Where Are They Now? - January 2023

Hello everyone out there diving into the world of MTG finance for the first, fiftieth, or hundredth time; we welcome you here at MTGStocks! As always on Where Are They Now?, I’ll be showcasing several Weekly Winners from last year that have lost their luster. Lovers of older, Legacy-era cards will enjoy this one. So without further hemming and hawing I present January’s *Where Are They Now?*

Kusari-Gama

  Let’s get the newest card out of the way first. This equipment has a great ability and sees play in many different deck archetypes. Initially Kusari-Gama saw a spike in its price with the release of info about the then-upcoming set Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. People flocked to get their hands on whichever cards they thought might make an impact on the formats they loved while keeping a weather eye on the newest and brightest in the game, and this card was caught up in that. It saw a jump to $11.99 last year at this time and now meekly boasts a price of only $3.97. It’s clear that Kusari-Gama was not the best price for speculation in comparison to the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set. Sorry buddy, you’re staying in my wife's equipment deck, forever gathering dust on the low shelf waiting for her to finally get involved with my mistress, Magic.

Frankenstein's Monster

  Now we move on to the old-school players’ nostalgia slots! Frankenstein’s Monster from The Dark is a cool little card from a set almost as old as the game itself. It holds a place in many long-term players’ hearts, even if it sees infrequent play. Looking into it further, I saw that what Arjen had to say last year is true, this card's price shot up due to its adjacency to Eater of the Dead. Last year it hit $82 dollars and now has the lowly price of $16. It’s just that not many decks play this card with enough frequency to bring the monster fully back from the dead. For now it’s gone to sacrifice itself in the same fire the “Modern Prometheus” originally fell victim to.

Eater of the Dead

  Alright, my visible excitement here is such that my wife asked if I was cold because I’m shivering. The last time I looked this card up for purchase was just after last year's spike. Being just $16 dollars now in comparison to the $91 price it held last year is fantastic for those attempting to pick this one up more cheaply. Its ability to pay zero to remove any creature from a graveyard is great against Reanimator and is quite nice when added to cards that give you boons when a creature leaves your graveyard, like Thran Vigil, or ones that allow you to tap or untap creatures or lands. The problem is that these abilities can’t be reliably attached to Eater of the Dead in ways that they can with other so-called “easy”, or “one-card” combos. Though Eater of the Dead may be the perfect old-schooler's go-to card for nostalgia, it just isn’t the best for comboing out for the win, and so it’s crept back down to a reasonable, yet respectable price.

One more card to note this month is Elvish Reclaimer. This card has actually seen a small increase in price since last year and because we are all about giving you the best information I wanted to give you this tip; it would seem that this one isn’t going anywhere soon and should be looked at for further speculation.

I hope you all liked this month’s Where Are They Now? and stick around for my articles in the future. Until the next one, remember to always offer a cut, never forget your triggers, and always, ALWAYS give us each and all the best face. We all see far too much criticism as it is. Later everyone!