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About Author: Sigmund Ausfresser

Sigmund Ausfresser
Description
Sigmund first started playing Magic when Visions was the newest set, back in 1997. Things were simpler back then. After playing casual Magic for about ten years, he tried his hand at competitive play. It took about two years before Sigmund starting taking down drafts. Since then, he moved his focus towards Legacy and MTG finance. Now that he's married and works full time, Sigmund enjoys the game by reading up on trends and using this knowledge in buying/selling cards.

Posts by Sigmund Ausfresser

  • Sigmund hasn't been thrilled with the performance of some of his speculations lately. Through some introspection, he figured out his priorities and now he's making some changes. This week he shares his thoughts and encourages others to think about their own strategies.

    Insider: Reassessing Priorities to Meet Profit Goals

    By
    May 20, 2013     24 Comments
    Sigmund hasn't been thrilled with the performance of some of his speculations lately. Through some introspection, he figured out his priorities and now he's making some changes. This week he shares his thoughts and encourages others to think about their own strategies.
  • So much has been going on in the world of MTG Finance. Sigmund brings you up to speed on Dragon Maze in Standard and random spikes in Legacy cards and discloses his biggest bet ever in MTG Speculation.

    Insider: This Last Week’s Buzz

    By
    May 13, 2013     28 Comments
    So much has been going on in the world of MTG Finance. Sigmund brings you up to speed on Dragon Maze in Standard and random spikes in Legacy cards and discloses his biggest bet ever in MTG Speculation.
  • The MTG market is incredibly complex, which inevitably leads to some opportunities to maximize value in surprising places. But before diving in, Sigmund wants to emphasize the time it may take for such optimization, and why such opportunities remain untapped for a reason. Sigmund also reviews the past weekend's premier of Dragon's Maze and which cards made a splash.

    Insider: Don’t Waste Your Time

    By
    May 6, 2013     36 Comments
    The MTG market is incredibly complex, which inevitably leads to some opportunities to maximize value in surprising places. But before diving in, Sigmund wants to emphasize the time it may take for such optimization, and why such opportunities remain untapped for a reason. Sigmund also reviews the past weekend's premier of Dragon's Maze and which cards made a splash.
  • What do the recent Judge Promo rumors and Dragon's Maze Prerelease weekend have in common? They both will impact card prices in some way. What may be most surprising are the cards unlikely to move down after this weekend.

    Insider: Judge Foil Rumors and Dragon’s Maze Movers

    By
    April 29, 2013     8 Comments
    What do the recent Judge Promo rumors and Dragon's Maze Prerelease weekend have in common? They both will impact card prices in some way. What may be most surprising are the cards unlikely to move down after this weekend.
  • We've had Modern spikes. We've noticed how casual staples have moved. Now we have the latest dramatic price shift, and it comes from Legacy! Surprised? Sigmund sure was. He does his best to bring you up to speed on what's moving and shaking.

    Insider: Recent Movements In Legacy

    By
    April 22, 2013     9 Comments
    We've had Modern spikes. We've noticed how casual staples have moved. Now we have the latest dramatic price shift, and it comes from Legacy! Surprised? Sigmund sure was. He does his best to bring you up to speed on what's moving and shaking.
  • Sigmund took the opportunity to travel to Europe for this past weekend's Legacy Grand Prix Strasbourg, and discusses his new take on the state of Legacy and what it was like to find firsthand arbitration.

    Insider: Sigmund in Europe, Legacy Grand Prix Strasbourg and Room for Opportunity

    By
    April 15, 2013     23 Comments
    Sigmund took the opportunity to travel to Europe for this past weekend's Legacy Grand Prix Strasbourg, and discusses his new take on the state of Legacy and what it was like to find firsthand arbitration.
  • Angus Mackenzie sold out at $79.99! Adun Oakenshield and Rasputin Dreamweaver sold out at $49.99! This isn't the Twilight Zone, these cards have really moved lately. But is this jump merited? This week Sigmund tackles this debate and shares his own feelings.

