A historic sale turns the heads of Magic players: a Black Lotus in mint condition reaches a record price during a private sale.
The Black Lotus card of Magic: The Gatheringlegendary since the game’s first edition, has just sold for a mind-blowing $3 million, surpassing all previous records for a card in the game.
The iconic Black Lotus
The Black Lotus is an iconic card in the TCG Magic: The Gathering. A superb Source of multi-colored mana before being discarded, this card is so strong that it has been banned from many game formats. But it remains an incredible collector’s item, and it still sells for between €10,000 in new condition. poor condition and €250,000 in mint condition.
During a recent private sale, a Black Lotus rated 10/10 by the certification company CGC, was sold for the phenomenal sum of 3 million dollars, confirming its iconic status among collectors. This sale was revealed by the Certified Guaranty Company, a Florida-based company specializing in card quality assessment.
The new purchaser, an Instagram user known as Benjamin.be, says the purchase, although expensive, corresponds to the value of the card. With years of experience in purchasing cards Magic: The Gathering rare, Benjamin considers this investment a wise one, even if he admits to having perhaps overpaid slightly. However, their intention is not to resell the card, but to hold onto it for its long-term value.
Post Malone jealous?
Before this sale, the record for a card Magic: The Gathering was owned by Post Malone, who acquired a unique One Ring card for over $2 million. Although the Black Lotus is not that unique, the perfection of its condition and its rarity somewhat justify its exorbitant price.
The news of this record sale caused a stir in the TCG community, between indignation and envy. It is true that the sum of 3 million dollars seems indecent for a simple piece of cardboard, but these are the same mechanics as for any rare collected object. This sum for a painting, for a car or for a rare coin would remain just as exaggerated.
The phenomenon is not isolated; Trading cards, particularly Black Lotus, have seen an explosion in value recently, a boom attributable in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in awareness of specialty grading services.
The speculation train
This record sale confirms that the TCG market is increasing in value, and the opening accounts of boosters, or the emergence of networks like Voggt show that this is not about to stop. Card collecting becomes for some akin to a trading activity, and the market is structured with grading companies that play a central role in guaranteeing quality levels.
Other TCGs are experiencing episodes linked to the value of their cards, such as recently a Yakuza caught stealing Pokémon cards. Perhaps in a few years Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited or Altered cards will experience the same speculation loops? We wish them in any case.
