings I am not very bullish. I would trade these into whatever hype is moving it towards $2.

2. Breathstealer’s Crypt (Visions)
From $1.37 to $1.67 (21.90%)

Here is nice little addition to Nekusar the Mindrazer commander decks that most people probably do not even remember.

If you find it someone has probably had it rotting in their trade binder since Visions. I expect the customary Nekusar bump especially as supply is sure to be short.

This enchantment continues the life loss theme while denying your opponents creatures. I could easily see this being a $2 to $3 card as it catches on.

You can currently find them as low as $0.99 while being able to sell them for $1.06.

1. Eidolon of the Great Revel (Journey into Nyx)
From $8.47 to $12.31 (45.34%)

Eidolon of the Great Revel may just be everything that Satyr Firedancer wanted to be was wasn’t.

It will play a role in red burn decks for its entire time in Standard. Keep an eye out this fall. When rotation comes and the card pool is the smallest aggressive red decks usually fare pretty well. Some deck brewers are trying to figure out the new format but there are always those that just want to convert cards into damage as quickly as possible.

The number amount of scrylands that are being played also make this format slower so you can get in several quick strikes before some decks are even set up.

This is not why our Pyrostatic Pillar on a bear is increasing in value.

Modern burn decks are trying them out and they have seen success in Legacy burn decks as well. This weekend at the SCG Open in Las Vegas Bryan Cambidge won the tournament with a red burn deck that ran the full four copies main deck.

The biggest improvement over Pyrostatic Pillar is the ability to attack and the fact that creature removal is more prevalent than enchantment removal.

Why is that upside? When your opponent casts Abrupt Decay, Lightning Bolt or Swords to Plowshares to kill your creature you get a free Shock.

Legacy is a format almost entirely defined by its powerful two and three mana cards so almost every spell your opponent casts brings them closer to a lethal Price of Progress or Fireblast.

Imagine every Tarmogoyf, Delver of Secrets, Stoneforge Mystic and even Daze cutting into their life total.

The field was full of Elves which attempt to spam the board with cheap one and two mana creatures before powering out a huge Craterhoof Behemoth.

With Eidolon on board they would die partway through their combo.

If you want a cheap deck to look into Legacy Burn is one of the most budget friendly and powerful.

Legacy players like their shiny cards so the big movement on these will be the foil copies.

That does not mean that there are not opportunities with the regular copies.

Copies can be purchased for as low as $0.75 and Buylists are paying up to $2.70.

This is a card I would be trading aggressively for.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Legion’s Initiative (Dragon’s Maze)
From $2.36 to $2.00 (-15.25%)

Legion’s Initiative had promise but failed to pay off. Rather than assembling attackers for Battalion, Standard Boros decks are all about burning out your opponent.

Rotation is coming and with it the last of the Legion’s prayers.

I would sell now. Vendoers are still paying up to $1.25 for them.

You can even find copies for a $1.01. If you can trade these from friends trying to unload them you could turn that into some quick cash.

4. Tooth and Nail (Modern Masters)
From $7.99 to $6.77 (-15.27%)

Casual, commander

Low vendor 3.9

High buylist 4.05

3. Amulet of Vigor (Worldwake)
From $4.36 to $3.68 (-15.60%)

Amulet of Vigor surprised Modern players earlier this year by coming out of nowhere to use Ravnica bouncelands to power out an early Hive Mind for a win with Pact of Negation.

It quickly went from bulk to almost $10 but a lack of results has caused a steady decline in the price.

I would not count it out. Modern season is here and I think that it is getting to its floor. It is a known quantity now so it is no going back to bulk pricing.

I would look to see if you could pick a few up. It already has seen potential. Any results could cause it to shoot back up.

2. Dimir Doppleganger (Ravnica)
From $3.85 to $3.19 (-17.14%)

This card may see play in some Commander and casual decks as a way to hate out recursion and copy your opponents creatures. It was just not popular enough to need to the reprint in Conspiracy.

