Guardian Ceal [1st Edition] #DCR-006

Guardian Ceal [1st Edition] #DCR-006 collector guide

About Guardian Ceal

Guardian Ceal is an Effect Monster, printed as DCR-006 in Dark Crisis (2003) as an Ultra Rare. It is a Level 4 FIRE Pyro monster with 1,700 ATK and 1,400 DEF. Dark Crisis closed out 2003 with cards such as Exodia Necross, Vampire Lord and Skull Archfiend of Lightning. Ungraded, this printing ranks 29th of the 216 Dark Crisis cards we track. The top card is Contract with the Abyss at €53.55.

Character and collecting appeal

Pyro monsters are fire-themed and often deal direct damage. In play, it is a card for destroying cards. Its text names Shooting Star Bow - Ceal, so collectors often look for them together.

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-006. The code DCR-006, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as DCR-E006, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Dark Crisis has one other printing of Guardian Ceal: DCR-006 (€1.56). 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 €6.21, a PSA 9 for €38.27 and a PSA 10 for €113.63. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 13%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €12.74 in April 2022, 51% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 27% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 4× the Unlimited printing (€6.21 against €1.56).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 18.3× the ungraded price and 3× 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 April 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 (68 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 13% in a year. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €6.21 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €38.27. Ask the seller to show the code DCR-006, the "1st Edition" text and the Ultra 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.