When looking for cards to buy, much like with a romantic partner, you shouldn't solely focus on whether or not they're hot. Cardmarket Insight's statistics can help you with current trends, but identifying a good financial investment also depends on future developments. So let's check out some potential matches and find out who you should get involved with next!
Theros Reshapes All Formats
Many of the current trends on Cardmarket concern Theros Beyond Death. This is no surprise since these singles haven't even been legal for a month yet. The set only released three weeks ago, so it's still the new exciting thing.
Theros includes many cards that are now being played across all formats:
I have to say, none of these spike my interest when I want to think in the longer term. Most of these cards are rares, meaning there will be plenty of them on the market when people open boosters — and people open a lot of boosters when a set has so many powerful cards. So unless you have reason to believe that some under-the-radar mythic is going to be a major staple soon, leave your hands off of Theros Beyond Death.
Verdict: No date, swipe left!
Throne of Eldraine Staples
We have arrived at the point that Throne of Eldraine boosters aren't being opened anymore. Draft and Sealed events are now all Theros, same with prize boosters. As a result, the supply of these cards will now only grow very slowly. So if demand increases, prizes will soon follow much more aggressively than it's the case for Theros cards.
Make sure you check the cards you're buying though. I'll always swipe left on a
Verdict: Swipe right, but only as a long-term relationship.
Modern
You might not recognize the word "Modern" in a Magic context anymore. Is Jamin talking about architecture now? Actually, Modern is supposed to be a Constructed format, but it currently doesn't feel like one, with no large tournaments happening. Luckily, this will change again soon: from March through June, there are going to be five Modern GPs, shifting the attention back to the format. If you'd like to take advantage of that, get the cards now while everyone else is focused on Pioneer.
- [Celestial Collonade]? €6
-
? €35 -
? €23
There are many examples and I cannot do the entire analysis, but you catch my drift. Keep your eyes open for Modern cards that are currently priced too low — use your own intuition. Get them before everyone else does. When will other players start preparing for GPs coming in March, April and June? That's when you'll slowly see a rise in Modern prices.
Verdict: Swipe right, maybe even use a super-like!
Some Fodder for Thought
What have we learned after navigating the dating world of financial Magic: The Gathering? The point I consider the most important is to get the focus away from current hype — because that's what everyone is already buying – and start focusing on what could be the next development. Everyone knows about the tournament results from last weekend and is rushing to buy
Secondly, and partly related to the last point, it's almost impossible to have 100% certain investments. If a card were obviously sure to rise, someone would point it out and everyone would once again rush in to buy. So apply some common sense and try to find the things that others don't see. When you know something others don't, for example let's say you have discovered a new broken Modern deck featuring
All points considered, simply let your mind roam free, consider the future, and do not only pay attention to the latest tournaments.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily Cardmarket.