    Insider: The Legend of Legends Legends

    By
    April 8, 2013     12 Comments
    Angus Mackenzie sold out at $79.99! Adun Oakenshield and Rasputin Dreamweaver sold out at $49.99! This isn't the Twilight Zone, these cards have really moved lately. But is this jump merited? This week Sigmund tackles this debate and shares his own feelings.
  • Cash is king. In the past, Sigmund has always defaulted to requesting cash when selling cards to a buy list. But could that trade-in credit really be so bad? This week he looks at why that trade-in bonus makes the proposition worth considering.

    Insider: When Trade-in Credit Makes Sense

    By
    April 1, 2013     15 Comments
    Cash is king. In the past, Sigmund has always defaulted to requesting cash when selling cards to a buy list. But could that trade-in credit really be so bad? This week he looks at why that trade-in bonus makes the proposition worth considering.
  • After a crazy Modern PTQ season, things have suddenly become quiet. This lull won't last, so now is the time to reevaluate portfolios and identify gaps. Sigmund provides a slightly different way when considering balance of risk / reward.

    Insider: A New Look at Risk and Reward

    By
    March 25, 2013     24 Comments
    After a crazy Modern PTQ season, things have suddenly become quiet. This lull won't last, so now is the time to reevaluate portfolios and identify gaps. Sigmund provides a slightly different way when considering balance of risk / reward.
  • Modern PTQ season is over and Standard is up next! It's obvious this will mean price drops in Modern and increases in Standard, but the magnitude and pattern of these shifts could indicate health of the game and hint at price changes to come.

    Insider: A Map for Coming Months

    By
    March 18, 2013     21 Comments
    Modern PTQ season is over and Standard is up next! It's obvious this will mean price drops in Modern and increases in Standard, but the magnitude and pattern of these shifts could indicate health of the game and hint at price changes to come.
  • Yet another week has gone by, yielding many dramatic shifts in card prices. But Sigmund has noticed a few trends in the commonalities between these price movers. This week he breaks down the mtgstocks "interests" to understand some underlying themes.

    Insider: Reading Between The Lines

    By
    March 11, 2013     8 Comments
    Yet another week has gone by, yielding many dramatic shifts in card prices. But Sigmund has noticed a few trends in the commonalities between these price movers. This week he breaks down the mtgstocks "interests" to understand some underlying themes.
  • Magic is more popular now than ever before, and this has been impactful on card prices across the board. But some cards and products haven't been moving much. Sigmund investigates why.

    Insider: What’s Not Moving Lately

    By
    March 4, 2013     27 Comments
    Magic is more popular now than ever before, and this has been impactful on card prices across the board. But some cards and products haven't been moving much. Sigmund investigates why.
  • This past week was an insightful one for Sigmund. He captures his ah-ha moments regarding pre-ordering on eBay, Standard metagame shifts and crazy speculation phenomena.

    Insider: Valuable Takeaways From Last Week

    By
    February 25, 2013     20 Comments
    This past week was an insightful one for Sigmund. He captures his ah-ha moments regarding pre-ordering on eBay, Standard metagame shifts and crazy speculation phenomena.
  • Gyre Sage has tripled in price this past week. How often does this happen on Wall Street? Sigmund describes why the two differ in this regard and provides some insights into how the market can behave.

    Insider: How MTG Finance Differs From Wall Street

    By
    February 18, 2013     5 Comments
    Gyre Sage has tripled in price this past week. How often does this happen on Wall Street? Sigmund describes why the two differ in this regard and provides some insights into how the market can behave.
  • After taking profits off the table this Modern season, Sigmund is now sitting on cash reserves. Rather than losimg purchasing power from inflation Sigmund turns towards what cards to buy into next, many of which are in Return to Ravnica.

    Insider: I Sold Into Modern Hype, What’s Next?

    By
    February 11, 2013     18 Comments
    After taking profits off the table this Modern season, Sigmund is now sitting on cash reserves. Rather than losimg purchasing power from inflation Sigmund turns towards what cards to buy into next, many of which are in Return to Ravnica.
  • While many have turned their attention to the hottest Gatecrash specs, Sigmund has kept focus on Modern... and he's found some more anomalies. Sigmund asks that you take a breather from Gatecrash buzz and download a quick summary of where Modern's at now.

