If you are looking for something that could give you a relatively good future to live, you might want to get your hands on “Magic: The Gathering” cards. By toymaker Hasbro – the minds behind the world’s favorite toys and pop culture characters, such as Peppa Pig, Play-Doh (for sure you played it), Power Rangers, Transformers, and more – this fantasy trading card game is regarded as the first trading card game in the world, not “Pokémon.”
Players of this trading card game represent formidable dueling wizards known as Planeswalkers. They duel and battle until somebody emerges victorious. This tabletop and digital collectible card game was started in 1993, so some of the cards in its collection are already considered rare nowadays. What are the rarest cards for “Magic: The Gathering,” and how much are they today?
Rarest Cards For ‘Magic: The Gathering’
1. Black Lotus
Price: Around $19,200
Let’s start with the winner and it’s Black Lotus. Looking at the image of the flower on the card, it looks more blue than black, but nonetheless, it has the reputation of the most valuable card for “Magic: The Gathering.” This is because it is dated from 1993, the founding year of the game. Furthermore, just around a thousand copies of this card were printed and distributed. When it was marketed, it sold for several bucks.
2. 1996 World Champion
Price: It Once Sold For $17,500
Some lists have this card instead of Black Lotus on number one, and the contention is understandable. The 1996 World Champion has only one of them that exists. With the image of a shadow wearing what appears to be a Vietnamese headpiece, this card was given to Tom Chanpheng after beating Mark Justice. He was prompted to remove and replace some of the cards with lands due to technical issues and those in the game. All the other cards were destroyed after the game’s ceremony.
3. Mind Twist (Beta)
Price: Around $1,051
On this card is an image of what looks like a hermit. Mind Twist can be used to urge your opponent to discard their hand. Not the most powerful and not the greatest. But, thanks to the magic of mana generation cards like Black Lotus, these cards can work together to potentially destroy your opponent’s hand before they can even start to play. Is this reminding you of a card in “Yu-Gi-Oh!”?
4. Shichifukujin Dragon
Price: (No Available Information, But Communities Say It’s Around $100,000)
What is it again? It’s Shichifukujin Dragon. Looking at it, you’ll see it resembles the famous Blue-Eyes White Dragon in “Yu-Gi-Oh!” Similar to the 1996 World Champion, only one card is ever printed. That was in 1996, not a coincidence when the company was trying to tap into the Asian market and did so. “Magic” asked Christopher Rush and Mark Rosewater if they could create a card for a tournament being held then in Tokyo, and they did. Thus, you have the Shichifukujin Dragon, a famous creature in Japanese folk history.
5. Lord Of The Pit (Alpha)
Price: Around $2,668
Lord of the Pit also dates from the founding year of “Magic: The Gathering,” specifically its earliest Limited Edition Alpha set, the first-ever set released for the game in 1993. Like other cards on this list, such as Black Lotus, Lord of the Pit is rare in Alpha, with only about 1,000 copies produced. The image looks like a monstrous demon.
6. The 1/1 The One Ring
Price: The One Card Is For $2 Million
The “Magic” team made its way to greatness when it created this The 1/1 The One Ring, whose image is reminiscent of “The Lord of the Rings,” making its “Wizards of the Coast” event a memorable one. Similar to the other cards here, only one of them was printed. You can identify the authentic card since it is printed using Elven script with a distinct border. Moreover, the English Collector Boosters seals it.
7. Copy Artifact (Beta)
Price: Around $925
Copy Artifact is also an enchantment that allows you to mimic an artifact. It showcases a potent effect that only improves as more artifacts come forward. Moreover, it is a shocking deviation from the norm, this card has also made it to the Reserved List. Though rare, you can have it for only around $925. Its image looks like voodoo dolls.
8. Proposal
Price: Around $56,000 Together With 2 Other Cards, According To Online Community
Next up is Proposal. Read closely to see how this card came to be. When Richard Garfield was about to propose to his then-girlfriend Lily Wu, he wanted the proposal to be extra special. He wanted to propose with a trading card, one with the image of a question mark or a couple in some variants.
After they married, copies of the card were exclusively printed and given to family members, as well as to those who helped Garfield obtain the cards. However, the copy given to Quinton Hoover, one of those who helped create the card, was stolen when he made a trip to Japan and was never recovered. A copy did show up on sale at Magic Bazar Paris in 2017, but the community is still debating until now whether this card was authentic.
9. Mox Ruby (Alpha)
Price: Around $19,000
Now being sold at around $19,000, this card that has the image of a classic ruby is touted as a marginally less broken version of legendaries, such as Black Lotus. Each Mox Ruby grants you a single mana for no mana, but unlike Black Lotus, you can use the ruby-inspired card several times. Specifically, it gives the player Red mana and can be used in a wide array of decks. These cards also belong to the Reserved List.
The World’s First Trading Card Game
As you can see, the world of the “Magic: The Gathering” trading card game is so intricate, even more complex than “Yu-Gi-Oh!” and “Pokémon” cards. Many of the “MTG” cards have a story to tell, like a character’s backstory in TV and movies, making playing with them a whole lot of fun. Owning rare “MTG” cards is a feat.