People have been tearing open Conspiracy packs looking for Dack Fayden and just having a blast. This has been driving down the prices of the some of the reprints.

Fortunately you can still make a little money from there.

Vendors are listing these at $1.99 each and some are willing to buy them at $2.34.

Fear Not. Your card will not go unsold.

1. Adarkar Valkyrie (Modern Masters)
From $4.05 to $3.09 (-23.70%)

Ardakar Valkyrie is an angel which gives it casual appeal. It is evasive and has Vigilance to it can always attack, block and make use of its powerful ability.

It is reusable recursion but the reprinting in Modern Masters appears to have over-saturated the market. You only need one copy to play Commander and so it has been in a steady decline for the past few years.

The good news is I do not think it can call much farther. I think it will level off around $2.50 or so.

The better news is that you can buy these at $0.90 and sell them for $1.07.

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Doubling Season (Modern Masters)
From $17.99 to $19.66 (9.28%)

It looks like the prices of Modern Masters are converging with the prices of the original editions.

We all know that Tarmogoyf and Dark Confidant prices actually rose shortly after Modern Masters came out. There was a large increase in the demand for Modern staples but there was very short supply.

Several of the cheaper rares took heavy hits but now they are recovering.

Perennial casual favorite Doubling Season is broken with almost anything that deals with counters from hydras to Planeswalkers.

I expect this to continue to grow steadily for a long time to come.

Even some of the cheap Modern Masters cards are giving wise financiers opportunities to profit.

The Electrolyze from Modern Masters has a negative spread of $0.11. The lowest price you can by them for are $0.89 and the highest price that they are bought for is $1.00.

This may not sound like much but a little free money here and there can add up quickly. Any time you can purchase a card at or below buylist price is as close to a guarantee as you can get.

I am in such a generous mood that I am going to be mentioning fifteen opportunities for arbitrage in this article.

Here is one more from a Modern Masters. The common Lava Spike is part of a cheap red burn deck. The lowest vendor has it listed for $0.95. There is a store listing it on their buylist for $2.00.

You will not find many better opportunities to double you money.

9. Primordial Hydra (M13)
From $6.79 to $7.43 (9.43%)

Primordial Hydra is a mythic rare that was included in M12 and M13.

Interestingly enough it works really well with the aforementioned Doubling Season.

It has serious casual appeal but it is easy to slide into any core set that is missing a big green mythic. It could also be used in any supplemental product.

I remain cautiously optimistic. So do vendors.

The low price to purchase one is $4.90. The highest buylist is $5.00.

That may not be a lot but you will never go broke making a profit.

8. Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir (Time Spiral)
From $16.79 to $18.71 (10.19%)

Modern season is officially on. This rare from Time Spiral sees play in a variety of decks from Scapeshift, Ad Nauseam to even Blue Moon and some UWR Control builds.

He is also an oppressive commander.

Last month he suddenly shot from $8 to $34 overnight. That did not last long.

$16 appears to be too low. I could easily see him jumping to $25 or $30 if he sees play on camera in a favorable matchup.

He was in From the Vault: Legends so I do not expect more copies on the market any time soon. This may be the new lowest price that he will see.

I would not rush out to buy him but I would not mind trading for him.

7. Scion of Oona (Modern Masters)
From $4.74 to $5.24 (10.55%)

When Bitterblossom was unbanned in Modern faerie fans everywhere started brewin.

The Scion sees play in UR Faeries but I could easily see him showing up in UB faeries builds. Keep in mind that he can give your Bitterblossom shroud in response to removal. From there it helps your free flying tokens get bigger.

He is also an arbitrage opportunity.

You can buy him for only $2.50. The highest buylist is only $2.51 so I would not rush out to sell them but you will want to have some handy when other players at your LGS are trying to build their faeries decks.

I know that one was not too exciting so let me give you another one.

Flickerwisp from Modern Masters is another valuable uncommon that has some arbitrage potential.

You can buy it for $3.49 and buylist it for $3.50.

When the margins are that thin I actually would not sell them but it is a great chance to buy staples for Legacy Death and Taxes and Modern GW Hatebears.