    Insider: The Modern Bubble Continues to Grow

    By
    February 4, 2013     35 Comments
    While many have turned their attention to the hottest Gatecrash specs, Sigmund has kept focus on Modern... and he's found some more anomalies. Sigmund asks that you take a breather from Gatecrash buzz and download a quick summary of where Modern's at now.
  • Sigmund never claimed to be an expert in foils, but doing a little research on the shiny cards may reveal opportunities. These potential profits should not be overlooked, despite one's aversion to them.

    Insider: Recent Foils With Potential Upside

    By
    January 28, 2013     22 Comments
    Sigmund never claimed to be an expert in foils, but doing a little research on the shiny cards may reveal opportunities. These potential profits should not be overlooked, despite one's aversion to them.
  • Sigmund recently drastically shifted his positions in mana-fixing lands. This week he summarizes his latest moves, along with some rationale as to what we can expect to see in the coming months.

    Insider: Rebalancing Your Real Estate Portfolio

    By
    January 21, 2013     9 Comments
    Sigmund recently drastically shifted his positions in mana-fixing lands. This week he summarizes his latest moves, along with some rationale as to what we can expect to see in the coming months.
  • Sigmund digs up some old data to round out a prediction for what Modern Masters could do to current prices. Based on his predictions, it may be wise to...

    Insider: Historical Data to Predict Modern Masters’ Impact

    By
    January 14, 2013     28 Comments
    Sigmund digs up some old data to round out a prediction for what Modern Masters could do to current prices. Based on his predictions, it may be wise to...
  • Gatecrash is rapidly approaching, Modern season is here and a Legacy GP took place over the weekend. With so much buzz in Magic, it's difficult to keep up on everything. This week Sigmund touches on some noteworthy trends in each format.

    Insider: Market Trends in Standard, Modern and Legacy

    By
    January 7, 2013     11 Comments
    Gatecrash is rapidly approaching, Modern season is here and a Legacy GP took place over the weekend. With so much buzz in Magic, it's difficult to keep up on everything. This week Sigmund touches on some noteworthy trends in each format.
  • Modern season is in full swing, and with it comes some significant price peaks. Sigmund has decided to sell off some major staples this Modern season. In this article, he describes the psychology and rationale behind his decision.

    Insider: Psychology and Selling Modern Staples

    By
    December 31, 2012     13 Comments
    Modern season is in full swing, and with it comes some significant price peaks. Sigmund has decided to sell off some major staples this Modern season. In this article, he describes the psychology and rationale behind his decision.
  • 2012 was a wild ride as far as MTG Finance goes. Sig takes a look back at some of his most valuable lessons learned and plans out how he will make some strategic changes next year.

    Insider: Biggest Takeaways From 2012

    By
    December 24, 2012     16 Comments
    2012 was a wild ride as far as MTG Finance goes. Sig takes a look back at some of his most valuable lessons learned and plans out how he will make some strategic changes next year.
  • Who could have predicted Aluren's sudden tripling in price? In hindsight, the writing was on the walls - it was just a matter of when. Sigmund looks at the contributing factors and highlights other cards with similar attributes worth keeping an eye on.

    Insider: The Aluren Phenomenon

    By
    December 17, 2012     2 Comments
    Who could have predicted Aluren's sudden tripling in price? In hindsight, the writing was on the walls - it was just a matter of when. Sigmund looks at the contributing factors and highlights other cards with similar attributes worth keeping an eye on.
  • With the Standard metagame stabilizing, Sigmund turns his sights to Modern for the next opportunities. He looks ahead with an eye towards Modern Masters and the possible price implications.

    Insider: The Modern Spike and Modern Masters

    By
    December 10, 2012     5 Comments
    With the Standard metagame stabilizing, Sigmund turns his sights to Modern for the next opportunities. He looks ahead with an eye towards Modern Masters and the possible price implications.
  • A recent Tweet from Paul Feudo indicated some serious price drops on certain Standard cards at Star City Games. Sigmund highlights some of the movers and discusses what it means for us.

    Insider: Recent Price Drops Means Opportunity

    By
    December 3, 2012     12 Comments
    A recent Tweet from Paul Feudo indicated some serious price drops on certain Standard cards at Star City Games. Sigmund highlights some of the movers and discusses what it means for us.
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