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About Author: Douglas Linn

Description
Doug Linn has been playing Magic since 1996 and has had a keen interest in Legacy and Modern. By keeping up closely with emerging trends in the field, Doug is able to predict what cards to buy and when to sell them for a substantial profit. Since the Eternal market follows a routine boom-bust cycle, the time to buy and sell short-term speculative investments is often a narrow window. Because Eternal cards often spike in value once people know why they are good, it is essential for a trader to be connected to the format to get great buys before anyone else. Outside of Magic, Doug is an attorney in the state of Ohio.  Doug is a founding member of Quiet Speculation, and brings with him a tremendous amount of business savvy.

Posts by Douglas Linn

  • Hello and welcome! We’ve got another round of those handy cheat-sheets to print out for the prerelease this weekend. I’ve had people request both alphabetized ones and price-ranked ones, so <a href="http://www.quietspeculation.com/2013/04/your-free-dragons-maze-price-sheet-for-the-prereleases-this-weekend/#more-'" class="more-link">more »</a>

    Your Free Dragon’s Maze Price Sheet for the Prereleases This Weekend (and the Trader Tools beta)

    By
    April 26, 2013     12 Comments
    Hello and welcome! We’ve got another round of those handy cheat-sheets to print out for the prerelease this weekend. I’ve had people request both alphabetized ones and price-ranked ones, so more »
  • The Gatecrash price cheat-sheet in time for the weekend.

    Our Gatecrash Price Cheat-Sheet

    By
    January 24, 2013     1 Comments
    The Gatecrash price cheat-sheet in time for the weekend.
  • Doug brings several quick hits and discussions this week from GP: Atlantic City. Find out which card is conspicuously absent and what red uncommon is a no-risk investment.

    Insider: Quick Notes from Atlantic City

    By
    January 15, 2013     7 Comments
    Doug brings several quick hits and discussions this week from GP: Atlantic City. Find out which card is conspicuously absent and what red uncommon is a no-risk investment.
  • About eight days ago, strange things started happening with a Tempest rare. [card]Aluren[/card] had jumped by $10 overnight. It's clear that someone was buying all of this card that they could. We didn't know why then and we still don't have many answers.

    What’s going on with Aluren?

    By
    December 18, 2012     1 Comments
    About eight days ago, strange things started happening with a Tempest rare. [card]Aluren[/card] had jumped by $10 overnight. It's clear that someone was buying all of this card that they could. We didn't know why then and we still don't have many answers.
  • I've been thinking a lot about buying collections again recently. It's fun as all heck to see what's in someone's binder and you can make a pretty good profit with turnover. Moreover, I was tired of seeing Sig and Corbin post about going through collections – jealous!

    Insider: I Just Bought A Collection.

    By
    November 21, 2012     9 Comments
    I've been thinking a lot about buying collections again recently. It's fun as all heck to see what's in someone's binder and you can make a pretty good profit with turnover. Moreover, I was tired of seeing Sig and Corbin post about going through collections – jealous!
  • Grand Prix: Chicago was this past weekend and the format was Modern. How good for us! Modern moves a lot of card prices, even though it doesn't get played that much. It's the reason that Remand and Kitchen Finks are worth so much; why Path to Exile pushes $5. The PTQ season is coming up and Modern cards are going to be in demand for awhile. With continued WOTC support, with Modern Masters, with shocklands being reprinted, this format is coming together... if it can deal with Jund.

    Insider: Plowing Through GP: Chicago For Hot Cards

    By
    November 13, 2012     2 Comments
    Grand Prix: Chicago was this past weekend and the format was Modern. How good for us! Modern moves a lot of card prices, even though it doesn't get played that much. It's the reason that Remand and Kitchen Finks are worth so much; why Path to Exile pushes $5. The PTQ season is coming up and Modern cards are going to be in demand for awhile. With continued WOTC support, with Modern Masters, with shocklands being reprinted, this format is coming together... if it can deal with Jund.
  • The big talk of the SCG Open in New Orleans this past weekend was the winning deck, a G/W aggro list that leans heavily on Humans. This week, we are going to look at the deck's performance, why it worked, and pick out some juicy speculation targets.

