Celtic Guardian #LOB-007

Celtic Guardian #LOB-007 collector guide

About Celtic Guardian

Celtic Guardian is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-007 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 132nd 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. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon. Arsenal Summoner mentions Celtic Guardian in its text, which keeps it relevant.

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 LOB-007. The code LOB-007, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E007, and are priced separately. 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 1st Edition (€91.03), LOB-E005 (€8.80) and LOB-E005 1st Edition (€36.24). 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 €5.34, a PSA 9 for €43.69 and a PSA 10 for €246.10. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 20%, and down 13% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €12.48 in July 2022, 57% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 51% over the same 12 months. Of the 8 printings of Celtic Guardian we track, this one ranks 5th 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 17× the Unlimited printing (€91.03 against €5.34).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 46.1× the ungraded price and 5.6× 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: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 20% in a year; a price well below its July 2022 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 (148 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 €5.34 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €43.69. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-007, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Super Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. 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.