5 of the most expensive Magic: The Gathering cards

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) first hit the stores in 1993. The combination of roleplaying and card collecting made it a huge success and today it’s played around the world.

The size of the user base means that demand for the rarest and most powerful cards far outstrips supply.

Online exchanges have sprung up, letting collectors see how the value of their deck is fluctuating in real time. 

Here are 5 of the most expensive MTG cards ever sold.

5. Mox emerald

The Mox emerald is one of the five Moxen cards and allocate one mana to the player’s deck. This makes it a highly desirable card early in the game.

This example sold for $2,000 on eBay.  

4. Mox Sapphire

The first two MTG issues are known as Alpha and Beta and are easily identified by their black borders.

This Beta Mox Sapphire recently sold for $4,050.

3. Ancestral Recall

One of the most appealing aspects of the early editions is the exceptional work by renowned fantasy artists.

This 9.5-graded edition of Ancestral Recall is about as good as this card gets, justifying its sale price of $9,452.

2. Tournament Tarmogoyf

This foil Tarmagoyf recently sold for $14,950 in a charity auction, making it the most valuable modern card ever sold.

This was due to it being played in a Grand Prix event in Las Vegas, after being drawn from a fresh pack.

It’s particularly rare as it features a tournament stamp.

1. Black Lotus

The Black Lotus is the most valuable card in the game. Only 1,100 were ever printed, making it extremely rare.

One sold for $27,302 in an eBay auction in 2013.

They are still turning up in unopened booster packs today.