This is exacerbated by the second factor, which is just that there isn't all that much good removal in the gold cube
Plus, Clement turns all of our Frogs into mana dorks
Commander players love big beefy creatures, and boy howdy can Banquet Guests get huge
Final Fantasy Crystals Final Fantasy introduced a cycle of 4-mana artifacts with cost reduction, a static ability, and an activated ability: Though some Crystals are stronger than the others, each is broadly playable, especially in mono-colored decks that make the most use of the cost reduction
The anime boom is pulling in new collectors every day, and prices shift as supply and demand change
Cards in pristine condition (graded PSA 10 Gem Mint) can be worth many times more than the same card in lesser condition