    Insider: Betting on the Armies of Man

    By
    October 30, 2012     2 Comments
    The big talk of the SCG Open in New Orleans this past weekend was the winning deck, a G/W aggro list that leans heavily on Humans. This week, we are going to look at the deck's performance, why it worked, and pick out some juicy speculation targets.
  • Probably the biggest news this weekend wasn't the fact that Jund is really good in Modern - we all knew that. It was Aaron Forsythe's announcement of the Modern Masters set, which I emailed everyone about. The first spoiled card was Tarmogoyf. That gets everyone talking and we're going to talk this week about what we've deduced about the Modern Masters set - even though we only know one card for sure! There's a lot of shadow room that we can look into; find out what is and isn't there, due to the set size.

    Insider: Getting Familiar With the Modern Masters Set

    By
    October 23, 2012     10 Comments
    Probably the biggest news this weekend wasn't the fact that Jund is really good in Modern - we all knew that. It was Aaron Forsythe's announcement of the Modern Masters set, which I emailed everyone about. The first spoiled card was Tarmogoyf. That gets everyone talking and we're going to talk this week about what we've deduced about the Modern Masters set - even though we only know one card for sure! There's a lot of shadow room that we can look into; find out what is and isn't there, due to the set size.
  • This week is all about tech; it's about the new developments in Standard and Eternal formats and how we can see some profit. We are gonna be all over.

    Insider: Chimes, Orders, and More On RTR Standard

    By
    October 16, 2012     9 Comments
    This week is all about tech; it's about the new developments in Standard and Eternal formats and how we can see some profit. We are gonna be all over.
  • It's kind of hard to believe that I've been writing weekly for QS for over two years - but then, I've been writing about Magic since 2004 (for a paycheck!) and I'm often pleasantly surprised at my endurance. One of the first articles I wrote for QS was Maximizing Ebay Profits, an article about how to get the most money from Ebay. This week, I'm going to review it with you and we'll talk about what's the same, what's different, and how you can continue to make money from listing cards on Ebay.

    Insider: (Even More) Maximizing Ebay Profits

    By
    October 9, 2012     11 Comments
    It's kind of hard to believe that I've been writing weekly for QS for over two years - but then, I've been writing about Magic since 2004 (for a paycheck!) and I'm often pleasantly surprised at my endurance. One of the first articles I wrote for QS was Maximizing Ebay Profits, an article about how to get the most money from Ebay. This week, I'm going to review it with you and we'll talk about what's the same, what's different, and how you can continue to make money from listing cards on Ebay.
  • On September 20, Christmas again came early for speculators everywhere. Wizards of the Coast decided to unban and unrestrict some cards and we are going to talk today about why some of them are winners and others are losers. At 12am they announced the changes and at 12:03, I had an email going out to Insiders about the changes with my suggestions. I'll fill you in on how I made such quick decisions and why they have been pretty accurate.

    Insider Basics: Analyzing The Recent B&R Changes

    By
    September 25, 2012     5 Comments
    On September 20, Christmas again came early for speculators everywhere. Wizards of the Coast decided to unban and unrestrict some cards and we are going to talk today about why some of them are winners and others are losers. At 12am they announced the changes and at 12:03, I had an email going out to Insiders about the changes with my suggestions. I'll fill you in on how I made such quick decisions and why they have been pretty accurate.
  • This week, you will read many set reviews and I suggest that you give each one some scrutiny. I'm reviewing mainly with an eye toward Eternal magic, which is my strength. Typically, there isn't much in a new set for Eternal formats, so I'll amuse you and me both with commentary on other cards.

    Insider: A Set Review of Return to Ravnica, Two Weeks Early

    By
    September 18, 2012     9 Comments
    This week, you will read many set reviews and I suggest that you give each one some scrutiny. I'm reviewing mainly with an eye toward Eternal magic, which is my strength. Typically, there isn't much in a new set for Eternal formats, so I'll amuse you and me both with commentary on other cards.
  • There's a lot to be hopeful about in Return to Ravnica. I have not seen preorder prices for boxes go up this soon since Future Sight and the Zendikar treasures. Those boxes are going to be packed with money. What's also cool is that this set is going to get people brewing with their favorite color schemes and trying out old favorites. These favorites aren't going to be winners, but it'll get things moving.