6. Sword of Fire and Ice (Modern Masters)
From $41.99 to $46.59 (10.95%)

Sword of Fire and Ice is a staple in Modern, Legacy, Cubes, Commander and is playable any time you can get your hands on it.

It can be a steady stream of removal and card advantage while providing protection from burn and bounce alike.

In Modern it is used in UR Delver and BW tokens. I expect everyone that bought the Modern Event deck will be looking to turn the Sword of Feast and Famine into Fire and Ice.

In Legacy it is used in Death and Taxes and Esper Stoneblade among others.

I do not see this going down or getting another reprinting for a long time. This is a great card to trade for and sit on.

5. Shivan Reef (9^th Edition)
From $8.09 to $8.99 (11.12%)

Modern UR decks of all shapes and sizes are using this to supplement Steam Vents and Cascade Bluffs.

The decks most likely to run them are UR Storm and UR Twin since they plan to combo for the win before the incremental life loss matters.

I do not see a lot of room for growth here. I think it will hit its cap around $10. If we ever see enemy color fastlands I think Shivan Reef would be out of a job permanently.

Here is a little bonus for Affinity players (or people who want to make some money from Affinity players.)

The Cranial Plating from Planeschase is selling for as low as $1.00 and there is a buylist offering $3.60 for it. That lets you make money even after you purchase a Fifth Dawn copy to replace it.

4. Tooth and Nail (Modern Masters)
From $7.17 to $7.99 (11.44%)

Tooth and Nail was one of the most powerful cards in Mirrodin that was not an artifact or interact with artifacts in any meaningful way.

It is still a fun way to power out some fatties in Commander and casual combo decks.

It not only provides card advantage but also financial opportunity.

Vendors are listing them as low as $3.90 and buying them for as high as $4.80.

I would grab as many as I could and turn them into pieces of paper with Abe Lincoln’s face.

3. Thraximundar (Alara Reborn)
From $4.78 to $5.35 (11.92%)

I mentioned last week that Thraximundar is recovering from being thrown out of leftover Mind Seize decks.

He is a powerful commander in his own right and he works well with the Conspiracy mythic Marchesa, the Black Rose.

He price is on the rise and vendors are taking note.

You can buy him for $3.49 and sell him for $4.01.

His peak was around $8 to $9 and it looks like the vendors feel he is going right back.

2. Bridge from Below (Modern Masters)
From $4.38 to $4.99 (13.93%)

Even though Manaless Dredge has not been posting very high results it is still a fun and affordable way to test out Legacy. It does not require dual lands, Force of Will or any of the usual suspects outside of Cabal Therapy and Ichorid.

The pieces of the deck have been inching higher.

Right now it has a very low spread. The lowest vendor is only $3.42 and the highest buylist is $3.00.

That is a clear indicator that future growth is expected.

I would get your hands on these. Most of the rest of the deck is still surprisingly affordable as well.

I would get some cheap Golgari Grave-Trolls and Chancellor of the Annex.

1. Elbrus, the Binding Blade (Dark Ascension)
From $2.49 to $2.99 (20.08%)

Elbrus, the Binding Blade is the kind of flavorful cards that Johnnies and casuals enjoy.

It starts off as a Bone Saw that costs seven mana.

However it has the potential to become a game wrecking 13/13 legendary demon with flying, intimidate and trample. Then it becomes grows larger every time someone dies. This card screams multiplayer casual appeal.

You can cheat the blade into play with Stoneforge Mystic or Quest for the Holy Relic and go to town or accelerate into the steep casting cost.

The bottom line is it is a double sided mythic rare from Dark Ascension. This is one of the less opened sets from the past few years since Avacyn Restored

The fact that it is double sided makes it nearly impossible to reprint. We have already seen some movement with Garruk Relentless.

I normally do not advocate getting into something that is already experiencing a spike but the price of the card is based entirely on casual appeal. These types of cards experience slow and steady growth. The price is still low enough to get on a few and wait a few years.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Nightveil Specter (Gatecrash)
From $5.12 to $4.24 (-17.19%)

Standard is getting ready for M15 and then rotation.

