Battle Footballer [1st Edition] #DCR-001

Battle Footballer [1st Edition] #DCR-001 collector guide

About Battle Footballer

Battle Footballer is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as DCR-001 in Dark Crisis (2003) as a Common. It is a Level 4 FIRE Machine monster with 1,000 ATK and 2,100 DEF. Dark Crisis closed out 2003 with cards such as Exodia Necross, Vampire Lord and Skull Archfiend of Lightning. Ungraded, this printing ranks 131st of the 216 Dark Crisis cards we track. The top card is Contract with the Abyss at €53.55.

Character and collecting appeal

Machines range from early robots to modern archetypes, and the Type has a loyal following. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Dark Crisis.

Version and identification

This guide covers the 1st Edition printing. The words "1st Edition" are printed below the artwork on the left; copies without them are the Unlimited printing and usually sell for less. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read DCR-001. The code DCR-001, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as DCR-E001, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Dark Crisis has one other printing of Battle Footballer: DCR-001 (€0.45). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.45, a PSA 9 for €6.25 and a PSA 10 for €49.09. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 69%, and down 26% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.70 in August 2022, 74% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 34% over the same 12 months. Unusually, Unlimited copies currently sell for as much as or more than 1st Edition ones (€0.45 against €0.45).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 109.1× the ungraded price and 7.9× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. On cards from the early 2000s, the dark brown backs show every scuff and white edge, so top grades are scarce.

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its August 2022 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (25 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 69% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.45 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €6.25. Ask the seller to show the code DCR-001, the "1st Edition" text and the Common finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2003 often show white wear on the back edges and corners, so ask for photos of the back before you buy.

Card details and image from YGOPRODeck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trademark of Konami; Search Cards is not affiliated with Konami.