Masaki the Legendary Swordsman [1st Edition] #LOB-038

Masaki the Legendary Swordsman [1st Edition] #LOB-038 collector guide

About Masaki the Legendary Swordsman

Masaki the Legendary Swordsman is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-038 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 EARTH Warrior monster with 1,100 ATK and 1,100 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 156th 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. Flame Swordsman mentions Masaki the Legendary Swordsman 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-038. The code LOB-038, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E038, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has one other printing of Masaki the Legendary Swordsman: LOB-038 (€0.60). 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 €4.26, a PSA 9 for €26.74 and a PSA 10 for €211.77. Our monthly prices for it go back to January 2022. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 103%, and up 19% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €6.21 in October 2023, 31% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 58% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 7.1× the Unlimited printing (€4.26 against €0.60).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 49.7× the ungraded price and 7.9× 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 103% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (48 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 €4.26 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €26.74. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-038, the "1st Edition" text and the Common 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.