Weekly Winners 2018 - 49

This week proved to be an exceptionally calm week in MTGFinance. But only when you look at the cards that spike. Because of the release of Ultimate Masters, many staples are now available for really decent prices. So, this week you get a short update on spikes, but a bigger update on the Cheap Pickups due to Ultimate Masters!

 

#1 Treasure Map $8.14 (+31.29%)

 

Treasure Map proves to be a Standard staple that sees play in many different archetypes. But nowhere as prevalent as in Grixis Control and Mono-Red Aggro. And most prominent in the latter. Treasure Map provides a way to manipulate the top of your deck, making your draws better than pure topdeck chance. Whenever you have an unused land, you can sink that mana into Treasure Map.

After it flips, you get three treasure tokens, you can sacrifice for a mana of any color or to draw a card. Does that remind you of something? A rather unknown and unloved card might pop to mind: Black Lotus. Those three treasure tokens you get are like getting a Black Lotus. Maybe those three tokens are better, because with Black Lotus you can only make 3 mana of one color, Treasure Map provides three tokens you can sacrifice seperately for different colors. Right, just like 3 Lotus Petals.

Treasure Map lets you ramp and select. And that's pretty sweet.

Lotus Petal	Buy on  CardKingdom $8.49
Black Lotus	Buy on  CardKingdom $39999.99
Treasure Map	Buy on  CardKingdom $8.99

 

#2 Surgical Extraction $39.95 (+14.25%)

 

Surgical Extraction is now almost a $40 card. In week 46, Surgical Extraction was one of the three winners. And this week its back. Reasons the same like last time, but keep your eye out for this card, because there seems no realistic way it gets reprinted soon.

Since Surgical Extraction has a Phyrexian mana symbol, it can only be reprinted in sets that feature phyrexians. And even then, Wizards will probably think long and deep before printing new cards with phyrexian mana symbols, since they tend to be so powerful. Most realistically, Surgical Extraction will be reprinted in a masters set. And since it is not in Ulitmate Masters, we will have to wait for the next masters set to be printed. But wait! Ultimate Masters is the last Masters set Wizards will print! That fact means that there is no realistic way Surgical Extraction gets a reprint.

Surgical Extraction
New Phyrexia	Buy on CardKingdom $39.99

 

#3 Arclight Phoenix $27.55 (+10.24%)

 

With just a 10%+ increase this is not really a spike, but interesting nontheless. Arclight Phoenix reached a new high yesterday and now has a 27.55 price tag. Usually, cards tend to be overhyped in the spoiler season. Many rares and mythics crash down in prices after a set is officially released and our interest lists are drowned in red ink.

But that's not the case with Arclight Phoenix. On the day of release, you could get your hands on one for just $3. If you were wise enough to buy a playset, you saved yourself almost $100 if you would have to buy a playset today. Arclight Phoenix sees regular play in many different Standard archetypes. And even in Modern the card sees play in Red Spells.

 

Cheap Pickups: Ultimate Masters Edition

After the printing of Masters' sets, prices of original printings tend to drop in price, sometimes dramatically. Ultimate Masters is no different. But we have a fairly unique situation nontheless: the prerelease prices of Ultimate Masters have proven to be exceptionally overvalued. This week, I will give you the top three of the cards that lost most value, and after that some interesting highlights. Some Eternal Staples have really become cheap!

Disclaimer: there tends to be a lot of discussion on our use of the term 'cheap'. With Ultimate Masters, we see that prices are trending downwards. All cards discussed below are already 'cheap' considering their original printings, but may fall down in price some more over the coming weeks and months. So to get in front of that discussion: the cards mentioned can be labled cheap today, but may be cheaper tomorrow.

 

Top 3: biggest UMA losers

Prerelease prices are notorious: they tend to be much higher than they are in the weeks after the release of a set. There are exceptions of course: Arclight Phoenix is a good example (see above). With UMA, the prerelease prices seem to be exceptionally off target. Time to summarise as the set is released today! Here are the three biggest losers.

 

#1 Gaddock Teeg $11.19 ( prerelease price: $45)

 

Before UMA was annouced, Gaddock Teeg's original printing from Lorwyn had spiked to a record high of $25. And even now UMA is released that version costs you $37.85.

 

 

#2 Back to Basics $19.56 ( prerelease price: $56 - $40)

 

This card sees play in Legacy and Vintage and was only printed once, in Urza's Saga. An old set with a limited print run. That drove up the price of the card to a spike of $300, just to fall back hard after to around $120. Even now, the original has a $59.96 price tag.

 

 

#3 Bridge from Below $5.49 ( prerelease price: $14)

 

A centerpiece in dredge in both Legacy and Vintage. But saw a reprint in Modern Masters as well. UMA has driven the price down even further. Before Modern Masters, Bridge from Below had a $8.80 price tag. A huge spike followed after the announcement of UMA, as speculators speculated that the card would not be reprinted. They were wrong, obviously. But it probably still was worth their while as the original printing now costs you $20.

 

 

Gaddock Teeg	Buy on  CardKingdom $29.99
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $14.99
Back to Basics	Buy on  CardKingdom $49.99
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $10.99
Arclight Phoenix	Buy on  CardKingdom $29.99
Back to Basics	Buy on  CardKingdom $25.99
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $5.49

 

UMA: other interesting losers

Outside the top 3; UMA's release today means that some staples are now extremely affordable, compared to the price history of the original printings. Here are some highlights:

 

Demonic Tutor $21.57

 

Record high price other printing(s): $895

Cheapest printing before UMA spoiler $51.49

Cheapest printing other after UMA spoiler: $40.43

 

Karakas $21.57

 

Record high price other printing(s): $165

Cheapest printing before UMA spoiler $65

Cheapest printing other after UMA spoiler: $49.99

 

Runed Halo $7.47

 

Record high price other printing(s): $49.99

Cheapest printing before UMA spoiler $40.99

Cheapest printing other after UMA spoiler: $19.96

 

Cavern of Souls $47.44

 

Record high price other printing(s): $94

Cheapest printing before UMA spoiler $80.00

Cheapest printing other after UMA spoiler: $40.43

 

Demonic Tutor	Buy on  CardKingdom $27.99
Ancient Tomb	Buy on  CardKingdom $23.99
Cavern of Souls	Buy on  CardKingdom $49.99
Back to Basics	Buy on  CardKingdom $25.99
Runed Halo	Buy on  CardKingdom $6.99
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $5.49
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $14.99
Gaddock Teeg	Buy on  CardKingdom $29.99
Back to Basics	Buy on  CardKingdom $49.99
Arclight Phoenix	Buy on  CardKingdom $29.99
Bridge from Below	Buy on  CardKingdom $10.99