City of Brass | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com Play More, Win More, Pay Less Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:38:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.quietspeculation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/favicon.png City of Brass | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com 32 32 Reserved Judgement: Some Thoughts on the Reserved List https://www.quietspeculation.com/2023/07/reserved-judgement-some-thoughts-on-the-reserved-list/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2023/07/reserved-judgement-some-thoughts-on-the-reserved-list/#comments Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=100853

The Reserved List isn't going anywhere. Could Wizards modify the list so they can have their cake and eat it too? Paul shares his thoughts on the subject.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2023/07/reserved-judgement-some-thoughts-on-the-reserved-list/feed/ 1 A Flashback to Childhood: Part 1 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/09/a-flashback-to-childhood-part-1/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/09/a-flashback-to-childhood-part-1/#comments Mon, 05 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=119527

What was it like learning Magic back in 1997? This week Sig shares fond memories and brings them to 2022 by cracking sealed Mirage and 5th Edition starters.

The post A Flashback to Childhood: Part 1 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/09/a-flashback-to-childhood-part-1/feed/ 2 Mana, Mana Value, And Mana Cost https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/03/mana-mana-value-and-mana-cost/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/03/mana-mana-value-and-mana-cost/#respond Thu, 24 Mar 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=112577

Tapping In: Welcome back to another installment of rules stuff. This week we're looking at mana, mana values, and mana costs.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/03/mana-mana-value-and-mana-cost/feed/ 0 Real-world Flavor. Magic Quotations From a Collection of Middle Eastern Folk Tales https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/12/real-world-flavor-magic-quotations-from-a-collection-of-middle-eastern-folk-tales/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/12/real-world-flavor-magic-quotations-from-a-collection-of-middle-eastern-folk-tales/#respond Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=102760

Having explored Greek and Latin quotations, Francesco turns his attention to examining the six quotes from Arabian Nights in Magic flavor text.

The post Real-world Flavor. Magic Quotations From a Collection of Middle Eastern Folk Tales first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/12/real-world-flavor-magic-quotations-from-a-collection-of-middle-eastern-folk-tales/feed/ 0 What Was Once Undesirable is Now Hot https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/what-was-once-undesirable-is-now-hot/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/what-was-once-undesirable-is-now-hot/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2021 11:00:26 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=97898

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!

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/what-was-once-undesirable-is-now-hot/feed/ 1 Insider: Sifting for Specs #2 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/insider-sifting-for-specs-2/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/insider-sifting-for-specs-2/#respond Wed, 09 Dec 2020 12:00:09 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=96750

In the next part of his Sifting for Specs series, David sets his sights on Ice Age for potential wins in picking bulk.

The post Insider: Sifting for Specs #2 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/insider-sifting-for-specs-2/feed/ 0 Playing the Damaged Lottery https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/playing-the-damaged-lottery/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/playing-the-damaged-lottery/#respond Mon, 07 Dec 2020 12:00:38 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=96759

Have you ever searched for a card on TCGplayer and noticed a damaged/HP copy listed below all others? The damaged lottery can be enticing, depending on your threshold for play wear. This week Sig shares recent experiences in his heavily played purchases.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/12/playing-the-damaged-lottery/feed/ 0 Another Round of ABUGames Credit Arbitrage https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/10/another-round-of-abugames-credit-arbitrage/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/10/another-round-of-abugames-credit-arbitrage/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2020 11:00:13 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=96251

Sig has been very active with ABUGames trade credit arbitrage lately. The once-defunct strategy has become live once again thanks to some recent market trends. This week Sig shares his secrets--with some time and patience, anyone can leverage this same approach to make MTG cheaper.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/10/another-round-of-abugames-credit-arbitrage/feed/ 2 The Impact of No MagicFests in 2020 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/06/the-impact-of-no-magicfests-in-2020/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/06/the-impact-of-no-magicfests-in-2020/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:00:27 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=95488

The unthinkable has happened: MagicFests for all of 2020 have been cancelled. When Sig predicted this possibility 3 months ago, he didn't seriously think it would happen. He's dusting off that article and updating his predictions for Commander card prices going forward.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/06/the-impact-of-no-magicfests-in-2020/feed/ 2 ABUGames Credit Arbitrage: An Update https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/09/abugames-credit-arbitrage-an-update/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/09/abugames-credit-arbitrage-an-update/#respond Mon, 23 Sep 2019 11:00:16 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=93910

Despite being covered in the past, one of the most frequent questions in the QS Insider Discord is on how to exit ABUGames store credit. Sig is always evolving his strategy with ABUGames, and this week he provides specific updates on how he's leveraging this buylist arbitrage.

