PROTRADER: The Irony of Eternal Masters

Last week I talked about the incoming price declines we can expect from the release of Eternal Masters.  Reprints of Legacy, Vintage, and Commander staples are sure to drop prices to varying degrees simply because the demand for more staples will not likely outpace supply.  This is especially the case for 1-ofs like Mana Crypt, Karakas, and Vampiric Tutor.  Prices are about to fluctuate significantly.

We could pause and celebrate a successful set release for Wizards of the Coast at this point.  They’re going to generate more profits for Hasbro and the player base will have easier access to numerous eternal staples.  A true win-win right?

Well, not exactly.  You see, some cards didn’t get reprinted in Eternal Masters.  Obviously everything can’t get a reprint – there are far more cards worth reprinting than there were slots in the set.  Some cards will inevitably have to wait their turn for next time.  The problem is, those cards which dodged reprint are now very likely to jump higher in price!  Players may open up a few valuable Legacy staples and wish to trade for other parts of the deck which weren’t in Eternal Masters.  Speculators are definitely going to pounce on opportunities where supply did not increase.  And overall we’ll see copies dry up over time, leading to higher pricing.

Thus, some card prices in key archetypes will jump higher, counteracting much of the relief delivered by Eternal Masters.  The world is an ironic place, isn’t it?

The rest of this content is only visible to ProTrader members.

To learn how ProTrader can benefit YOU, click here to watch our short video.

expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

MTG Fast Finance: Episode 18

by Travis Allen (@wizardbumpin) & James Chillcott (@mtgcritic)

MTG Fast Finance is a weekly podcast that tries to break down the flurry of financial activity in the world of Magic: The Gathering into a fast, fun and useful thirty 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: Feb 26th

Segment 1: Top Movers of the Week

Greater Gargadon (Foil, Modern Masters)
Start: $4.50
Finish: $7.25
Gain: +$2.75 (+60%)

Realms Uncharted (Rise of the Eldrazi)
Start: $1.75
Finish: $3.00
Gain: +$1.25 (+70%)

Junun Efreet (Arabian Nights)
Start: $5.00
Finish: $9.50
Gain: +$4.50 (+90%)

Gavony Township (Foil, Innistrad)
Start: $12.00
Finish: $24.00
Gain: +$12.00 (+100%)

Iroas, God of Victory (Foil, Journey Into Nyx)
Start: $15.00
Finish: $30.00
Gain: +$15.00 (+100%)

Library of Alexandria (Arabian Nights)
Start: $445.00
Finish: $1,150.00
Gain: +$705 (+160%)

Segment 2: Cards to Watch

James Picks:

  1. Force of Will (Foil, Eternal Masters) Confidence Level 8: $275 to $400 (+45%, 0-12+ months)
  2. Mana Crypt Foil, Eternal Masters, Confidence Level 7: $225 to $300 (+33%, 0-12+ months)
  3. Wasteland
  4. Natural Order
  5. Shardless Agent
  6. Sensei’s Divinging Top (Eternal Masters)

Travis Picks:

  1. Day’s Undoing">Day’s Undoing, Magic Origins, Confidence Level 6: $2 to $8 (+300%, 12+ months)
  2. Daretti, Scrap Savant">Daretti, Scrap Savant, Commander 2014, Confidence Level 7: $2 to $10 (+400%, 12+ months)
  3. Titania, Protector of Argoth">Titania, Protector of Argoth, Commander 2014, Confidence Level 8: $2.50 to $10 (+300%, 12+ months)
  4. Sealed Eternal Masters boxes, MSRP, 12+ months

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

Segment 3: Metagame Week in Review

Between GP Minneapolis and GP Manchester, humans were all over Standard. While Minneapolis was nearly nothing but, Manchester provided some additional color, including an exciting build including Jace’s Sanctum that landed in 25th place.

 

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.

Brainstorm Brewery #195 – Stitched Together

Brainstorm Brewery #195 – Stitched Together

 

Corbin had to leave early and Marcel had to show up late. It wasn’t ideal but neither was skipping another week. What were we to do? Record in two separate pieces and stitch it together with audio magic, that’s what! With Eternal Masters to discuss, a Merfolk deck winning a GP and e-mails to finally read, there was a lot to cover. Someone on reddit this week said he doesn’t think the cast of Brainstorm Brewery likes each other. I don’t even know how to respond to that other than to say having Ryan and Jason record two separate episode halves like Marcel and Corbin are divorced is pretty funny given the timing. Strap in and listen to your favorite podcast, why don’t you? This is Brainstorm Brewery.

 

 

Contact Us!

Brainstorm Brewery Website – E-mail – Twitter Facebook RSS iTunes Stitcher

Ryan Bushard – E-mail – Twitter Facebook

Corbin Hosler – E-mail – Twitter Facebook MTGPrice

Jason E Alt – E-mail – Twitter FacebookMTGPrice

Marcel White – E-mail – Twitter

 

PROTRADER: EMA Aftershocks

A few weeks back, I openly pondered whether Eternal Masters would be able to serve as a better reprint vehicle than something like Commander or Conspiracy- each set prioritizing what makes it unique, rather than trying to fit “staples” of each format into three sets. While we haven’t seen what the Conspiracy or Commander offerings will look like yet, it’s fair to say that EMA has quite a few cards in it that are not strictly masters of eternal formats. We are also going to discuss the distribution issues surrounding this set, and how it might be best to approach acquisition early and in the long term.

The rest of this content is only visible to ProTrader members.

To learn how ProTrader can benefit YOU, click here to watch our short video.

expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING FINANCE ARTICLES AND COMMUNITY