While Reserved List cards are especially likely to be bought out (which is the most common cause of a price spike) thanks to their low supply and the Reserved List itselfwhich offers a wall of protection around speculators, who don't have to worry about a surprise reprint ruining their investmentolder, low-supply Modern, and Commander cards deal with the same issue, just on a smaller scale
In Legacy and Vintage, this MTG card stops game-winning combos when you have no mana open
There are also some specific cards that often factor into this
Tannuk, Steadfast Second has a familiar Sneak Attack-like ability, not unlike Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded, and it should get people brewing around massive artifacts and red creatures
Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar Im judging this mostly on its potential as a commander, but I have to admit that Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar is attractive in the 99 of other decks