    Insider: The Bird’s Eye View On Return to Ravnica

    By
    September 12, 2012     0 Comments
    There's a lot to be hopeful about in Return to Ravnica. I have not seen preorder prices for boxes go up this soon since Future Sight and the Zendikar treasures. Those boxes are going to be packed with money. What's also cool is that this set is going to get people brewing with their favorite color schemes and trying out old favorites. These favorites aren't going to be winners, but it'll get things moving.
  • Chances are, you're going to make a lot of money from RTR because you're going to be actively reading and trading all through the next month or so. However, you have got to avoid losing money along the way, too! You don't want to be stuck with Magic cards that you could have sold a few weeks ago for double the value.

    Insider: Get rid of your losers before RTR comes out!

    By
    September 4, 2012     11 Comments
    Chances are, you're going to make a lot of money from RTR because you're going to be actively reading and trading all through the next month or so. However, you have got to avoid losing money along the way, too! You don't want to be stuck with Magic cards that you could have sold a few weeks ago for double the value.
  • We've got a lot to go over this week! First, I want to talk to you about quirks of the collector market in Legacy and Vintage. I'll also touch on a pop-up card and some out-there picks in anticipation of Return to Ravnica.

    Insider: Vintage & Legacy Markets, Overmaster and More Crazy Picks

    By
    August 28, 2012     0 Comments
    We've got a lot to go over this week! First, I want to talk to you about quirks of the collector market in Legacy and Vintage. I'll also touch on a pop-up card and some out-there picks in anticipation of Return to Ravnica.
  • I had a blast at GenCon this past weekend, mainly because I get to spend a lot of time with the larger-than-life personalities of QS. We played a lot of Danger Room and we were casually trading the whole time. This week, I'm going to share what I picked up on the language of how we trade cards from watching dozens of trades happen. This is fundamental stuff but in a way, it's not a task for freshmen. Like in poker, either your personality sets you to playing the cards or playing the people, and this is for the readers who want to work with people to make trading easier and less tedious.

    Insider Basics: Do you talk about prices? Changing our language of trading

    By
    August 21, 2012     6 Comments
    I had a blast at GenCon this past weekend, mainly because I get to spend a lot of time with the larger-than-life personalities of QS. We played a lot of Danger Room and we were casually trading the whole time. This week, I'm going to share what I picked up on the language of how we trade cards from watching dozens of trades happen. This is fundamental stuff but in a way, it's not a task for freshmen. Like in poker, either your personality sets you to playing the cards or playing the people, and this is for the readers who want to work with people to make trading easier and less tedious.
  • What if you could play hundreds of the best cards in Magic and not worry about mana? Isn't it cool to think about drawing off the top of a giant deck and playing what comes up? The Danger Room is a new way to play Magic. It uses a shared box of cards, meaning that you can play it with everyone, and it is very simple to learn.

    Introducing a New Format Called The Danger Room

    By
    August 15, 2012     1 Comments
    What if you could play hundreds of the best cards in Magic and not worry about mana? Isn't it cool to think about drawing off the top of a giant deck and playing what comes up? The Danger Room is a new way to play Magic. It uses a shared box of cards, meaning that you can play it with everyone, and it is very simple to learn.
  • It's another week of examples today, selected to help hone some of your predictive senses on speculation. I'm going to share some cards today and I'll be honest - sometimes, I still don't know why these things act the way they do. Join me as we tease out the reasons why cards go up or fail to go up. You'll get a sense of my thinking process and the questions that I'm asking myself along the way.

    Insider: More Examples of Predictive Senses

    By
    August 13, 2012     10 Comments
    It's another week of examples today, selected to help hone some of your predictive senses on speculation. I'm going to share some cards today and I'll be honest - sometimes, I still don't know why these things act the way they do. Join me as we tease out the reasons why cards go up or fail to go up. You'll get a sense of my thinking process and the questions that I'm asking myself along the way.
  • Speculation depends on your ability to make and act on quick decisions, often within minutes or hours. Doug shares case studies that help develop basic predictive instincts.

    Insider: How to Develop Your Predictive Senses

    By
    August 7, 2012     10 Comments
    Speculation depends on your ability to make and act on quick decisions, often within minutes or hours. Doug shares case studies that help develop basic predictive instincts.
  • The Best Four Days in Gaming are fast approaching - learn the best times and methods of trading at GenCon as well as general convention tips in this week's article.

