Mike In Bama

This [card Culling the Weak]week[/card], as [card gluttonous zombie]Mike Hawthorne[/card] is on [card no rest for the wicked]vacation[/card], you’ll have to [card apathy]settle[/card] for your [card numbing dose]weekly dose[/card] of [card rishadan pawnshop]Financial Advice[/card] [card into the north]From the Frozen North[/card] with significantly less [card gamble]degeneracy[/card].

My [card nameless race]name[/card] is [card wood elemental]Forrest Ryan[/card], and [card strength in numbers]very few of you[/card] [card read the runes]reading[/card] this will know [card nameless one]who I am[/card].

I [card hate weaver]hate[/card] [card balduvian trading post]trading[/card].

I really [card hatred]hate[/card] it.

There’s [card one with nothing]nothing[/card] I would [card pulling teeth]rather do less[/card] than [card grindclock]spend time[/card] sitting across the [card bargaining table]table[/card] from [card horror of horrors]somebody I don’t like[/card] [card duplicity]pretending to be nice[/card] for the sake of [card sanity grinding]grinding[/card] out a [card gang of elk]buck or two[/card]. When I’m at an [card dueling grounds]event[/card] I would rather [card clockspinning]spend time[/card] with [card bosom buddy]friends[/card] [card raiding party]having adventures[/card] in a [card oni of wild places]new location[/card]. I don’t let my [card despise]disdain[/card] for the [card strange inversion]awkward interactions[/card] at the [card turn the tables]trade tables[/card] [card unstoppable ash]stop me[/card] from [card icatian moneychanger]making money[/card] from this [card water gun balloon game]game[/card] though.

[card day of destiny]Today[/card] I’m going to [card blessed orator]talk[/card] about [card dismal failure]what I do best[/card]: [card green mana battery]speculating with cash[/card].

Cash Speculation

Particularly, I’m going to go over [card Bureaucracy]my process[/card] for [card compulsive research]finding sources[/card] to buy cards [card leyline of the void]online[/card] when prices are [card soul spike]spiking[/card] after a [card surprise deployment]B&R announcement[/card] or how [card temporary insanity]they have been reacting over the past few weeks[/card] with this [card glyph of delusion]Modern fiasco[/card].

The [card adamaro, first to desire]most important[/card] part of [card quiet speculation]speculating with cash[/card], as opposed to [card wheel and deal’]trading for your cards[/card], is to get a card [card early harvest]quickly[/card] and not [card dogpile]jump on a card[/card] [card dead // gone]after[/card] the price has been [card terramorphic expanse]inflated[/card]. If you’re [card night dealings]dealing with cash[/card], you have to [card forget]remember[/card] that you usually [card lose hope]can’t get rid[/card] of a card for [card unfulfilled desires]full retail value[/card] like you can in [card bitter ordeal]trading[/card].

[card bringer of the green dawn]The most money to be made[/card] comes from the [card timely reinforcements]initial spike in price[/card], so it’s very important [card archery training]not to miss[/card] out on that and [card high market]buy[/card] during the [card feeding frenzy]second wave of prices[/card].

For example: I [card rag dealer]bought a bunch[/card] of Splinter Twins for between [card no quarter]25 cents[/card] and a [card glimmerpoint stag]dollar[/card] when the [card inquisitor exarch]Exarch[/card] was first [card sudden spoiling]spoiled[/card]. If you [card hit // run]missed[/card] out and [card acquire]bought[/card] them for $4 or $5 after their [card rise of the hobgoblins]first rise[/card], you would have still [card bountiful harvest]made a profit[/card] if you were [card orzhova, the church of deals]trading them away[/card] right now at their $8-$10 [card eight-and-a-half-tails]retail[/card] value. But try [card illicit auction]selling them[/card] to a [card arms dealer]dealer[/card]. [card fiery gambit]You’d be lucky[/card] to [card even the odds]break even[/card].

Also, if you buy cards at their [card early frost]pre-speculation prices[/card] you will rarely [card drain power]lose money[/card] because they won’t go [card lowland giant]any lower[/card] than they are [card breaking point]at that point[/card]. It may take [card time stretch]a little more time[/card] to [card forced march]move them through eBay[/card], but you won’t be [card massacre]out a ton of money[/card] if the card is a [card time reversal]dud[/card].

But how do you [card lightning reflexes]react quickly[/card]?

