Raigeki [1st Edition] #LOB-053

Raigeki [1st Edition] #LOB-053 collector guide

About Raigeki

Raigeki is a Normal Spell Card, printed as LOB-053 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Super Rare. 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 25th 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

Raigeki destroys every monster the opponent controls, which kept it on the Forbidden list for many years. Its effect centres on clearing the field.

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-053. The code LOB-053, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E053, 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 4 other printings of Raigeki: LOB-053 (€4.44), LOB-053 Misprint (€185.64), LOB-E042 (€5.11) and LOB-E042 1st Edition (€18.97). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Quarter Century Bonanza, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €75.10, a PSA 9 for €245.44 and a PSA 10 for €1,404. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 82%, and up 11% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €83.83 in March 2022, 10% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 91% over the same 12 months. Of the 7 printings of Raigeki we track, this one ranks 2nd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-053 Misprint at €185.64. 1st Edition copies sell for about 16.9× the Unlimited printing (€75.10 against €4.44).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 18.7× the ungraded price and 5.7× 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 82% in a year; 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 (135 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 €75.10 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €245.44. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-053, the "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.