There’s no doubt thatMagic: The Gatheringis still going strong ever since Wizards of the Coast debuted the collectible card game to the public in 1993, withMTG: Arenahaving recently brought the strategy card game to life in a digital iteration on PC. That’s not to say that the physical version is any less popular, though, as there have been over twenty billionMagiccards produced between 2008 and 2016 alone.
While many of the newer cards brought into the game have found their own place withinMagic: The Gathering’s meta, some older ones have been banned or restricted for use in certain formats due to their tremendous power while in play. One such card is theBlack Lotusfrom theMTG’s Alpha set, as it allows players to add three mana without tapping any of their land cards.
After its introduction, the Black Lotus fromMagic: The Gathering’s Alpha set was never printed again. Now, one still in existence has recently broken the record for the highest price paid for an Alpha Black Lotus in a public auction, with the item going for $166,100.
For the uninitiated, the Alpha Black Lotus from 1993 had a Limited Edition print run of only 1,100, thus making the card a rarity inMagic: The Gathering, with the vast majority of this card in circulation having been damaged and worn from play. According to the premier trading card marketplace PWCC, the record breaking sale was for an Alpha Black Lotus that had four perfectly formed corners without any chips to the edges, and its black borders suffered no whitening from wear. The item contained superb print, color, and clarity throughout, giving it an incredibly high value.
Interestingly enough, the previous record sale of an Alpha Black Lotus in this grade was $87,672, and theMagic: The Gatheringcard was also sold by PWCC Marketplace back in July 2018. With this being the case, it makes for an 89% increase in price or return on investment for the seller in less than a year.
By and large, buying cards forMagic: The Gatheringcan be an expensive habit, but it’s safe to presume that most avid players are saving their money for cards that can actually be used in play. Of course, even if that’s the case, certain collections can still be incredibly valuable, with there having been one instance several years ago ofthieves stealing over $75,000 worth of rareMTGcards. So, make sure to keep an eye on those cards and their conditions,MTGfans.
Magic: The Gatheringcan be played by assembling a deck of cards for physical play, or digitally inMagic: The Gathering Arenaon PC.
