Earthquake | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com Play More, Win More, Pay Less Fri, 25 Feb 2022 10:16:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.quietspeculation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/favicon.png Earthquake | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com 32 32 The Cycles of Magic: The Gathering https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/02/the-cycles-of-magic-the-gathering/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/02/the-cycles-of-magic-the-gathering/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=111613

What are cycles? What do they teach us about Magic design? Paul looks at various kinds of cycles, how they shape the sets they're in, and their impact on Magic.

The post The Cycles of Magic: The Gathering first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/02/the-cycles-of-magic-the-gathering/feed/ 2 A Resurgence in the Alpha Market https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/a-resurgence-in-the-alpha-market/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/a-resurgence-in-the-alpha-market/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2021 11:00:11 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=97842

Nine years ago, Sig wrote his first article describing the collectibility of Alpha rares. At the time, he had no idea just how much the Alpha market could explode. This week, he revisits the topic, updating his view on the set and sharing tips on where to buy.

The post A Resurgence in the Alpha Market first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/04/a-resurgence-in-the-alpha-market/feed/ 6 Three Significant Changes at ABUGames https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/11/three-significant-changes-at-abugames/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/11/three-significant-changes-at-abugames/#respond Mon, 18 Nov 2019 12:00:26 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=94272

The glorious days of ABUGames trade credit arbitrage are over! Or are they? While ABUGames has been making significant changes to their grading system and pricing, there may still be deals out there if you know how to avoid the pitfalls.

The post Three Significant Changes at ABUGames first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/11/three-significant-changes-at-abugames/feed/ 0 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 […]

The post The Case Against Power first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/the-case-against-power/feed/ 16 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 […]

The post Ravnica Allegiance: Spoilers, Facts, Specs & More first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> 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 […]

The post MTG Metagame Finance #25 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> 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 […]

The post MTG Metagame Finance #24 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> 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 […]

The post MTG Metagame Finance #23 (Free Giveaway #2!) first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> 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 […]

The post Mtg Arena Has Been Framed! Who Is the Real MTGO Killer? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-arena-has-been-framed-who-is-the-real-mtgo-killer/feed/ 4 The Rise of the Alpha Rare (Continued) https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare-continued/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare-continued/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:00:56 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90726

This week Sigmund recaps and comments another of his classic articles from six years ago. This time: a comparison of million-dollar art pieces to Alpha rares.

The post The Rise of the Alpha Rare (Continued) first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare-continued/feed/ 2 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.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/mtg-questions-whats-a-fast-way-to-sell-bulk/feed/ 12 Preparing for the December 6th Announcement https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/preparing-for-the-december-6th-announcement/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/preparing-for-the-december-6th-announcement/#respond Thu, 06 Dec 2018 22:37:50 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90668

Welcome back, folks. It's been a while since I last wrote an article, in large part because I've been unwilling to make any financial moves on MTGO before reading the December 6th announcement about competitive play on Arena. What is announced there could have major ramifications for investing on MTGO, and so I've been very […]

The post Preparing for the December 6th Announcement first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/preparing-for-the-december-6th-announcement/feed/ 0 Hold ‘Em & Fold ‘Em #20 https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/hold-em-fold-em-20/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/hold-em-fold-em-20/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:15:32 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90488

Many people have been saying there’s been a little less movement regarding Magic finance during the past few weeks or months. Some people are saying there’s a slowdown. Others are saying it’s normal because the holidays are around the corner and players have less money to spend on Magic cards. Regardless, Magic continues to move […]

The post Hold ‘Em & Fold ‘Em #20 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/hold-em-fold-em-20/feed/ 7 Insider: How an Old Article Has Aged After Six Years https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/03/insider-how-an-old-article-has-aged-after-six-years/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/03/insider-how-an-old-article-has-aged-after-six-years/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:22:25 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=86519

In 2012 Sig wrote about a trend in Alpha rares he had discovered. Six years later, he considers how the article has aged and makes some bold predictions about Magic's first set.

The post Insider: How an Old Article Has Aged After Six Years first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/03/insider-how-an-old-article-has-aged-after-six-years/feed/ 2 Insider: Commander 2017 – Draconic Domination https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/insider-commander-2017-draconic-domination/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/insider-commander-2017-draconic-domination/#comments Tue, 15 Aug 2017 14:26:58 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=82476

Niels is here to give us his take on every card in the Commander 2017 Dragon deck, Draconic Domination!

The post Insider: Commander 2017 – Draconic Domination first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/insider-commander-2017-draconic-domination/feed/ 2 Insider: Conspiracy: Take the Crown Review (Commander) https://www.quietspeculation.com/2016/08/insider-conspiracy-take-the-crown-review-commander/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2016/08/insider-conspiracy-take-the-crown-review-commander/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2016 10:15:07 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=75682

David wraps up his Conspiracy 2 review with a treatment of Commander. He shares his picks for the most relevant cards and how prices should adjust.

The post Insider: Conspiracy: Take the Crown Review (Commander) first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2016/08/insider-conspiracy-take-the-crown-review-commander/feed/ 2 Insider: How to Develop Your Predictive Senses https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/08/insider-speculation-basics-how-to-develop-your-predictive-senses/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/08/insider-speculation-basics-how-to-develop-your-predictive-senses/#comments Tue, 07 Aug 2012 04:01:01 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=30170 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 post Insider: How to Develop Your Predictive Senses first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/08/insider-speculation-basics-how-to-develop-your-predictive-senses/feed/ 10 Inner Calm, Outer Strength https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/06/inner-calm-outer-strength/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/06/inner-calm-outer-strength/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:05:43 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=28512

Carlos ports the classic budget contender, mono-red burn, to the world of ninety-nine cards and proves firebreathing can be cheap and effective in Commander too.

The post Inner Calm, Outer Strength first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/06/inner-calm-outer-strength/feed/ 2 Insider: The Rise of the Alpha Rare https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/05/insider-the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/05/insider-the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 05:05:52 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=27972

A couple weeks ago, the iconic painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch sold at auction for a whopping $119,922,500. This placed Munch over Picasso in history as the artist with the most expensive piece of artwork ever sold. My reaction can best be encompassed by the central figure in the painting itself: That is an […]

The post Insider: The Rise of the Alpha Rare first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/05/insider-the-rise-of-the-alpha-rare/feed/ 12 Yamabushi’s Flame: Mono-Red EDH https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/01/yamabushis-flame-mono-red-edh/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/01/yamabushis-flame-mono-red-edh/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:05:02 +0000 http://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=24844

It's generally accepted that Red is the worst color in Commander, but what happens when you try to build a Red deck that plays like a Blue deck? Let's find out!

The post Yamabushi’s Flame: Mono-Red EDH first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/01/yamabushis-flame-mono-red-edh/feed/ 3