Celtic Guardian [1st Edition] #LOB-E005

Celtic Guardian [1st Edition] #LOB-E005 collector guide

About Celtic Guardian

Celtic Guardian is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-E005 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Super Rare. It is a Level 4 EARTH Warrior monster with 1,400 ATK and 1,200 DEF. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon was the first booster set of the English Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. It brought Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, Red-Eyes Black Dragon and the five pieces of Exodia to English-speaking players, so almost every card in it is a piece of the game's history. Ungraded, this printing ranks 41st of the 454 Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €968.32.

Character and collecting appeal

Warriors are one of the oldest and largest Types, and have had support in almost every era of the game. Normal Monsters like this one are mostly collected for their art and to complete the set. Arsenal Summoner mentions Celtic Guardian 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 LOB-E005. The E in LOB-E005 marks the European English printing. The North American printing uses a code without the letter, sometimes with a different card number, and has its own prices. It is the Super Rare version. Super Rares have holographic artwork and a plain name. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 3 other printings of Celtic Guardian: LOB-007 (€5.35), LOB-007 1st Edition (€91.03) and LOB-E005 (€8.80). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Starter Deck: Yugi, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €36.21, a PSA 9 for €133.22 and a PSA 10 for €1,192. Our monthly prices for it go back to February 2025. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 83%, and up 9% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €37.91 in February 2025, 4% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 4% over the same 12 months. Of the 8 printings of Celtic Guardian we track, this one ranks 2nd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-007 1st Edition at €91.03. 1st Edition copies sell for about 4.1× the Unlimited printing (€36.21 against €8.80).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 32.9× the ungraded price and 8.9× 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: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 83% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (28 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 €36.21 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €133.22. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-E005, the "1st Edition" text and the Super 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 2002 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.