Blue and Black devotion decks both ran the Specter but they do not have the stranglehold on the metagame that they used to.

Every week you hold onto these you will be losing money. I would trade them away as quickly as possible. Maybe someone will trade them for a Thraximundar or Bridge from Below.

4. Pithing Needle (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $3.36 to $2.77 (-17.56%)

Rotation will not hit Pithing Needle the same way it did Nightveil Specter.

It gets played in a variety of Modern and Legacy sideboards. It is on its fourth printing but I do not see this going lower than $2.

Even that is pessimistic. The original is the most valuable and vendors want their stock.

You can buy them for $1.42 and sell them for $2.13.

Speaking of Legacy and Modern staples that are going to rotate soon, Morningtide Mutavault provides another nice avenue of prosperity.

These are a little steeper at $22.00 but you can sell them for $26.32.

3. Cyclonic Rift (Return to Ravnica)
From $4.28 to $3.45 (-19.39%)

Cyclonic Rift is going down. It is a very lopsided Upheaval in Commander and even sees occasional play in Modern Mono U Tron.

I do not think this has very far to fall before settling.

I still would not hesitate to trade it for a pair of Pithing Needles.

2. Phenax, God of Deception (Born of the Gods)
From $5.23 to $4.21 (-19.50%)

The gods are at an interesting place. We do not know what Tarkir has in store for us yet. Each of the fifteen gods offers powerful incentive to play their respective strategies.

Phenax is no exception. The big question is how much support would a milling theme have without the Dimir in Standard.

Regardless there is a lot of casual appeal to the strategy.

Phenax has also apparently deceived one of his sellers.

You can find him for $0.85 from a vendor and turn around and sell him to another for $2.82.

Never underestimate the desires of the gods to meddle in mortal affairs.

1. Spirit Mantle (M12)
From $2.56 to $2.00 (-21.88%)

This casual favorite aura is played in Modern Bogles and commander decks everywhere.

It is also one of the most striking arbitrage opportunities I have seen. You can buy it for $0.25.

There is a buylist offering $1.50.

If making back six times what you invested does not excite you then I do not know what will.

I offered you fifteen arbitrage opportunities but I only count thirteen.

You know what that means?

Bonus:

Conspiracy is being opened by rabid drafters and multiplayer fans alike.

We know that several Legacy and Cube staples are being reprinted. The set in not a limited release so many are still wondering exactly what impact this will have on the original cards.

Confusion leads to opportunity.

Misdirection

The price is dropping and is currently $24.74. Some places have it dropping more than others.

You can now find these for $15.50. There are sites offering $17.15 on their buylist.

By the time you get your check you will probably be able to by another copy and then some.

Stifle

Stifle is currently $32.61.

You can find it from the lowest vendor for $17.75. That is reasonable.

You can sell it for $23.39. That is unreasonable in your favor.

I hope someone uses all of this information to make some money.

Weekend Recap

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Hero of Bladehold (Mirrodin Beseiged)
From $7.97 to $8.57 (7.53%)

The Modern Event Deck is letting players craft a Black White token deck.

This deck is decent but there is definitely room for improvement.

People who bought the deck will absolutely be looking for threats like Hero of Bladehold and Brimaz, King of Oreskos for their decks. This is a golden opportunity for anyone who has been sitting on Hero since Scars of Mirrodin block rotated.

I expect more growth as these are heavily traded in the short term.

9. Slaughter Pact (Future Sight)
From $4.49 to $4.90 (9.13%)

Slaughter Pact is all over Modern. Melira Pod, Jund, Amulet of Vigor, BG Rock and other decks love their free removal spell.

Modern season for PTQs has officially begun and this is one of the cards I would most love to have ready in my trade binder as people brew decks.

8. Vampire Nocturnus (M13)
$4.55 to $4.98 (9.45%)

It is a mythic rare vampire lord. This guy has crazy casual appeal and only two printings in Core sets.

