Spirit of the Harp [1st Edition] #LOB-078

Spirit of the Harp [1st Edition] #LOB-078 collector guide

About Spirit of the Harp

Spirit of the Harp is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-078 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Rare. It is a Level 4 LIGHT Fairy monster with 800 ATK and 2,000 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 116th 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

Fairies are known for their light, angelic artwork and for cards that protect Life Points. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon.

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-078. The code LOB-078, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E078, 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 Spirit of the Harp: LOB-078 (€0.82), LOB-E061 (€2.08) and LOB-E061 1st Edition (€4.65). 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 €7.42, a PSA 9 for €35.66 and a PSA 10 for €167.70. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 17%, and down 2% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €53.50 in September 2021, 86% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 48% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Spirit of the Harp we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-078 at €0.82. 1st Edition copies sell for about 9× the Unlimited printing (€7.42 against €0.82).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 22.6× the ungraded price and 4.7× 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: a price well below its September 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 (64 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 17% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €7.42 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €35.66. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-078, 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.