Collectible cards gain collector’s value over time. Not every card from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering is commonly available. The “Black Lotus” has now been auctioned on eBay for over $166,000.
How valuable are Magic cards
Which card is it exactly? Black Lotus belongs to the Alpha set of Magic: The Gathering and is part of the first edition of the card game from 1993. These cards are recognizable by their rounded corners and black borders.
How much did the buyer pay for the card? It was an eBay auction in which the card finally sold for $166,100.
Wasn’t such a card sold last year too? In July 2018, a “Black Lotus” card was also sold on eBay. This one also came from the Alpha series of the first edition of Magic: The Gathering. At that time, it was sold for “only” $87,672.
A well-preserved piece
Why is this card so expensive? It is a card of which there are only 1,100 copies. The Alpha of Magic: The Gathering was replaced by an improved Beta, whose cards look different and where some cards had different values for better balancing. And that’s exactly what happened with the Alpha version of the Black Lotus. It disrupted the balancing and had to be replaced, which makes it so special now.
Cards from the Alpha are therefore extremely sought after by collectors, especially when they are well preserved.
Moreover, the card is in a condition of 9.5 out of 10, which is almost like “new” status. There is almost no wear on it, which makes it especially valuable.
Why did the card sell for much more money than the one last year? Exact reasons for this are not known. It is curious, as both cards were in the same condition. Within a year, the value has basically doubled.