    Insider: Your Guide to Trading At GenCon

    By
    July 31, 2012     8 Comments
    The Best Four Days in Gaming are fast approaching - learn the best times and methods of trading at GenCon as well as general convention tips in this week's article.
  • Grand Prix Columbus was a great time - I was there - and it pulled in almost 1,050 players, which is impressive for a format that people seem to hate on the internet. Most of my opponents had not played the format before, but just about everyone expressed that they thought it was a fun format that they'd like to keep playing.

    Insider: GP Columbus and the state of Modern

    By
    July 24, 2012     4 Comments
    Grand Prix Columbus was a great time - I was there - and it pulled in almost 1,050 players, which is impressive for a format that people seem to hate on the internet. Most of my opponents had not played the format before, but just about everyone expressed that they thought it was a fun format that they'd like to keep playing.
  • Comicon is in full swing and the Magic announcements just happened. This week, I'll be looking at the unconfirmed rumors about reprints, first-time prints and what we can anticipate from Return To Ravnica.

    Insider: Comicon and the Coming Year In Magic

    By
    July 16, 2012     4 Comments
    Comicon is in full swing and the Magic announcements just happened. This week, I'll be looking at the unconfirmed rumors about reprints, first-time prints and what we can anticipate from Return To Ravnica.
  • All you need to know about how Commander influences foil prices is to look at Expedition Map. The low common goes for over $10 to the right player because when you become a Commander, you want foils all around you. All of those spells should be holographic! While we knew Map would be a good staple in Commander, I don't think people called that it would be this much for a common, this early. Today, I'm going to share my forecasts for the next hot Commander cards - ones I think will double or triple in price in a year or two. Let's start!

    Insider: Next year’s chase Commander foils, today

    By
    July 9, 2012     1 Comments
    All you need to know about how Commander influences foil prices is to look at Expedition Map. The low common goes for over $10 to the right player because when you become a Commander, you want foils all around you. All of those spells should be holographic! While we knew Map would be a good staple in Commander, I don't think people called that it would be this much for a common, this early. Today, I'm going to share my forecasts for the next hot Commander cards - ones I think will double or triple in price in a year or two. Let's start!
  • It's hard to believe that Scars of Mirrodin is nearly two years old. It's nearing the end of its rotation through Standard and while many of the prices in the set are still under the influence of Standard pricing, there are still a lot of hidden gems in the set. In this article, I'm going to focus on the lesser-known cards and the casual stars. You know about what Copperline Gorge and Darkslick Shores go for, but I'm sure you'll come away from this with a more comprehensive knowledge of the set. If you're looking for throw-ins or running your own bulk box, you'll get a lot out of this.

    Insider: Scouring Scars of Mirrodin

    By
    July 2, 2012     3 Comments
    It's hard to believe that Scars of Mirrodin is nearly two years old. It's nearing the end of its rotation through Standard and while many of the prices in the set are still under the influence of Standard pricing, there are still a lot of hidden gems in the set. In this article, I'm going to focus on the lesser-known cards and the casual stars. You know about what Copperline Gorge and Darkslick Shores go for, but I'm sure you'll come away from this with a more comprehensive knowledge of the set. If you're looking for throw-ins or running your own bulk box, you'll get a lot out of this.
  • Grand Prix: Yokohama was this past weekend, attended by over 1,500 players battling for prizes and glory. Importantly, they did battle with Modern decks, which is good for Insiders. Modern is popular enough on the tournament level to drive prices and many of the cards in the set are old enough that it's hard to track them down. They get expensive or hard to find. Ergo, it's a good field to get action on, especially because many of the lower-tier decks still have good money rares in them that you can trade into. This week, we'll look at the Grand Prix results and analyze them for Modern play and speculation.

    Insider: Grand Prix Yokohama Creates New Modern Price Trends

    By
    June 25, 2012     3 Comments
    Grand Prix: Yokohama was this past weekend, attended by over 1,500 players battling for prizes and glory. Importantly, they did battle with Modern decks, which is good for Insiders. Modern is popular enough on the tournament level to drive prices and many of the cards in the set are old enough that it's hard to track them down. They get expensive or hard to find. Ergo, it's a good field to get action on, especially because many of the lower-tier decks still have good money rares in them that you can trade into. This week, we'll look at the Grand Prix results and analyze them for Modern play and speculation.
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