Magic: The Gathering has been around for thirty years now. It has been included in pop culture for decades, with large mentions on Southpark, Home Improvement, Seinfeld and most famously in Spider-man (2002) where Peter Parker had an MTG poster on his wall. Many of the first cards printed have become so rare their prices have rocketed above R100 000 (US$5 000). Some have even gone significantly above that. This is our list of the most expensive cardboard game pieces available for Magic: The Gathering.
5. The Lord of the Pit
We start with something of an anomaly. Lord of the Pit was first released in 1993’s Limited Edition Alpha. As a rare, this meant it only had roughly 1100 copies ever printed. It is, however, not regarded as a particularly powerful card and is most certainly not part of Magic’s classic “Power 9”, which has traditionally held all the top card values.
The card does, however, have extremely well-regarded art and as a 7/7 flying trampler is considered a powerful nostalgia piece by those who played in the early days of Magic. Even so, when a mint condition copy sold for R2-million (US$105,000) during a January 2023 PWCC auction fans were extremely surprised.
4. Artist signed Black Lotus
As part of the famed “Power 9”, the powerful, Black Lotus has been Magic: The Gathering’s most expensive card for some time. Released in Alpha it, like Lord of the pit, only had around 1,100 copies printed in that set, with a fraction of that number surviving in good condition more than 30 years later.
According to Professional Sport Authenticator’s website, there are only six Gem Mint condition Black Lotuses in existence (rated as 10 out of 10 in quality) and 41 Near Mint/Mint (rated as 8 out of 10) copies.
In March 2022, a Gem Mint 10 copy of Black Lotus from that first Alpha set, featuring the signature of artist Christopher Rush’s sold for more than R10-million (US$540,000). Just days later, a version of Black Lotus from the Beta (or second) set was sold for R11.5-million (US$615 000).
Later that year rapper, Post Malone admitted to buying a signed, Artist Proof Black Lotus for a whopping R1.5-million (US$800,000). Making this the most expensive Black Lotus ever sold.
3. The One Ring
When makers of Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast, announced they would be doing a set based around the classic fantasy novel, “The Lord of the Rings” they also announced a never-before-attempted promotion. Included, somewhere, in one otherwise, totally normal-looking booster pack, there would be an absolutely, one-of-a-kind printing of “The One Ring” card. They stated that while there would be other One Ring cards in other boosters, this One Ring would have unique art, unique Elvish text, and the serialized number 001 of 001.
The Magic community went crazy, with people buying up vast amounts of product to crack packs looking for this Willy Wonka Golden Ticket of a card. Eventually, it was found by a player known as Brook Trafton, whose shaking hand in the discovery video makes it clear he knew its value. Then a new video emerged of Trafton meeting with Post Malone after the rapper had paid an eye-watering R37.7-million (US$2-million or Canadian$2.6-million) for the card.
2: Shichifukujin Dragon
If The One Ring is worth US$2-million then Shichifukujin Dragon is worth at least that and more likely more. Released in 1996 to celebrate the opening of the Duelists’ Convocation International Tournament Center in Tokyo, Japan, there is only one copy of Shichifukujin Dragon.
The card is still in Japan and unlikely to ever be sold so we will never know how much it could truly reach, but as a decades-old one-of, with a unique story, it would usually be thought of as Magic’s most expensive card, except for one thing.
1: 1996 World Champion
Another one-of card created to commemorate a unique event the 1996 World Champion has an even better story than that of the Shichifukujin Dragon and is therefore only going to be worth more. The 1996 World Champion was given to Tom Chanpheng of Australia for winning the 1996 World Championship and is encased in a lucite protective case rumoured to be floating above a silver globe.
Chanpheng foolishly sold the card in 2001 to a private collector for $17,500 and must be rueing the day he did so, as even a conservative evaluator would put this well above the US$2-million achieved for the one ring.
