Metal Dragon [1st Edition] #LOB-102

Metal Dragon [1st Edition] #LOB-102 collector guide

About Metal Dragon

Metal Dragon is a Fusion Monster, made from its Fusion Materials with a card such as Polymerization, printed as LOB-102 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Rare. It is a Level 6 WIND Machine monster with 1,850 ATK and 1,700 DEF. Its ATK is the 8th 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 89th 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

Machines range from early robots to modern archetypes, and the Type has a loyal following. Its Fusion Materials include Lesser Dragon and Steel Ogre Grotto #1.

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-102. The code LOB-102, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E102, and are priced separately. It is the Rare version. Rares have a silver-foil name and plain artwork. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 3 other printings of Metal Dragon: LOB-102 (€0.88), LOB-E082 (€2.19) and LOB-E082 1st Edition. 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 €11.07, a PSA 9 for €62.45 and a PSA 10 for €159.97. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 1%, and up 8% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €13.83 in September 2021, 20% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 20% over the same 12 months. Of the 3 printings of Metal Dragon we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-102 at €0.88. 1st Edition copies sell for about 12.6× the Unlimited printing (€11.07 against €0.88).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 14.5× the ungraded price and 2.6× 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: it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (62 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 €11.07 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €62.45. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-102, the "1st Edition" text and the 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.