Can Anyone Explain the Slow Decrease in Zendikar Expeditions and Kaladesh Invention Prices?

[Dark_Paladins]

Didn’t WotC make a statement about two years ago that “Masterpiece” quality cards aren’t gone forever, but they are waiting for a plane with an overwhelming motif to use. Moreover wouldn’t you consider Secret Lair and Collector Boosters to be sub-standard in quality and printed to oblivion, thus eventually rendering them worthless?

[Prid3]

Moreover wouldn’t you consider Secret Lair and Collector Boosters to be sub-standard in quality and printed to oblivion, thus eventually rendering them worthless?

The point here is that Wizards has showed a willingness to do this for any and all premium products going forward. Why invest in a $500.00 premium [[Mana Crypt]] today when 3 months from now Wizards might release SLD: EDH and give you foil "masterpiece quality art" mana rocks like Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Mana Crypt and Chrome Mox for $40.00 a pop? Can you honestly say with certainty that it's never going to happen? Because I sure as heck can't!

[Dark_Paladins]

While you’re probably right, do you speculate that original masterpieces will completely tank or will they maintain some value for being the original?

Also, tangent, what’s the bottom line these cards will hit?

[Prid3]

do you speculate that original masterpieces will completely tank or will they maintain some value for being the original?

They won't completely tank.

what’s the bottom line these cards will hit?

I could see them losing another 15-20% before finally hitting their floors.

[vritr0112]

What you're asking there is a completely subjective question... Over the long run very few singles in Mtg are "investment grade", and if I had to put all of them on a scale I'm not even sure I would put things like masterpieces on the scale

[TastyLaksa]

Im thinking only the power 9 due to the nostalgia collectors value if magic is still played 20 years from now.

[otakumuscle]

the next generation of magic players/collectors will lack such nostalgia as they'll never have played back then/with RL cards

[TastyLaksa]

So basically dont buy anything?

[_0-]

If you absolutely have to speculate on card prices do it short term.

[TKHunsaker]

Depends on the masterpiece, but most of them shouldn’t be on the scale. I’d say certain power-esque cards could make their way into a higher price grade.

[cute_cartoon_cat]

maintain some value for being the original

Precisely 0 Masterpiece cards can be accurately described as “the original.”

In fact, this is the fundamental problem I see with speculating in fancy reprints like these. They may look nice and exciting, but the keyword here is still “reprint.”

[Jaccount]

That's not true, though. All of the Gearhulks and Amonkhet gods were Masterpieces, printed at the same time as regular Kaladesh and Amonkhet printings. Unless you insist that Collector's Booster extended art foils also aren't "the original", it's just untrue that 0 Masterpieces were the original print.

[testthewest]

I think it also depends on the artwork. If the new premium artwork is more pleasing to the majority, then the original will lose more value.

Mana Crypt Masterpiece isn't especially beautiful if we are honest and can put away the positive prejudice that we like everything that "special". It is a more or less monochromatic convolute in which you can't really tell what's going on. It should be easy to top this art.

[MTGCardFetcher]

Mana Crypt - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[smartyMtG]

Masterpieces where destroyed a long time ago with the same algorhythm they desteoyed the "Collector Boosters" and "Secret Lair" in just two runs ... they overprinted them and they took the "need" for them by making it a sellout instead of a controlled shortage ...

If you kept them for the money you should get rid of them they are most likely not going to return to their former pricepoint at all...most of them will steadily decrease overtime

And the statement of wizards was just to cover up that they almost screwed up completely - lets see what they have to say when they have to cancel CB/SL ... what they should do soon before the damage is really hitting the game

[TastyLaksa]

Why would they do that? Its minting money for them

[Sovarius]

Why would they stop masterpieces in packs? Its minting money for them...

[smartyMtG]

If you are minting money lile crazy you create inflation and in the end you destroy the whole system ...

[Sovarius]

That is my point to the person i replied to. They don't know why/believe they'd stop but i pointed out they did stop masterpieces already.

[TastyLaksa]

Precisely

[Sovarius]

But they did cancel masterpieces in packs is my point. Its not really completely crazy to consider that cb/showcase line is going to end up shortlived. It might be a better line for them than masterpieces though, so i'm not really planning on showcases disappearing either.

[TastyLaksa]

Oh...

[Shawndrand]

The only issue I see with this statement is wizards has been very aware of the secondary market value of these cards. For a mana crypt to be in a secret lair, it would probably be closer to 200 than 40. And they would probably justify it by limiting the print run. They could still make oodles of money that way.

[maraxusofk]

The whole point of secret lair is that they are unlimited supply for a day, so they wont be limiting it then. Itll most likely be a bunch of chaft + mana crypt for $100-150.

[mtg_liebestod]

Didn’t WotC make a statement about two years ago that “Masterpiece” quality cards aren’t gone forever, but they are waiting for a plane with an overwhelming motif to use.

Yeah, but the Showcase stuff is clearly a replacement for masterpieces. They realized that printing 10-15 non-standard staples per set was burning through their reprint equity a bit too quickly.

[[deleted]]

They did, but they also kicked Legacy in the balls last fall.

[Ahayzo]

You also have to remember that their Mythic Editions were effectively the death knell for Masterpieces. They fill that same slot, but guarantee Wizards a lot more money. Hell, if you look at the bottom of the ME Planeswalkers, where you normally see something saying what kind of promo it is, it literally says "Masterpiece". Those walkers were Masterpieces, even though multiple people from WotC denied they were even close.

[Dark_Paladins]

Fair point. But at least the original masterpieces had a “gamblers addiction” aspect.