He is going to be in every casual vampire tribal deck ever. This gives the card lasting sustainable value even if he never sees a competitive deck.

I like him as a long term hold.

7. Thraximundar (Alara Reborn)
From $4.78 to $5.27 (10.25%)

Thraximundar has the misfortune to be printed in the Mind Seize Commander 2013 deck. His stock has been plummeting as people rip open the boxes for True-Name Nemesis and Baleful Strix.

He does not fit anywhere in the Nekusar, the Mindrazer Commander decks that most people fashion so he tends to get tossed into trade binders and sit.

Why the sudden resurgence in appeal?

I give the credit to Marchesa, the Black Rose from Conspiracy. He slots in perfectly at the top of the curve for her deck. He gets rid of opposing creatures and gets all important +1/+1 counters that make him a big threat that Marchesa can help recur.

He is also a great arbitrage opportunity at the moment. The lowest vendor has him listed at $3.33. The highest buylist is $4.01.

Anytime there is a negative spread you should be paying attention. It is the most important flag that card stores can give that they think the price is going to be higher soon.

More importantly it is a chance to make some free money. Keep reading. There are several more opportunities coming up throughout in the article.

6. Enduring Ideal (Saviors of Kamigawa)
From $4.29 to $4.74 (10.49%)

This build around me rare from Saviors of Kamigawa gets people excited every time powerful new enchantments are printed.

I cannot envision someone running this in a Modern or Commander brew and not at least testing out Theros gods.

It is often used in Prison style decks so I am not surprised to see it get a little bump as Modern season is underway.

I just do not have faith in it to do much. I would trade mine away.

Hopefully for Ghostly Prison.

5. Voidslime (Dissension)
From $7.81 to $8.68 (11.14%)

This card has always puzzled me. It is Stifle stapled onto Cancel with green splashed in for reasons I cannot fathom.

It has an unforgiving mana cost that makes it impossible to splash unless your deck is already running both blue and green mana.

It is a unique combination of effects but there are certainly more efficient ways to deal with spells.

I like Trickbind better if you are trying to trip up a Birthing Pod activation or prevent a fetchland from finding anything.

Squelch will do the same thing and does not even cost you a card.

Voidslime is powerful but it has yet to find a home which makes me hesitant to do anything but trade away the card into whatever hype it is experiencing.

4. Furyborn Hellkite (M12)
From $2.53 to $2.99 (18.18%)

This is a mythic rare dragon with a keyword that has already been used in a Core Set. It is every casual gamer’s dream as their eyes light up envisioning casting a 12/12 for a mere seven mana.

It can even be used in a Marchesa Commander deck or in casual dragon decks.

It is pretty cheap and I think it will hold its value nicely.

3. Commandeer (Coldsnap)
From $2.89 to $3.48 (20.42%)

Usually people assume when you are tapped out that you cannot play any spells.

They may play a critical burn spell and still ask you if it resolves fearing a Pact of Negation. You nod that it does and they visibly relax.

That’s when you cast Commandeer. It could be a Cruel Ultimatum in a multiplayer game of Commander or a lethal Lightning Storm from an Ad Nauseam deck in Modern.

Either way, you are about to ruin someone’s day.

Free spell effects are few and far between.

This is no Force of Will but it still should be more than a meager $3. I could see this getting to $5 or $6 pretty easily as Modern season heats up.

2. Mark of Asylum (Conflux)
From $0.93 to $1.32 (41.94%)

I have always had a soft spot for the little bulk rare that could. It is not about to take any format by storm but it does show up in numerous Modern sideboards.

GW Hatebears and Soul Sisters both run one or two copies in their seventy five.

Right now there is a negative spread on it. The lowest vendor price is $0.40 but the highest buylist is $0.65.

Sometimes people overlook the value of bulk and pass up opportunities for free money.

1. Pyretic Ritual (M11)
From $0.69 to $1.21 (75.36%)

This is one of the cards I keep an eye for when I purchase “bulk” from people.

