The Revenue Review – Say Goodbye to your Bitterblossoms

I’m sorry, Bitterblossom, but I’m afraid it doesn’t look good. The market is saturated and demand is waning. Your time has come. But you’re not alone, your friends Cryptic Command and Figure of Destiny are coming too. Even poor old Leaf-Crowned Elder is coming along.

In you haven’t surmised by now, the time has come to sell off your Lorwyn Block cards, otherwise known as Extended staples. The reasoning is simple: Demand has peaked, and if you wait much longer you’re going to lose out on money holding onto these cards past their expiration date. For reference, look at this BlackLotusProject graph for Thoughtseize and this one for Reflecting Pool. You'll notice that both card's prices peaked around the end of January. The trend continues if you begin to look at other popular cards from the block. From this we can conclude that demand, and in turn, prices, for these Lorwyn block staples are falling off, and that means it's time for us to make our move.

I understand the format doesn’t rotate for another six months, but the Extended season is rapidly coming to a close, and your opportunity to sell along with it. We’ve already had the only Extended U.S. Grand Prix of the season, and players across the country are running out of Extended PTQs to compete in. Truthfully, we're actually a little late to the party, since demand seems to have peaked (on Ebay, at least) a few weeks ago. But buy prices for most cards are likely still the same, so you need to capitalize on this while you can.

So, unless you plan on holding onto your Lorwyn block cards for other reasons, it’s time to clean out your collection (including your boxes for extras) and move the cards. As prices on Ebay are down as whole for the block, I suggest pitching the cards to dealers while you can. This saves you some time and is particularly helpful if you’re trying to move a lot of uncommons and lower-priced rares. With the trend of lower prices on Ebay, you aren’t even eating much in profit here to save a lot of your time and energy.

I’ve sold a bit of my Lorwyn stock in the last week (after I noticed the downward trend on BlackLotusProject) and I plan on getting rid of the rest to a dealer right before I win the PTQ in Oklahoma this Saturday. If you happen to live in the region and are traveling to the tournament, find me and say hello! I’ll be the one casting Emrakuls on Turn 3.

* Quick aside regarding selling to dealers

Something very helpful to do when you’re heading to a tournament with the intentions of selling is communicating with the dealer beforehand. At the PTQs in this area, only one dealer shows up, so I don’t have to worry about comparing prices.

I’m working to contact the dealer before the tournament Saturday and send him a list of the cards I’m looking to liquidate. This allows us to agree to a price beforehand, which has a few benefits. It allows me to sell my cards off first thing in the morning and then focus solely on my plans to cast Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. For the dealer, it allows him to pre-plan his day and what cards he’s going to have in stock. He also is able to get the cards right away, and turn around and sell them to players looking to complete their decks for the tournament.

*End aside

Since most of you reading this are savvy Magic investors, you already know the big cards to unload. Cryptic Command, Sunken Ruins, Kitchen Finks, Thoughtseize, and so on. I’m not going to focus on the obvious ones today. Instead, I’m going to break down each of the four sets in Lorwyn Block and find some of the under-the-radar gems from each that you should consider selling.

While not all of these cards are popular because of the Extended season, it’s likely that most of them will experience some sort of dropoff as a result of rotation. I’m going to use Channel Fireball buy prices, though if you are selling to an online dealer you’re best off using Chris McNutt’s incredible chart work with buylists, found here. You can also still get premium on many of these cards on Ebay, just be aware that prices on nearly all these cards are trending down. A lot of the cards I’m going to look at sell for rather low prices to dealers, but it’s still more than they will sell for in a year. And all these small numbers add up very quickly.

With that, let’s begin.

Lorwyn

Sower of Temptation

You can get $2.50 for these right now, even though its play has been marginal at best. While the card does have Legacy applications, you’re going to be able to reacquire them after rotation for rather cheap, so I suggest making $2.50 a pop off of these now.

Tribal lands

Cards like Auntie's Hovel and Gilt-Leaf Palace are cool and all, but their price is being bolstered by the fact that they are in season. If you have some of these saved up, you can cash them in at least $.50 a pop and make some cash.

Hideaway lands

Windbrisk Heights and Mosswort Bridge form the backbone of the GW Trap deck that picked up a number of PTQ wins. You can cash them in now for $.50 to a dollar each. If you don’t have any personal use for them, it’s best to pitch them since I don’t see them being broken in Legacy any time soon.

Vivid lands

It’s doubtful these are going to see play anywhere but the kitchen table in the future, so take your pile of Vivid Creeks and so forth and turn them into a few dollars.

Cloudthresher

This anti-Fae card has no applications outside of Extended, so there’s no downside to pulling these out and unloading them.

Doran, the Siege Tower

While this card is still played as an EDH general, you will able to buy a playset a year from now for the same price as one or two today. Get rid of them and pick them up cheap later if you really need them.

Elf Cards

This probably has a lot more to do with the fact that Elves are insanely popular with casual players, but cards like Imperious Perfect can fetch you a few dollars apiece. I’m not sure if their price is going to be much affected by rotation, but there’s no reason not to get rid of them now anyway.

Scion of Oona

These aren’t even played in a lot of Faerie decks anyway, so feel free to pick up $2 apiece for these.

Foil watch

More Elf cards

Imperious Perfect and Elvish Promenade are best non-rare Elf cards to look for in foil.

Mulldrifter

$.50 each for a common.

Oblivion Ring

These foils can fetch you a dollar each at the minimum. Not bad for a card that’s seen a few reprints.

Ponder

Legacy players like Foils, I hear. You can get at least $2 apiece on these.

Silvergill Adept

Legacy players. Foils. Yeah. $4 each.

