Tower of Babel [1st Edition] #IOC-050

Tower of Babel [1st Edition] #IOC-050 collector guide

About Tower of Babel

Tower of Babel is a Continuous Trap Card, printed as IOC-050 in Invasion of Chaos (2004) as a Common. Invasion of Chaos, released in 2004, brought Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End and Dark Magician of Chaos. The Envoys went on to dominate competitive play, which makes it one of the most important sets of the early game. Ungraded, this printing ranks 176th of the 224 Invasion of Chaos cards we track. The top card is Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning at €143.91.

Character and collecting appeal

In play, it is a card for destroying cards.

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 IOC-050. The code IOC-050, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as IOC-E050, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Invasion of Chaos has one other printing of Tower of Babel: IOC-050 (€0.57). 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 €0.32. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 81%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.83 in February 2022, 83% above today. Unusually, Unlimited copies currently sell for as much as or more than 1st Edition ones (€0.57 against €0.32).

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its February 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 (23 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 81% in a year. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.32 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less. Ask the seller to show the code IOC-050, the "1st Edition" text and the Common finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2004 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.