Life Alert Needs Batteries

The [card complex automaton]easiest[/card] way is to [card brace for impact]be prepared[/card]. It should go [card silence]without saying[/card], but you should [card accumulated knowledge]know your prices[/card] before [card barter in blood]buying anything[/card]. Check [card thieves’ auction]eBay completed listings[/card] from the [card blast from the past]past few weeks[/card] to make sure you’re still [card lead the stampede]ahead of the curve[/card]. You should also [card knowledge pool]know where to look[/card] to find [card scandalmonger]sources[/card] that aren’t [card empty city ruse]completely sold out of a card[/card].

This [card contested war zone]next section[/card] will [card blanket of night]cover[/card] all the [card fortified area]sites[/card] I [card checks and balances]check[/card] when [card frantic search]searching for cards[/card] in [card roughshod mentor]roughly[/card] the [card disorder]order[/card] I [card obsessive search]search[/card] them with [card Our Market Research Shows That Players Like Really Long Card Names So We Made this Card to Have the Absolute Longest Card Name Ever Elemental]short descriptions[/card] of their [card knowledge exploitation]usefulness[/card].

The Tasty Riblets

[card wee dragonauts]The last bit[/card] of [card malicious advice]buying advice[/card] I will [card gift of the woods]impart to you[/card], [card _____ ]anonymous reader[/card], is to always [card circling vultures]buy more than you think you will need[/card]. This is especially [card cloud key]important[/card] when [card greenseeker]speculating[/card] on a [card dramatic entrance]B&R announcement[/card]. [card order of the stars]Star City[/card] and eBay are the [card land tax]most reliable[/card] way to get cards at the [card herald of leshrac]advertised[/card] price, but most [card leyline of the meek]other online retailers[/card] have [card prison term]clauses[/card] [card builder’s bane]built[/card] into their [card sign in blood]terms and conditions[/card] that let them [card halt order]cancel an order[/card] for any [card sphere of reason]reason[/card], and [card well of lost dreams]losing a ton of money[/card] is a strong reason.

[card pedantic learning]For example[/card], I was [card slow motion]too slow[/card] to get any Time Spirals from [card star compass]Star City[/card] after their [card look at me, I’m the dci]unbanning[/card] and was [card forced retreat]forced[/card] to [card peer through depths]dig deeper into the depths[/card] of the [card spawning pool]internet[/card]. I came out with [card abundance]order confirmations for 27 copies of the card[/card] and [card consign to dream]went to sleep[/card] [card dragon appeasement]content[/card] with my [card ill-gotten gains]purchases[/card].

[card field of dreams]After a peaceful nights rest[/card], the [card dream fracture]nightmare[/card] began [card malevolent awakening]after I awoke[/card] and the [card dry spell]order cancellation emails filled my inbox[/card].

When the [card tranquil domain]dust had settled[/card], the [card lonely sandbar]only order that went through[/card] was for [card foresee]four[/card] [card dirty wererat]heavily played[/card] copies from [card cornered market]eBay[/card].

[card overabundance]Over-ordering[/card] may [card earthbind]tie up[/card] funds [card eater of days]for a few days[/card] as you [card endure]wait[/card] for the [card disorder]cancelled orders[/card] to be [card return to battle]refunded[/card], but the [card survival cache]money[/card] you can make off a [card wielding the green dragon]successful speculation[/card] is [card ambition’s cost]worth[/card] the [card troublesome spirit]hassle[/card] to [card infernal contract]guarantee[/card] that the [card green sun’s zenith]money will be made[/card].

Under the Radar

[card reckless abandon]I’ll leave you[/card] with some less [card stasis]abstract[/card] [card advice from the fae]advice[/card], and [card pointy finger of doom]point[/card] you to some [card viridescent wisps]speculative[/card] [card new frontiers]modern[/card] [card hoarder’s greed]pickups[/card] that I think have [card slippery bogle]slipped[/card] [card pull under]under[/card] the [card keen sense]radar[/card] while the [card ghastly remains]rest of the format[/card] [card mass hysteria]has gone insane[/card].

Flagstones of Trokair

The [card horde of notions]biggest reason[/card] I [card mental discipline]think[/card] this card will [card archmage ascension]rise[/card] in price is because if you’re playing any, you play the [card total war]maximum allowed quantity[/card]. It also [card stand together]interacts extremely well with[/card] [card ancient tomb]shocklands[/card], Life From the Loam, Crucible of Worlds, and any kind of Death Cloud deck. But [card dark favor]my favorite[/card] use of this card is [card gift of estates]providing[/card] the [card bad ass]explosive starts[/card] in the old Second Sunrise [card suleiman’s legacy]Boros[/card] deck I played [card time machine]a few years ago[/card] when this [card form of the squirrel]format[/card] was [card nameless inversion]just called Extended[/card]. You can still [card fossil find]find[/card] this card at under [card foresight]$4[/card] and [card blind seer]I could easily see[/card] this being [card decimate]$10+[/card] once it finds a [card sunhome, fortress of the legion]home[/card].