The mythic rares and format staples have been picked out but many people ignore commons. There are usually stacks of commons and uncommons that will add up to a respectable pay day from a friendly buylist.

Pyretic Ritual has only been printed in M11. It is used in Modern UR Storm and in Legacy Belcher decks. It is pretty much Desperate Ritual numbers five through eight in those decks. That makes it key to the deck.

Right now an opportunity is available for someone to make some money off of this one. The lower vendor price is $0.25 but the highest buylist price is $0.46.

A few dimes may not seem like much but you are nearly doubling your money.

This is the bread and butter of Magic finance to me.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Sphinx’s Revelation (Return to Ravnica)
From $14.76 to $12.47 (-15.51%)

We all know that Revelation is on its way out of standard. That will not happen for several months and even then it will not be a lost cause.

It has seen adoption in several Modern decks including UWR Control, UW Tron and UW Control decks.

Vendor confidence in the card is strong. The lowest vendor price is $9.49. The highest buylist is $9.00.

This may not be an arbitrage opportunity but with such a thin spread I expect many of you will have friends trying to unload these for a drop that is not coming. I would be very comfortable trading for these around $10.

4. Obzedat, Ghost Council (Gatecrash)
From $8.67 to $7.24 (-16.49%)

Unlike Revelation above Obzedat is used purely in Standard. The card is very strong but the it does not have a deck it can easily slip into.

I would trade these away while you can still get a shockland for them.

3. Cyclonic Rift (Return to Ravnica)
From $4.56 to $3.78 (-17.11%)

Rotation will not be a large issue for Cyclonic Rift. It did not see a lot of adoption in Standard. Even the monoblue devotion decks only run one copy.

It is showing up in Modern Mono U Tron  and Mono U Control decks and sideboards.

It is also very powerful in Commander games.

I think it will settle around $3. I would trade them away if you want to get your money’s worth but I would not feel bad if you cannot move them. They are not going to slip that far.

2. Nightveil Specter (Gatecrash)
From $5.89 to $4.61 (-21.73%)

This will be another victim of pure Standard usage. Unfortunately the time to get out of these was the beginning of the year when they were still $10.

Get out now if you have any left.

You will be finding these in bulk rare bins before the end of the year.

1. Herald of Torment (Born of the Gods)
From $3.12 to $2.11 (-32.37%)

One last but important opportunity for arbitrage.

The lowest vendor price is only $0.74 and the highest buylist is $1.15.

Even the prospect of free money is not quite tempting enough. You can make a little money now or make a lot of money a little later.

It is used in Monoblack and even Junk decks in recent block GPs.

The best black cards are Thoughtseize and Hero’s Downfall alongside Bile Blight. Those are not going anywhere. Black decks will still be a force after rotation.

Monoblack control will lose Desecration Demon and Pack Rat but Herald of Torment and Master of the Feast could take some of those spots.

Herald is very well positioned for the fall. I would grab as many as I could.

By: Jim Marsh

Every week, some cards from Magic the Gathering increase and decease in value based upon a number of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the cards whose values have changed the most and the factors behind why those changes have occurred.

10 Big Winners of the Week

10. Celestial Colonnade (Worldwake)
From $20.35 to $22.35 (9.8%)

Is everyone ready for Modern season?

UWR Control and Midrange decks have been very prolific in the meta recently. 4 Color Gifts and UWR Twin decks have also adopted play sets of Colonnade main deck.

This card works as mana fixing and a finisher that dodges sweeper cards like Supreme Verdict. Usually a land that enters the battlefield tapped has a minor upside like 1 life or Scry 1. The ability to turn into a Serra Angel is nothing short of incredible.

You can attack with it and leave up mana for a Spell Snare or Path to Exile.

I would trade these away happily.

These are much easier to reprint in Standard or a supplemental product than Fetchlands.

9. Privileged Position (Ravnica)
From $13.80 to $15.38 (11.5%)

Commander and Casual players do not like it when you mess with their stuff.

