Of all the creature types getting new support in the MTG Hobbit set, Dwarves have, unsurprisingly, received the most love. Not only are Thorin and company central to the plot, but Mark Rosewater teased early on that there’d be plenty of Dwarf support. With this in mind, it’s little wonder that multiple MTG Dwarf cards have been climbing in price for quite some time.
MTG Gimli of the Glittering Caves
Originally released as part of the Riders of Rohan Commander precon, it’s easy to see why Gimli of the Glittering Caves has spiked. Not only is this card a flavorful Lord of the Rings-themed Dwarf, but it directly feeds into The Hobbit’s themes. With the vast majority of Dwarves in the set caring about either other Dwarves or Treasures, Gimli works with them all.
Thanks to this wide-reaching utility, it’s little wonder that Gimli of the Glittering Caves is now being included in over 3,000 new decks. According to EDHREC, this new wave of demand is thanks to a quintet of new Commanders, but one is a firm favorite. Being responsible for over 1,700 of the new decks wanting Gimli, Thorin, King of Durin’s Folk is a clear demand driver.
With Thorin embodying The Hobbit’s wider Dwarf Typal support themes, Gimli of the Glittering Caves is literally perfect in the 99. Not only does Gimli get better and better the more Dwarves you play, but it can generate Treasures, too. This feeds into Thorin’s artifact-hoarding game plan effortlessly, making a huge threat for cheap.
On top of this, Gimli also works wonders with Dáin and even Smaug the Magnificent from The Hobbit. Realistically, any deck that cares about Treasures can get away with running this card, thanks to generating two when connecting. Due to this, Gimli is somewhat of a staple already, appearing in tons of Magda, Brazen Outlaw lists.
A Steady Spike
Despite Gimli of the Glittering Caves already being fairly well played, the new demand has had a surprisingly major impact. Ever since Mark Rosewater revealed that there would be strong Dwarf Typal support, sales of Gimli have been ramping up. Naturally, these further increased when it was revealed Gimli wasn’t being reprinted, resulting in over 900 near-mint sales overall.
While it did take some time for all of these sales to happen, there’s no escaping that this is a major price spike. A few months ago, copies of Gimli were selling for as little as $0.81, but now near-mint listings start at $6. To date, this is a 640% price spike, and since supply is so low, it might not stop there.
Notably, while three variants of Gimli from the Glittering Caves are available, as usual, the default frame is the cheapest. Currently, an extended art copy will set you back $8.98, while the showcase scrolls variant goes for $10.50. Unfortunately, even if you don’t care about card condition, these are the best prices you’re going to get, too.
A Solid Staple
While Commander-based price spikes can often be rather fickle, it does feel like Gimli of the Glittering Caves has legs. Thanks to this card seeing consistent demand over the course of months, demand appears to be organic, rather than manufactured. There’s bound to be some investors looking to make a profit; it appears to be driven by keen players.
Should this expectation prove correct, then Gimli of the Glittering Caves might not fall in price for some time. Since players rarely immediately piece apart their decks when a new Commander is released, supply may stay low. Even if this does happen, however, Gimli could theoretically be reprinted at some point, flooding the market with new supply.
Between reprints and the ever-changing whims of players, sadly, it’s practically impossible to predict a price spike’s future. As such, we can only wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months. In the short term, don’t be surprised if prices do keep climbing. Long-term, however, all bets are off.
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