Flame Swordsman #LOB-003

Flame Swordsman #LOB-003 collector guide

About Flame Swordsman

Flame Swordsman is a Fusion Monster, made from its Fusion Materials with a card such as Polymerization, printed as LOB-003 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Super Rare. It is a Level 5 FIRE Warrior monster with 1,800 ATK and 1,600 DEF. Its ATK is the 9th 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 126th 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

Flame Swordsman is one of Joey Wheeler's first signature monsters in the anime. Its Fusion Materials include Flame Manipulator and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman. Dark Flare Knight mentions Flame Swordsman 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-003. The code LOB-003, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E003, 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 one other printing of Flame Swordsman: LOB-003 1st Edition (€118.88). 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 €6.09, a PSA 9 for €71.37 and a PSA 10 for €399.55. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 15%, and down 8% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €14.72 in March 2022, 59% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 19% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 19.5× the Unlimited printing (€118.88 against €6.09).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 65.6× 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: a price well below its March 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; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; an active market (151 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 15% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €6.09 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €71.37. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-003, the missing "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.