Once you have built up enough mana for an Eldrazi or Kor Spiritdancer loaded with auras the last thing you want is a removal spell destroying all of your hard work.

This has been a steady gainer for a long time but I would not expect indefinite gains. The name and mechanics are generic enough to fit into any set or product that Wizards feels it can be used in.

I see nothing against getting a few to trade to Commander players but I would not go in much further than that

8. Pact of Negation (Modern Masters)
From $8.90 to $9.95 (11.8%)

You can never go wrong with a free counterspell. It protects combos and vital pieces of your board. Play it once and your opponent will always wonder if you have one in your hand.

The Pacts were printed in Modern Masters but it has been a year and prices are once again returning to starting to climb back up.

I think this is a card poised to make a vital return at a key moment in upcoming PTQ coverage.

Currently it is used in Ad Nauseam, Amulet of Vigor and even a UR Possibility Storm deck. I expect it will see wider adoption within the next few months.

7. Shivan Reef (10^th Edition)
From $8.22 to $9.19 (11.8%)

Modern Storm decks do not have the luxury of waiting for lands that enter the battlefield tapped. They need their fixing and they need it now.

Shivan Reef is seeing play alongside Steam Vents, Sulfur Falls and Scalding Tarns. That is good company to be in.

It has been printed several times and Storm is an infamously complex deck to play. I don’t think players will support it in enough numbers to keep this price where it is.

It is approaching the price of Shocklands and that does not seem sustainable.

6. Sylvan Caryatid (Theros)
From $6.36 to $7.64 (20.1%)

This card is well positioned come rotation. It plays defense, fix and accelerates your mana without giving your opponent the potential to set you back a turn with a Shock.

It can help you power out a turn three Reaper of the Wilds, Eidolon of Blossoms or Polukranos, World Eater.

It is already a heavy lifter in Standard and I don’t expect that to go away any time soon.

The only unfortunate thing about it is that it was a rare in a heavily drafted set and it was a promo. I think it will approach $10 but I don’t think it will be able to do much better than that.

5. Sigil of the Empty Throne (Conflux)
From $5.00 to $6.07 (21.4%)

I know people have been brewing both Monowhite and Azorius Prison decks with Sigil as the finisher.

Journey into Nyx got a lot of people discussing Constellation. I don’t know if Nyx-Fleece Ram is good enough to buy time but I am sure someone is testing  it.

Legacy has also been experimenting with a Selesnya Enchantress deck that runs Sigil as a high end finisher.

This card has gotten a lot of attention recently and I would trade into the hype.

4. Courser of Kruphix (Born of the Gods)
From $13.14 to $16.30 (24.0%)

Courser of Kruphix is the hottest thing in Standard. Pretty much any deck with green mana wants to play the full four. You get card advantage just for running it in the same deck as lands.

You can combine it with Domri Rade for even more hilarity.

Eidolon of Blossoms loves the fact that is it an enchantment.

Opposing aggressive decks packed with two power creatures for one mana hate it. Burn decks resent the incidental life gain that adds up over the course of a game.

It is even being used in Modern Jund and 4 Color Gifts decks.

The one big question is if it can break the $20 glass ceiling for rares.

As much as I love this card I don’t see a lot of room for it to grow. If you want to turn it into cash you will not be leaving a lot of money on the table.

You won’t regret holding onto them either. It is very well positioned for rotation as shown by the variety of Theros block decks that pack the full four. I expect it to keep its new price tag for the rest of its time in Standard.

3. Seizan, Perverter of Truth (Champions of Kamigawa)
From $3.31 to $4.08 (26.3%)

Nekusar, the Mindrazer has breathed new life into a lot of group hug cards.

Giving away cards is usually a good way to pacify your opponents but the Mindrazer also makes it a great way to kill them.

Seizan, Perverter of Truth is supposed to give everyone a free Night’s Whisper each turn but with your Commander out it is at least a Harrowing Journey for your opponents if not worse.

His flavor makes him difficult to reprint outside of supplemental Products.