The post ABUGames Credit Arbitrage: An Update first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/09/abugames-credit-arbitrage-an-update/feed/ 0 Being the Motivated Seller https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/08/being-the-motivated-seller/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/08/being-the-motivated-seller/#respond Mon, 12 Aug 2019 11:00:44 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=93691

Sometimes a quick flip doesn't go exactly as Sig plans. In these cases, he follows a strategy to sell these failed specs to maintain liquidity. This week Sig shares his strategies and why he's often the eager seller.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/08/being-the-motivated-seller/feed/ 0 Magic Finance is NOT Magic https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/magic-finance-is-not-magic/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/magic-finance-is-not-magic/#comments Mon, 29 Jul 2019 11:00:31 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=93560

Magic finance and Magic play are two separate hobbies nowadays. They are frequently in tension with each other--an optimal choice in one may be suboptimal in the other. This week Sig reflects on this tension and shares personal anecdotes for how it has impacted his buy/sell decisions.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/magic-finance-is-not-magic/feed/ 1 The Case Against Power https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/the-case-against-power/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/the-case-against-power/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2019 10:00:20 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=91686

Today's article subject spawned from a discussion that began in the QS Discord chat. One of our members was contemplating stepping away from the game for a while and wanted to know the best place to park his money and/or what to trade into. As expected, a lot of people immediately jumped to Power. The general […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/the-case-against-power/feed/ 16 What’s Next #2 – Slot Machine https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/whats-next-2-slot-machine/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/whats-next-2-slot-machine/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2019 18:01:05 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=91719

Mox Opal and Ancient Stirrings are on the rise again in Modern via a new combo deck. Find out if you should join 'em or figure out how to beat 'em.

The post What’s Next #2 – Slot Machine first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/whats-next-2-slot-machine/feed/ 4 Ravnica Allegiance: Spoilers, Facts, Specs & More https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/01/ravnica-allegiance-spoilers-facts-specs-more/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/01/ravnica-allegiance-spoilers-facts-specs-more/#comments Sat, 12 Jan 2019 12:00:24 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90531

The sequel to Guilds of Ravnica and the 80th expansion set in Magic: The Gathering's history is due to release on January 25, 2019.  Here's what we know about Ravnica Allegiance (RNA) so far, including any cards in the spoiler, the guilds represented, and cards to speculate on before the full spoiler is released.   The Guilds […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/01/ravnica-allegiance-spoilers-facts-specs-more/feed/ 29 MTG Metagame Finance #25 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-25/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-25/#respond Tue, 25 Dec 2018 17:44:01 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90930

The holidays are in full swing and the new year is right around the corner. And as some of you may know, the stock market has been a bit shaky in the last month or so. But it seems Magic is still doing pretty well during this slightly volatile time. I think a good portion […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-25/feed/ 0 MTG Metagame Finance #24 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-24/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-24/#respond Fri, 21 Dec 2018 01:05:52 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90841

Ultimate Masters is still in full bounce back mode, and the last World Magic Cup has come to a finish. Plus, some sweet Ravnica Allegiance spoilers have hit the market so there’s gonna be a nice mix of things to talk about again in this piece. Owing to the spoilers, this might be a little […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-24/feed/ 0 MTG Metagame Finance #23 (Free Giveaway #2!) https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-23-free-giveaway-2/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-23-free-giveaway-2/#respond Fri, 14 Dec 2018 10:00:16 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90756

Ultimate Masters has hit the market and there’s already been a lot of movement. The prices of the reprints dropped as they usually do when a set first hits the market. But it seems like the prices have started to rebound a lot quicker this time around. There’s a slight possibility they could drop again […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-metagame-finance-23-free-giveaway-2/feed/ 0 Mtg Arena Has Been Framed! Who Is the Real MTGO Killer? https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-arena-has-been-framed-who-is-the-real-mtgo-killer/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-arena-has-been-framed-who-is-the-real-mtgo-killer/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:00:44 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90705

Magic Online has a problem. A card value problem. In a recent Channel Fireball article, Florian Koch showed just how much card prices have fallen over the past few years: That's right. To own a playset of the cheapest version of every Magic card ever printed on MTGO would have cost you roughly $28,000 in […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-arena-has-been-framed-who-is-the-real-mtgo-killer/feed/ 4 MTG Questions: What’s an Easy Way to Sell Bulk? https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-questions-whats-a-fast-way-to-sell-bulk/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-questions-whats-a-fast-way-to-sell-bulk/#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2018 10:00:42 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90648

This is the first article from my new series, MTG Questions. You might be familiar with the Hold ‘Em & Fold ‘Em series (rebranded as MTG Metagame Finance), which takes a tournament-oriented perspective. I decided to start this series to focus on more general aspects of MTG finance. The two series will work together, as when […]

The post MTG Questions: What’s an Easy Way to Sell Bulk? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

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