Vampire Lord #DCR-000

Vampire Lord #DCR-000 collector guide

About Vampire Lord

Vampire Lord is an Effect Monster, printed as DCR-000 in Dark Crisis (2003) as a Secret Rare. It is a Level 5 DARK Zombie monster with 2,000 ATK and 1,500 DEF. At its Level it needs one Tribute to Normal Summon. Dark Crisis closed out 2003 with cards such as Exodia Necross, Vampire Lord and Skull Archfiend of Lightning. Ungraded, this printing ranks 12th of the 216 Dark Crisis cards we track. The top card is Contract with the Abyss at €53.55.

Character and collecting appeal

Zombies are built around the Graveyard, bringing monsters back again and again. In play, it is a card for Special Summoning, destroying cards and dealing damage.

Version and identification

This guide covers the Unlimited printing, without the "1st Edition" text below the artwork. 1st Edition copies of the same card have their own, usually higher, prices. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read DCR-000. The code DCR-000, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as DCR-E000, and are priced separately. It is the Secret Rare version. Secret Rares have a rainbow-foil name and diagonal holographic artwork. Dark Crisis has 2 other printings of Vampire Lord: DCR-000 1st Edition (€51.08) and DCR-000 Misprint (€14.96). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Quarter Century Bonanza, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €10.88, a PSA 9 for €49.04 and a PSA 10 for €448.73. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 28%, and down 18% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €21.84 in June 2024, 50% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 290% over the same 12 months. Of the 5 printings of Vampire Lord we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Dark Crisis DCR-000 1st Edition at €51.08. 1st Edition copies sell for about 4.7× the Unlimited printing (€51.08 against €10.88).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 41.2× the ungraded price and 9.2× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. 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 June 2024 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (71 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 28% in a year. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €10.88 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €49.04. Ask the seller to show the code DCR-000, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Secret Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. At this price fakes are worth checking for: genuine cards have a small holographic seal (the Eye of Anubis) in the bottom-right corner, and the font, colours and card back should match a copy you know is genuine. Look up the certificate number of any graded copy on the grading company's website. 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.