Creature Swap #LOD-081

Creature Swap #LOD-081 collector guide

About Creature Swap

Creature Swap is a Normal Spell Card, printed as LOD-081 in Legacy of Darkness (2003) as an Ultra Rare. Legacy of Darkness was a smaller 2003 set with a wave of Spirit monsters, including Yata-Garasu, alongside Injection Fairy Lily and Airknight Parshath. Ungraded, this printing ranks 24th of the 206 Legacy of Darkness cards we track. The top card is Yata-Garasu at €78.25.

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 LOD-081. The code LOD-081, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOD-E081, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Legacy of Darkness has one other printing of Creature Swap: LOD-081 1st Edition (€17.85). 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 €8.91, a PSA 9 for €9.81 and a PSA 10 for €24.07. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 31%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €10.24 in May 2024, 13% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved sideways over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Creature Swap we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legacy of Darkness LOD-081 1st Edition at €17.85. 1st Edition copies sell for about 2× the Unlimited printing (€17.85 against €8.91).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 2.7× the ungraded price and 2.5× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. 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: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 31% in a year; 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 (32 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €8.91 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €9.81. Ask the seller to show the code LOD-081, the missing "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.