2013 Modern Price Spike

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

Have you guys noticed the price spike on Modern cards that is happening?

Kiki-Jiki Mirror Breaker
Leyline of Sanctity
Chromatic Star
Sylvan Scrying
Karn Liberated
Thoughtseize
Tarmogoyf
Vendilion Clique
Twilight Mire
Flooded Grove
Fetid Heath
Serum Visions
Blinkmoth Nexus
Wilt-Leaf Liege
Cryptic Command
Reshape
Auriok Champion
Serra Ascendant
Mox Opal
Daybreak Coronet
Zendikar Fetches

Are all rising very fast and many are completely sold out at most online vendors. I mean for instance, it's almost impossible to find a Tarmogoyf or Thoughtseize right now unless you want to pay $110 or $65 respectively. I haven't seen a spike like this since SCG raised its buy prices on eternal staples a couple years ago. Anyone got any reasoning behind all this?

Peace,

-Troy

[JDK]

It's PTQ Season and Modern is gaining momentum in general. Some of the prices are just sick though.

[Phoenix Ignition]

A lot of people are playing modern now. Supply and demand, you know.

[Koby]

It's PTQ Season and Modern is gaining momentum in general. Some of the prices are just sick though.

This. It happens every PTQ season.

[Troy_Costisick]

This. It happens every PTQ season.

That's true to a point, but I don't remember the last time Goyf spiked to $110-$125 or Thoughtseize to $60-$70.

[Esper3k]

That's true to a point, but I don't remember the last time Goyf spiked to $110-$125 or Thoughtseize to $60-$70.

Well, those cards weren't played in the current most dominant deck in the format last time too...

[JDK]

Well, those cards weren't played in the current most dominant deck in the format last time too...

Plus both cards are in BUG and Jund in Legacy too. Especially Thoughtseize keeps those decks competitive.

[Koby]

That's true to a point, but I don't remember the last time Goyf spiked to $110-$125 or Thoughtseize to $60-$70.

Goyf was $100 last season. Add to that an additional year since it's been printed, hoarding, scarcity, inflation, and $110 isn't too far from the mark.

[cartoonist]

Isn't Starcity starting to buy up Modern singles? I thought that's what happened with the Zendikar fetches. They're not running any Modern events this year, but that might be because they don't have a sufficient horde of singles yet.

[Davran]

Isn't Starcity starting to buy up Modern singles? I thought that's what happened with the Zendikar fetches. They're not running any Modern events this year, but that might be because they don't have a sufficient horde of singles yet.

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I thought this format was supposed to be easier to get into than legacy? So far the support from the mothership just isn't there.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I thought this format was supposed to be easier to get into than legacy? So far the support from the mothership just isn't there.

Yeah, they aren't making an entire set devoted to reprinting many of the expensive cards or anything. Going to not say anything else because moderator red would be all over any other comments I write.

[Troy_Costisick]

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I thought this format was supposed to be easier to get into than legacy? So far the support from the mothership just isn't there.

They're giving Modern a PTQ season, five Grand Prix's a year, a Pro Tour and making it a FNM format while at the same time reprinting a crucial set of dual lands in Standard legal sets and creating a special summer product just for it. Not to mention that every other FNM Promo looks like it's going to be some Modern playable card now. That's what I would consider support from the mothership. What would you consider support?

[Davran]

Yeah, they aren't making an entire set devoted to reprinting many of the expensive cards or anything.

Don't get me wrong - I'm happy that the reserved list does not hinder the growth of this format. I'm also happy that they're willing to make something like Modern Masters in an attempt to increase the availability of some of the cards. What I disagree with is that they seem to be placing more stock in preserving the "value" of some collector's binder than they are in making competitive modern accessible to players that simply cannot afford to buy in. The "very limited" print run coupled with the mythic rarity of some of the highest value staples (e.g. Goyf) will ensure that stores charge more than MSRP for packs and that the price of expensive staples does not significantly change.

I also don't understand why they didn't include Zendikar block in the set. The fetch lands are quickly becoming some of the most expensive cards in the format, and at 8 per deck it's a significant barrier to entry. If Modern Masters has the intended effect of bringing more people into the format, they're only going to get more expensive and harder to find. Reprinting the shock lands is only half of the fix. The fetch lands need to be reprinted too.

[nedleeds]

The fetch lands are quickly becoming some of the most expensive cards in the format, and at 8 per deck it's a significant barrier to entry. If Modern Masters has the intended effect of bringing more people into the format, they're only going to get more expensive and harder to find. Reprinting the shock lands is only half of the fix. The fetch lands need to be reprinted too.

