This column attempts make sense of set rotation on the prices of individual Magic: The Gathering cards by putting my own money on the table. Experience is the best teacher. Here, Ill share my lessons so you don't have to learn them yourself. The purchases in this post were made on December 19th 2018 through TCG Player. Again, this article was written shortly after and published on January 29th.
Why Buy Ultimate Masters Now
Buy low and sell high, right? Ask anyone, that's the name of the game. However, on Wall Street, and on TCG Street, I'm not going to be able to time the tops and bottoms perfectly. I'm not going to be able to make money off timing alone. I'm not that good at this. I don't have time for that. In truth, I'm not looking to make money from this. I'm just looking to SAVE money. Specifically, on things I was going buy anyway. Ultimate Masters is full of cards that were on my "someday" list.
The Ultimate Masters Christmas List
*The purchases in this post were made on December 19th 2018 through TCG Player. Neither tax nor the 5% bonus bucks are included in the prices shown.
Unlike my M19 purchases, most of these cards don't have dedicated positions in my build queue. They are cards I have always wanted to own, but couldn't justify purchasing without a specific reason. Ancient Tomb, Entomb, Gamble, Life from the Loam, Phyrexian Altar, and Reanimate are all 1st copies for my collection. Those are classic staples. To steal a principle from Benjamin Graham's Intelligent Investor, buy when goods are priced unreasonably low compared to their value. That's exactly the case here. Prior to spoilers, every one of these would have cost me at least 10 dollars more than it did here. These are not staples that are easily reprinted, the print run is not exhaustive, and the demand pent up. These prices will not stay this low for long.
Ultimate Master Holiday Regret?
If the prices go up, I saved some cash. The money saved will be used to procure more cards. If the prices stay the same, I just changed my purchase timeline. If it turns out I could have gotten these cheaper by waiting, I'll choke down my tears of regret by using these cards to trounce my friends in EDH.
I can't wait to see what these decisions look like in six months.
Keep Tapping Left,
Benjamin