Spellstutter Sprite

Another ridiculous common. $3 each in foil.

Vivid Lands (again)

These will pull you in at least $1 in foil, except for Vivid Grove, which receives no love.

Morningtide

Vendillion Clique

Another card that has Legacy applications, but you can get $5 for one of these right now. If you aren’t playing these in your deck, sell them.

Chameleon Colossus

The Colossus seems to fall in and out favor with players, but it’s pretty popular with buyers. It has no real uses after rotation. $2.

Reveillark

Awesome card for both casual and competitive play, but not much of a player in the current Extended metagame. Sell for $2.

Leaf-Crown Elder

I know the Shaman deck was played on MODO for awhile and posted some decent results. I’m not sure if it’s still around, but the foliage-covered Elder can fetch a dollar online.

Heritage Druid

Another power uncommon that floats around in nearly every Extended Elf list. If you don’t need them, jettison them now, because there’s not enough Legacy-only demand for it to hold its price after rotation.

Mutavault

I’m suggesting you sell these now, and immediately pick them back up after rotation. They are going to be part of the Legacy metagame for the foreseeable future, and fit into one of the most popular decks, Merfolk. Sell now, pick up for cheap in a few months.

Foil watch

Mutavault

Star City Games BUYS these $25 apiece. That’s pretty sick, a 250% increase on their buy price of the non-foil. If you want the easy money sell these. But unless the card gets bumped from Legacy (I don’t see it happening anytime soon) this foil is going to remain extremely valuable and likely will appreciate.

Warren Weirding

This Edict effect will pull in a dollar at the minimum from most dealers due to its applications in Legacy.

Shadowmoor

Filter lands

These awesome hybrid land cards, including Mystic Gate and Sunken Ruins (and their cousins in Eventide), can fetch a very nice price online since they make appearances in nearly every multicolored deck in the format. I suggest cleaning out your binder of these, because they sell for very nice prices right now.

Wilt-Leaf Liege

Ah, the backbone of GW Little Kid decks everywhere. Okay, so that deck isn’t really good, but these still command a hefty price, considering. You can unload these for nearly $5 apiece on Ebay and $2 to most buylists. Take advantage while you can.

Kitchen Finks

This powerful uncommon sees no competitive play outside of Legacy, and it’s price can be reasonably expected to tank after rotation. Pull these out of your extras boxes and unload them now.

Spectral Procession/Firespout

A pair of three-cost uncommons that see fringe play in the format. They fetch decent prices for non-rares, though, so if you don’t need your Firespouts for Legacy pitch them along with the Bird tokens.

Boggart Ram-Gang

Yet another uncommon worth getting rid of now, since it sees play in Naya and Jund lists, and has no application after its rotation.

Reflecting Pool

These aren’t even seeing widespread play in the Extended format anymore. Get rid of these ASAP.

Foil watch

Cursecatcher

If you’re noticing a theme, it’s that Legacy-playable cards carry extreme prices on foils. Little innocuous Cursecatcher? $6  for a foil from Star City Games.

Faerie Macabre

$1 for foils so players  can have shiny graveyard hate.

Firespout

‘Spout sees occasionally Legacy play and fetches $3 per foil because of it.

Kitchen Finks

$5 apiece for a foil if you’re selling to Star City Games.

Manamorphose

Another card that seems so innocent on the surface, but has seen play in a variety of decks. $2 for a foil.

Wheel of Sun and Moon

I don’t think this has seen any play at all (outside of possibly Jon Medina’s GP Atlanta deck), but a foil still nets $3 somehow.

Eventide

Eventide is full of valuable cards, owing to the fact that it was opened for so little time. You know about Figure of Destiny, but there’s plenty of other gems in here, though many of these are influenced by factors other than Extended season.

Divinity of Pride

We know this is an EDH card, so I wouldn’t fault you for hanging on to them. If you do choose to sell, however, you can net at least $4 apiece from a good buylist.

Lieges!

Creakwood Liege and Deathbringer Liege will get you $3 on Channel Fireball, while Balefire Liege is close behind at $2.50. The other two aren’t worth as much, but there’s no reason to let these rot in your binder if you have any.

Stillmoon Cavalier

I haven’t seen this card in any competitive lists in a few years, but it still fetches a $3 buy price on CFB. I’m more than happy to make a few dollars off of these.

Glen Elendra Archmage

A nice role player in the current metagame, but a card that still brings in $3 on CFB. It’s not going to hold that much value after rotation, so sell now.

Regal Force

Basically you can classify this card with the Heritage Druids, because they are played in the same deck in Extended and Legacy. Nothing special here after Rotation, so unload these at $2 each.

Stigma Lasher

Sideboard RDW card selling for $1 to a buylist? Sign me up.

Foil watch

Cold-Eyed Selkie

I can’t explain it, but you can get $5 apiece for a foil copy of this creepy-looking chick.

Hallowed Burial

I assume this is an EDH card, because a foil copy will sell for at least $4 to a dealer.

Regal Force

$6 for a foil here.

Wake Thrasher

Not a card I’ve seen in many Legacy Fish lists, so maybe foil Merfolk are just the most popular thing ever. I don’t know, but the Thrasher nets you $4 for a foil.

I’m way over my word limit, so I’ll end it there. While the TLDR version is basically “Sell Lorwyn block now,” I know I’ve found a number of surprises while working on this piece, and I hope you can turn that to your advantage. This exercise has really made me appreciate the work Doug Linn is doing pricing out older sets. There are just so many surprise cards out there, even from recent times.

That’s it for this week. Next week hopefully I’ll have a PTQ Winner’s report for you!

Thanks,

Corbin Hosler

@Chosler88 on Twitter