Older cards from Magic: the Gathering‘s long history can sometimes sell for large amounts of money. The record for the amount a single card from the game has been purchased for was just broken by the same Magic: The Gathering card that claimed the previous record in 2019.
Magic: the Gathering launched its first set, called Alpha, back in 1993. Many of these cards were printed only about four or five times, making them difficult to come by and even harder to find in good condition. Many of them appear on the Reserved List, a list of 572 cards that Wizards of the Coast has promised to never reprint again. These Reserve cards make up the vast majority of the most expensive Magic cards ever sold.
An Alpha Black Lotus in mint condition, signed by the artist, has sold for $511,100.00 USD on eBay. This broke the record of an Alpha Black Lotus that sold for $166,000 USD in 2019, though that card was unsigned. The record-breaking Lotus is sealed in a case to help retain its condition and was graded by Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), one of two companies respected at grading such cards. The Black Lotus was reprinted in three other Magic sets before being put on the Reserve List, but the Alpha printing was the first, and therefore the rarest and most expensive version.
The signature is also important; Christopher Rush, the artist behind such classic Magic: the Gathering art as the Mox jewels and most of the Power Nine, passed away in 2016 at the age of 50. Rush’s art remains some of the most recognizable in all of Magic‘s history, and his signature remains one of the most sought after to this day. Although the signature is on the plastic casing and not the card itself, it still lends the Lotus even more value than it would without it.
Magic: the Gathering has changed quite a bit in the almost three decades that it has been around, spawning Magic: the Gathering comic books, new sets, and new looks for cards. But there will always be a place for the older cards to be played, loved, and collected in Vintage, Legacy, or even Commander. This love of the rare and the old will continue to drive prices up for older Magic: The Gathering cards, especially those on the Reserve List. Players and collectors alike can expect this record, as high as it is, will be shattered once again sooner or later.
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