Survival of the Fittest | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com Play More, Win More, Pay Less Wed, 19 Oct 2022 03:37:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.quietspeculation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/favicon.png Survival of the Fittest | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com 32 32 Times A-Changing: My Take on 30th Anniversary Edition https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/10/times-a-changing-my-take-on-30th-anniversary-edition/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/10/times-a-changing-my-take-on-30th-anniversary-edition/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=122067

What does the uber-expensive Magic: 30th Anniversary Edition spell for the future of reprints, proxies, and the Reserved List? David S. brings a hot take!

The post Times A-Changing: My Take on 30th Anniversary Edition first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/10/times-a-changing-my-take-on-30th-anniversary-edition/feed/ 1 Life Lessons on Collectables, Pt. 1 (1993-2004) https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/08/life-lessons-on-collectables-pt-1-1993-2004/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/08/life-lessons-on-collectables-pt-1-1993-2004/#respond Wed, 17 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=118637

David S. has played Magic for 25 years, but has collected various cards for almost 30 years. Today, he shares some life lessons he's learned along the way.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2022/08/life-lessons-on-collectables-pt-1-1993-2004/feed/ 0 From Player to Investor: Buying Magic in Pandemic Times https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/09/from-player-to-investor-buying-magic-in-pandemic-times/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/09/from-player-to-investor-buying-magic-in-pandemic-times/#respond Fri, 24 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=99598

Quiet Speculation welcomes Mauro Acerenza to the team with his first article on transitioning from competitive Modern player to Reserved List investor.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/09/from-player-to-investor-buying-magic-in-pandemic-times/feed/ 0 Judge Promos: Judge for Yourself. https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/06/judge-promos-judge-for-yourself/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/06/judge-promos-judge-for-yourself/#respond Thu, 10 Jun 2021 11:00:37 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=98102

With in-store play coming back all across the country, Kai examines the importance of Judge Promos, and why they are likely to gain newfound interest soon.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/06/judge-promos-judge-for-yourself/feed/ 0 Insider: Other Side of the Coin https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/01/insider-other-side-of-the-coin/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/01/insider-other-side-of-the-coin/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2021 12:00:24 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=97234

David revisits an old article on Card Evaluation, Reserved List buyouts, and FOMO, and reminds us of some of the basics to adhere to when picking specs.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2021/01/insider-other-side-of-the-coin/feed/ 1 Reserved List Staples March Higher https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/08/reserved-list-staples-march-higher/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/08/reserved-list-staples-march-higher/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:00:27 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=95798

There was a brief couple weeks at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in America, when I didn’t track Card Kingdom’s buy prices. They had to put a pause on their selling, so they dropped their buy prices dramatically. The reduction in buy prices moved in tandem with the selloff in the stock market. Since […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/08/reserved-list-staples-march-higher/feed/ 2 How to Reduce Risk of Receiving Counterfeits https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/01/how-to-reduce-risk-of-receiving-counterfeits/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/01/how-to-reduce-risk-of-receiving-counterfeits/#respond Mon, 20 Jan 2020 12:00:48 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=94581

Enough warning can never be given when it comes to counterfeits--they will always be a risk to Magic economy's health. By being more savvy when shopping for high-end cards, and avoiding certain traps, one can avoid much of the counterfeit risk that haunts Magic.

The post How to Reduce Risk of Receiving Counterfeits first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2020/01/how-to-reduce-risk-of-receiving-counterfeits/feed/ 0 The Grinder’s Guide to Tournament Finance https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/the-grinders-guide-to-tournament-finance/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/the-grinders-guide-to-tournament-finance/#respond Tue, 30 Jul 2019 11:00:18 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=93521

Join Sam on his deep dive to get the best bang for your buck on the tournament floor! A few simple tips make grinding much easier on your wallet.

The post The Grinder’s Guide to Tournament Finance first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/07/the-grinders-guide-to-tournament-finance/feed/ 0 A Deep Dive into Ice Age https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/05/a-deep-dive-into-ice-age/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/05/a-deep-dive-into-ice-age/#respond Mon, 13 May 2019 11:00:01 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=92705

Ice Age isn't exactly known for its endless value. Just because there are no $100 cards in the set doesn't mean its terrible to pick through. This week Sig shares his appreciation for Ice Age and highlights why its bulk may be worth more than it seems.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/05/a-deep-dive-into-ice-age/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 […]

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]]> 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 […]

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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 […]

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 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 […]

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]]> 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 […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/12/preparing-for-the-december-6th-announcement/feed/ 0 Daily Stock Watch – Ultimate Masters Edition Part Two https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/daily-stock-watch-ultimate-masters-edition-part-two/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/daily-stock-watch-ultimate-masters-edition-part-two/#respond Thu, 22 Nov 2018 06:16:42 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90498

Rob is back with the second part of the Ultimate Masters special review.

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/daily-stock-watch-ultimate-masters-edition-part-two/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 […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/11/hold-em-fold-em-20/feed/ 7 Daily Stock Watch – Vivien Reid https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/10/daily-stock-watch-vivien-reid/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/10/daily-stock-watch-vivien-reid/#respond Tue, 16 Oct 2018 05:18:51 +0000 https://www.quietspeculation.com/?p=90021

Hello, everybody and welcome to a new week of the Daily Stock Watch! Standard cards are starting to move in the wake of new brews with cards from Guild of Ravnica, and we're all but ready to see which deck will be the new Black Red Midrange (arguably the best deck from last season) of […]

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