One of the rarest cards from the game Magic: The Gathering, the Black Lotus, has now sold on eBay for over $500,000. Its value skyrocketed due to a signature, making it one of the most expensive Magic cards ever.
This is the card in question: The Black Lotus is among the rarest cards in Magic: The Gathering. It belongs to the first generation (Alpha set) of Magic cards released in 1993. These cards can be recognized by their rounded black borders. These Alpha cards were replaced by a Beta version as they were considered too powerful and disrupted the game balance. Consequently, there are only 295 different Alpha cards.
Well-preserved, these cards are very popular among collectors. High sums have frequently been achieved through the sale of such a card online. Once for $74,500, another time for $166,100.
These figures have now been surpassed by a recent sale on eBay. Someone auctioned their Black Lotus for an astonishing $511,011.
Most Expensive Magic Card Thanks to a Signature
Why is this card significantly more expensive? This card is not just a Black Lotus. Besides its flawless condition, its case is adorned with a signature from Christopher Rush.
Who is that? Christopher Rush was one of the first artists behind the design of Magic cards. Rush passed away in 2016 at the age of 50.
The signature adds a cherry on top to an already rare and valuable card, leading to such a high price. The auction ended on January 27 after 123 bids.
What can the card actually do? The Black Lotus is not only rare but also powerful. In Magic, mana is gained through lands, which are then needed to cast creatures and spells. The card gives you 3 mana points at once, regardless of which color you are playing.
This allowed players to have 4 mana from the first turn, providing a significant advantage. At PSA (Professional Sports Authenticators), the card received the highest rating (PSA 10).
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