I mean ... at what point do you consider the format not to have a significant barrier to entry? Fetchlands were $7-12 for a long, long, long time. Should they just print entire modern decks for $75.00? The $30 fetchland is a better buy than a $25 Thragtusk. Do you consider standard to have to high a barrier of entry?

People need to remember magic is a CCG. C. Stands for collectible. If you want to pick up and play for $100 go check out a boxed game.

[Davran]

I mean ... at what point do you consider the format not to have a significant barrier to entry? Fetchlands were $7-12 for a long, long, long time. Should they just print entire modern decks for $75.00? The $30 fetchland is a better buy than a $25 Thragtusk. Do you consider standard to have to high a barrier of entry?

People need to remember magic is a CCG. C. Stands for collectible. If you want to pick up and play for $100 go check out a boxed game.

Honestly, which is healthier for competitive magic play? A room full of 500 players with $800 decks, or a room full of 1000 players with $400 decks? It's an obvious oversimplification, but the point is that the more affordable the format is, the more people will be able to play it. That's good for everyone involved. It's good for WotC, because people still buy from them and represent their brand. It's good for the players, because we have more opportunities to play and a larger community to play with. It's good for the collectors because there are still thousands of people that care about a card game they've invested in. Sure, their collection is worth a little less...but at least it's still worth something.

[Troy_Costisick]

Honestly, which is healthier for competitive magic play? A room full of 500 players with $800 decks, or a room full of 1000 players with $400 decks? It's an obvious oversimplification, but the point is that the more affordable the format is, the more people will be able to play it.

I don't know if there's any evidence that halving the price of cards will double the attendance at tournaments. The last four years of Magic have seen card prices get higher than ever before since Standard was introduced. And in the last four years, tournament attendance has been at record highs and sales have been at record highs. If high prices kept people from playing competively, Magic would be dead right now and there'd be no SCG Opens. Don't get me wrong. I think the recent price spike (which has spread to even MORE cards now) is a negative thing, but I don't think flooding the market with cards would produce the kind of results you think it would.

[Lord Seth]

The fetchlands probably aren't in Modern Masters because they're going to put them back into Standard at some point. It's hard to imagine they won't eventually.

That, or they think the Zendikar block is recent enough that it doesn't have accessibility problems as great as the ones before it do, and that's just where they put their cutoff point. (it had to go somewhere)

What I disagree with is that they seem to be placing more stock in preserving the "value" of some collector's binder than they are in making competitive modern accessible to players that simply cannot afford to buy in.

I'm not sure they do put that much stock in preserving value. They certainly didn't when they caused the shocklands to lose half their value due to Return to Ravnica increasing the supply so much.

[Tormod]

The fetchlands probably aren't in Modern Masters because they're going to put them back into Standard at some point. It's hard to imagine they won't eventually.

That, or they think the Zendikar block is recent enough that it doesn't have accessibility problems as great as the ones before it do, and that's just where they put their cutoff point. (it had to go somewhere)

I'm not sure they do put that much stock in preserving value. They certainly didn't when they caused the shocklands to lose half their value due to Return to Ravnica increasing the supply so much.

To be fair shocks were only worth $5 before Modern was announced.

[Barook]

Don't get me wrong - I'm happy that the reserved list does not hinder the growth of this format. I'm also happy that they're willing to make something like Modern Masters in an attempt to increase the availability of some of the cards. What I disagree with is that they seem to be placing more stock in preserving the "value" of some collector's binder than they are in making competitive modern accessible to players that simply cannot afford to buy in. The "very limited" print run coupled with the mythic rarity of some of the highest value staples (e.g. Goyf) will ensure that stores charge more than MSRP for packs and that the price of expensive staples does not significantly change.

I also don't understand why they didn't include Zendikar block in the set. The fetch lands are quickly becoming some of the most expensive cards in the format, and at 8 per deck it's a significant barrier to entry. If Modern Masters has the intended effect of bringing more people into the format, they're only going to get more expensive and harder to find. Reprinting the shock lands is only half of the fix. The fetch lands need to be reprinted too.

Wizards are going to milk Modern with yearly Modern Masters sets. Just wait for it. Tarmogoyf at Mythic rarity is the best indicator.

Highly priced cards have alot of appeal to buyers if they appear in packs. If they put all the good stuff into one set and print it at a reasonable number, prices would go down way too much to make Modern Masters 2 attractive anytime soon.

[Koby]

Wizards can milk Masters for at least 3 sets. They have done so with Masters Edition on MTGO four times.

Think of GP Vegas as a Release Event and it makes more sense.