Boseiju, Who Shelters All

:

[card promise of power]This will be played[/card] in every [card johnny, combo player]combo deck[/card] that [card biorhythm]doesn’t win with creatures[/card], and it seems like there are going to be [card bounteous kirin]plenty of those[/card]. It [card will-o’-the-wisp]will[/card] probably [card honden of seeing winds]only see[/card] play as a [card one with nature]one[/card] or [card twoheaded giant of foriys]two[/card] of, but [card still life]it’s still[/card] an [card commander eesha]Commander[/card] [card all is dust]all-star[/card] and getting [card=oona, queen of the fae]fairly old[/card] and [card fatigue]hard[/card] to [card hunt down]track down[/card]. Right now it’s [card rhystic circle]around[/card] [card three dreams]$3[/card] and [card blinding beam]I could see[/card] this [card thunder strike]hitting[/card] [card lorthos, the tide maker]$8[/card]-[card decimator web]$10[/card] easily [card once more with feeling]once[/card] the [card hive mind]metagame[/card] starts [card frozen solid]solidifying[/card] and [card uncontrolled infestation]control decks[/card] become more [card goblin lyre]tuned[/card].

Lotus Bloom

A [card blacker lotus]Black Lotus[/card] on [card turn the tide]turn[/card] [card forethought amulet]four[/card] is still [card powerleech]very powerful[/card]. This is [card Yet Another Æther Vortex]another[/card] extremely [card change of heart]versatile[/card] card that will be played in [card dance of the many]many decks[/card] and usually a [card foratog]four[/card] of. I’m [card flash flood]surprised[/card] the [card price of progress]price[/card] hasn’t [card rise from the grave]risen on this[/card] yet. It can [card silverglade pathfinder]still be found[/card] for less than [card pentagram of the ages]$5[/card] and [card promise of the bunrei]this will be[/card] [card tenza, godo’s maul]$10+[/card] if the [card sundial of the infinite]premier[/card] [card final fortune]combo[/card] deck of the [card formation]format[/card] is [card reckless one]one[/card] that [card extortion]exploits[/card] it like Dragonstorm or the [card rukh egg]egg[/card] deck.

Proclamation of Rebirth

This [card=”souless one]one[/card] is a [card long-term plans]long shot[/card], but [card train of thought]I think[/card] it has [card dormant volcano]potential[/card]. It’s [card blinding angel]only really seen[/card] play in the [card blood of the martyr]Martyr deck[/card]. [card chance encounter]There’s a chance[/card] that deck [card ixidor, reality sculptor]might be real[/card] in [card fervor]Modern[/card], but [card surge of thoughtweft]I think[/card] this has a lot of [card explorer’s scope]unexplored potential[/card] [card Ring of Ma'rûf]in the sideboard[/card] of zoo. With [card proclamation of rebirth]Proclamation[/card] and Ranger of Eos in the board, [card serra bestiary]zoo[/card] can [card sideswipe]side[/card] in some [card grim monolith]serious[/card] [card goblin game]endgame[/card] against [card tidal control]control[/card]. I don’t [card leyline of anticipation]expect[/card] this to be [card gaea’s bounty]more[/card] than a [card three visits]$3[/card] or [card forest bear]$4[/card] card, but you can [card get a life]get[/card] them for less than [card reckless one]$1[/card] right now and if a [card bladewing the risen]300% profit[/card] isn’t [card bad river]good enough[/card] you should [card anti-magic aura]quit selling Magic cards[/card] and start selling [card smoke]something illegal[/card].

Until Next Time..?

That’s [card demonic consultation]all the advice[/card] I have to [card gifts ungiven]give[/card] for now.

[card lowland oaf]Mike[/card] will [card dread return]return[/card] with your [card gerrards irregulars]regularly[/card] [card stone calendar]scheduled[/card] [card goblin bookie]degeneracy[/card] next [card weakstone]week[/card]. If you have [card unquestioned authority]any questions[/card] or [card consult the necrosages]comments[/card] [card freewind falcon]feel free[/card] to [card compost]post[/card] here, but there’s no [card wicked pact]guarantee[/card] I’ll be [card blind-spot giant]able to see them[/card].

The most [card bant sureblade]reliable[/card] way to [card urza’s contact lenses]contact[/card] me is via [card whippoorwill]twitter[/card]: @KrillinUSoftly.

-Forrest Ryan
@KrillinUSoftly