Pack to Moat, weeks 10-11

Hello Everyone!

I skipped doing a Pack to Moat report last week because I basically took a week off from Magic. I skipped my normal WNM event to go to a college finance meeting, and then my weekend was occupied with Good Friday - Easter festivities. I was however able to get a grand total of 1 trade done:

April 4, 2012

My:
Hellrider (2.97)
Immerwolf (0.72)
3x Stromkirk Captain (0.99, 2.97)

His:
Grave Titan (9.75)

Net: +3.09

The guy I was trading with actually only wanted 2 of the Stromkirk Captains, but I really just didn't want them in my binder, so I just had him throw in the 3rd. While theoretically it cuts my profit margin by a dollar, cards like Captain and Immerwolf are worth so little that it is actually negligible.

April 11, 2012

My:
FOIL Lingering Souls (3.00)

His:
Champion of the Parish (4.67)
Woodland Cemetery (5.00)

Net: +6.67

This was just another sweet deal trade from the gent who has given me all the great value trades tracking way back to Wolfbitten Captive for Gravecrawler week 1. Either one of these could basically have been done as a 1-for-1, but he set the trade up, so I gladly accepted!

My:
Champion of the Parish (4.67)

His:
Phyrexian Metamorph (7.76)

Net: +3.09

Patrick Chapin has been talking more recently about how people should be playing more clones in standard right now, specifically Phyrexian Metamorph and Phantasmal Image. I was actually surprised that I haven't had any Metamorphs come through the binder yet, but I have had a ton of Images. That being said, I think this card should move fairly easily as everyone needs a clone for their sideboard!

My:
Blade Splicer (3.34)

His:
Blackcleave Cliffs (7.32)

Net: +3.98

I'm really glad I finally got to move blade splicer. She has dropped a whole dollar in the past month, which doesn't sound like much, but if you think about it as 25% of her previous value, then you see how bad that is. Lands are always a safe bet when trading, as everyone could use some real estate! Also, in the case of Blackcleave Cliffs, I have been sporting BRains for a while now, and the deck has a few cards released in AVR that already look like contenders for a few slots! I wouldn't be surprised if the deck picked up a few more followers after the next release.

My:
Celestial Colonnade (2.73)

His:
Slagstorm (5.32)

Net: +2.59

I originally picked up the Colonnades thinking that a Tron player would want them, however the Modern PTQ season is coming to a close, which means that Modern cards is where you do not want to be right now if you're shooting for short-term value increases. Thankfully, I found someone who wanted it for their EDH deck, so I was able to replace it with a standard staple that should be more liquid.

April 12, 2012

My:
World Championship Wasteland (5.00?)

His:
Mirror Entity (4.40)
Goblin Guide (5.09)

Net: +4.49

I still have no clue what to value this wasteland at, but a lot of people have been saying $5, so I guess that's what we can go with. I picked up my second goblin guide in hopes that Vexing Devil makes some people really lean towards playing RDW in an etrnal format where the Devil is simply better. Also, Mirror Entity is only played in Elves, but I feel the deck has been getting increasingly popular every year, and I want to be prepared when they come looking for random cards.

April 14, 2012

My:
Grave Titan (9.75)

His:
Surgical Extraction (7.63)
Stromkirk Noble (4.55)

Net: +2.43

I don't remember this trade happening at all, and then when I looked at my camera and all the pictures, I thought "What was I thinking?" I guess my rational, like with GG above is that Vexing Devil would make people want to play RDW in standard, and if they do, then Noble is the next best 1 drop that they would have to get to play it. Also, Surgical Extraction is just awesome and everyone (expecially snapcaster players) needs it.

My:
Badlands (49.01)

His:
Chinese Show and Tell (45.00)
Knight of the Reliquary (10.95)

Net: +6.94

It's so sad to see this trade happen. First, I really wanted that Badlands, but I wasn't able to get my hands on it. Then I got a Chinese Show and Tell that just looks awesome, and it's super pimp, and I REALLY want it, but I am not allowed to touch cards in the pack-moat binder =(. This really makes me sad to look and and not be allowed to touch...

My:
Sulfur Falls (5.09)
Torpor Orb (0.69)

His:
Black Sun's Zenith (7.38)
Bloodghast (3.52)

Net: +5.12

This trade was possible because he valued his Black Sun's Zenith at 4, pulled out his smartphone, and then just didn't check the price. If you're going to pull out a smartphone, actually use it! Normally I use my iPod to check prices, but my iPod was dead, so I couldn't help out there. The trade would have been fine without the Bloodghast, but on the other side of things if you are trading with someone and they do severely undervalue their stuff, you are not obligated to inform them otherwise. Just accept their prices.

My:
Phantasmal Image (14.31)

His:
Elspeth Tirel (16.35)

Net: +2.04

I actually thought Elspeth was 17 or 18 when I did this trade, but it doesn't matter. I still have another Phantasmal Image in my binder that can be traded out. This trade was with one of the guys at my local store who I very highly respect, and also who never trades in general, so I was glad it worked out as it did.

March 15, 2012

My:
2x Goblin Guide (5.09, 10.18)
Bloodghast (3.52)
Gravecrawler (8.84)

His:
Verdant Catacombs (10.25)
Thrun, the Last Troll (15.52)

Net: +3.23

This trade follows a lot of what I have been trying to do recently - bulk up. While gaining value is still the name of the game, now that I am reaching the endgame for the project as I am about $250 value right now, I just want to make the individual card values go up so that I have more leverage to get things like Underground Sea or Volcanic Island that may be required to trade in for the Moat. These 2 cards I traded for are obviously very potent cards and I expect them to move up well for fatter cards as both see play in every format.

11 Trades
Week 10/11 Net: +43.67

Once again, I had another nuts +40 week! This past month has been incredible for the project, and that has been solely due to going to big events to trade. I just learned that there is another 1K next week about 90 minutes from my house, which I may opt to go to, if not to play in then just to trade. If I do go to it, than I definitely expect that I will have no problem finishing for the Moat at SCG Providence! I am really excited to see how well everything has been going this past month, although at the same time I am looking forward to concluding the journey.

That's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!

Ryan Lackie
Ryan.Lackie92@gmail.com
@ThingsILack