What are the most expensive Magic cards?
Magic: The Gathering cards are a valuable investment. Since 1993, the collectable Card Game has been steadily gaining in popularity, and some of its cards have been appreciating in value as well. We’ve seen cards reach prices in the thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars.
So what is the most expensive Magic card ever printed? We list the ten most expensive Magic cards below, from fun but powerful cards from the early days of the game to ultra-rare promos from the most recent sets. Some of these most expensive Magic cards are banned in competitive play, but demand for them is still so high that many of them are worth more than a car or a house.
The most expensive Magic cards are:
Chaos Orb
This little red orb is the most banned card in Magic history, but it still holds its value with a price tag of $44,400. The chaos of flipping this card over during your opponent’s turn can be crippling, and there are few cards that can match its power for its mana cost.
Shivan Dragon
Once considered the best creature in Magic, this Shivan Dragon is a force to be reckoned with with a price tag of $44,400. This Alpha edition dragon also has a slightly lower-value Alpha edition Mox Pearl, which was the currency used to power up the mana in Magic before the rules were changed to make them non-tournament legal.
Vesuvan Doppelganger
This fun multiplayer card can copy any creature your opponent controls and then become a copy of that creature, so it’s a unique way to get a little extra value out of other people’s cards. On top of that, a mint condition Alpha printing is worth $63,000.
Time Walk
The card that lets you take an extra turn is a highly sought after card that is banned in most formats. It’s a powerful card that can win you the game within a few turns, so it’s not hard to see why it’s so valuable and banned. It costs $84,000.
Timetwister
A card that gives both players a fresh hand is powerful, but it’s still restricted in certain formats. However, this card is still highly sought after, and a mint condition Alpha Timetwister can cost as much as some luxury cars.
Copy Artifact
Not many people know that this card even exists, but Copy Artifact can be played in Commander, Vintage, and Legacy. A copy can be found for as little as $20, but if you’re looking for a mint condition Alpha printing, you’ll be looking at six figures at least.
Lord of the Pit
When this undervalued card from Alpha was reprinted in Legends, its price shot up. A mint Alpha Lord of the Pit sold for over $100,000.
Mind Twist
A card that discards your opponent’s cards was so powerful that it was banned in Legacy, but Mind Twist is still legal in Vintage and can be played in Commander. An Alpha Mind Twist sold for over $200,000.
The Black Lotus
The iconic zero mana artifact is infamous for its power and is one of the most valuable Magic cards of all time. It’s banned in all formats except for Commander, but it still sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Post Malone
The rapper purchased an Alpha Edition Black Lotus for $800,000 in June 2022.
The One Ring
Post Malone also bought The One Ring for $2 million in a heavily protected case. The card is unique, with its own artwork, Elvish text, and a serialized number of 001 of 001. The owner of The One Ring, Brook Trafton, describes the purchase as a life-changing amount of money.
Post Malone also expressed his happiness in acquiring the rarest and most expensive Magic card ever printed. “This is the only one in the world,” he says. “There is no other one. And the stories that come from it and the history that comes from it, it’s just… I can’t even describe it.”
That said, there are other Magic cards that are sold for millions, but they’re unique one-of-a-kind cards rather than multiple copies of the same card.
