Editor’s Note: Mike’s out for the week on some family business in Alabama, so we have Forrest Ryan gleefully filling in for him. What better time to offer a quick glimpse at Insider information? For those of you familiar with Mike’s writing, you may recognize Forrest as one of traveling Minnesota Magic players routinely snapping up valuable cards before they spike. So sit back, relax, and make sure you [card Relentless Rats]read with your mouse[/card]. -Tyler Tyssedal

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].

Star City Games – starcitygames.com I [card constant mists]always[/card] check [card sway of the stars]Star City[/card] [card alpha myr]first[/card]. If they haven’t [card raise the alarm]raised their prices[/card] yet, you can usually get [card saproling cluster]a bunch[/card] from [card iron star]them[/card]. And if [card falling star]they[/card] are [card empty the catacombs]sold out[/card] of something it’s [card patrol signaler]a good indicator[/card] that [card greener pastures]speculating[/card] on it is the [card ancestral recall]right call[/card]. [card spiny starfish]They[/card] are also [card old ghastbark]extremely reliable[/card] in [card warrior’s honor]honoring orders[/card] after a [card riot spikes]price spike[/card]. I have [card jackalope herd]never heard[/card] of [card starstorm]them[/card] [card false orders]cancelling an order[/card] for [card nemesis of reason]price reasons[/card], which is [card barren moor]more than I can say[/card] for most [card mishra’s workshop]online retailers[/card]. Card Shark – cardshark.com [card zombie mob]Most people[/card] [card hidden herd]haven’t heard[/card] of [card fertile ground]this site[/card], which [card higure, the still wind]still[/card] [card sudden shock]surprises[/card] me. [card familiar ground]This site[/card] is where [card enduring ideal]some of the best deals[/card] can be [card azusa, lost but seeking]found[/card]. It’s a [card reverse the sands]reverse auction[/card] site where [card lone missionary]independent sellers[/card] [card spellshift]list their cards for sale[/card], kind of like the [card hasran ogress]Amazon[/card] marketplace for cards. I’ve never had a [card sorrow’s path]bad experience[/card] with the [card archaeological dig]site[/card], but its [card lone wolf]independent sellers[/card], so [card chance encounter]your mileage may vary[/card]. [card giant shark]Card Shark[/card] is a [card awesome presence]great[/card] place to [card one with nothing]get rid of your cards[/card], too. Their [card blood rites]fees are kind of high[/card], but selling is [card pure // simple]super convenient and easy to use[/card]. eBay – ebay.com [card now I know my abc’s]You probably know what this is[/card]. When [card dreamcatcher]trying to catch a card[/card] on [card misfortune’s gain]the way up[/card], the only way [card old fogey]reliable[/card] way [card cruel bargain]buy on eBay[/card] is by [card search for survivors]searching multiple item buy it now listings[/card]. [card ghost ship]Shipping[/card] can really [card gluttonous slime]eat into your profits[/card], so I try to only buy from [card information dealer]sellers[/card] if I can get [card treasure trove]more than a playset[/card]. Also, [card surestrike trident]be sure[/card] to [card contract from below]sign up[/card] for the eBay [card great sable stag]bucks[/card] program. The [card backdraft]2% back[/card] it gives will [card task mage assembly]add up[/card]. Bid Wicket – bidwicket.com [card cryptic gateway]Bid Wicket[/card] is an [card nut collector]aggregate[/card] site that [card teller of tales]will tell[/card] you what [card rewards of diversity]assorted online stores[/card] are [card soul exchange]selling cards[/card] for and [card restock]how many they have in stock[/card]. It will also let you [card complicate]conveniently[/card] purchase from [card mass of ghouls]multiple sellers[/card] at once. It’s [card mental note]important to note[/card] that [card yosei, the morning star]Star City[/card]’s [card price of glory]prices[/card] aren’t [card brass herald]advertised[/card] on the [card soul collector]aggregate[/card] sites, [card voice of reason]which is why[/card] I always [card unchecked growth]check[/card] [card keiga, the tide star]there[/card] [card the fallen apart]separately[/card]. TCGPlayer – magic.tcgplayer.com [card game of chaos]TCGplayer[/card] is [card Moorish cavalry]another[/card] [card skull collector]aggregate[/card] site that [card spellbook]references[/card] a [card polymorph]slightly different[/card] [card collector protector]selection of shops[/card] than [card cemetery gate]Bid Wicket[/card]. The other [card major teroh]major[/card] [card change of heart]difference[/card] is that [card big game hunter]TCGplayer[/card] doesn’t list any [card yawgmoth’s bargain]buy prices[/card] like [card heaven’s gate]Bid Wicket[/card] does. Google Product Search – google.com/prdhp This is the [card final punishment]last place[/card] I usually [card goldmeadow lookout]check[/card]. The only [card noble purpose]reason[/card] I [card port inspector]check here[/card] is because it [card research the deep]searches some smaller stores[/card] that [card hidden path]don’t show up[/card] on the [card collective unconscious]other aggregate sites[/card]. The [card odds //ends]odds[/card] are [card enormous baloth]pretty small[/card] that you’ll [card=hapless researcher]find anything[/card] new here, [card fighting chance]but sometimes[/card] you have to [card deep reconnaissance]dig deep[/card] to get a [card cheap ass]deal[/card]. It also [card desperate research]searches eBay[/card], so you usually have to [card bog down]wade through[/card] a bunch of [card jace, the mind sculptor]shitty[/card] results from there to [card treasure hunt]find anything good[/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

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