I would happily trade him to anyone fine tuning their Nekusar deck.

If you find your play group looking for a good way to deal with the influx of Nekusar decks I would suggest Omen Machine. It turns their Commander into a Pillarfield Ox and lets everyone else play their spells for free. It is a bulk rare and easy to slide into any Commander deck.

2. Slaughter Pact (Modern Masters)
From $3.19 to $4.08 (27.9%)

Free spells are always handy and free removal is no exception. Any Modern deck that has black mana should at least be asking if they want to run this spell.

Jund, Melira Pod and even Amulet of vigor and a host of other decks use it to keep Twin decks at bay.

Anyone who is experimenting with the format due to the release of the Modern Event Deck will also be looking for this card.

This is exactly the kind of card I would want to have in my binder to trade to Modern players.

1. Garruk Relentless (Innistrad)
From $3.75 to $5.22 (39.2%)

The fact that this is a double sided planeswalker makes it unique and unlikely to ever be reprinted.

Modern has been toying with it in Junk midrange and it even sees play in the sideboard of Legacy Nic-Fit decks.

It has a home in Commander decks that play both black and green so there will always be some demand.

I think that this is a pretty safe investment in the long run with some potential growth in the short run if any of the decks that use it take off.

I would not actively try to seek them out but I would happily trade for them from players that were have stock left over from last year’s rotation.

5 Big Losers of the Week

5. Krenko, Mob Boss (M13)
From $4.85 to $4.46 (-8.0%)

Goblins will always be a popular choice in casual formats of all kinds. They are one of the oldest and most aggressive tribes in every format they populate.

Krenko is not a goblin lord but he does play very well with them. He is four mana so he is sitting on the top of the curve of playable goblins.

He does see play on both Modern and Legacy Goblin decks but normally only as one or two copies.

He has demonstrated slow but consistent growth since he rotated and I expect that to continue.

I think this was just a hiccup.

4. Deus of Calamity (Shadowmoor)
From $2.90 to $2.52 (-13.1%)

Duel Deck: Heroes vs Monsters reprinted this card and that is where things get interesting.

You can now pick up the new version of this card for $0.99.

This has led to several sites underselling the original card. It actually has a negative spread right now.

You can find copies as low as $1.49 and buylist them for $1.51.

This is not going to make you a lot of money but it shows that there is an underlying confidence in this card.

Any time you can buy a card at or below buylist is an amazing opportunity.

Look for these in trade binders.

3. Steel Hellkite (Scars of Mirrodin)
From $1.70 to $1.41 (-17.1%)

Here is another glitch in the Matrix. The current Beta is a slightly negative spread.

People are treating this like a bulk rare when it gets played in Legacy MUD.

It is only played as a single copy but it still sees play.

It is also compatible with any Commander deck and it is a dragon for the casual crowd.

Do not be fooled. I would get in on these.

2. Spirit Mantle (M12)
From $2.56 to $2.00 (-21.9%)

I love this card. It is exactly the kind of uncommon I like to see when I purchase “bulk” from people.

Did you know you can buylist them for $1.50?

Most people see an uncommon and assume it is $0.25.

You can even find copies online for $1.35 as I type this.

If free money does not interest you then maybe Modern Hexproof decks do. Several of them are trying this out in the deck.

I think you could be in a lot worse place than sitting on a small stack of these while the Pro Tour is focused on Modern.

1. Echo Mage (Rise of the Eldrazi)
From $0.93 to $0.68 (-26.9%)

Commander 2013 has really shaken up a lot of prices. It giveth but sometimes it taketh away.

Echo Mage was included in Commander 2013 in the Mind Seize deck. Everyone pillaged it for True-Name Nemesis and Baleful Strix and converted the rest to a Nekusar deck.

Unfortunately Echo Mage does not belong in a Nekusar deck. You need to invest a total of nine mana before you can copy a Winds of Change or Burning Inquiry. Almost all of that is blue which can be quite demanding on a three colored deck.

It is quickly becoming bulk and I do not see any reason for it not to.