Last weekend, Sig received some very unfortunate news regarding an eBay sale he made of an Alpha card. It turns out, the card may have been clipped Beta. This begs the question: how can one detect the difference? This week Sig investigates.

The post Clipped Beta vs. Alpha: A Cautionary Tale first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Sig's records aren't perfect, but he has recently just passed his 500th MTG finance article--nearly ten years of writing! This week Sig reflects back on his MTG finance journey, the key decisions along the way, and what makes Magic the greatest game in the world.

The post My 500th (ish) MTG Finance Article: A Self-Reflection first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Returning from a well-deserved vacation, Sig takes a wider look at the Magic finance landscape, examining Modern Horizons 2, Reserved List staples, and more.

The post Modern Horizons 2 and Summer Regressions first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Last week's inflation data created shock waves in the stock market. This piqued Sig's curiosity: does inflation also impact the Magic market? He found an article that describes the potential impact very well...oh, and that article was written in 1978!

The post Inflation’s Impact on Your Magic Investment first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

In any sort of investing, it's important to define key terms in order to make sense of and properly evaluate investment opportunities. David outlines these key terms, and how they relate to Magic.

The post Defining Our Terms first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It's no surprise some older cards have peaked and are now pulling back. What DOES surprise Sig is that some cards are back on the climb and nearing previous highs. Why the split? This week, Sig looks at the numbers.

The post A Dichotomy in Old Card Prices first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Magic broke into mainstream media, briefly, last week. Popular music artist Post Malone was sighted purchasing Magic cards at a local card shop. Is this enough to catalyze some sort of growth? This week, Sig shares his thoughts on the matter.

The post How Could Magic Go Mainstream? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

This week Sig examines recent pricing trends on some of Magic's historically most overprinted and under-powered sets: Homelands, Fallen Empires, and Chronicles. Without looking, can you guess what booster boxes of these sets sell for today? The answer may surprise you!

The post What Was Once Undesirable is Now Hot first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It's no secret: Alpha cards are very expensive now. There are just not very many copies to go around. But what about Beta? It's print run is larger, but relative to the player base, it's still tiny. This week Sig examines the Beta market and shares his thoughts on Beta's likely price trajectory.

The post Shifting Focus to Beta first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

"History repeats itself." We hear this phrase time and again to describe all sorts of socioeconomic phenomena. But does it apply to the Magic market this time? This week, Sig examines the market-moving forces of 2020-2021 and compares back to 2017-2018.

The post Will History Repeat Itself This Time? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

In this article, Kai analyzes a recent anomaly in prices for certain cards with common misprints. Could this be a start to the misprint community making its mark on the larger finance community, or is it just be a coincidence?

The post Misprint Buyouts: Shivan Dragon and Charlie Brown Medallions first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

As card prices continue to climb, it's OK to take profits. Really. This week, Sig shares three mantras he keeps in mind to help him overcome negative emotions associated with selling.

The post Three Mantras to Taking Profits first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David examines the recent movement in Reserved List rares, and outlines the telltale signs of a bubble about to pop.

The post Insider: Bubble of Baubles first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

As many once-forgotten cards skyrocket in price, now could be a great time to consider selling. But Sig doesn't recommend selling just anything. This week he shares guidelines on how to approach this volatile, sellers' market.

The post Stop and Sell Something Already first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Like 2017, 2020 has become the year of the Reserved List buyout. But just because a card disappears from the market doesn't mean its price will forever be 10x it was before. This week, Sig dissects the buyout and highlights the data that creates the perceived price spikes.

The post Dissecting the Reserved List Buyout first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

An image of a Faerie appeared on the internet and suddenly everyone in MTG Finance world wants to buy Faerie cards. This behavior can be frustrating, but it can also lose you money if you're not careful. Sigmund breaks down the case against faeries, and why you shouldn't give in to the hype.

The post The Faerie Trickery of MTG Finance first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The one-week rule is handy when trying to navigate buyouts on newer cards. But what about the much older, rarer Reserved List cards? MTG finance buyouts can disrupt an RL card's price for months. Fortunately, Sig has some good news to share in this week's edition of "Beating the Buyouts".

The post Beating the Buyouts: Reserved List Edition first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

MTG finance has been on the receiving end of some backlash recently after rampant buyouts catalyzed by Modern Horizons spoilers. But is it deserved? This week Sig examines this nefarious buyout behavior and explains how it could be harming the broader community.

The post The MTG Finance Backlash first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Brian discusses the value of expensive Reserved List cards from an oft unconsidered perspective—their appeal as luxury goods not for play.

The post Insider: A Black Lotus is Rolls-Royce You Can’t Drive first appeared on Quiet Speculation.