Dark Magician [1st Edition] #LOB-005

Dark Magician [1st Edition] #LOB-005 collector guide

About Dark Magician

Dark Magician is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-005 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as an Ultra Rare. It is a Level 7 DARK Spellcaster monster with 2,500 ATK and 2,100 DEF. At its Level it needs two Tributes to Normal Summon. Its ATK is the 4th highest of the 87 monsters in the set. 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 5th of the 454 Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon cards we track, one of the chase cards of the set. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €968.32.

Character and collecting appeal

Dark Magician is Yugi Muto's favourite monster and the card he trusts most in the anime. It has been reprinted and given new support for more than two decades, which keeps demand for its early printings high. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon. Dark Cavalry, Dark Flare Knight, Dark Magical Curtain and Dark Magician Girl mention Dark Magician in their text, among other cards, 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-005. The code LOB-005, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E005, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 5 other printings of Dark Magician: LOB-005 (€42.83), LOB-005 Misprint (€20.53), LOB-E003 (€23.86), LOB-E003 1st Edition (€138.01) and LOB-EN005 (€23.75). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Starter Deck: Yugi and Quarter Century Bonanza, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €410.16, a PSA 9 for €2,059 and a PSA 10 for €30,536. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 18%, and up 8% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1,627 in September 2021, 75% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 343% over the same 12 months. Of the 12 printings of Dark Magician we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Quarter Century Bonanza RA03-EN080 Platinum Secret Rare at €5.77. 1st Edition copies sell for about 9.6× the Unlimited printing (€410.16 against €42.83).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 74.4× the ungraded price and 14.8× 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 18% in a year; a price well below its September 2021 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; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (195 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €410.16 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €2,059. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-005, the "1st Edition" text and the Ultra 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.