Butterfly Dagger - Elma [1st Edition] #DCR-032

Butterfly Dagger - Elma [1st Edition] #DCR-032 collector guide

About Butterfly Dagger - Elma

Butterfly Dagger - Elma is an Equip Spell Card, printed as DCR-032 in Dark Crisis (2003) as a Super Rare. Dark Crisis closed out 2003 with cards such as Exodia Necross, Vampire Lord and Skull Archfiend of Lightning. Ungraded, this printing ranks 42nd of the 216 Dark Crisis cards we track. The top card is Contract with the Abyss at €53.55.

Character and collecting appeal

Its effect centres on destroying cards, changing ATK and DEF and returning cards to the hand or Deck. Guardian Elma mentions Butterfly Dagger - Elma in its text, which keeps it relevant.

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-032. The code DCR-032, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as DCR-E032, and are priced separately. It is the Super Rare version. Super Rares have holographic artwork and a plain name. Dark Crisis has one other printing of Butterfly Dagger - Elma: DCR-032 (€2.18). 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 €3.51, a PSA 9 for €17.25 and a PSA 10 for €164.96. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are unchanged, and up 4% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €9.36 in March 2022, 63% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 62% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.6× the Unlimited printing (€3.51 against €2.18).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 47× the ungraded price and 9.6× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. Early English Yu-Gi-Oh! cards often have off-centre cuts and wear on the dark brown back borders, which is why high grades are hard to reach.

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its March 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 (56 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €3.51 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €17.25. Ask the seller to show the code DCR-032, the "1st Edition" text and the Super Rare 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.