Skull Servant [1st Edition] #LOB-004

Skull Servant [1st Edition] #LOB-004 collector guide

About Skull Servant

Skull Servant is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-004 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 1 DARK Zombie monster with 300 ATK and 200 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 124th 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

Zombies are built around the Graveyard, bringing monsters back again and again. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon. Flame Ghost mentions Skull Servant 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-004. The code LOB-004, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E004, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 3 other printings of Skull Servant: LOB-004 (€1.10), LOB-E002 (€3.24) and LOB-E002 1st Edition (€3.65). 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 €6.31, a PSA 9 for €91.40 and a PSA 10 for €252.96. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 2%, and down 8% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €14.82 in October 2021, 57% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 72% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Skull Servant we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-004 at €1.10. 1st Edition copies sell for about 5.7× the Unlimited printing (€6.31 against €1.10).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 40.1× the ungraded price and 2.8× 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: a price well below its October 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; an active market (83 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €6.31 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €91.40. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-004, 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.