The Lord of the Rings’ particular One Ring Magic: The Gathering card offered for a record-breaking $2 million in 2023, however that document has already been damaged with a 1993 Black Lotus promoting for $3 million.
As reported by Kotaku, the 1993 card was graded a “Pristine” 10/10 and comes from the unique Magic: The Gathering set, Restricted Version Alpha (generally generally known as Alpha). Black Lotus has traditionally been probably the most wanted Magic: The Gathering card, however others have offered for a number of hundred thousand {dollars} at most.
This Black Lotus is from the unique printing of the primary Magic: The Gathering set, nonetheless, in comparison with earlier variations which have sometimes been from Beta, the second printing of the primary set. Solely two Pristine variations are recognized to exist, together with this one.
Its good rating can be extremely uncommon, not simply because it is a greater than three many years previous piece of cardboard, however as a result of buying and selling card grading takes into consideration printing alignment and different intricate components, which might’t be managed by whoever opens the cardboard.
The purchaser mentioned he could have overpaid considerably for the cardboard however, as he is not trying to promote it instantly, is assured it’ll solely develop in worth through the years. “It’s actually laborious to cost these high-end playing cards, however I really feel like $3 million is about proper,” he instructed Kotaku. “Perhaps I did overpay a bit, however I’m not shopping for to flip it. In the long term, it ought to do high quality.”
The earlier document holder, The One Ring, was purchased by rapper Put up Malone in August 2023 for the $2 million quantity. Wizards of the Coast introduced The One Ring card months earlier than, revealing a particular model can be printed in Elvish as a “considered one of one” copy in Magic’s Tales of Center Earth set.
The worth of buying and selling playing cards has additionally been made clear by the variety of individuals attempting to steal them. $300,000’s price of Magic playing cards had been stolen in 2023, whereas a heist was launched towards a recreation retailer in 2022 that noticed $250,000 price of Pokémon merchandise stolen. Suggesting these incidents (and subsequently the worth of playing cards is on the rise), Tokyo police reported an unprecedented variety of buying and selling card thefts within the latter half of 2022.
The most costly card ever offered (not less than on document) is a mint situation Japanese Pokémon card known as Pikachu Illustrator — initially given away to simply 39 artwork contest winners in 1998 — which is valued at $5,275,000.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll speak about The Witcher all day.